"Were you ever planning to tell me we aren't having lunch together today?" Madeline popped out of nowhere while I was busy putting books I had borrowed back in their respectful shelves in the department library. I nearly jumped out of my skin with surprise, having been entirely focused on the menial task and the thoughts running through my head. I clasped the books in my hand tighter and sighed. "Really, Maddie. You couldn't announce your presence like a normal person?"
"Where's the fun in that?" She looked at my stack of books distractedly but then snapped out of it and pointed a finger at my face, resuming her less than happy tirade. "No, you traitor. You're having lunch with Dom and I'm the one stood up? How dare you!"
I kneaded my forehead in confusion, thinking back to the last conversation she and I had over the phone. I think it was the middle of the night on a sunday. "Crap... did I promise you we'd have lunch together today?" That was totally something I'd do and instantly forget the minute I fell asleep after the call.
Her long unamused face was answer enough, and I barely held back the apologies waiting to tumble out of my mouth. "Honestly Lily." She was justified in her annoyance with me. I would be too. "It's all the work you've been doing lately. I told you to go easy on yourself. Did you take a look in the mirror lately? I'm worried for you."
"Okay, Dr. Rowanda junior." I scoffed. In some respects, she was exactly like her mom. A health-freak and a worrywart. Also probably why she was incredibly fit while I felt like a zombie dragging my limbs around every day. "I'm really sorry. It totally escaped my mind. I'll raincheck with Dom?"
She waved her hand dismissively, following me around as I put the last book back and turned to leave the library together. "Don't. I think I'll have lunch with Ryan and the guys. But that doesn't mean I forgive you just yet." She turned on me suddenly. "You promised you'd meet Ryan and get to know him. How much longer are you planning to postpone it?"
There comes the reason why I'm not hanging out with my best friend of eleven years now. Madeline Rowanda, the brilliant nutcase of stunning, popular, and academically accomplished girl that was the polar opposite to my gloomy, unapproachable, invisible persona. My best friend who also now has a jock of a boyfriend I've been dreading meeting for the past three weeks. Knowing Madeline's taste in guys, I'll know I'll dislike him. Actually, regardless of her taste, Ryan Cullen was most-definitely a jerk I'm going to hate. Obviously, I can't help but think no one will ever be worthy of my best friend, but things get a bit complicated when taking into account Maddie's track record of dating assholes who mess things up before the relationship even takes off. I have no doubts Madeline knows very well that I won't look too kindly on any guy she dates, yet she's still adamant on always introducing me to them and wanting to get my opinion. I mean, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't think any good will come out of the situation.
She's too much of an optimist who believes in the best of people and chooses to give chances until proven otherwise. The same definitely cannot be said for me. As much as I'd like to harness some of that child-like openness my best friend possesses, I've had enough things go wrong than to blindly give chances left and right. I'll have none of that as long as I get a say in it.
"Do I need to meet him though?" I tried my luck. "You're obviously dating. Nothing I think or say will change that fact. Plus, why don't you just be your merry jolly self and see this one through? You seem to be happy as far as I can tell." See, I can do diplomacy.
She gave me those puppy eyes I find hard to refuse. "You're my best friend! I'm pretty sure it's an unspoken law for you to get to know my boyfriend and watch out for me, no? Plus, if you really don't like him, at least I can know and keep it in mind. What you think matters to me."
I fished my vibrating phone out of my jeans pocket and sighed, "Fine, Mads." She'll probably hound me for eternity until I meet him anyway. I was only delaying the inevitable, so I might as well just get it over with.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She hugged me tight enough to make my limbs hurt. I shook my head with a smile I couldn't fight. She was such a kid sometimes. "Maddie, hold up!" My phone went off once more and I struggled out of her arms to answer. It could only be one person calling me in any case.
"Where are you?" Dom asked. "I waited outside your lecture hall but didn't see you."
"Sorry, I had to return some books to the library and bumped into Maddie on the way." I thought I'd be quick. I didn't factor Maddie in that equation. "I'll find you, just tell me where-
"Oh wait, I see you." It sounded like he was running. Sure enough, he was at the other end of the hallway waving at us.
"Right." Maddie bumped my arm and fluffed her pretty ginger hair. "That's my cue to leave. I'll call you at night."
She rushed to leave, but couldn't make her escape before Dom caught up with us. His signature smile and midnight blue eyes were shining teasingly. It was unfair how he didn't even need to try to look good. "What? Leaving without saying hi to me, Madzie?"
"I told you a thousand times not to call me that!" Maddie, getting red in the face, yelled at an amused Dom.
I should probably mention now that these two bicker worse than a married couple. Most of it instigated by Dominic who enjoys annoying the living daylights out of my best friend. And her being her, falls for it every time. I could leave for hours and come back to find them arguing still about absolute nonsense.
"But it suits you, shorty." Dom said, patting Maddie's head like a child. Oh hell no, here we go again. I exhaled loudly as Madeline shouted a string of colorful words at a highly entertained Dom. I stand at a reasonably tall height for a female and I still have to lift my head up to face Dom, but poor Maddie's definitely got the short end of the stick -pun not intended- since he discovered her height was a foolproof method of riling her up.
"Guys!" I had to butt in if we were to move on with our lives anytime soon. "Please act your ages. Maddie, we'll talk later yeah? We need to go, bye!" I dragged Dominic away from a tomato-red Madeline whose glares shot daggers at the unsuspecting man. I could just feel her gaze. That's a talent eleven years of friendship gets you.
"God, it's so fun to tease her." He chuckled as we put in our orders and waited for our food. "Why isn't she having lunch with us though? I thought she would when she asked me this morning."
"That would be on me," I looked at the two guys in front of us having a very misogynistic conversation in disgust. "I forgot I had already made plans with her today, so she's having lunch with her boyfriend and his bunch."
Dom carefully pulled me to his side to avoid bumping into one of those guys. He frowned slightly. "You mean Ryan, like, the jock? I didn't know she was into that kind."
Finally getting our food and settling in a sunny spot outside, we watched the crowded cafeteria from afar. I mumbled in confusion. "You know him?"
Dom snorted and took a sip of his drink to wash down the food. "Unfortunately."
Great, if even Dom, who usually doesn't have much to say about people, dislikes the guy then I don't know what Maddie sees in him. I asked him to elaborate.
"Stereotypical football jerk." He shrugged. "His rich daddy got him on the team so he can shoe off. He's just a bencher but his ego's through the roof. Only hangs out with his west end group. Thinks that the rest of us normal people are a nuisance. You know the drill."
It's actually not so uncommon to bump into that sort of people around here. Granted, St. Honors was a relatively expensive college, and most students that go here are either rich enough to afford it -which is the majority-, are waist-deep in debt, or scholarship receivers. Dom would fall under the latter category with his basketball scholarship and incredible brains. I guess his looks and personality contribute to his popularity and explain why he's not easily overlooked or dismissed by rich snobs. I don't mean to say that all the rich kids here are self-important and annoying, but a good number of them are, and it inspires both frustration and humour for myself and Dom.
"Sounds insufferable." I picked absently at the barcode ticket. "To think I have to meet the guy." I shuddered inwardly. Honestly, Maddie and I are long due for a serious talk about her boy choice.
"Do you really have to?" He repeated the same question I'd asked Maddie earlier.
"Trust me, it's the last thing I want to do."
*
Alas, I had no choice in the matter because the next day I was standing right outside of the cafeteria doors, anticipating and dreading the impending meeting. I will never know why I have to, not only meet her boyfriend but, withstand a whole lunch break with him and his friends' group. What's the problem in that? Two problems. First, I am a natural introvert who hates unsolicited and unnecessary interactions with people. Secondly, I am almost certainly convinced I will dislike Maddie's boyfriend, and I'm not confident about my social hypocrisy skills enough to entertain the devil and his spawns for a long time. You'll naturally have to ask then, what counter-measures I have prepared? Well, I enlisted the help of the only person I could think of... yes, Dominic. It's not like I have many other friends.
"Right, what am I exactly here for?" He scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Moral support for your best friend?" Pleading helplessly.
"Lils, you know I love you but I'm not sharing the same table with snobby Cullen and his gang. Sorry buddy." He pat my shoulder and turned to walk away with a very unapologetic gait.
I rushed to stop him. "Come on Dom. Please, just this once?" I gave the puppy eyes my best shot but I can tell it isn't working. Damn it, I need to work on my cute factor. I'll ask Madeline to give me lessons sometime. The rejection was coming so I decided to switch tactics, lifting my hand to interrupt him. "I'll owe you. Name your price, Dominic Hughes."
"No." He was about to sidestep me but I caught his arm. He huffed in annoyance. "Lily, no. I hate the guy. I cannot stand him. This will not end well even if I say yes."
I would have replied sarcastically but the words died down on my tongue when I saw how serious he was. This was no joking matter for him. I furrowed my brows. "Why is that? You're rarely so strongly opinionated about people. What did he do to you?"
He's never showed such a resolute aversion even to the people I cannot stand. He huffed. "It's a long rivalry you don't need to worry about."
I guess if he really didn't want to, I can't do much else. "Fine." I brushed my hair away from my face. "I'll just get this over with on my own."
What's the worst that could happen anyway? I wrung my fingers together as I got lost in my own thoughts for a moment. My stress levels weren't dialling down anytime soon. In times like these, I start to overthink every little possible outcome. I'm not the most confident person out there, even if people assume that just because I tend to be blunt and blurt out what comes to mind in the most unseemly situations.
Startled out of my train of thought, Dom's hand on my shoulder felt cold. I looked up to his face, finding a mixture of frustration and resignation. He sighed, "You owe me big time, Rhodes."
My eyes widened partly in surprise but I couldn't deny the amount of relief I felt. My voice came out small and reluctant, "You really don't have to if you don't want."
Dom looked upwards as though asking for patience. "Don't tempt me to back out."
A little smile crept on my face as I nudged his side. "You're the best."
"And you." He pointed down at me. "Owe me a lifetime of cappuccinos."
"Done." I shook his hand sealing the deal before we walked inside.
"Where's Maddie?" He asked, looking around as we waited to place our orders.
"She texted me saying she was running a bit late but said to go ahead and meet them... as if I'd do that."
He handed our student cards to the cashier. "I can't decide if she knows you too well or not at all." We thanked the woman and stood aside to wait for our food. "This whole thing is ridiculous. You don't need to approve her boyfriends for her."
"She said it's girl code." I pursed my lips. "I have no idea, but Maddie gets what Maddie wants. I won't be the first nor last to fall for her ways."
"Can't argue with that." He agreed. A cold breeze blew through the window behind us and we both turned to close it at the same time. Dom's hand stopped mine as he whispered, tilting his head towards the people sitting right outside. "That's the jerk and company."
I took a sneak peek outside, whispering back. "Why the hell are there three other people with him? I thought it would just be him and some friend."
Dom shrugged. "Should've asked Maddie." He left to go get our trays. I hung back waiting for him, but couldn't help myself as my ears tuned into the conversation flowing from the table outside.
'... have to stick together all the fucking time.' A guy wearing sunglasses on his head was speaking. He had a smug arrogant grin painted on his face, one I think might be permanent because it hadn't dropped a single millimetre. 'It's ridiculous. We're not getting fucking married.'
Two of his friends burst into laughter. A tattooed bronze-skinned guy added. 'I bet the bitch wishes. You must have spoiled her good.'
'All in good fun.' Sunglasses said, 'It was worth a couple fucks.'
'Damn right, she looked fine.' Tattoos nodded. I felt disgusted just from what I've heard so far. The blond guy, who's been laughing and hadn't spoken yet, straightened up as his tattooed friend turned to him. 'Well our Ryan Casanova here on the other hand... Tell me how's that piece of Rowanda ass?' My breath stuttered for a minute, and I clenched my hands tightly. I hadn't even realized Dominic was back by my side and was now listening as well. Who does that asshole think he is?
'Cut it out, Pierce.' The so-called Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. The quietest guy of the four had gotten up and left the table sometime before Ryan's comment. I could see the empty spot now where he'd been sitting.
'What's that?' Sunglasses guy asked mockingly. 'Am I hearing things or are you serious?'
'Serious my ass.' Ryan spat out. 'You know I'm just fucking around. It's a few weeks fun then I'll move on to the next chick.'
Heat rose to my cheeks as I fought to tamp down my agitation, but I could see Dom in front of me -who'd long discarded our food on the table nearby- balling his hands into fists. I shot him a warning look. Although this was ridiculous and outrageous, Dominic cannot get into any sort of trouble, not on my watch.
The guy called Pierce whistled. 'Aren't you brave? You're with a high rank this time around. I thought we only play with the easy ones.'
'Well.' Ryan sipped his soda languidly. 'She's not not easy.' He grumbled. 'Can't believe she wants me to meet her best friend. What do I care about that?'
'Cool down, man.' The one with sunglasses smirked. 'Let us meet the chick. She could be a fine piece of work. Pierce or I can get behind that.'
Fucking assholes. I thought, mostly livid for Maddie. The fact that she's been hanging out with them, and even dating that big jerk-face. Dominic had had enough by their last comment and before I could comprehend what was happening, he had already pushed through the double doors and was striding angrily towards their table.
I immediately shot after him trying to stop the inevitable fight when I bumped so hard against someone, I fell back on the hard ground.