by Raathi Chota
“Returning them so soon?” He tossed it back.
“Just being generous.” I faked a smile as I flung it across the table.
“I wasn’t asking you,” Blake hissed as he threw it back.
“Well, I’m offering,” I declared, hurling it toward him.
“I don’t want yours,” he argued, then threw it.
“In actual fact, it’s yours!” I added, then flung it back to him. Nick leaped forward and slammed his hands onto the box before Blake caught it. The whole table went silent as we watched Nick glare at the two of us. He let out a huff as he slowly sat down and left the pack in the center of the table.
“Now I don’t know what the hell is going on between the two of you, but you guys better make up. Fucking hell.” Nick muttered the last part. “This is getting really fucking annoying. Every week you two are fighting.”
Melissa calmed her boyfriend down as Blake and I stared at each other. Every week since the bet, we’d fought and it’d be over the smallest of things. Yet every time we forgave each other, it’d be out of trust, care, desperation, or the thought of not having to speak to one another. Plus every week we got to know each other a little bit more. Whether it was about our goals in life or our pasts, we’d have something to say to each other. Yet right now I had nothing to say to him. He asked for smokes, and I offered.
“Apologize,” Carter said. I scrunched my nose up as I glared at the blond boy.
“For what?”
“For taking my cigarettes,” Blake pointed out. I snapped my head in his direction and huffed. He gave me his cigarettes yesterday, but he knew that I wouldn’t tell.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. Everyone turned his or her heads to look at Blake as we waited for his apology. He gave us a blank look, then turned to me.
“Apology accepted,” he said with a broad grin. I let out a scoff as everyone started talking again. Aidan slowly stood up while everyone conversed. He leaned across the table as his eyes met mine, an innocent look on his face as he took the cigarettes.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of them,” he said as he put them in his jacket.
***
A groan escaped from my lips as I sighed. I sat on the sofa and watched Titanic as I rubbed my tummy. I received my period this morning, and it only pained hours later. I called Miranda and Melissa, but they were on a double date. Dad was at the station as usual, yet Mom was keen and made me a cup of tea when she came home from work. Miranda suggested that I call the guys since some of them were at Ethan’s house, but I didn’t want to ruin their night. We finished mid-terms, so everyone wanted to chill. Yet I was at home on the sofa as I watched a beautiful young Leonardo DiCaprio.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Miranda
I wanted to be with my best friend on her period. Yet Melissa and I had made plans before she got it, so I had no choice but to go. We were in the restrooms, and I got off the phone with Lana. Melissa suggested that we call one of the guys to go over and keep her company. So I decided to call Benny while she tried Blake, but I preferred Benny, because Blake was a bad influence, like Levi, and he’d made her smoke.
“House of Beauty, you’re speaking with a cutie!” Liam sang on the phone.
“Are you with the guys?”
“Yeah, where else would I be on a Wednesday night?”
“Is Blake there?” I whispered as I turned to Melissa, who typed on her phone.
“Nope just Aidan, Ethan, Benny, and of course mwah.”
“Put me on speaker.”
“Why?”
“Just do it, Sanchez.”
“Okay, calm down, Stevens.” I heard shuffles through the phone as I waited. Whispers and background music filled the phone as I sighed.
“Whatcha’ need, Stevens?” Aidan’s voice echoed through the phone. I bit my lip anxiously as I thought of a way to tell them. Obviously, they’d know what time of the month meant.
“Lana’s T.O.M.”
“What?” Ethan asked. I was about to say that she’s on her period and that she needed someone who loved Titanic to go to her now, but an old woman came out of a cubicle.
“Lana’s under the radar,” I muttered as the woman strolled to the basin.
“Huh?” Benny asked. A few whispers sounded through the phone as a realization hit them.
“Oh!” they said in unison.
“So how does this affect us?” Liam asked.
“Well, since I’m on a date and can’t be there for my best friend, get your asses over there!” I exclaimed. The elderly woman turned to me with a disapproving look. I pulled my tongue at her as she walked out.
“No, no, no, as much as I love Lana, I heard you women can get brutal when it’s the red flag,” Aidan complained as I scrunched my nose up at his choice of words.
“Oh well, then you certainly haven’t met my army!” I hissed as I made eye contact with Melissa. Her phone was pressed to her ear, which made me bite my nails.
“What’s in it for us?” Ethan asked.
“Just think about all the things she’s done for you,” I began. “While you guys are jerking off, she’s suffering all alone watching a goddamn ship sink!”
There was silence at the other end of the line as I waited. I glanced over at Melissa, who spoke in a hushed tone.
“She’s watching Titanic?” Liam asked.
“Go there now, or I will rip your tongues out, strangle you all until your heads are off, then dump your bodies in a barrel of bleach!” I yelled into the phone. Again, there was silence, followed by movements, then whispers.
“Goddamn, Miranda, no one wants to know when you’re on your peri—”
“I get mine exactly four days after Lana’s, so I suggest you guys start preparing for war already,” I warned.
“Okay, okay…geez, Miranda, we’re on our way,” Benny said. “But wait, what do we get her?”
A smile formed on my lips as I looked at Melissa, who frowned.
“Google it,” I said, then ended the call. I placed my phone in my back pocket as I walked toward Melissa with a grin. She hopelessly sighed as she put her phone in her purse.
“Can you hear that, Melissa?” I asked as I leaned forward and cupped my ear while looking around. “It’s the sound of Blake slowly dying and Benny fucking rising!”
“Shut it, Stevens,” she grumbled. I did a happy dance as Melissa stared in amusement. I watched as her relaxed face turned into a worried expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Are we forgetting something?” she asked. “We have boyfriends who’ve been waiting for us!”
“Oh, shit!” I yelled. We bolted through the doors and casually walked back to our table. Thankfully Marcus and Nick laughed as we calmly slipped into our seats. I sat next to Melissa with our dates opposite us, and it took a while for them to notice us.
“No way, did he really?” Marcus asked between laughs. Nick turned his head toward us as his expression changed.
“Everything okay?”
“Yep.”
“What’s so funny?” I asked my boyfriend, who snickered as his curly brown hair fell to his face.
“Liam’s hilarious when he’s drunk.” Nick chuckled.
“Man, I had to leave when the fun started,” Marcus mumbled.
“Who picked you up?” Melissa asked as the waiter served our desserts.
“Austin,” Marcus said in an ominous tone. We turned to him with curious looks. Marcus was friends with everyone, but he knew that we weren’t very fond of Austin.
“Why?” I asked as I sipped on my drink.
“Well, I didn’t want to spoil your guys’ fun, and I was feeling sick, so I went outside and threw up,” Marcus mumbled. “Austin popped up out of nowhere and offered me a ride home since I had a few drinks.”
“What time was that?” Melissa asked as she sipped her drink.
“I don’t know.” Marcus shrugged. “After midnight, I guess.”
My jaw clenched at the memo
ry of Blake when he arrived after midnight and then went up the stairs to find Kelly in bed with someone else, a curly-haired someone.
“Heard there was a fight too,” Marcus added.
“Yeah.” I breathed out as I clenched my fists.
“Wow, I missed out on a lot.” He let out a chuckle but immediately turned it into a cough.
“Uh-huh,” I said through gritted teeth as I leaned forward to slap him but was held down by Melissa.
“We don’t know if it’s him,” she whispered as Marcus gave me a weary look. Melissa was right; I refused to believe that Marcus cheated on me with Kelly West. There were plenty of guys with curly hair, and it’s a coincidence that he left before the fight. Nick saw the discomfort on my face and changed the subject.
After we had our desserts, we decided to check up on Lana since it wasn’t too late. I tried to push aside the thought of Marcus and think about Lana. We stood on the Willsons’ porch as Marcus held my hand. I turned to the brunette boy with a small smile.
“You okay?” he whispered as he pressed his forehead against mine.
“Peachy.”
“I’d kiss you right now, but I don’t want to make you sick.” He sniffed.
“That doesn’t stop me from doing this,” I said, then kissed him on the cheek.
“Life sucks!” a familiar voice boomed through the house as I turned my head to the door. It wasn’t even locked as Nick pushed it open. Marcus gripped my hand as we entered the house. We entered the living room as I took in the scene. I tried so hard not to squeal. My plan had worked! Yet I didn’t imagine it to look like Lana was on the sofa with her feet propped up on the coffee table. On her left sat Benny, and on her right was Ethan. Pizza boxes lay around the room as well as many pillows. Titanic played on the TV as Benny tried to watch and massage Lana’s shoulders at the same time. Ethan sat with a massive bowl of popcorn on his lap, eating with one hand while the other scrolled through his phone.
“Where are the two morons?” Nick asked as he sat on the La-Z-Boy. Lana let out a loud groan as she rubbed her tummy. Her hand immediately went to Ethan’s thigh as she gripped it to release the pain. He jumped up, and the popcorn flew as he let out a girly scream. We laughed as Lana cursed under her breath.
“Quit doing that!” Ethan complained as he picked up his phone.
“Then why are you still sitting here?” Lana scolded. Ethan shrugged as he got up and picked up the popcorn. Marcus let out a terrible cough as he held his hands to his face. I comforted him as I rubbed my palm against his back.
“Who’s coughing?” I looked over my shoulder to see Lana’s mom. She was still in her doctor’s uniform, which meant that she just got home.
“Sorry, Mrs. Willson, I just have the flu,” Marcus sighed as he straightened his posture.
“And a terrible cough! Follow me, boy. I don’t want your germs in my house! I have guests coming soon!”
He gave me a startled look, and I ushered him to follow her. They disappeared down the hall, and I stood while Melissa sat with Nick.
“Ugh, she’s such a witch,” Melissa complained. I followed her gaze to see Rose’s mom on the television.
“Damn, Jack is looking good with that hair.” Lana grinned at the part where Jack got ready to have dinner with the rich people.
“You know it’s kinda creepy that you can go from moody to smiley in less than ten seconds.”
“It’s called being a woman, Ethan Baxter.”
“Okay, you’re creeping me out now,” Benny said as he looked down at Lana. I couldn’t help but squeal as their eyes met and they smiled. Benny had his arm around her shoulder as her head rested against his chest. A blanket draped around them, which made it cute and cuddly. Everyone turned to me with questioning looks. I shook my head as Melissa let out a huff.
“It’s hot, you idiot!”
I raised a brow as I glanced at the kitchen door, then at Ethan, who sat on the loveseat.
“They’re attempting to make Lana soup,” Ethan said.
“I hate soup,” Lana said. “I’m on my period, not sick.”
“I’m gonna go check up on the soup,” I announced, then walked into the kitchen. I instantly regretted that decision as I entered the kitchen. Ingredients were laid on the table as dishes piled the sink. Aidan stood in front of the stove, humming a tune as Liam chugged down a big glass of water. “What the hell is going on here?”
“’Sup, Stevens? Just making our lovely friend some soup,” Aidan replied as his focus was back on the pot. I noticed the apron he wore over his clothes, with Kiss the Chef in big bold letters. I watched as Liam finished his glass of water. Once he was done, he set the glass on the table and poked his tongue.
“What happened to you?”
Liam stared at me with a grave look on his face, then shifted his gaze to Aidan.
“He burned my tongue!” Liam shouted as he placed a block of ice on his tongue.
“Dude, it’s your fault for not waiting for the soup to cool down,” Aidan began. “Miranda, he was literally like, ‘Oh, can I taste?’ then he took a big-ass spoon and slurped it.”
I shook my head in disappointment as Liam gaped at me. I heard footsteps behind me and spun around to see Angie and Marcus.
“And you’re wearing such a thin sweater!” she complained. “Just be glad I caught you. Otherwise you’ll be waking up with a fever.”
“Mrs. Willson, don’t worry, I’m fine,” Marcus assured her as she walked around the kitchen and took out random things. She filled a bowl with hot water and set it on the table, then she cut up an onion and placed it inside. We groaned from the smell as she motioned for Marcus to bend.
“I just steam my face in that?” He pointed to the onion water.
“Yes, so everything can open up! The scent will hit your nose and hopefully loosen up what’s inside,” she assured him as she placed a cloth over his head.
“Well, it’s already hitting my eyes,” Marcus grumbled as he put his arms on either side of the bowl and lowered his head. He let out a groan as Angie smiled, satisfied with her work. I saw Ethan come in, but he had Lana in his arms.
“What happened?” her mother asked with a worried look. Ethan shrugged as he let Lana down and placed her opposite Marcus.
“Nothing. Whenever my sister gets hers, she can’t walk because it hurts. Lana told me it hurts too, so I just carried her,” Ethan said as if it was nothing, then went back into the living room. I squinted my eyes at her because I knew very well that it didn’t hurt.
“You lazy.” I laughed as I sat opposite her.
“He offered, and plus who wouldn’t want Jefferson High’s team captain to carry you around bridal-style?”
I shook my head in amusement as I watched Aidan and Liam prepare her soup. Liam placed a bowl of hot soup in front of Lana with a grin.
“Made by yours truly!” Aidan said as he posed in his apron.
“Thanks.”
“See, that’s common sense,” Aidan said as Lana took a spoonful and blew on it.
“Whatever,” Liam muttered. Another pair of footsteps were heard as Melissa entered the room with a horrified look.
“Note to self—never ever be in the same room with a bunch of guys while watching Titanic,” she mumbled.
“Why?” Lana asked.
“It’s getting to the part where Jack sketches Rose right before they hit the iceberg,” she said.
“Whoa, my favorite part!” Liam cheered as he and Aidan walked out of the kitchen. I rolled my eyes at their wicked ways and looked at Marcus. His head was still covered by the cloth. I gave him a slight poke, causing him to raise his hand.
“I’m alive.”
“What’s wrong?” Melissa asked Lana, who poked the macaroni in her soup. I glanced up and watched Lana as her eyes met mine. Her grip on the spoon tightened as she held a poker face.
“How could you send them here?” she hissed.
“Well, I didn’t want you to be here all alone.”
“What’s the problem? It’s kinda cute seeing them act like this,” Melissa said.
“Yet awkward! I literally stared at them when they were at my front door. Holding freaking tampons!” Lana complained. I laughed at the thought of them going to the grocery store and buying pads and tampons. “Then being the annoying little weirdo that Liam is, he waited outside of the bathroom while I did my thing!” Melissa and I glanced at each other, then laughed. “It’s not funny! I feel like a baby when Ethan’s carrying me or when Aidan tries to cheer me up.” She huffed then turned to Angie Willson. “And Mother! If that is even the appropriate name to call you! How could you let them stay?”
“Lana, dear, I am your mother, and I only let them stay because I know what a pain in the butt you are when you’re on the rag,” Angie exclaimed.
“And what about Benny?” I asked.
“He was okay,” she mumbled. I pursed my lips. Lana rolled her eyes as her cheeks reddened. “Okay, he kept giving me blankets and checking if I was comfortable. I said my tummy hurts and then—”
“And then he said, ‘It helps if someone else rubs it,’ and he did!” Angie cut off her daughter, then let out a girly squeal.
“Aww,” Melissa and I cooed. From the corner of my eye, Marcus lifted his head and looked at us. “What are we talking about?”
***
Thursday went by in an absolute blur since I slept in class. Exams were finished, so none of the seniors cared about work, but rather the three-day weekend we had, so I was with my best friend in the park on a Thursday afternoon. After last night’s fiasco, everyone went home when Lana’s dad showed up. Looked like something serious since he came home grumpy. Marcus came to school today since he felt better after Mrs. Willson’s homemade remedy. Even though our relationship was okay, I couldn’t help but think of the party. Lana turned to me with a question. I squinted my eyes.
