I smother a grin.
Maths is my only class with Jude, but I enjoy the whole school day. It’s like everything is in 4K definition — brighter, clearer, sharper. Jude and I are together, my friends don’t totally hate me, my dream of being an artist isn’t weird or laughable, life is great.
When maths ends, Jude tells me he plans to ask his Physics teacher questions during lunchtime and to go ahead and meet up with my friends. I chatted with them at recess, but that was also with Jude, so this’ll be my first time alone with them.
I wait by the lockers, and Lily’s the first friend to show up, smiling at me while holding a plastic container filled with salad. “Hi,” she says.
“Hi.”
We stand there, looking for the others, shifting our weight from foot to foot.
“So —” I begin.
“I wanted to —” Lily says at the same time.
We laugh. “You go,” I say.
“No, you.”
I don’t want to sound arrogant by saying something like, sorry for disappointing you because you liked me because, of course, you did. I’m just so totally awesome and attractive. “I wanted to say that I really hope I didn’t hurt your feelings or anything.”
Lily shakes her head. “No, no, no, it’s all good. You didn’t.”
“Really? Because Mimi seemed to be angry on your behalf.”
“Forget about that,” Lily says, shaking her head. “Seriously. Mimi —”
“What’s this about me?” Mimi appears beside Lily, standing close like a protective parent.
“Nothing,” Lily says, softening her words with a smile. “I was just saying that we’re really happy for Aaron.”
Mimi nods slowly. “Yeah. We are. Jude clearly means a lot to you — you were dragging him around and showing him off like crazy.”
Oh god. Was I?
Mimi’s lips are pursed.
“What is it?” I ask.
Lily follows my gaze to Mimi. “Don’t say anything bitchy,” she tells her.
Mimi’s lips part and press close a few times, like she’s struggling to decide whether or not to speak.
I feel a pool of dread but can’t help my curiosity. “What? Tell me.”
“We are genuinely happy for you,” Mimi says. “And I’m not trying to be rude or anything. It’s just — Jude? Jude Seymour? Really?”
“I didn’t expect it either,” I say.
“Even if I knew about you being into guys, I’d never expect you to be into him. He’s so…” she flicks her hair over her shoulder and sticks her nose in the air.
I laugh, startled. At the start of the year, if I had to do an impression of him, that’d be it. “I used to think that too,” I admit. “But he’s not like that, not at all. If you get to know him, he’s really sweet and kind and a great listener, and there’s so many qualities he has that you don’t see.”
Mimi’s brows are raised. Lily’s smiling at me, amused, and I realise I’ve been gushing about him like a lovesick puppy.
“Okay,” Mimi says. “I’ll take your word for it. I promise I wasn’t trying to start drama or anything.”
“You can’t go around insulting people’s boyfriends,” Lily tells her. “Just imagine if one of us told you Ethan’s an idiot with a personality plainer than milk.”
