“It was the perfect cup too.” I mourned the loss of my caffeine. “I should have hit him with my book bag.”
Mia snorted as she picked her bowl up and went to the couch. “Not sure you should havehithim at all,” she chided as she sat down. “Violence breeds violence, remember.” Scooping up a forkful of her supper, she looked at me as I ate my own. “You’re going to have to apologize.”
“No.”
“Ava, he’s the most popular guy on campus. They’re already talking about you damaging him. These football people are crazy.” Her shrewd look made me flush. “Youknow this better than anyone.”
“I didn’t damage him.” Staring sullenly at my dinner, I set the bowl aside. “He needs to tell people he chased me.”
“Peopleknowhe chased youbecauseyou threw a hot drink at him.” Mia was looking at me with concern. “Please tell me why.”
“It’s nothing. I spoke to him on Friday.” I assumed I had . . . I don’t know what I said, but I’m sure we must have said something at some point to get to where we ended up.
“Friday!” Mia screeched. “Why am I only hearing about this now?”
“Because I don’t remember.”
“Oh.” Her incredulous excitement at me talking to the star quarterback faded when she realized I wasthatdrunk. “Oh no, you won’t know what you said . . . at all.” Her hazel eyes were wide again, only this time in realization. “You’re screwed.”
“Eat your dinner,” I told her even as I nodded in agreement.
“I bet you criticized his game,” Mia said knowingly. “You would have mouthed off about football, and he probably took offense.”
Complete guesswork on her part, but it wasn’t unlikely. I just knew he hadn’t taken offense, or if he did, he had a strange way of showing it. “Who knows, I didn’t get the chance to ask.”
“Well, we can fix this,” Mia told me confidently as she resumed eating. “We’ll explain you’re a forgetful drunk, and he will understand.”
It was my turn to be incredulous. “You do know who we’re talking about?”
“Yes.”
“Mia. They aren’t called the Devils for no reason,” I reminded her. “They pull shit on people for less than this.”
“This is different.” Mia could be completely oblivious sometimes. “Don’t worry, Ava, we’ll fix this. I’ll think of something.”
I didn’t have her confidence as I ate my supper. In fact, I felt the pasta sitting heavily in my stomach in trepidation at Mia’s idea of fixing. I possibly would have more luck with him on my own.
Should I stick to the plan, corner him on his own, and hope he had a conversation with me?I wondered. He didn’t seem to be averse to talking . . . before. Setting my food aside, I met Mia’s worried stare.
“I can talk to him,” I told her quietly.
“Okay.” She nodded in enthusiasm. “We’ll find him tomorrow at lunch and let him know what happened.”
Standing, I picked my bowl up and took it to the sink. “I think I would be better talking to him myself,” I said to the sink, keeping my back to my best friend.
“Really? I don’t.” Mia laughed, her tone light and cheerful. “You’re terrible at socializing and will probably end up telling him that he needs to work on his arm or something.”
“His arm’s fine. What he needs is better footwork inside the pocket,” I told her as I grabbed the dishcloth and wiped my hands.
Her knowing look as she finished her supper was enough to make me groan. “Which is why I will talk, and you just say sorry, okay?”
“What if it has nothing to do with his game?” I thought perhaps giving her all the information about the evening may have been a bad idea. She knew I was drunk, now she knew exactlyhowdrunk I was, and I couldn’t have her knowing any more. I was thanking every angel in heaven she hadn’t put me as his bed partner together in her head.
“Well, what else could it be?” Mia rose to her feet as she carried her bowl to me, and taking it off her, I once again turned to the sink.
“I dunno,” I mumbled as I rinsed and washed her dishes.
“Just let me handle this, okay?” Mia said as she hugged me from behind. “I’m going to practice,” she told me as she gave me another squeeze, and I nodded before she was humming to herself as she walked down the short hallway to her room.
