It was easy to go unnoticed during one of these things, and I was grateful. My family loved hard, and I knew I was lucky, but I preferred the quiet.
Luckily, Elspeth was coming by to keep me company and for the free food.
When she arrived, I ushered her into the house, and she fit in well with my family, knowing most of them by name since she came to so many of these parties when we were growing up together.
Her strawberry-blond hair was up in a ponytail, and her freckles and bright blue eyes were bare without makeup. Since she took over running her mom’s pub, she hadn’t had time to do much of anything. The only reason we both had the night off was because one of Lindsey’s friends volunteered to watch over her. This whole situation has been hard on Elspeth, but I tried to make things easier for her wherever I could, like clean baskets of laundry and warm plates for dinner. It was oneof the few small things I could do to help since I had been living rent free with her for the past year.
We got our plates and convened in my “part-time” bedroom, sitting on the carpet together.
Relics from my childhood were frozen in time. My walls were strewn with Backstreet Boys posters and Polaroids of us at prom. We went together, of course. Part of the reason we became fast friends in elementary school was because we were both outcasts. Elspeth had been a chubby kid like me, and we’d discussed revenge plots against our bullies while exchanging lunch together.
Elspeth took a bite out of her gyro. “So, how did the date go?”
I summarized the lackluster experience. “He’s a terrible kisser. Like, really bad. I couldn’t stand finding out if he was just as bad at sex.”
Elspeth’s button nose scrunched. “So ditch him.”
“I think you’re underestimating how hot he is.”
I pulled out my phone and showed her Luke’s Instagram profile. She clutched the phone, swiping like a mad woman, inspecting his profile like a bloodhound on a hot trail. Where I was inexperienced, Elspeth had a roster of men in waiting. She used her killer curves with confidence, knowing what she wanted and always getting it.
She took a deep breath and placed the phone face down. “His profile is catfish-worthy that’s for sure.”
“You think it’s fake?”
“No, I think people use his pics to catfish other people. You caught yourself an original, rare breed. A rainbow fish, one might say.”
“Enough fish talk. Why does he suck at kissing?”
“He’s stupid hot. Literally. It seems like he’s so hot,nobody’s ever told him he’s bad at kissing.”
After sixteen years, my friend had never steered me wrong, and it seemed like she was right about this, too.
“Maybe it was because it was our first time hooking up. I’m just gonna play it by ear.”
Elspeth rolled her eyes. “Do you really want to lose it to a guy who trance dances?”
“I’m twenty-three, and I still haven’t had sex yet. I have to pull the trigger eventually. Plus, isn’t your first time supposed to be bad anyway?”
“I don’t think you should force it. If it happens, it happens.”
“Oh, it’s happening alright. It’s gonna happen.” I bit down on my falafel with more aggression than necessary.
“Did you enter the Instagram contest I sent you? Your art would be perfect for that. Plus, the winner gets a free trip to design another mural at their next store. They have shops all over the world!”
I shifted uncomfortably. “Not yet. I’ve been busy at work.”
Elspeth huffed. “You can’t lie, why do you even try?”
“I can lie. I’ll look at it later today, okay?”
“It’s not that big of a deal. Just an outdoor retailer looking for a mural at their Venice Beach store.”
“What would my parents say?”
“You don’t have to tell them everything.”
“I know. I still haven’t told them about the art class.”
