Holland
Reed:Octopuses are carnivores, they only eat meat. Did you know that?
“Why are you smiling like that?”
I look up quickly, locking my phone and shoving it back into the pocket of my hoodie.
“Nothing, I saw something funny on Facebook.”
Emery looks like she doesn’t believe me whatsoever, but doesn’t press. We’re on her couch binge-watchingOne Tree Hillon Netflix and eating way too many carbs for one sitting, but we’re celebrating.
“I can’t believe I passed that exam. I thought for sure I was going to bomb it. When I sat down in my chair, I was so nervous that my legs were sweating. Whose legs sweat when they're nervous?”
She shrugs, popping another Skittle into her mouth. “Who cares, you rocked that shit, and now you can relax and stop giving me second-hand anxiety.”
My laugh is loud and obnoxious but so is that statement. “You? Imagine how I felt. It was sixty percent of my grade. If I failed it, I would’ve had to retake that entire class. The. Entire. Class. Em.”
“But you didn’t. You passed because you’re a badass bitch, and we don’t have time for negative energy in our lives.”
“Right on.”
I grin, despite the fact that my troubles are far from over, I’m going to enjoy my moment of celebration with my best friend. The exam was yesterday and the professor just posted our results today, so I called Em and said we should celebrate.
When I texted Reed to let him know I passed, he recorded a video of him and Evan congratulating me, which made me a pile of goo on the floor. That man is too handsome and too ridiculously charming for his own good.
“You know what?” Em says, sitting up from the couch, “let’s go out. We need drinks, we need to shake our asses, and we need to celebrate the fact that you’re basically a functioning adult in society.”
“Or, we could stay in and binge watchThe Vampire Diaries.”
“We can do that any night of the week, but what we can’t do is tequila shots at a bar while you’re still on your celebration high.” She stands from the couch and looks at me with pleading eyes. “Please? I have this new leather skirt that I’ve been dying to wear. It’s boring when you’re not here.”
Guilt creeps up my chest at the mention of my absence, which then causes me to think about Reed, and feel even more guilty for what I’ve been doing. I hate keeping things from her. I hate that I have to hide what’s making me happy, but holding onto our friendship is more important to me.
“Okay, fine. But I get to wear the burgundy dress.”
She doesn’t hesitate. “Done! I’m going to shower. Brb.”
Once she’s left the room, I pull my phone out and open to Reed’s message, then type a quick response.
Me: More random octopus facts, watching documentaries with Ev again?
The bubble pops up, signaling his response.
Reed: Nah, just wanted an excuse to text you ;)
Those stupid butterflies swirl in my stomach again. I bite my lip, debating on how to respond. He’s obviously flirting, but I shouldn’t read too much into it, right?
Should I respond with something flirty back, or just keep it casual?
Okay, non-relationships are hard. Where’s the ‘How to’ book for this?
Me: Not that you need an excuse, but hi. What are you guys up to?
Reed: We’ve been playing a very intense game of castle building for the last hour, and now he’s talked me into going to the aquarium tomorrow to see live octopuses. Wanna come?
My heart flips in my chest. Partially from the thought of spending more time with Reed, but more so of the fact that I don’t know how to explain that to Em. Would she even ask?
Me: Is that a good idea?