My ex-best friend Alan had posted Lisa’s private diary online for the whole school to see, which included her description of our encounter. The only positive to come out of that was that Lisa’s reputation had been rehabilitated as much as possible. From my friends’ reactions, I didn’t think it would ever be fully fixed, and that made me sad. I still contended that Bill Rogers and his deviant friends had spread the unfounded rumors about her sleeping around.
“Lisa.”
“David.”
“How’s your brother?” I asked.
“They caught his cancer soon enough. They expect a full recovery,” she shared. “How’s your dad?”
“Better. They say he should be good too.”
Lisa and I had gotten to know each other better when I visited her brother in the hospital during his first cancer go-round. He’d been back in when he had a checkup that showed it had returned, and I’d gone to visit him.
Our hospital wasn’t all that big, so I suspected she’d gotten the story about my dad while there. Then again, it might have simply been that we lived in a small town with no real secrets.
“Call me when you get a chance.”
“Sure,” I said, and she continued on.
They say bad things happen in threes. Brook announced she had a date tonight, Sun and I broke up, and now Lisa Felton had announced to the world that she had me in her sights. Was the last one really all that bad?
“Don’t you dare call her,” Gina said, giving me this holier-than-thou attitude as if I was some kind of, well, ‘stupid boy.’
Cassidy shook her head in defeat.
“Don’t ever tell Boy Wonder not to do something because it has the opposite effect.”
“What’s wrong with her? I can totally see David taking her out,” Dare, my new best bud, said to defend me.
We were both saved by the bell before Gina started explaining it to us. Of course, Gina didn’t realize that I was no longer inclined to bow to peer pressure. I could date anyone I wanted, or so I told myself.
◊◊◊
Tim and Wolf drove to Wesleyan separately because they planned to spend the night and blow off school tomorrow. I had a mother who, while letting me do some stuff most parents wouldn’t dream of, would always draw the line at me skipping school.
On the way, I took advantage of the chance it gave me to talk to Paul about Scarlet.
“Paul, what do you think of Scarlet?”
“I like Scarlet. Chuck was a complete knucklehead.”
I was relieved when he said that. Scarlet had particular desires that I didn’t wholly understand. She was much more into role-play than I had ever experienced. While it sounded like fun, it wasn’t really for me. If it worked for Paul, I figured it would be a win-win. He was a nice guy and seemingly attracted to Scarlet too. I only hoped that Scarlet would like him.
“I just want to make sure she’s happy,” I said to explain my interest. “Maybe you can give her a call.”
“I’ll do that,” Paul said, and then became quiet.
I turned on some music and kicked back to enjoy the ride.
◊◊◊
Since I’d been volunteered to pay for dinner, I got to pick the place. I chose the Brazilian steak restaurant where the waitstaff brought around chunks of different meats on giant skewers for your dining pleasure. They also had an extensive salad bar. The bonus was that Harper had been drafted to be my ‘date’ for dinner so I wouldn’t feel weird.
Personally, I would have been fine being the fifth wheel. We were all friends, and I had no problem with my exes dating my best guy friends. I’d pushed the memories of dating Harper out of my mind after the incident in Chicago. That was when she hooked up with an old flame at a party I’d taken her to. Then, to top the sundae with a cherry, she’d dated my archnemesis, Mike.
Somehow, Harper decided she needed to explain her and Mike’s relationship to me over dinner. That led to her voicing her confusion as to why I hated the guy.
“I never got why you didn’t like Mike. He was good to me … well, until he wasn’t,” Harper said to defend him.
“Isn’t this where you tell me Mike’s really a nice guy? And if I spent some time and got to know him now that he’s changed his ways, that I’d really like him, and we’d become good friends? And I’d forget the fact that he was having sex with my ex-girlfriend?”
“David!” Tami chastised.
“I’m sorry, Harper, that was cruel. How about we agree that I don’t like how Mike treats women? Nor do I like how he tries to stick it to people he envies by messing with their friends. And because of that, Mike and I will never be friends, regardless of whether he changes his ways.”
“But he said that you used to be close,” Harper prodded.
“We used to be close until he technically raped my girlfriend.”
“Technically?” Harper asked.
“She was drunk and in no condition to consent, and Mike had sex with her anyway. You’re right; there was no ‘technically’ about it,” I said.
“He sent David a picture of the evidence when he’d finished,” Wolf added.
Harper looked confused, but Tami bailed me out when she whispered what the picture showed.
“Okay, I understand now,” Harper admitted, looking disgusted.
