How Not to Like
She sits on the bed; legs sprawled over the verdant comforter, hands beside herself, thinking. It was a trying day, coming back from an equally trying board meeting and having to contend with the whirlwind that is Brooke Davis. She wonders how she manages her affectations, for she never fails to mentally wretch at her own falsehoods upon reflection.
The proverbial walk down memory lane brings her back to the few days before her leaving all those years ago…
Everything then was not ok, but it was better than they had been when the sting of Jake and Jenny's leaving was still fresh, and her nose was still reeling from the rush of holy powder. The summer had come and gone and her friendship with Lucas Scott has never been better, it was a rung inching towards their status quo; an amelioration from the awkward interactions of before. It was a calculated move on both their parts and they walked on eggshells, limiting their meetings to only once a week, not wanting to go overboard and be overkill. And such was the effect that they were able to converse without the remembrance of cheating, Nikki and rapid firearms assaulting the others' integrity and loyalty to friendship.
A real camaraderie that really was just camaraderie…
The beach, where they shared some of their deepest and most tragically lame thoughts, was where they agreed to meet that Friday evening, being two very boring and unsocial butterflies.
She was dressed in her usual non-conformist, angst tee and cargo pants finishing with a pair of military boots garb. Not much for beach wear but for a slack session, it will have to do.
"Hey, trying to make me look bad again?" She calls out to the boy already at their usual spot, lying back on the blanket, and waiting.
"What can I say; I think punctuality is a virtue." He quips, seeing her raised eyebrow in response. She sits and they share the food within the basket, enjoying the twilight hue of the night and the company, all very friendly and very platonic.
As she reaches for the last Famous Amos No Nut Chocolate Chip cookie, she flinches from the jolt to her synapses as his fingers reach for hers, while reaching for the cookie.
They smile and he lets her take it.
That's friendship…
The alarm rings.
And she remembers the time, 6:30, and struggles between the option of going and showing her face or leaving right then and there, which should be no problem for her, considering her actions previously.
Without thinking, she goes into the bathroom with the cheap mirrors and shower curtains and starts preparing.