Olivia Lennox was one confusing girl. Throughout our class, she kept talking about Duke and fawning over him. I smiled tightly and nodding along. She must have totally forgotten about us, or bored of waiting. I was surprised but I felt this nagging feeling in the back of my head. This is what I wanted. This is what needed to happen.
"You should come sit with us at lunch," I said after class.
"Will Duke be there?" Olivia asked hopefully.
"Yeah, of course." I said with a tight smile. "I'll see you at lunch."
"Yeah, later." Olivia said not looking at me, Duke caught her staring and Olivia waved with a wide smile.
Duke walked over to me with a huge smile on his face, he looked like a puppy dog.
"Thanks man." Duke shouted, giving a tight bear hug. "What did you say?"
"Nothing much," I said honestly, frowning. "Olivia seems to have really warmed to the idea of you without much help."
"Really?" Duke said laughing. "That's awesome."
"Yeah it is." I said softly, not so excited but Duke was too high on his cloud to notice.
The day went to slowly. I wasn't with Olivia again which for the first time I was glad about because I suspected that she would talk my ear off about Duke. I wondered what had changed? Maybe I'd misinterpreted everything; the kissing, the flirting and the talking? I wasn't looking foreword to lunch, she would be there, showing me just how much she'd moved on.
The time came for lunch, I was thinking that I would just study in the library but Phillip and Gavin dragged me into the canteen, saying that it was "momentous occasion" and I couldn't miss it.
I sat at our usual table, eating my salad as Duke looked impatient waiting for Olivia. Unfortunately I was sitting next to the space that Olivia was going to sit in. I sighed. How did this happen? One moment I couldn't get enough of her? Now I dreading being near her.
I looked up as Olivia came towards our table. My heart still eat like crazy though. That face, those eyes. The whole time I was looking at her, her eyes were glued onto Duke. I then just looked down at my salad, feeling like an idiot.
"Hey." Olivia said, I didn't look up because I knew she was talking to Duke. "You're looking good. Did you go to gym?"
I rolled my eyes. This is was going to be sickening. I looked up, there were some guys on the cheerleaders table, who didn't care about the drama with Duke and Olivia. I heaved a sigh of relief and walked over, welcomed by Kelly who took my hand and pulled my next to her. I thanked God tht I wasn't facing the Olivia because I knew that I would be staring at her right now. I listened to Kelly as she told a story about how Becki had fallen on her during practice.
"It was hilarious." Kelly said finishing her story. "You would have laughed your arse off."
"I think I've caught Becki being a klutz many times." I said with a wink in Becki's direction, she responded by throwing a roll at me and I took a big bite out of it. "Mmm, thanks."
Becki stuck her tongue out at me. I held her eyes, which made her blush. Becki was very pretty, in the conventional way. Long brunette hair, chocolate brown eyes, a typical cheerleader body that was tight in all the right places, make up that wasn't as subtle as Olivia's. What?! Where the heck did that come from? I looked down, embarrassed that I was checking her out in such an open way, sometimes I acted like I was guy.
However, what harm would it do to date Becki? It would increase my reputation, she would be a nice distraction from football and thoughts of Olivia... But I doubted that Becki was the kind of a girl that would wait... Not wanting to conform her to any stereotype but they way I just looked at her a moment ago suggested that she was up for it then and there.
I could just make out with her. I wanted to explore this side of me. God! I must be sexual frustrated, just wanting to make out with the cheerleading squad. I looked at them all. None of them would be bad to make out with in the corner of a party. Yes... I was sexually frustrated. I sighed. Becki notice.
"Why the sigh Romeo?" She asked, pouting in this sexy way.
"I can't find my Juliet." I said with a flirtatious smile.
Before Becki could reply, I felt a slap on my back. I knew it was Duke, he had a habit of doing that to me, I know it's supposed to be friendly but sometimes it hurt. I winced as I turned and I was about to reproach him when I say Olivia hanging off his arm.
"Hey dude," Duke said with this smile that looked way too big for his face. "Can I talk to you a second?"
"Of course man." I stood up, looking back at the tables. "I'll be right back beautiful ladies."
I walked straight past Olivia without looking back, which took every ounce of my will power but I had to show her that I didn't care. If she didn't care, then I had to show her that it was mutual. I smiled at Duke, who looked over the moon. I think it was partly worth it to see Duke this happy.
"What's up, my friend?" I asked.
"I'm going on a date with a Olivia!" Duke said excitedly.
"Good job!" I said, feeling that sinking emotion in my stomach but as usually I ignored it like an irritating itch. "When is it? You've got to get yourself looking good."
"This Saturday." Duke said, he was looking way to excited.
"Well you got to try getting yourself to look good quickly." I said with a mocking smile. "You have a lot of work to do."
"Shut up." Duke said, giving me a friendly shove. "Actually, it's a double date."
Duke looked nervous, what was going on?
"Olivia suggested you should come too." Duke said tentatively.
Why an earth would Olivia want me there? I was the guy that she nearly had sex with, kissed a lot, nearly entered into a relationship. Girls are more confusing then guys! I frowned.
"I don't want to come." I said simply.
"Come on, man." Duke asked desperately. "You're my wingman."
"What? A wingman is someone who helps you get the girl." I said. "You have. This is the easy part."
Duke looked less excited now. I sighed. I wasn't going to get out of this.
"I just you need there, you know how hard it is for me to speak to Olivia." Duke said, I was about to bring up our cheese conversation up when he interrupted me. "And I'm not going to look like a weirdo by talking about cheese!"
"Fine." I resigned. "Fine. Whatever, I'll be there."
Duke gave me a crushing hug. I both hated and loved when he did that. It hurt like hell but it was nice to make him happy. He was my closest friend now, I'd obviously lost Olivia as a friend. I couldn't be friends with her, I was far too attracted to her for that. I had to hide it during this date because I don't think Duke was past to punching me in the face if I checked her out.
Duke returned to the group with me strolling behind him. My head was again away from football, and now encompassed with this date. Who would I take? I looked at Becki but shook my head at that idea. Then the best person came to my mind.