The Original Crowd (A Whole New Crowd 0.50)
Page 134
“You one of those girls who constantly has a boyfriend?” I asked, more curious than anything
She flushed—what a shocker. “Why?”
“Because I’m starting to think the only reason we’re friends is because I’m your pimp. I’m wondering if you’ve always been like this?”
“Oh…well…no,” she answered self-consciously, glancing down at the table. “It’s just…you know these guys. I mean—you don’t care, you can go right up to them and talk to them. None of my other friends do that.”
“Who are your other friends?” I suddenly realized I talk to this girl in science and psychology. I’ve yet to see her speak with another student. And somehow…I felt a little guilty at that. Well, some guilt.
She shrugged, fiddling with her thumbs.
“Do you have friends?” I asked bluntly, watching her intently.
“I have two other friends and they’re…”
“Are they real?” Excuse me for wondering, but she was being so weird right now. Not the blushing bubbly Molly I’d come to know.
“Yes, they’re real,” she replied, giving me a small glare that seriously lacked vehemence—instead she looked constipated. “They just…they’re one of the invisibles here.”
“Invisibles,” I repeated lamely, not comprehending what she was talking about.
“Like me. I’m….I’m an invisible. At least I was—until I met you.”
“You weren’t invisible to Larkins,” I pointed out. The guy went crazy on me before I became friends with her.
She shrugged. “I know, but Garrett’s my neighbor. He doesn’t count.”
“Oh!” I gave her a wide smile. “He’s nice and close. Getting some of that neighborly loving, huh?” I teased, nudging her shoulder.
She blushed and ducked her head—nothing new there.
“You’ll have to introduce me to the rest of the Invisibles,” I remarked, standing up when the bell rang.
“Really?” Molly asked, startled.
“Yeah. Why not.” I shrugged, heading out.
“Um…okay,” she murmured, biting her lip self-consciously.
We stopped at my locker. When I opened it, I asked, “What’s up with that?”
“With what?”
“You don’t want me to meet your friends?”
“It’s not that…it’s…nothing. It’s nothing.” She glanced around. “I should…huh…I should get going.”
Well that was weird.
“Taryn!” Mandy bounced up to my locker, her blond hair literally bouncing on her shoulders.
“Hey,” I murmured.
“So, what’d you think about class?”
“Which one?” I asked dryly.
“Our last class!” She didn’t need to add the ‘duh,’ I could hear it in her voice.