The Heaven I Found In Hell (12 page)

I forked my salad dangerously giving most of the green leaves horrible deaths. My cursing made the three of them shut up (finally), and I was about to continue eating (peacefully) when Nathan spoke up again.

"So, is our deal still on?"

"What deal?"

"The 'costumes' deal. You and Cindy should be able to make Nathan and I go goo-goo eyed while we guys should be able to awe you and make your mouths hang open." Anthony answered as he forked some of his onion rings.

I thought about the 'deal,' and immediately started to object. Deals were supposed to be interesting…

"Let's add more fun to it…" I suggested, looking especially at Nathan. Surprisingly he was looking down at his almost empty plate. I frowned at the possibility of him being angry or pissed off with me, as I was with him…but hopefully he'd get over it soon…hopefully.

"How can we make it more fun?" Anthony asked, and immediately for the nth time since I first saw him at the mall, thoughts about his soon-to-be girlfriend started to cloud my mind.

"How about…"

"It better be nice…and 'fun.'" Cindy said, giving me a smirk.

"Why not...whoever will be proclaimed King and Queen will be declared the winners…hmmm?" I said, putting thoughts to my suggestion.

Cindy and Anthony brightened up, while Nathan remained apathetic to the things I said.

Okay…he is mad at me…

"That sounds really great, although it goes against the whole 'guys-are-better-than-girls' thing we were supposed to prove…"

Cindy stepped in, and started to speak, as she defended our femininity.

"No, we were trying to establish that 'girls-are-better-than-girls'."

"Nuh-uh."

"Uh-huh, we were."

"Guys, guys…whatever…so what's the deal?" I interjected, stopping the silly argument that was about to start.

"What you said."

"Okay…no other conditions?" I asked, finally finishing my salad, as I slouched back down on my seat, even though it looked very unprincipled.

And hey…who thought salads could make me full?

Cindy and Anthony shook their heads, as we waited for Nathan's confirmation that he was part of this deal.

"Nathan, are you in?"

He looked up from his plate, and simply nodded. All of us agreed once more, and decided to settler 'this' with a shake.

"And what are the prizes for the winners?" I asked as I became excited all of a sudden, and forgetting that I was slightly annoyed at the three of them for ganging up on me.

"I never knew losers could get prizes." Nathan teased (again).

"Ha-Ha." I said to him, showing him that I wasn't amused, even though I actually was, and completely forgetting about how annoyed I was with him.

No, no…I'm not schizophrenic…I'm just really shallow at times.

But this was Nathan's problem.

No matter how much he laughed 
at
 me, teased me, or made me the center of his jokes, I never got fully annoyed with him. Sure what happened a while ago irritated me all of a sudden, but it never made me get angry at them, especially at Nathan. For the past month and a half, Nathan and I had grown closer by teasing and laughing at each other, so I already got used to him, and figured out that he was just born like that. Also, I just made myself believe that the things he said were never true. Example: me liking Anthony.

I just like him as a friend, and nothing more.

"I'm glad you're amused with my sarcasm, babe." He said, winking at me. That's another thing…

Every time we teased each other, we'd end up flirting in a good-humored way. He'd call me babe, and I'd answer back with a 'dear.' Whenever he winked at me, I'd punch his arm playfully, and after that hug him. When he complimented me, I'd always return it…

Damn it…I'm thinking too much…

"Always am, dear."

See…?

I mentally told myself to stop, and forced myself to believe that we were just playing with each other. I knew he was just doing that because he was bored, and me…I was just playing with him because I'm a player…

What the hell? Me? A player? Come to think of it, I am… For the past month, I'd been club hopping with Riley and co. every Friday, and while I drank and danced, I made-out with strangers, but unlike my first club experience in Ridgeway, this time…Nathan didn't stop me. He just left me to dance and make-out with those random people. Oh God…here I am thinking again…

"Anyway, losers will kiss whoever the winners want them to kiss."

Damn.

"Don't forget our deal, peeps." Nathan said, as the lot of us headed over to the parking lot.

"I guess I have to add some things to my dress and mask…I gotta be pretty." I said to myself, as I pondered on my words carefully.

I was about to enter my white BMW when Anthony called out my name. I answered him with a, "What?"

"Do you mind if I call you when you get home?" He asked, entering his Jaguar.

"Uh…sure…"

"Cool. I just need to ask you something."

"Okay…"

I felt Cindy elbow me. I looked at her, and saw her grinning at me, but with a questioning face.

What was Anthony going to ask me…?

I was about to get in my bed, and let the linen sheets swallow me when my phone began to ring. I sat up, turned my lamp on, and got the phone that was placed on top of the side table. I pressed the green button, before I greeted the person on the other line.

"Hey Alex." Anthony said, greeting me back. I pulled up the blanket up to my neck one handedly while the other one busily held the phone.

"What was that you wanted to ask me?" I asked, starting to tense.

Oh God…here was the moment of truth…

"Can you help me?"

I blinked my eyes rapidly, as his words started to dawn on me. "What?"

"I want to ask Riley out."

And here was the moment of unspeakable humiliation…

I kicked the sheets off me, as I got out my bed, and turned all the lights on. I was fully awake now, and my brain was starting to use the diesel it still had working intensely rapidly. I felt like screaming, really, as in I wanted to torture my lungs, but after shopping the whole afternoon...? I don't think I have the energy left to do that. I pressed the phone much closer to my ear, before I spoke up again.

"I thought you were…"

I mentally cursed myself, as my attention turned back to Anthony.

"You thought I was what…?" He said, sounding somewhat confused.

"You like Riley?" I asked in bewilderment.

No I wasn't surprised by the idea of him liking Riley for reasons I didn't know yet…I was surprised by the capability of one extremely shy person to bruise my ego so bad…
I thought he was going to ask me out! Why did he pay for my dress and tell me I looked pretty in the gown I wore?

"Uh…yeah…why…?" He asked, and I only started to figure out now that both of us weren't on the same track at the moment.

"I thought you were going to ask me out…why'd you pay for my dress if you didn't like me?" 
Okay…that came out much more easily than I expected…and it felt embarrassing.

Shit…do I hear laughing…?

"Anthony…" I said in a tone of warning when a voice that wasn't Anthony's was more audibly heard. "Is there someone else there?"

"Alex…you're on loudspeaker…" He confessed. I let out a loud groan as I plopped down hard on my bed, but since I was surrounded by linen, the rash action didn't hurt at all. "And I paid for your gown as an early 'thank you' for you helping me out in the future to get Riley…will you?"

"Wait…you're pranking me…and asking me for help?" I asked, now it was me who was confused.

"No, babe…he's just asking for help."

Nathan.

"Well dear, why are you included in this private conversation?" I said in a matter-of-factly tone. I was now very fully awake, and was hoping I hadn't thought too much a while ago at the mall. Now my head hurt, and my ego was bruised…

"Well, babe…" He started with the harmless flirting ongoing at the moment. "First, we are talking about 
my 
sister whom I share the same blood with…"

Point…

"Second, if I hadn't told Anthony to ask for your help, you'd still be clueless about the whole thing."

"Why does he need my help?" I asked, oblivious to the capacity of Nathan's brain. He was actually smart, or maybe I'm just below the dumbass mark.

God…sometimes I'm just such an idiot…and shallow…

"Knock. Knock. You're my sister's roommate."

Another point…

"Well, do you have anything else to say?"

"Yes…you're especially narcissistic for a girl..." He tactlessly said with a laugh, making me want to strangle him all the more. "…so confident that someone likes you."

I heard a loud 'bang,' as if one of them slapped the other one hard in the arm, and what came next to the loud sound, was a thunderous, "Fuck!" If my guess was correct, Anthony was the one who hit Nate, and Nate was the one who cursed.

"I'm a supermodel, F-Y-I." I said in a sarcastic tone.

"So…are you going to help my dear boy?"

I heard a 'shut up' coming from Anthony, and a wicked laugh from Nathan.

"Be there in five minutes."

"So, what's our plan?" I asked the two alpha males the moment they opened their door. I stepped in their dorm room, and sat myself on the couch, as I waited for them to come over to where I was.