Chapter 28 #2
“Oh, totally,” Eleanor says, laughing it off like she’s genuinely looking forward to some girly gossip hour. “Yeah, she was a real bitch.”
David immediately chokes on the gummy worm he’s eating, and Jack gives her a sharp look at the same time that I yell, “Watch it!”
Katie jumps, startled by the chaotic reactions, but Eleanor chimes in before any of us can say anything.
“Ignore them,” she says with a wave of her hand. “I don’t normally curse, they lose their minds every time I do it.”
Katie relaxes back, laughing at what she thinks is a well-timed joke. David gasps loudly as he finally dislodges the gummy from his throat, and Jack has readjusted his facial expression, but when my eyes lock on Eleanor’s, I can’t read the emotions behind them.
I don’t think that’s ever happened before.
“Anyway, it’s getting kind of late,” I say, clearing my throat.
“Don’t you need to be home soon for curfew?
” It’s only 10 PM on a Friday, and we both know damn well that her curfew isn’t until midnight.
For a second I think she’s going to call me on my bullshit, but whatever she sees on my face when she turns to look at me must convince her otherwise.
“Yeah no, you’re right,” she says in a small voice, “It was really nice to hang out with you guys.”
She gathers up her things, awkwardly waving goodbye before heading upstairs. I mentally kick myself every step of the way behind her, because this was, as I’ve said, an awful idea.
I expected the guys to still be here when I got back, but all I hear is silence. Laying in bed, I try to convince myself my friends are the reason tonight was so awkward. I grab my phone from my nightstand and angrily type out a text.
Griffin: What the fuck guys?
Jack: Pardon?
David: I swear I didn’t do it
Griffin: Do what?
David: I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s not my fault
Eleanor: Hi Griffin, how are you? I’m fine, thanks for asking. Is there something you wanted to discuss?
Griffin: Hi. Whatever. You guys were so rude to Katie.
Jack: In what fucking universe?
David: It’s not my fault I choked, Ellie made me. Blame her.
Eleanor: I know you’re not talking to me, I was nothing but polite.
Griffin: Ok ok, rude might be the wrong word.
Griffin: But you definitely weren’t welcoming.
David: Bro I tried, she did NOT get me :(
Eleanor: I asked her so many questions about herself, so again, I know you’re not talking to me.
Jack: Maybe we weren’t the problem.
Griffin: The fuck does that mean?
Jack: Don’t make me put it in the group chat.
Ripping my phone off its charger, I call Jack, so angry my skin is crawling.
“Hello?”
Like he doesn’t know who’s calling him. I might hit him.
“What the fuck is your problem?”
He heaves a heavy sigh, but doesn’t respond.
“Hello? Jackass? I asked you a question.”
“I don’t have a problem, Griffin.”
“Acutally, you clearly do.”
After another beat of silence, he says, “It’s not necessarily a problem, I just don’t think you and Katie should be together.”
“Why don’t you like Katie?” I bark out accusingly.
“I never said I don’t like Katie, I just don’t like her for you. I actually don’t even think you like her. And I definitely don’t like her for Friday nights. That was the worst.”
“It was the worst because you guys wouldn’t give it a fair shot,” I grumble, ignoring his insinuation about my feelings. Anger flaring again, I continue, “And what the hell was that with Eleanor? Since when have you guys been so close?”
“Since I was the only one she actually talked to for the last two years, don’t start with me there,” he says with a sharpness to his tone that has me physically recoiling from my phone. “Let’s not get into why I’m the one who’s close with Eleanor instead of you.”
“Is there something going on between you?” I blurt out before I can stop myself. “You sure seemed touchy-feely.”
His sigh this time is much more exasperated.
“No idiot, nothing is ‘going on’ between us.”
“Then why was your hand on her knee?”
“Why were you focused on that instead of your girlfriend?”
Damn, he got me there.
“I don’t know, it was just weird.” It comes out muffled as I drag my hand down my face.
“Tonight was hard for her too, Griffin,” he says, not necessarily angrily, but not friendly either.
Protective. That’s the word.
“I’m gonna be frank with you dude,” he continues.
“Oh, that was you being polite just then?”
Ignoring the jab, he keeps going.
“Ellie loves you. You love her. You certainly don’t love Katie.”
He’s not wrong, at least about me, but hearing it out loud like that still feels like a baseball bat to the shins.
“What am I supposed to do with that, Jack?”
“I don’t know, maybe break up with Katie, make up with Ellie, and get your shit together? We all know it’s going to happen eventually, but I wish you’d hurry it up.”
Groaning, I sink further into my bed.
“You’re right, man. I’ll talk to Katie this weekend,” I say dejectedly.
“You also need to talk to Ellie, Griffin.”
“Okay okay, geez, I’ll talk to Eleanor, too.”
“Well, she’s out of town for spring break, so you’ll have to wait.”
Fuck me.
“Then why did you even bring it up?”
“To give you time to work out what you want to say to her. Don’t fuck it up.”
Without another word, he hangs up.
Inhaling a shaky breath, I put my phone back on the charger and stare up at the ceiling.
Ellie loves you. You love her.
Those two sentences play in my head over and over like a twisted lullaby as I try to fall asleep. I almost don’t want to believe it. Can we actually work this out? Is this the ‘right person, right time’ they talk about?
Either way, you still have to break up with your girlfriend.
That thought quickly douses any glimmer of hope that was growing, and I yank my covers over my head, deciding to let that be tomorrow’s problem.