Landry in Like (19 page)

T
he next morning
I woke up with an awful taste in my mouth and a pain in my stomach. I checked my phone, but no messages or texts. I didn't want to look like a stalker, but I sent Vladi one more text telling him I hoped he could believe me and that I'd never go behind his back.

I got in the shower and it was like I couldn't get the water hot enough. I was freezing and when I got out to towel off, I was shaking. What was I going to do when I saw Yasmin at school? And did she think I was trying to steal her boyfriend? She and Kyle were so on and off, and she always acted like I was invisible to her anyway, so why did she suddenly think I was some kind of threat? Or was it what I suspected? All this just to cause trouble between Vladi and me so she could get in with him?

I got to school and was walking up the path to school with India and Devon when I heard Yasmin's crew talking loudly about me.

“She's so two-faced. I cannot stand fake people,” Yasmin said.

Maggie nodded. “So fake.”

Arianna shifted uncomfortably. “Come on you guys, let's make this less awkward. Let's just… not talk about this.”

Yasmin glared at her. “Whose side are you on? Mine or that fake loser — oh, I almost said, ‘fake model,' which would have been, like, two meanings, right? Because she's phony and because she thinks she's this big model when she's not.”

“Exactly.” Maggie reminded me of a bobblehead doll the way she kept nodding in agreement.

Later, Ashanti sat with Maggie and Halle at lunch and tried to talk to them about what went on, but I had to wait until we got on the bus to talk to her. I couldn't wait to hear what she found out, but when I went to sit with her she told me to, “Keep walking,” in a quiet voice.

Did they turn one of my best friends against me, too? I walked down the aisle feeling nauseated. How much worse could this get?

I got off the bus and unlocked my front door. I started crying and dropped my coat on the couch. My phone was ringing. Great, who was mad at me now? It was Ashanti.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sorry I couldn't talk to you on the bus,” she said. “But I'm trying to figure something out with Mags and Halle, so I didn't want it to look like I was running back to you with everything they told me.”

“So what then? You told them we're not friends anymore?”

“No, I just said I thought this was kind of shady, and I wanted to hear from them what went down. You know, I made it look like I was getting their side of the story instead of just believing you. You know I'm totally on your side, right?”

“You are?”

“Of course, always, but I have to look like I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. However, I know Maggie can get caught up in that whole popularity thing. Maybe she even believes what Yasmin is saying. I dunno, but Halle thinks this whole thing stinks. She won't say it in front of Mags, but she feels bad you got caught up in it.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“Yeah, she waited until Maggie and Yasmin went to get a napkin, but she isn't down with this at all.”

“Then why doesn't she say something to them? If she knows I didn't do anything, then she should stand up for me.”

“I guess she doesn't because it's hard, and it might make her a target,” Ashanti said. “I'm working on her and trying to get them to see Yasmin could flip on them, too, but they're not having it. They think they need Yasmin's popular cred to get them somewhere for high school next year.”

“Maybe I should go to St. Faustina's next year and get away from all this drama,” I said.

“No, you can't. You promised we were going to Central together.”

I wanted to believe that Ashanti was planning on hanging out with me at Central next year. But I knew once we started ninth grade she'd be with her new crew, and I'd be on the outside looking in.

“So what now?” I asked.

“I'll keep working on Halle. Just say a prayer and don't worry.”

Peyton called me later saying we should do something fun on Friday night and forget about all this drama.

“How about we go to the movies?” she said. “We can get a bunch of people to go.”

Devon and India texted me later that they would go, too, and I asked Thalia, who was excited to be included. Ashanti told me Halle invited her to spend the night on Friday. While I was kind of hurt that, yet again, she made plans without me, I didn't want to act possessive or anything. I didn't need to give her another reason to leave me behind.

O
n Friday night
, we decided Thalia's dad would pick me, Peyton, and Devon up and we'd meet India at the theater. Devon's favorite actor, Blake Alderson, had a new movie out called
Take Back the Skies Yet Again,
so we decided to see it. All his films were kinda the same with him running around fighting people on a plane, but this one had a preview of him fighting some bad guys right on the wing while up in the air. He always had some funny lines he'd say right before he beat up someone, too.

“You guys, I cannot wait to see this,” Devon said, bouncing up and down as we waited in line for tickets. They weren't allowing people to buy tickets online for the premiere, and she was terrified it would sell out.

“This one is supposed to be better than his last one where you could tell the stunt man was, like, way shorter than Blake,” Peyton said.

Devon's face fell. “But Blake says he does most of his own stunts.”

“Dude, how? He's like twenty years older than my own dad, and my dad spent the weekend icing his back after playing basketball with his friends,” India said.

“Blake is fit and active,” Devon said crossing her arms. “Landry, you like him, don't you?”

If he was twenty years older than India's dad, I didn't want to think about the age difference with my own father. Instead, I nodded and said he was a great actor. Plus, he was okay-looking for a guy who could technically be my grandpa. I decided to keep that part to myself though.

We got our tickets and went to the snack line. Peyton and I always got popcorn, licorice, and the biggest soda we could get our hands on. India and Devon picked their snacks based on whether or not there were cute boys around. It was so annoying. I mean, if you like popcorn and ice cream, just eat popcorn and ice cream. Why did it matter if a guy was there? Although, I will admit, I had choked on popcorn a few times when I got nervous eating in front of a boy. It was like I forgot how to chew and swallow correctly or something. Luckily, I never had that problem with Vladi in the past. I felt sad thinking that I might never have the opportunity to hang out and eat with him again.

“Oh wow, they have fudge here now. I love Mackinac Island fudge,” Thalia said. “I'm totally getting a slice of the cookies and cream fudge.”

She had a huge smile on her face, but right as she went up to order I heard this male voice say loudly, “Yeah, she looks like a girl who enjoys her fudge a little too much.”

I watched as Thalia's face fell. The worker behind the counter was waiting for her to order.

“Um, I'm not super hungry,” she said in a whisper, and she moved behind me.

I exchanged a look with Peyton. What did we do now? I didn't know the guy who made the stupid comment, and I kind of wanted to pretend I didn't hear it for Thalia's sake. Why let her know we had heard it and embarrass her?

“Can I help you?” the snack guy asked.

“Uh, yeah, I'll have the number three combo with red licorice as my candy choice. And can I have extra butter on the popcorn?” I opened my wallet and realized my mom had given me exactly enough money for my order, ticket, and a little for a snack if we stopped somewhere afterward, but there wasn't enough for anything extra. I sighed and cleared my throat. “Actually, can you make that a number one duo instead?”

The guy was reaching for the large popcorn container. “Small popcorn and small soda with no candy?”

“Yeah, and a half a slice of cookies and cream fudge, please.”

Peyton poked me in the back. “What's up? You hate the cookies and cream flavor. You said it tastes like dirt trapped in fudge.”

I whispered back it was for Thalia.

I got my order, and my popcorn container couldn't have been smaller. Instead of the giant tub of delicious buttery and crunchy goodness, it was a tiny bag that was already getting greasy from the butter leaking through. And my small soda cup seemed to be filled with more ice than cherry cola. Oh well.

“You sure you don't want anything?” I asked Thalia.

“I kind of have a headache, so maybe I should just call my dad and he can come get you guys later,” she said. Her eyes were watery.

“Please stay. It wouldn't be the same without you,” I said.

“I just —I don't feel good,” she said looking away.

“It would mean a lot to me if you stayed. This whole night is about me getting over being dumped,” I said. I hated repeating that, but maybe if she focused on my crappy life, she'd stop thinking about what those stupid boys said about her.

“I dunno. I might be getting sick or something,” she said, avoiding my eyes.

“Please?”

“What's going on?” Peyton asked coming over. She had bought the family pack and had a cardboard tray of snacks in front of her that she set on the counter in front of us.

“Dude, you gonna eat all that?” The jerk boy who had said that about Thalia asked as he walked by. It was obvious he was talking to Thalia, but Peyton walked over to face him.

“Not that it's any of your business what I eat or how much, but no, it's not all for me. I bought it to share because I'd hate to end up looking like you,” she said staring at him.

His face got bright red as his friends laughed at him. India and Devon walked over and glared at the boys as the guys walked away.

“What was that about?” India asked.

“Insecure little boys trying to act like big men,” Peyton said. “No biggie. Let's go get seats.”

“Landry.” Thalia tugged my arm. “I don't want to go in there. I think I should just go home.”

“Please stay. You might feel better, and I'd hate for you to miss the movie.”

She shrugged and followed us into the theater. It was packed.

“Oh man, we aren't going to all be able to sit together,” Devon said.

“There are five seats together over by the exit sign,” India said pointing. The seats were right in front of those jerks, and then I realized Kyle was sitting with them. I glanced over at Thalia whose eyes were huge and panicked.

“Um, I hate sitting on the side. I get weird headaches,” I said.

“Yeah, me, too,” Peyton said nodding.

“Okay. Well, the only other place with five seats together is the front row and that's, like, headache central,” India said.

I realized Devon wouldn't be able to see well sitting there, and she had been looking forward to this movie since we saw the preview for it last fall.

“We can split up. Devon should be able to see her Blake perfectly and not with her neck at a weird angle,” I said.

“But Landry,” Devon said. “This whole night is about us being here for you.”

“Yeah, but we can talk after the movie, and you've been waiting for this film for months. We can meet up later. It's easier to find just a couple seats together,” I said.

Devon threw her arms around my neck. “Just for that, you're going to be maid of honor when I marry my Blake-y. Okay, who's going with who?”

Looking around it became obvious there was only one other decent row with only three seats together.

“There's the top row by the viewing room,” Thalia said. “That's the only other section with three seats.”

No one ever wanted to sit there because you could always hear people talking in the production booth and it smelled weird, but I said it was okay and told Peyton I'd see her after the movie.

“Nope, I'm coming with you guys,” she said.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, this is your Vladi-free night. We're sitting together.”

We walked up to our seats as the previews started. The guy next to Thalia unwrapped his fudge slice and started to eat. I saw her watching him as she crossed her arms.

“Here,” I said, handing her the package of fudge.

“What?”

“For you,” I said.

“I'm not hungry.”

“Well, just hold it and maybe you'll want it later,” I said.

“I'm good. You enjoy it.”

“I don't like this kind.”

She asked me why I bought it then.

“I thought you might want some later. You seemed excited they had it. Then you weren't hungry, so I thought, I don't want her getting up and walking over me to get it — I might miss Blake doing something heroic — so I better just buy it for her now,” I said.

She gave a tiny smile. “Okay, I guess I can nibble at it.”

We leaned back to watch the rest of the previews and eat our snacks. Then I realized my stupid teeny tiny bag of popcorn was already empty and the movie hadn't even started. Sheesh.

Peyton nudged me. “Have some. It looks like I have enough for a family of four.”

“Did you miss dinner?” I asked.

“No, I just thought you might want more than that little bag you got. That's why I got the big snack combo. I'm not planning on drinking two sodas either.”

“Thanks,” I whispered. “Fudge costs a lot more than the other stuff.”

“I figured. That was nice of you to get it for her. I hope that jerk doesn't ruin her night.”

I nodded, but I wanted to ask her if she noticed Kyle was with that guy. As we ate and watched, I realized how that idiot had destroyed Thalia's self-confidence. She almost deflated after he said that to her. Yet he had been rude to Peyton and she just told him off without a care. I would have been so embarrassed if he had said anything to me. Sometimes I wished I could be more like Peyton. She was so confident. She didn't let anyone get her down. She'd probably handle this whole Yasmin thing a whole lot better than me, too, if she was in my shoes.

I scanned the theater over to where Devon and India were sitting. That rude jerk and his friends were right behind them, but instead of making their lives miserable, they were leaving the girls alone. It wasn't fair that some people got singled out while others went through life so easily.

After the movie, the five of us met up and walked over to meet Thalia's dad in the parking lot.

“How was the movie, girls?” he asked.

We all mumbled it was fine, and he asked if we wanted to stop anywhere on the ride home. He mentioned Ignatowski's, which would normally be everyone's first choice, but Thalia shot it down. I wondered if she was afraid those boys would be there.

“There's Baker's. They have pie and cake,” she said.

Baker's was a family restaurant and was more like a place your grandparents would go. I liked it, but it would not be India and Devon's scene. However, they surprised me by saying it was fine.

We got to the restaurant and were seated at a table. The waitress brought over these brown colored frosted glasses of ice water. Thalia's dad sat with us, and we all opened the menus. It said all their desserts were homemade, and the pictures were making my mouth water.

“I think I want banana cream pie,” Peyton said. “My grandma used to make it, and I haven't had it in years.”

“Yeah, it's kind of an old people dessert selection,” India said, raising her eyebrows.

“Which is sort of awesome,” Devon said. “I normally don't get stuff like this. Should I get the pecan pie or the chocolate silk? I feel like chocolate, but when's the last time I had pecan pie?”

“Hon, I can do a half slice of both for you,” the waitress said coming over.

“Yes! Okay, then I'll have both.”

“Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream?” the waitress asked.

“Is the whipped cream fresh like in the picture?” Devon asked pointing to the menu.

“Sure is.”

India and I both ordered apple pie with ice cream, but then the waitress came to Thalia.

“I'm not super hungry. Maybe just a half slice of something.”

“You must be starving,” Peyton said. “Get a whole piece.”

“Um, just a slice of blueberry pie,” Thalia said.

“Whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla with that?”

“Neither.”

“Thalia, you love vanilla ice cream. Get a scoop,” I said.

She shook her head.

“It's un-American to eat pie without a topping,” I said. “It's in the Constitution.”

She smirked. “It is?”

“Yes, it says so somewhere toward the bottom,” I said.

“Okay, fine. Ice cream, please.”

Our desserts came and we all dove in. Peyton's slice was so fluffy and creamy looking, I almost wished I had ordered it, even if bananas sometimes made me feel a little pukey. She let me have a taste and it was super good, but not anything I'd want a whole piece of. Devon offered us a taste of hers, so I tried a little of the chocolate silk pie. It was amazing.

“Thalia, try some,” she said holding her plate out. Thalia hesitated and then took a tiny bit with her fork.

Mr. Zimmer paid for all our desserts and then we piled into his car. He dropped me off last, and Thalia told her dad she was going to walk me to the door.

“Thanks for the fudge tonight, Landry,” Thalia said. “It was amazing and I know you heard that guy and all, but thanks for pretending you didn't.”

“He was a total loser.”

“Yeah, but it still hurts. I did end up having fun though,” she said.

“Good. I'm glad he didn't ruin your night.”

“Yeah, I was going to suggest we all go to the root beer float place after the movie, but I heard that jerk say they were going there when we were walking out.”

“Oh, I thought they'd end up at Ignatowski's,” I said.

“Nope, they were talking about floats.”

“I'm glad we went to Baker's though. The pie was
so
good.”

She nodded. “Yeah, and I knew we wouldn't run into you-know-who there.”

“Huh?”

“I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable if Vladi walked into Ignatowski's while we were there. I know India thinks I'm all lame for picking the other place, but I'd rather that than have you feel weird if Vladi was there tonight.”