“Just making it blonder.” I played with my long hair and looked at the dull tresses. “I want to be sun-kissed blond. Not muted, brown blond.”
“Lexi, your hair is gorgeous.”
“I want to be like the it girls. I have to be, Anna, if I want him to notice me.”
“Maybe he noticed you because you’re beautiful without bleached out hair.”
“Thanks, Anna,” I laughed. “I figure some highlights and a trim won’t hurt.”
“I guess I can come as well.”
“No way.” I was shocked. I hadn’t expected her to agree.
“I may as well look good as well.” She paused. “Is Luke coming?”
“I hope so. I’m going to ask him.” I looked at my watch. “In fact, my break is nearly done. Let me call him now and then I’ll see you after work?”
“Okay, sounds good.” Anna hung up and I mulled our conversation as I dialed Luke’s number. The more I thought about it, the more certain I was that Anna was interested in Luke. I told myself that I should ask her about it when I picked her up, once and for all. It would be weird if they dated but I couldn’t stop them. I was surprised at the distress I felt when I pictured them as a couple, but banished the thoughts from my mind.
“What’s up, buttercup?” Luke answered the phone with a drawl and I laughed.
“Not much, peanut.”
“Don’t you mean walnut?”
“Nope.”
“Almond nut?”
“Nope.”
“Cashew nut?”
“More like nut case,” I laughed. “Guess what?”
“You won a Nobel peace prize?”
“How did you know?” I laughed. “No, idiot. We got invited to Bryce’s party this weekend!”
“Whoa, what? Who did you have to sleep with for that?”
“Luke.”
“You slept with me?” He paused. “I think I would have remembered that.”
“You’re an idiot,” I laughed. “Bryce came into the library today. I can’t believe it.”
“Why did he go into the library?” Luke sounded suspicious. “And do we have to go?”
“Yes, we are all going.”
“Argh. I don’t want to go and see all those pretentious fools from high school.”
“Luke. Please,” I pleaded.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I’ll walk Bongo all next week for you.”
“Deal,” he laughed. “Don’t forget the pooper scooper either.”
“You suck, Luke,” I laughed. “Anyways, I’ll see you later. I have to get back to work.”
“Okay, see you later, Lexus.”
“Bye, nutcase.” I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone with a huge grin on my face. It seemed like my tide was changing.
***
“Anna, I wanted to ask you something.” My words sounded serious as she got into the car and she frowned at me.
“Who died?”
“No one.” I paused. “Do you have a crush on Luke?”
“What?” She looked at me in shock and I saw a blush rising in her face.
“Do you have a crush on Luke?” I stared at her hard. “You can tell me if you do.”
“No, I don’t. He’s like our brother.”
“Well, yes. But he isn’t really our brother.” I paused. “I know that a lot of girls think he is attractive now.”
“Do you have a crush on him?” She looked at me with narrowed eyes.
“No, of course not.” I shook my head. “That’s gross.”
“Why?”
“He’s like my best friend and my brother.”
“But he’s not your brother.”
“Well, you know.” I cringed. “That’s gross. I couldn’t even picture myself kissing him.”
“He has nice lips,” she said, softly.
“Argh. No way.” I pretended to puke. “That would be sick.”
“Okay.” She rolled her eyes at me. “So I was thinking about what you said earlier. Do you think Bryce invited you because of Eddie?”
“What?” I frowned at her, upset that she had brought up Eddie.
“Well, you know. After everything that happened.” She looked at me sideways as I drove. “Maybe he wants to talk to you about that night.”
“I don’t want to talk about that night.” I felt my breath catch as I drove. “I never want to think about that night again. Except for the part when Bryce rescued me.”
“You’ve got to think he might want to talk about it. Especially seeing as he left right after Eddie, you know.” She paused.
“He had nothing to do with that.” I looked at her, annoyed.
“We don’t know that.”
“I do.” My voice was firm. “It’s not possible.”
“Anything is possible, Lexi.” She reached over and touched my arm. “My dad thought it was weird, how everything happened.”
“Like what?” I looked at her with narrowed eyes.
“I’m not meant to say.”
“Anna, you have to tell me now.”
“Let’s not discuss it now.” She squeezed my arm. “Do you know what you are going to wear to wow Bryce in?”
“No,” I sighed. “I don’t have anything to wow him in.”
“Then, I ask, we should go shopping?”
“That sounds like a good plan,” I grinned, momentarily forgetting my anxiety from our previous conversation. I didn’t like thinking about Eddie. Especially after what had happened.
“Shall we ask Luke?” I turned to my friend and saw her blush again. “I know you have a crush on him, Anna.”
“He’d never be interested in me,” she sighed, playing with her long, brown hair.
“Of course he would,” I smiled at her, helpfully. “He’d be lucky to have a girlfriend like you, especially after dating that skank Briget.”
“You think so?” She smiled at me, shyly.
“I know so.” I rolled my eyes. “Luke may look like a hottie now, but he’s still a nerd inside,” I laughed. Luke had had a major transformation when we graduated from High School. He had joined a gym, and had gained weight, so that his lanky frame was now more athletic. He had cut his previously long stringy hair and he had gotten rid of his thick owl-glasses. His transformation had shocked Anna and I, but it was the girls outside of our circle who really seemed to appreciate the changes in Luke. He had met a girl at community college, called Briget, and had dated her for about two years. I couldn’t stand her and she didn’t like me. I hadn’t been sad when they had broken up.