Chapter 4
The first week of October in Virginia this year is mild, and as we sit down for lunch Laurel is sending one of her latest minions away as he's gently playing with the spaghetti strap on her tank top.
“Go on now. I’ll see you later,” she said patting his cheek with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand.
“He looks a little young. You may have to throw that one back to grow for a year or two,” I say.
“Freshman, they’re so adorable and so eager to please,” Laurel laughs.
“Can I ask you a question without you getting mad?” Josh asks her.
“Nope,” we say in unison then dissolve into giggles for a minute. When we catch our breath Josh is looking at us like we’re crazy.
“Kidding. We’re kidding, ask away.”
“Do you ever worry about your reputation?” he asks her.
“What reputation?”
“About…being seen with all these different guys? I have never thought it was fair that people think it’s ok for guys to hang out with lots of different girls, but when girls act the same way, it just never seems to work out for them.”
“Oh, how sweet. He’s worried about my virtue Katie.”
I can’t hold in my laugh and I almost spurt milk out of my nose.
“You guys making fun of me?”
“No. I mean it, you do seem sweet Josh. But to answer your question, no. I don’t care about what other people think. Life’s too short. I like kissing boys. So what? There are worse choices I could be making with my life," she told him confidently.
“Besides, everyone knows you’re not an action attraction,” I add.
“Action attraction?” Josh asks looking confused.
“Girls that guys get a lot of…um, action from,” I tell him picking up my fork.
“Air quotes? Really Kat?” he teases.
I spear a tater tot pointing it across the table saying, “Our Miss Laurel here offers a strict one-item menu of ONLY kissing.”
“Well, mostly. There have been a few exceptions, but still, only over the clothes stuff. All this,” she gestures at herself with both hands from head to hips, “is strictly PG rating,” she explains.
“Good to know,” he said.
“Why did you ask? Feeling curious newbie?” she purrs leaning her arms on the table that presses her boobs together, “thinking about being Laurelized?”
“LAUREL!” OMG. I can’t believe she just said that. Did that! With the wiggly eyebrows and everything. There is no end to her flirty bravado.
She laughs leaning back down in her seat. “What? He’s cute and funny. He could use a haircut, but still, he’s totally kissable.”
“You know I’m sitting right here right?” Josh said.
“Oh look, I made him blush. Even more adorable.”
“Did not.”
“Your cheeks are kind of pink, I think you are blushing. I didn’t know guys could get embarrassed,” I say picking up on the teasing.
He bumps me with his shoulder and laughs. “Shut up.”
“You shut up,” I tell him pushing back just a little, “you’re turning red. It’s totally your color.”
“That’s going to cost you a tater tot,” he said stealing from my tray. “HEY! Cut it out, tater tot Tuesdays are my favorite!”
Suddenly Laurel bursts out laughing from the other side of the table. “You guys are totally adorable. It’s like I get to eat at the kindergarten table.”
Before I start in on my bag lunch today (you learn early to avoid Mystery Meat Mondays in the cafeteria), I stop to look around the table at my three closest friends.
For so long it is always been just the four of us. The Four Musketeers who’ve known each other since the 6th grade and I can’t imagine how I’d feel if any of them brought someone new to the group. I somewhat shoved Josh on them and I have been feeling like I should maybe check in to see how they feel about it before he gets here.
“You know, I never asked but, are you guys cool with Josh sitting with us at lunch?” My lunch bunch crew stops and looks at each other.
Laurel shrugs, “it’s ok with me. The more boy eye candy the better.”
I smile. Typical Laurel.
“He seems like an ok guy,” Jaxon said, telling me, “but it’s kind of weird that he never talks to anyone else in our Spanish class.”
“Not even that mega hottie Amanda Pinsky with the long blond braids and huge ta-tas who’s always wearing tight fitting peasant dresses and flashes you cleavage every chance she can? She was like the dirty version of Disney’s Rapunzel at the Fall Dance. I LOVED it,” Player gushes, “Josh is cool. He’s no competition for me.” He said getting up to go get some ketchup. Player’s ego knows no bounds.
And just like that, the Musketeers have a new member.
I scoot over on the bench a minute later so Josh can sit down next me. He has a bag lunch today too. The boy learns fast.
We start unpacking and peek to see what each other brought. Have to know if there is anything swappable, or in his case sneakable. He thinks I haven’t figured out he’s the one who keeps swiping bits of my lunch on Tater Tot Tuesdays every time he asks me to go grab some more napkins.
“OMG. You BOTH brought meatloaf sandwiches? How weird is that?” Laurel said.
Josh and I laugh a little nervously at the same time. Did we really pack the same lunch?
“I always bring leftover meatloaf after my Mom makes it. It’s the best. She doesn’t cook that often, there’s only like four things she knows how to cook without burning, and her Sunday night meatloaf is a classic not-to-be-missed. It’s even more amazing the next day,” I tell them.
“We had meatloaf last night too. My Mom said it was your Mom’s recipe. It was great. Is it really even better the next day?” Josh asks me.
“Totally!”
“How cute is that? Your Moms are swapping recipes. Next thing you know they’ll be planning your wedding,” Laurel teases.
I feel my face flame at least three shades of red.
“I have always wanted a June wedding so I hope you’re ok with that,” he said with amusement.
Make those 10 shades of red.
“DON’T encourage her! You give her an opening and she will never let you go. Getting her to stop is like trying to take a bone from a starving pit bull,” I warn him.
“Bones? We talking about boners, because let me tell you, that Amanda Pinsky is making me late to 3rd period every day because I can’t get out of my chair for a few minutes after sitting through Spanish class with her in the seat right next to me. I may have to rearrange my schedule again this semester,” Player said sitting down again, “or start wearing baggy pants.”
We try valiantly to change the subject to get him to stop assaulting our ears about Amanda’s newly acquired ‘virtues’ and his ongoing fashion problems but spend the rest of lunch period trying to not spit food out for laughing so hard.