“What is that face for?” I ask, pursing my lips and not sure I’m ready for her answer.
“Mason’s coming in,” she says.
“Yeah, I figured. He’s been helping Dad out, because he’s staying with us,” I say, hoping she just nods and tells me I’m right, and that it turns out it’s really no big deal at all.
“No, I don’t think you’re following me. Mason’s coming in…to play!” my friend instantly squeals and grips my forearm like a love-struck teenager.
Mason is playing. Live. Tonight. After I gave him that recording. After I told him I believed in him. After I bared a little of my past to him. And there is nowhere for me to hide; I’m going to be here, and I’m going to have to hear it. My heart is beating a million times per minute, and I have to wipe my palms on the sides of my shorts because they’re sweating so much.
“If it’s okay with you, I thought maybe Max and I could stick around, just for the early part?” Claire asks, snapping me from my trance.
“Huh? Oh, yeah…I guess that’s fine. As long as Max is okay with it. He’s had a long day, but he has a lot of his things with him, and I brought my iPad,” I notice mid-sentence that the smirk is still full-force on Claire’s face. She’s got more—I don’t know if I can handle more. “Okay…what else has you all gushy?”
“Oh, nothing. Just…” she’s torturing me with this, and the feeling in my stomach gives me the sense that I’m going to want to bury my head in the ground after tonight is done. “I might have had a little conversation with Mr. Street today.”
“What kind of conversation?” I ask, my tone clipped. I’m getting really nervous now. And frankly, I’m starting to get a little pissed off at my friend.
“Oh, the kind where he talks a little bit about how he doesn’t know why you hate him so much and then your friend maybe tells him he was a douchebag in high school. That kind of conversation,” she says, her lips now in a tight, proud smile to match her folded I-told-you-so arms.
Shit! I know Claire meant well, but I also know she doesn’t really get how much the way Mason used to treat me around his friends bothers me. “Claire?” I sigh.
“Relax. I didn’t go into too many details. I just reminded him about Nikki Thomas’ party…” she starts.
Fuck!
“And I told him how you hated it when he called you Birdie. Oh, girl…you should have seen his face when I told him how the first time he did it, it made you cry,” she’s still going, and my heart has officially run out of rhythm now. I’m no longer dying, because I’ve just ceased to breathe. Claire has officially embarrassed me to death.
“Oh, and…well…this part you’re going to be a little mad about…” she’s biting her lip. This part—whatever she’s about to tell me—is what has her thinking I’m going to be a little mad?
“Oh god, Claire…what did you do?” I ask, letting my face fall forward into my hands. I can actually feel the heat radiating off of my cheeks.
“I sort of told him that you used to be in love with him,” Claire says, standing up immediately and backing away. Smart, because she knows I want to smack her. She raises her hands up quickly, signaling there’s more. “But, before you get all angry, I only told him because I think he’s got a little thing for you.”
I let my face fall right back into my hands. There’s no way Mason has a thing for me, not even the tiniest of little things. And after the stuff I said to him last night, and the secrets my best friend just unlocked for him today, I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m some crazy, obsessed girl from his past.
“Claire?” I say, shaking my head at her.
“Avery, don’t overreact. I promise I didn’t give him anything that would embarrass you. I swear!” she’s waving her hands emphatically, like she’s tossing magic in the air that will somehow make me okay with all of this.
“I want to go home and throw up, Claire! But I can’t, because I need Saturday night tips. And now I have to walk the floor, while Mason is perched up on that stage listening to half-dressed bimbos scream at him, getting in line just to see if he’d be willing to use them for the night. And he’ll have this perfect goddamn view of me—the stupid girl from high school, who’s in love with him!”
“I told you, I told him you used to be in love with him!” Claire tries to correct.
“Used to be…still am—it’s all the same to him, Claire! He’s not going to believe I’m over him? Especially after…gah! Whatever. He’s just going to taunt me with it—make it all into some game until he has someone else to amuse him. Hell, I hope he moves back in with his mom now,” I turn to lean back on the bench, and let my head fall flat against the wall so I can stare at the ceiling. One day. One day! That’s all it took for my friend to rip open every wound from my adolescence and give all my secrets to my enemy.