Cloud Walking
Page 20

I pulled out of his grasp and looked away. “Yeah, I could see that.” So much for hiding my bitterness. And I had been doing so well too.
Daniel rubbed the top of his head in agitation. “Rach. Seriously. It's not what it looked like. You see Kylie and I...well...” I held up my hand, cutting him off.
“Spare me the gory details, please. Let's go eat.” I started to walk into the cafeteria.
“Rachel, please let me explain,” Daniel pleaded, grabbing for my arm again. Before he could say anything else, we were both pulled up short by the sight that greeted us at our lunch table.
“What the hell?” Daniel growled. That was a good question. Clay and Maggie sat there, wrapped around each other as though they were one freaking person. Well, this would make for an interesting lunch.
“Play nice, Danny,” I warned. Daniel had let out a huff but followed me silently to the table. Our earlier conversation had been forgotten as we tried to get used to the fact that Maggie was now part of a “we.” The differences in her were astounding and I tried not to freak out over it. But there was a possessiveness in the way she and Clay were together. A neediness that was a little hard to stomach. It was very obvious that they loved each other. But their love was a little scary. Because it consumed everything around them until that's all either of them saw. They lived in their own little Maggie and Clay world and the rest of us didn't even compute.
Now that they were officially together, everything else took a back seat. Absolutely everything. The weeks passed and it only got worse. I watched as my best friend slowly become someone else. A girl who's entire world focused on the boy she was with. I never thought I'd see the day Maggie would become that girl. But she was happy. Or at least she claimed to be every time I asked her. But I stopped digging into their relationship, because she became rabid about it. As though I had no right to go there. Hello! I was supposed to be her best friend! Wasn't that my job?
Daniel never did finish “explaining” things to me. Okay, so maybe I never really gave him a chance to. But I wasn't sure I wanted to hear whatever he had to tell me. Though I did notice that he and Kylie were decidedly not together. I could only assume that she dropped him...once again. I wanted to feel self-righteously smug about that. But I didn't. I just felt empty.
So, here we were, three weeks post dance, sitting all together in our strange little group, full of awkward tension. Maggie and Clay were practically in each other's laps while I worked really hard to pretend Danny wasn't two feet away from me. Daniel was obviously way passed trying to make small talk, so he ate in surly silence. I was actually surprised he continued to eat with us, considering he had other friends. Ones that he didn't have this tension with.
But he staunchly stayed at our table. I guess I had to give him props for that.
I was trying to choke down my sandwich while not watching as Clay kissed the side of Maggie's neck. Even though, I didn't like the whole obsessive nature of their relationship, even I couldn't deny how at times they were almost beautiful together. The way he brushed the hair off her shoulder so he could put his lips on the skin just below her ear. How she leaned into him, closing her eyes as he whispered something only she could hear.
I wasn't going all Peeping Tom, I swear. But it was like watching a love story unfold in front of my eyes. If I forgot about the way Maggie seemed to be losing herself to Clay in a way that bordered on unhealthy, I could appreciate the genuine affection between them...even if I didn't like the rest of what I witnessed in their relationship.
Daniel made a gagging noise and I looked up at him to make sure he was all right. He was giving Maggie and Clay a look of annoyance. “Ugh! Can you guys get a room already?” he bit out. Maggie pulled away from Clay and I saw the look of guilt flash across her face.
I couldn't resist being a bit of a bitch. “Oh shut it, Daniel. You're just jealous. Just because Kylie has cut you loose...again,” I said a little hatefully. Daniel's eyes met mine and they were anything but warm. They were cold as ice as he curled his lip. I smirked and he looked away. Though my momentary sense of victory was lost as I realized how badly our friendship was suffering.
I had this horrible feeling that we might never recover from this nasty detour we had taken. My feelings had morphed into nothing but bitterness and anger while Daniel seemed to be pulling away a little more each day. I had never felt so far away from my friends. We had been joined at the hip our entire lives and now we were like three separate spokes on the wheel. Forever circling, never touching. Was this the future of our friendship? To drift apart until nothing remained of the bond we used to have?
God, what a depressing thought.
I barely listened as Clay piped up and mentioned going to some cabin. Huh? What was he talking about?
“Well, Ruby's girlfriend, Lisa has a cabin down by Franklin Lake. Maybe we could go down for the night. Like, say the Saturday after Thanksgiving? I mean, it's really nice. With satellite TV and a huge Jacuzzi tub. It could be a lot of fun.”
Ugh...a night in a cabin with the touchy-feely couple and Mr. Man of my Dreams/Nightmares. I'm not sure I was up for that. So I tried to get out of it. And then somehow I ended up agreeing. Well, this had the makings of a huge mistake.
Maggie proceeded to ream both Danny and I out over our lack of effort in making nice with Clay. Whatever...I was trying. Unlike some people (ahem, Daniel). I was always nice to people, even the ones I wasn't so sure about. But I could do smiley happy if I was forced to, I suppose.