Light in the Shadows
Page 83

“So how long are you visiting for?” Maggie asked, obviously wanting to know how long we’d be have to put up with Maria’s fantastic personality.
“Just for the night. I have to head back to Alexandria in the morning. My brother lives there and I’m supposed to stay with him for a few days before flying back to Florida. But I think I kind of like Virginia. I may have to extend my stay,” Maria smiled at me and I looked away.
Yeah, that was the last thing I needed.
The waitress came and took our orders. Maria complained about the greasy food on the menu and took forever to finally decide on a salad.
While we waited on our food, Rachel attempted more small talk. She asked Maria questions about Florida. Maria gave short, one word answers. After several conversation nonstarters, Rachel gave up and sat quietly drinking her milk shake. Daniel and Maggie were engaged in their own discussion about soccer.
“I thought you were going to try to be nice? Enough with the Cruella Deville act!” I whispered. Maria narrowed her eyes at me but didn’t say anything.
Once our food arrived, everyone seemed to be in complete agreement and inhaled our meals. No one seemed particularly keen on spending anymore time sitting there in awkward silence. Maggie looked pissed and I didn’t blame her. Maria was causing some serious drama and I would be giving her a piece of my mind about this later. Maria’s unmedicated self was not particularly likable. And I was able to see for the first time, how horrible it must have been to be around me when I refused to take my meds.
I felt like shit for putting Maggie, Ruby and Lisa through that for so long.
Daniel and Rachel followed us to the movie theater in the next town. Maggie didn’t even bother trying to talk to Maria, the line in the dirt was drawn and neither girl was going to step over it. These two were definitely not destined to be best friends anytime soon.
Maria was acting like a jealous girlfriend. And my actual girlfriend simply ignored me. Super f**king fantastic.
I bought tickets for Maggie and myself. Maybe I should have offered to pay for Maria but at this point, I didn’t want to give her any ideas. While Maggie went the restroom and Maria went to get some popcorn, Rachel and I waited for Daniel, who was talking to a few guys from school.
“So you were in treatment with Maria?” Rachel asked. I looked down at the much shorter girl and she seemed really uncomfortable. We didn’t have the type of relationship that allowed for deep discussion. And I had never contemplated talking about my time in Florida with her.
“Yeah,” I answered briefly. Rachel shuffled her feet on the ground.
“I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but what’s her deal? She seems, I don’t know, weird I guess.” That was the understatement of the year.
I looked over at women’s restroom, hoping Maggie would come out and save me from this conversation. No such luck.
“She’s not taking her medication for starters. I had no idea she’d be like this when I said she could come for a visit. Maria wasn’t like this in treatment. Trust me; I’d never have been friends with someone who acts the way she is acting tonight. She really is a nice girl. A screwed up girl. But she means well, deep down,” I found myself defending Maria.
Rachel chewed on her lip thoughtfully. “I believe you. That just sucks she’s not taking care of herself. I can tell she’s probably pretty cool underneath all that other stuff.” Rachel surprised me with her astuteness.
“Yeah, she is. I’m really sorry about all of this though,” I said. Rachel gave me a smile.
“Don’t apologize. It’s fine. I just feel for Maggie. She hides her insecurity well, but I know this whole thing has to be bothering her,” Rachel said, meeting my eyes.
“We both have some issues to sort out with the whole jealousy thing, I suppose,” I said. Rachel and I stood there quietly and I noticed a girl with long blonde hair approach Daniel and put her hand on his arm. The guys he was talking to all exchanged looks and I wondered who the hell that was and why Rachel wasn’t marching over there and pulling the other girl’s hair out.
Rachel was watching them and she did seem a bit tenser, but she didn’t move. “Who’s that?” I asked, indicating the girl. Daniel had purposefully moved away from her and seemed to be extremely unhappy with the chick trying to touch him.
“That’s Kylie Good,” Rachel explained and it all made sense. Daniel’s ex-girlfriend tried to say something to him but he wasn’t having it. He turned to the guys and said something, his back to Kylie in clear dismissal.
“Does that bother you? Seeing some other girl hit on him like that?” I asked, honestly curious as to how she was staying in check. Fuck, if that was Maggie and Jake I would be losing my freaking mind about now. I was beyond impressed with Rachel’s self-control.
Rachel shrugged. “It bothers me. But there’s no point in getting upset about it. Daniel isn’t interested in Kylie. She can play her stupid little games and it doesn’t change the fact that he’s with me. So what’s the point of getting jealous? Either you trust someone or you don’t.” My mouth fell open in disbelief.
“Man, I could use some of your logical thinking the next time Jake eye f**ks my girlfriend,” I joked but I was deadly serious. I wished I could get to where Rachel was at. I just didn’t know if I had it in me right now to be so level headed.
Rachel put her hand on my arm. “You have nothing to worry about where Jake is concerned. Maggie has always only had eyes for you. That jealousy crap is about you, not her,” she said sagely. And I wondered whether my insurance company should be paying her instead of Shaemus. This chick was wise.