I’m no saint.
24
Emerson
“Mind if I sit?” A soft voice floats over my shoulder. I glance up and am surprised to see Keely standing behind me, twisting her fingers together in front of her.
“Ah, sure.” I wave my hand at the empty seat in front of me.
Keely drops into the seat and smooths out her skirt then runs a hand over her hair to tame the frizz. She sits there with her shoulders back, spine ramrod straight, and a smile on her face. Hands clasped in her lap; she stares at me. Awkward.
I reach for my coffee, not to drink, but purely so my hand has something to do. The way she’s looking at me is unsettling. I smile, and she stares at me as though I invited myself to sit with her, not the other way around. I’m not sure if I should say something or wait for her to speak. I have no idea what she wants, or why she is here staring at me like that, but it’s creepy and unsettling.
I put my coffee down and bump the salt and pepper shakers. Keely reaches across the table and straightens them. She fixes the menu and the small pot plant, lining everything up so it’s neat and in place.
Digging in her bag under the table, she pulls out a bottle of water and an apple, placing them carefully next to the pot plant, water to the left, apple to the right. She straightens them, making sure they’re perfectly aligned on the table. A little OCD, but who am I to judge? I live with Colt. He flips his OCD switch on and off. One minute he can’t find his keys and is checking in the dishwasher. Next minute, he’s lining his socks up according to color and texture.
It’s when Keely pulls out a binder and textbook, two yellow highlighters and a black pen, I decide to say something. “Hi.”
“Hello.” She aligns her pens and highlighters on the table before cracking open the lid on the wattle bottle and taking three sips. She screws the lid back on and puts the bottle exactly where it was, turning it so the label faces her.
She opens her textbook and reads without another word to me. It crosses my mind that she’s only sitting with me because all the other tables are full, but I’m the only one out here, and from what I can see inside, there are maybe three people in there and forty empty tables. There are forty other tables that she can sit at. Why is she with me?
“How are you?” I ask.
“Good.”
She falls silent again.
After a few minutes, she speaks without looking at me. “Did you know Austin dated my sister?”
“I...didn’t. No.”
“Well, he did. For four years.”
I stare at her, waiting for her to elaborate but she doesn’t. She continues studying. She’s weird. Austin never mentioned her sister. And four years is a long time to not mention. It also complicates things. Because girls have rules. A bro code of sorts. And dating your sister’s, or best friend’s, ex is a huge no-no.
I sigh and pick up my phone. Austin can fill me in on what she’s doing here, why she’s telling me about her sister, and more importantly, why the hell he didn’t tell me he dated Keely’s sister for four freaking years.
* * *
Me: Keely is here.
* * *
I don’t expect him to respond because he has classes all day, but he replies almost immediately.
* * *
Austin: Where?
Me: At the coffee shop.
Austin: Well... yeah. She works there.
* * *
I raise my phone and make duck lips. Fluffing my hair and pouting for the camera, I pretend to take a selfie when I’m snapping a picture of Keely to send to Austin.
* * *
Me: She’s here with me. At my table. (download attachment)
Austin: Oh. Why?
Me: How am I supposed to know? She asked if she could sit, then lined everything up on the table and pulled out her textbook and binder. She’s studying.
Austin: What did she say to you?
Me: Apart from “hello' and “good”?
Austin: Yeah, she spoke more than that, right?
Me: Other than telling me you dated her sister, she’s remained quiet and ignored me.
* * *
He goes quiet, and I’m not sure he’ll respond. Maybe the sister is a touchy subject, so I try something else.
* * *
Me: Is she dangerous? Should I be worried that she’ll poison me, or murder me? Or slip a laxative into my coffee when I’m not looking?
Austin: Hahaha. Relax. She’s harmless.
Me: Easy for you to say, you’re not the one dating her sister’s ex-boyfriend and the guy she’s in love with.
Austin: Neither are you. : - )
* * *
He thinks he’s funny, but he’s not.
* * *
Me: Funny. Why didn’t you tell me about her sister?
Austin: Didn’t seem important.
Me: On what planet is that not important!?
Austin: I dunno. She’s my best friend. Always has been. It was a shitty thing to do but I dated Kylee because I... I don't know.
* * *
He can’t be serious. He has to be joking. They can’t be named that. That’s cruel.
* * *
Me: *snorts* Keely and Kylee? Really?
Austin: Twins.
* * *
Twins doesn’t excuse it. That’s so awful. I’d resent my parents if they named me something that was an anagram for my sister’s name... More than I resent them for being assholes.
* * *
Me: Ahh... so you dated the twin because you figured she was the next best thing?
Austin: Something like that.
Austin: Ask her what she wants.
Me: No. I don’t want to provoke the sleeping bear.
* * *
My phone rings and Austin’s name flashes across the screen. Keely doesn’t look up.
“Hello?”
“I can’t text anymore. Let me talk to her,” Austin says.
“What? No. I’m great by the way. Thanks for asking.”
“Em.” I can feel his frustration through the phone. I smile.
“Austin.”
“Fine. How are you? I’m great. Thanks for asking. How’s the arm and ankle? Get that cast off soon yeah? Put her on the phone, now,” he rambles.
I roll my eyes. “Fine.”
Holding my phone out to Keely, I have to clear my throat three times before she removes her eyes from her textbook.
Her eyebrows pull together, and she purses her lips.
“Austin,” I say.
She smiles, taking the phone from my outstretched hand. She’s so in love with him, blind Freddy can see it. Her eyes light up, and she twirls her hair around her fingers.
“Okay… Yes… All right… Bye.” She hands the phone back to me and picks up her highlighter.
“She’ll be nice,” Austin tells me when I put the phone to my ear.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.” He laughs. “I have to go. Colt’s coming, and we’re shooting some ball before our next classes.”