Life Lines

7: Crazy Friends, Crazy Conversations

Chapter Seven

By the time I got home, my little circle of friends were gathered in my driveway. I'd texted Allie, asking her to get everyone over to my house for an emergency meeting. Lucky for me, my father went back to the office, albeit reluctantly. He kept asking if I was sure I was ok and I kept telling him yes. If I was going to keel over at least my friends would be there to take care of me.

"So what's the big emergency?" Schylar asked.

"Yeah, we were in the middle of a mani/pedi," Kaylee whined.

"Let's go inside," I said, leading the way through the kitchen door. "Anyone want something to drink?"

"No," they all said.

"Nat, just spill the beans," Allie said. "I'm caddying for Diane at six..."

"Wilson thinks I have The Sickness."

They all sort of just stood there, dumbfounded, gathered around the door. Schylar was the only one who wasn't surprised and was at my side, hugging me within seconds of it coming out.

"Does that mean you're going to be one of them?" Chris asked, fingering the bowl of fruit on the counter next to where he stood.

I drew back from Schylar and walked over to where Chris stood, landing me in the mix of all my friends.

"If you're asking if I'm going to pull a Cecil, then the answer is no. Besides, Wilson doesn't even know if that's what I have."

"But it's a possibility," Allie said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have asked us all here."

"It's just a cough," I said. "It could be nothing. People cough without a reason all the time..."

"But you're seventeen," Oppie said. "You're supposed to get The Sickness when you're fourteen."

Allie smiled. "Sometimes it happens later and we all know..."

"She's late for everything," Dreama said smiling, the gesture completely genuine. "You lucky bastard." She hugged me tightly. "Just do me a favor. If you do become Elite put in a good word for me." She pulled back and looked at me. "You know, with Cyrus."

"If I do become Elite, I'm not going to suddenly start talking to him. He ignored me for three years. That makes him a complete asshole in my book."

"Well that's a relief," Allie said. "I really hope he doesn't think just because you might become Elite he can talk to you again. You're not going to talk to him," she commanded.

"Why can't she talk to him?" Kaylee said. "They were best friends."

"Key word was 'were' in that statement," Allie said. "He dropped her like a bad habit."

"I'm right here," I said.

"I know but I also know you. He'll swoop in, bat those long black eye lashes at you, and it'll be over. But—" she came over and gripped my hand "—you're not going to talk to him. Shun his ass!"

My jaw just dropped. I didn't know what to say. She was a little firecracker, that much I was used to, but she'd never commanded me before. She always saved that for the Triplets.

"Ok, I think everyone is just a little excited." Schylar stepped forward and pulled Allie away. "It's her choice if she's going to talk to him. Then again he might just continue to not talk to her anyway. We don't know what's going to happen so there's no point in being rude about it."

Chris wrapped an arm around my waist and propped his chin on my shoulder.

"You're not going to forget about us, are you? If you do become Elite?"