Silver Bullet

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

[In which we stalk Vanessa's crush, and I find an obsession of my own]

"So do you think he's going to like it?"

Gwen and I both groaned. Vanessa had asked us this question twenty times now, fluttering around like an anxious songbird. Her red hair didn't help her wild appearance, and she moved around, unable to stop worrying. "For the last time, it's fine," I said impatiently. "Now can we go get a drink?" My mouth was parched from reassuring her thirty times, and Gwen didn't look much better.

"I don't think blue is really my thing," she said worriedly, turning and twisting about so she could get a good angle of the purse dangling on her arm. "It makes my skin look peaky." She pursed her lips. "In fact, I think I'll just go and return-"

"No, no, it's great!" Gwen said hastily, eyeing me so I got the message. In unison, we both grabbed one of Vanessa's arms and began to pull her out of the shop. "In fact, it's so great, I think we can go get a smoothie now." We tried to steer her in the direction of the food court, but she squealed and turned the other direction, pulling us with her.

"Look! It's him! Oh, I better follow him again! You two, act casual," she added to us. "I can't mess this up! Oh, I really hope he likes the purse!"

"Can we just grab a drink really fast?" I muttered.

"Whatever you do to make it look as if you're not with me," she said. "Your hair ruins my clothes. And your lipstick clashes with my shoes," she shot at Gwen, who looked mutinous.

"My lipstick is fine," she said, but only so I could hear.

As Vanessa tapped her foot impatiently, we ordered a smoothie and hurried back, sipping the cold drink slowly. "Now follow slowly at a distance," she commanded. "Make sure you can still see him while I go and talk to him."

I rolled my eyes, but me and Gwen followed as she strode up to Luke, her blue Coach purse dangling slightly. She was doing a very good job at appearing casual, but I could sense the slight wobble in her step. She was nervous, and she was afraid. Why would she not accept that Luke liked her? It was obvious to everyone but her, and yet she remained convinced that he didn't even know who she was.

"Should we tell her Luke came here to stalk her?" Gwen muttered to me. I shook my head as they began talking to each other, Vanessa talking fast by the way her head moved.

"They already like each other, we don't have to get in the way," I said back. However, it had been six months and neither of them had even made a move on each other. It was as if they were carefully stepping around each other, afraid of bothering the other.

"It's been half a year," Gwen said in frustration. "Okay, I'm literally gagging," she said in disgust as Vanessa laughed a very loud and obviously fake laugh. It was too high pitched and several people actually looked around for the source of the noise.

Gwen tossed her smoothie in the near by trash bin and snorted in disgust as Vanessa laughed again, the giggle possibly even shriller than the previous one. "That's it," she said suddenly. She stood up from the bench determinedly, her eyes fixed on Luke and Vanessa.

"Gwen..." I said in a warning tone. "Gwen!" My hand reached out to grab her arm, but it was too late. She was already marching towards them, her jaw set.

I wanted to sink back in despair. Instead, I jumped up and followed her, making sure to stay back several paces.

By the time I had made my way over, I wanted to cringe. "You, like her," Gwen said, jabbing her finger into Luke's chest. "You, like him," she declared, pointing her finger at Vanessa and directing it at Luke. "You, ask her out," she continued, looking at Luke. "You, accept."