Smile Innocently Lie Easily

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Rachel held on to Jeremy’s hand trying to offer silent comfort while she glared at Brian. “That’s not happening.” She wasn’t sure how she was going to get them out of this latest mess. Brian was spitting mad, unlike other times there was no talking him down, and he had a whole team of jocks on his side. Rachel knew they were greatly out numbered and a fight would result in a lot of pain.

The bell rung causing Brian to curse. “Maybe not right now but this isn’t over.”  

“No!” Rachel yelled before Brian and his friends walked away. “We finish this now. You either drop it and leave Jeremy alone or I tell your precious girlfriend about the time you’ve been spending with her best friend while she isn’t around.”

Brian’s mouth fell open. “What the hell do you know about that?”

Feeling confidant Rachel smiled. “A whole lot so think about it; a wounded ego or a pissed off girlfriend who will make your life hell for weeks to come?”  Brian gave her a tense heated look before walking away. Rachel’s shoulders fell with relief. “That went well.”

“How’d you know he was cheating?” Jeremy’s curious mind wanted to know.

“The question is how did you not know? Megan’s best friend Trish lives on the same block as you. I saw Brian leaving her house a couple of times with no Megan in sight and figured out the rest. It’s ok bud,” she slapped her hand to his shoulder. “I know you don’t pay much attention to the small details around you.” They walked to class together where the teacher wasn’t pleased they were late.

During their lunch period it was time for Rachel to set her plan into motion. She watched from the shadows as Jeremy found a note from her asking they meet in the chemistry lab to talk. She then watched as Lisa received a note she thought was from her own best friend to meet. When both unsuspecting teenagers were in the chemistry lab Rachel locked them inside. Jeremy was going to have to take it from there. She prayed the confidence he had been feeling over the last few days would stick around and lend him a hand in asking Lisa out.

Jeremy knew as soon as Lisa stepped into the room it had been Rachel’s doing.

Lisa smiled shyly. “What are you doing here? I thought Amy would be here.”

“Um, I thought I was meeting someone else too.”

“Rachel? You guys are really close now.” She didn’t sound like she thought much about Rachel.

“She’s my best friend.” She had done too much for him for Jeremy to deny that fact because of what people, even Lisa, would think. “It looks like we’re stuck in here until the teacher comes back.” He pointed out after she tried the door and found it locked. Oh yeah this had Rachel written all over it.

“It’s ok.” Her shy smile returned. “I could’ve asked for worse company.”

Jeremy kept forcing himself to stop looking down at the floor. This was the moment he was waiting for and he might not get another chance. He had to man up and use it. Besides Rachel might actually kill him if he passed this up. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” The door of opportunity was open, he just had to walk through it but his voice froze and he was suddenly hot all over with embarrassment and fear.

“What is it?” she asked eagerly.

He looked up and stopped breathing, this was it. “Do you want to go out with me this Friday?”

Rachel knew Mr. Vales would be back in the lab by now and Jeremy should’ve been at their table. She really hoped something didn’t go wrong and he was somewhere nursing a broken heart.   She drummed her fingers on the lunch table for a minute more before deciding to go looking for him. She took one step out of the room when she spotted him coming toward her. “Finally. So how’d it go with Lisa?”

“So it had been you to set that up?”

“Of course. No one else in this school is that clever. You don’t look ready to burst out in song or something, did she say no? Did you ask her out? If you didn’t after all the trouble—”

“Rachel! Calm down.” He gripped her shoulders and waited until he was sure she wasn’t going to say anything else. “I did ask her and she said yes.”

She threw her arms around him. “I’m so happy it worked out for you.” She was genuinely happy he was getting a chance to go out and be that guy but it still bothered her Lisa was the girl of his dreams, she just wasn’t the right fit for his personality.

“Yeah but next time don’t blindside me. I almost pried open the window and jumped out of it.” they walked back into the lunch room.

“You have to work on your nerves for the date. You’ll be together a few hours and you don’t want to be super awkward about it.” she grabbed his lunch bag and opened it when he sat there motionless.

“That’s pretty much guaranteed to happen.”

Rachel watched her friend’s face and knew he was thinking about flaking on the whole date. “No, you’re going. Like I said we’ll just work on it. Have I been wrong once? You asked her out and she said yes, that’s huge. You just have to stop thinking she’s too good for you and just be yourself.” She slid him half of the sandwich his mom packed. “After school we’ll come up with a solid fool proof plan.”