Shut Up And Kiss Me (gxg)

45. F*ck This, That, And You

     "YOU BROKE UP WITH MONROE KINGSTON?"

      "I just told you about how I won the game of tag, and that's all you want to talk about?"

      "So it's been a whole month?"  Claudia screeched. "And you didn't tell me you broke up with Monroe Kingston?"

      "There's nothing to tell."

      Claudia lunged towards me, tackling me onto the bed. With a pillow, she smacked my face. Hard.

     "You broke up with Monroe Kingston."

      I thought of the way Monroe had breathed, Then so do I. "It was mutual."

      "Oh, you―" Claudia attempted to smother me with a pillow. "You were so happy, why on earth―"

       "She was keeping things from me," I said stubbornly. "And . . . she didn't show up when I needed her most."

       "What, at the Hamilton café? Maybe she had a really good reason." 

       "Or maybe I just didn't matter enough to her. Stop making excuses for her."

        Tonight, there would be a party at Skylar's house. It was March 1st, and somehow me winning Tag merited a whole celebration. With alcohol and our classmates included. But somehow, I didn't want to go wild and down a few shots. Since yesterday, I'd been feeling the impact of the breakup. And it hurt like hell.

        I could pretend I wasn't, though. I could pretend it didn't matter to me. After all, I'd been doing a good job of shoving it down for a whole month. I didn't know why my emotions were acting up now.

       Claudia eyed me doubtfully. "Are you sure?  'Cause Monroe didn't even mention it to me."

       "She . . . didn't?"

       "No. We've talked a few times. She never mentioned that you . . ."

       Maybe I had misread the situation. Maybe―maybe―

       But no. That break-up had been unmistakable. She was just sparing Claudia's feelings. And―I needed to change the subject. "Are you bringing Amita to Skylar's party tonight?"

       "Yes," Claudia said immediately, brightening. For a moment, she seemed dreamy. And then her stare whipped back in my direction―this time, with narrowed eyes. "Do you think you can distract me from the fact that you didn't tell me about this break-up for a month?"

       "Maybe?" I tried. "Fine. A little. Shut up." 

       Claudia huffed. For some reason, she looked different and I couldn't tell what it was. Her blonde hair was the same shade of honey, like it had been melted in the sun, and her blue eyes had the same mischievous glint. But . . . no. Not her face.

       Her body. I'd never noticed before, but she had muscles.

       "Claudia," I gasped. "Have you been working out?"

       She glanced down at her lap. Sheepish. "A little. I got rejected for the soccer try-outs in the fall. And now that they're in the spring . . . I was kinda thinking I could . . . maybe . . . try again. But without the rejection part."

       "So you've been training?"

       "Yeah, by myself." Her cheeks pinkened. "I still need a coach or something, and before you ask, Skylar said no. She looked really sorry, though. She said between being the captain of two sports teams, there was a lot of work."