Hoops and Dreams

[8] Tuesday Blues

"You want her to swim in sweat pants?" I say and then under my breath: "That's completely reasonable."

She's doesn't respond, silent for a minute. "It's not fair that she's so beautiful."

"Hey," I say. "You're pretty too. Look at you."

She smiles and whispers, "Then why isn't he with me."

It never ceases to amaze me how the most questionable creatures have the power to make the loveliest girls doubt themselves. I'd once seen Joshua pick gum off the bottom of his shoe and then proceed to eat it. Granted it was a dare but that didn't change the facts. The boy was loud, annoying and talked with his hands.

Yet, he'd still managed to finagle his way into the lives of two objectively attractive girls. It was insane what was happening on this campus.

I think we noticed her approach us at at the same time. Because Anika stopped talking just as I decided I wasn't hungry and stuffed my lunch back into my bag.

It wasn't Aaliyah.

Leah Mendez had been in all my classes since I started at Irvine. I blame our last names. She was pretty and wry and I might have been seeing things but she was heading right towards our spot at the bleachers. Her blue and black cheerleading uniform was hard to miss. I guess that was the point of it's design.

When she reaches us whatever conversation we were having died out and the anxiety that usually came with someone of higher social standing mixing among the mortals settled between us.

"Hey Hazel, Hi Anika," For some reason I'd assumed her opening line was going to be different. More threatening somehow. Then she looks at Anika and I let out the breath I'd been holding. "I love your dress."

"Thank you," Anika says from beside me. "It's vintage."

"Can I borrow Hazel for a minute?" She asks.

"Umm sure. I need the bathroom anyway."

When Anika leaves Leah takes her spot next to me and crosses her ankles. I let the silence grow, leaving her to set the social parameters of whatever this discussion is. We both stare at the water and wait.

"It's really nice here. Is that why I don't see you that often in the cafeteria?" She asks. Her voice, her mannerisms are far more eloquent than I imagined.

"Yeah, that's one reason."

Also taking up a whole table for just two people seems excessive.

"Okay. I guess the reason I'm accosting you during lunch is to say thank you." She breathes heavily around the words thank you, drawing them out. "Darnell filled me in on what you did for me on Sunday."

"It was whatever," I should coin that line as a catchphrase. "As long as you know I wasn't trying to kidnap you or something."

Leah snorts and even that has a graceful quality to it. "I don't normally get that drunk or stupid. I don't want you to think I make a habit of it."

You weren't stupid, I want to say. It wasn't her fault that Xavier was a terrible person.

"No, I don't think that."

"Okay so now that my apology is out of the way..." She says, this time turning to me as she speaks. "I have an ulterior motive for being here."

I have mix feelings about how we're ignoring Xavier's role in all this. Part of me is glad I don't have to go over the complicated details of what really happened. Was it assault?  Was I supposed to report it to someone on her behalf? Did she want to?