When you look at me I just can't lie

Chapter 20

“I was supposed to go see Anthony but mom needs help with work.” She reached out and took the small bag of chips from his plate. “What about you? You can come help me and my mom.”

“That sounds like so much fun that I have to pass. I’m on a diet from fun.”

Mel laughed, her eyes darting to her sister four tables over from them. “I bet.”

“She’s not always so bad.” Zander’s heart sank a little lower. If it was up to him Lena would be sitting next to him, slapping his arm because of some joke he and Mel cracked. Instead, she was several tables over acting like he didn’t exist, acting like they didn’t kiss each other goodbye before she exited his car.

“She’s my twin and I live with her. I know she can be amazing sometimes and other times...she’s a royal bitch. Sometimes she can be too...” Mel waved her hand trying to find the right word.

“Self-absorbed.”

“Exactly.”

 “If I was a smart guy I’d run for the nearest exit.”

“You’ve never been a smart guy.”

A slight smile donned his features. He knew Mel too well not to see what she was trying to do. She saw clear as day he was letting Lena’s decisions affect him and like a true friend she wanted him to snap out of it. “It’s a good thing I’m pretty then.”

“The prettiest. You’ll snatch up a rich husband in no time.”

Zander gave up on trying to eat anymore of his unappealing lunch special. “I’m going to go raid the art room, wanna come along?”

“Sure. I can find Anthony an early birthday present.”

Zander gathered his sketch pad and while he was shoving it back into his backpack he felt the weight of a pair of hazel eyes on him. He turned in Lena’s direction; her chin was rested in her hand as she nodded along to whatever her friend was blabbing about. She looked beautiful and he hated it. He wanted to stay angry with her but like a fool one look and he was caving. He knew if she wanted to keep him as a dirty little secret he was powerless to stop it. He couldn’t walk away.

With a defeated sigh, he grabbed his bag and left the lunch area. It was time to distract his love sick emotions with a little breaking and entering for some art supplies.

He was raiding the paint closet while Mel was staring at some odd sculpture, trying to figure out if she liked it or not when the classroom door opened. They both jumped.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!” Mel hissed, her hand over her chest.

“That’s what happens when you commit robbery.” Lena rolled her eyes. “You both are insane.”

“No more than usual.” Zander mumbled, refusing to look away from his task at hand. He needed some new colors to blend and Mrs. Jones’ stash was legendary.

“Keep a lookout.” Mel instructed her sister. “Lunch isn’t over yet, what are you doing here? Did you finally confess to your friends you like real human guys and not Ken dolls?”

Zander was trying to act like stone but damn it Mel got a laugh out of him with that one. It wasn’t far fetched to imagine Andy junkless. The snicker died down and his ears strained in anticipation of Lena’s answer.

“Not yet.” Lena’s voice was slight with guilt.

“The day is almost over.”

“Mel, leave her alone. We all knew it was going to turn out this way.” Zander stashed the three bottles of paint into his bag and made sure to close the closet the same way they found it.

Lena scoffed, turning away from the door to challenge him head on. “What does that mean?”

“It means exactly what I said. I thought that was pretty good English.”

“Oh great, the big asshole of the east has returned. You made it sound like you could care less what I decided to do.”

“I don’t care. You’re the one who went on and on that today was the day you’d stop being a coward. All my friends already know.”

“It’s easier because you only have one friend.”

That stung and the worst part was she didn’t even see it. “I have a whole slew of people I could tell. I could tell Anthony when we see each other later and he can tell Eric and then he’ll tell everyone else and you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Panic laced her eyes. “You wouldn’t.”  

“Why not? You can’t work up the nerve to tell them so I’ll handle it for you. It’s not like you’re ashamed of me or anything, right honey?”

“I’m not!” Lena insisted. “You know that’s not it. They don’t know you the way I do.”

“And we should hope it stays that way. I don’t have room in my schedule to sleep with the whole cheerleading team.” Zander joined her by the door. “It’s not good to linger at the scene of a crime this long. I’ll see you later.” He tilted her chin up and laid a chaste kiss over her lips.

He was only a few steps into the hallway ahead of Mel when someone gripped his wrist. He didn’t want to do this now with Lena. It hurt. His chest was heavy with emotion, all he wanted was to reach the end of the school day and get away from this place.

Mel went ahead and left them alone to figure out this next hurdle in endless argument.

Lena wanted to say something akin to an apology and yet her eyes stayed glued to his face with no words able to escape her perfectly glossed lips. Yeah, he understood. It wasn’t easy to submit to this big attraction between them and still find some balance in the normal world. He feared the pieces of the puzzle might never fit.  Fairytales always made it seem like once you got the girl the hard work was over, that was a big fat lie. The story really began when the relationship took place; the hard work was to stay together when it was so much easier to walk away.

The bell rung, classes were being let out and the students on their lunch break were coming back from the patio. Zander noticed Lena’s friends Shannon and Karen coming in with their arms hooked in one another. Shannon’s face contorted when she noticed Lena with Zander first, both girls nearing closer with hateful comments at the tip of the viperous tongues.

“I think some twisted fate is making the choice for you.”

Lena turned her face from his and spun around to see her friends just an arm’s length away. Her friends were upon them before she had a chance to come up with some idea.  Zander was actually getting a kick out of this. Lena’s eyes were wide and her mouth kept opening and closing with nothing coming out of it.

Shannon said, “Come on before we’re late for class.”

Lena shook her head. “Give me a minute here.”

“What are you doing?” Karen asked. “You always said you’d be caught dead before hanging out with him.”

Zander laughed. “Ironic. I’m sitting on some hot merch and have to get out of here. Thank me later.” His words were quick and they were the only warning she received before his lips came crashing down on hers.