The Middleman | ongoing

32 | i like my girls with melanoma

32 | i like my girls with melanoma

Song: G.O.M.D. by J. Cole

Depicted Above: Marcus Scribner as Andres Mendoza

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The gang had been gathered in the rotunda before class began, and I could tell the moment I walked into school that I would be grilled the fuck out by them in relation to the subject of Quinn and I hanging out.

Inhaling a huge breath and pocketing my keys, I walked in, knowing I had a lot to hide from my friends.

Trey and Kevin were grabbing each other's butts, but what was new? Alex, Sab, Jules, Vin, and C.J. were laughing heartily as Andres, Alex's pervy younger brother, did his best to incorporate himself into the conversation. He thought inserting himself into our senior group like some product placement ad helped him with his status—no matter how many times Alex yelled at him to keep away. Sigh. Freshman.

It took the the squad a little longer to notice me than I had noticed them, but when they do see me headed in their direction, they all scream my name.

I flash a smile. "Hey, guys!"

I join their semi-circle huddle, squeezing in between C.J. and Andres.

"So what's this we hear about you and Quinn hanging out?" Alex, ever the instigator, skips the pleasantries, opting for a more direct plan of attack.

"Mmmmhm. Spill." Sabrina's pulling out her mom card. She was a spitting image of her mother, especially with her hands placed on her hips, and her eyes narrowing at me in distrust.

I throw my hands in the air out of exasperation. "For the millionth time, Quinn and I decided to work together for the partner assignment that was just introduced last block. I took him to visit Mr. Hapsberg, and by the time we left his office it was a little late, so we went out for some food." The lie rolls off the top of my tongue. The key to a good one was to work within your limits and knowledge. Anything too extravagant, and you were bound to get tied up by the yarn you were spinning.

What I had told them was perfect. Nothing that would endanger Quinn and his trade. The partner project was something we had been assigned in that class recently. Though Quinn and I were in different class periods, our teacher had said we could work with people from other periods. We had pretty much every base covered. Not only that, this lie was pretty sustainable. The project, though pretty simple, was more of a long term thing, meaning Quinn and I could meet up for his middleman shit without being questioned by my friends.

"Lays, I'm so offended right now. You picked Quinn, instead of me? Your babe?" Trey's pouting at the prospect.

"Actually, true," Kevin seconds. "What about us? How could you do me so dirty?"

And with that, all hell breaks loose as Vin, Julia, Sabrina, Alex, and C.J. debate the merits of me picking themselves over the other.

"YA'LL, CHILL. Goddamn. Mr. Price told us specifically it had to be with someone we didn't know that well or worked that much with," I offer as an explanation.

As expected, Trey childishly whines, "You know he just says that. No one ever takes that seriously."

"You know what I take seriously?" Andres pipes in. Before anyone can even answer, he replies to himself. "That some dude thinks he has a chance trying to steal my woman." His hand carelessly slings around my waist.