Red Herring ✔️

7. Second Base

While her aunt bustled around the kitchen, Mazie hurriedly chowed down on her cereal before she had to leave. Outside, the overcast clouds cast a dark glow over Hollywood. Rain threatened to arrive at any moment. The lack of sunshine forced all of the lights on in the house, and Felecia already had candles lit on the mantel above the fireplace in the living room.

"Where's your head?" Fe asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Is it on the cute boy who came to visit after social hours last night?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Mazie rolled her eyes. "It was nine o'clock. Not exactly late. And no, I'm not thinking about him."

"What did he want? Wasn't here very long." That fact somehow appeased Felecia as if they couldn't have gotten horizontal in less than twenty minutes.

"Needed some notes from last week for a class he missed," Mazie easily lied.

"Which class?" Felecia inquired, as if she new that Mazie was fibbing.

"Trig. Had to teach him a problem." Ugh, more lies.

"So he's your boyfriend?" Hiding her laughter, Fe began scrubbing the dishes. This was just soooo amusing to her.

She barely refrained from rolling her eyes sarcastically again. "No."

"Didn't think so. Thought he might say that to get in. Then again," Fe crossed the kitchen to take the empty bowl from her hands to clean. "If it was really just about homework, he just could have said that."

Felecia knew that she was lying. Mazie ground her teeth together. Quickly, she rose to her feet and downed her coffee. "Well...it's true. Just homework." Hauling her bag over her shoulder, Mazie headed for the front door. "I gotta go. Thanks for the coffee."

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"Mom called."

Amelia's eyebrows raised. "Good morning to you too."

"I didn't call back."

"At least, you look cute today. Nice lipstick."

Walking beside Amelia into school, Mazie briefly fingered her lips. "Colourpop. Lasts all day." Mazie wasn't a lipstick girl unless it was matte and dark. "And thanks."

"Are you looking ravishing today for someone in particular?" Amelia teased.

Mazie ignored what her tone implied. "New sweater. Came in the mail yesterday." She paired the chunky knit grey sweater with dark blue jeans cuffed at the ankle, rustic brown boots, and a matching tan wide-brimmed hat.

If only Amelia knew that the someone in particular to whom she was referring was in her bedroom last night. She might freak out.

"Have you been talking to Ross the Hockey Player?"

A dreamy look crossed Amelia's face. Leaning against the lockers, she sighed romantically and twisted her hair around her fingers. "We've progressed to texting. He's such a cutie."

"What's he like?" Mazie inquired. As much as she wasn't all goo goo gaga over love, Mazie still wanted to see her best friend happy. If Ross Greenfield was her happy, then Mazie could jump onboard.

"He's genuinely so sweet. He's always checking in without being overbearing. He's pretty busy with hockey and school. I guess going pro with hockey - which he wants to do - is super duper hard so he keeps his grades up for college as a back-up plan," Amelia explained.

"Sweet, cute, athletic, smart, and planning for the future? What else could you ask for?"

Though they both knew that Amelia was already all onboard for Ross the Hockey Player, Amelia jokingly said, "We'll see if he's a good kisser or not."

Mazie laughed at Amelia. "If he's a bad kisser, that will just show that we can't have our cake and eat it too."

"Ugh, don't say that. I want the cake!" Dragging her away from her locker, Amelia traced her steps to her own locker. They dodged couples holding hands, groups of football players, and clusters of band kids. "I mean we're the whole cake. Charming, lovely, smart, motivated, and great kissers."

"How do you know that I'm a good kisser?" Mazie asked, tilting her head towards Amelia inquisitively.

"Brandon Atticus."

She felt like throwing up at the mention of his name. Horrible, horrible decisions. "What about him?"

Amelia spun the dial and unlocked the locker. "Last year, I heard him bragging about how he got to second base with you. Said you were a great time. I assumed that meant you were a good kisser."

She was outraged. "Second base?!" She blanched. "We barely made out and he tried to cop a fell. I slapped him and he got pissed."

"I don't blame him. You have awesome tits."

Mazie closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Please stop."

Amelia shrugged and checked her hair in the little mirror magnetized to the inside of her locker. "I barely have A-cups. I'm envious."

Self-conscious, Mazie covered her body with her books and notepads. "Back to the second base thing, why didn't you ever tell me?"

Sighing, Amelia grabbed her books and shut her locker. "I thought you knew. A lie isn't a rumor until other people give it life by spreading it. I figured us talking about it would piss you off which would make you go off on him. That would only make it seem true."

"You're so annoyingly right," Mazie mumbled.

"Write that on my tombstone."

"Have fun in class." Mazie wiggled her fingers goodbye, as they went separate ways.

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*unedited*

Thank you to all the readers who have given this idea a chance :) thank you for reading! 

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Xoxo,

W. Carolina