To Be A Leader

Chapter 7: Your Woman

He's Simon. He's Runner Three and every time I see him, I'm reminded of that, and I'm reminded that he lied to me for months and he listened to me while I told him about-well, himself and how I felt about him. He just listened and he said nothing, even though he knew I was grieving, and he uses that as his reason for not telling in the first place.

I sigh, grabbing my backpack strap. Tom and Jody are too busy talking to notice my change in mood. I know I'll forgive-truly and fully forgive-Peter eventually. It just might take some time. I mean, I had to do a lot to get Sam to trust me again after the stunt I pulled, although, after what's happened the last few days, I'm not sure he does trust me. Not with how weird and distant he's been acting all of the sudden.

"So, Jodes, how is life living La Vie De Luca?" Sam asks, and I shake my head, a half smile spreading across my face.

Speak of the devil.

"Mr. Yao, interim mission report: status acceptable," She replies curtly, and Sam laughs.

"That's massively weird. But it's kind of nice to hear her voice. Also," He pauses and drumrolls on his desk, "to help you out, I've taken a small liberty of compiling a Janine Encyclopedia. A Janine-opedia, if you will."

I snort. "How long did it take you to make it?"

"I-well, longer than I'd like to-to admit." His tone shifts dramatically, and I'm not the only one that's noticed. Jody looks at me in confusion, but my stare stays the same-confused, annoyed, and slightly hurt.

"What's in this uh, Janine-opedia?" Jody asks, and Sam audibly perks up, which honestly makes me feel worse.

"Everything. You can ask me anything. Seriously! Uh, what's Janine's favorite color?" Papers rustle. "Gray. Uh, Janine's childhood nickname? Haha! Trick question. It was Janine. Uh, Janine's favorite brand of underwear? Close your ears, Tom."

Tom rolls his eyes as Sam rustles through more pages.

"It's M&S full briefs."

I hum. "Huh. I was hoping for a tantalizing surprise." I raised a brow at the at the look Tom and Jody send me. "What? Just because I don't swing that way doesn't mean I can't admire. And if I was to swing that way for anyone, it probably would be Janine."

"I don't know how to respond to that," Sam says awkwardly.

"You can't seem to be able to respond to anything I say nowadays," I mumble bitterly.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Sam, thank you for this," Jody says, a small smile on her face, eyes dancing with amusement. "But no one's going to ask me Janine's favorite type of underwear, especially someone who already knows what it is."

"Well, something else then," He says with a shrug in his voice. I see Tom smile smugly.

"Okay, what type of hairpin does Janine favor?"

Jody pales, her shoulders stiffening as she runs. "There's a type?" She brings up a hair to touch her now black hair pinned up in a neat bun, not a single hair out of place even as we run. "I pinned my hair up like hers. I used ASDA basics."

"She's very brand loyal. And that brand is Re-"

"Ambar Essentials, extra long," Sam corrects. "Thought you would have got that one right, Tom, old boy."

A laugh leaves his lips, a cocky look in his eye as he shakes his head. "Mate, you didn't fall for that, did you? She's given you misinformation on purpose."

"She'd give misinformation about hair grips?"

"She totally would," Jody groans. "And mine are wrong either way." She checks her watch and grimaces. "Oh, God! Oh, we're off schedule again! Come on, everyone, faster! Janine would never stand for this!"