Dote • H.S

19

"Where's Harry?" Megan asks. She stops applying mascara momentarily to glance at me, eyebrows raised. There's a knowing look on her face and I roll my eyes.

"At his house probably, I don't know."

"Hm." She simply replies, smirking while shaking her head.

"He has an actual home, you know. One that he sleeps at and showers in."

"Really? That's funny. I thought he lived here."

I roll my eyes but chuckle nonetheless. I know that it seems like Harry practically lives at my apartment since we're always together. But there are days where we actually give each other space and spend time in our individual homes separately, believe it or not.

There's a moment of silence as Megan finishes applying her makeup. She walks away from my vanity and plops on my bed beside me. I'm finally home. It's been a week since Harry and I have arrived from Ohio and I couldn't be happier to see Megan. I've missed her.

"Josie, are you in love with Harry?"

"What?" I laugh, my muscles locking up by her question. "We're just friends." I instinctively reply.

"Yes, I know." She nods. "But are you in love with him?"

I shrug, not committing to an answer. This is a conversation that I've been dreading.

I run a hand through my hair, feeling mentally exhausted by the storm of thoughts brewing through my mind. Megan looks at me sympathetically, her eyes scans my face before she takes pity on me and doesn't say anything more.

"How's Ivan doing?" I ask, desperate to change the subject.

"He's...okay."

"Define okay." I glance at her skeptically. Why is she so fidgety?

"He's acting weird." Her face flushes and she adverts her gaze, lying down on my bed to stare up at the ceiling instead.

"Weird?"

Megan takes a while to reply. Her alluring brown eyes become shifty. She seems to be internally battling something in her mind, trying to conjure up what to say. Her change in demeanor starts to make me uneasy.

"You never had feelings towards Ivan, right?" Her voice is timid and it looks as if she's holding her breath. Her eyes shift to me and I notice a glimpse of hope in them.

"No," I reply slowly, still confused. "Why w-" But then it clicks. I can't help the small smile that stretches across my face. "Megan," I begin. "What exactly happened while I was gone?" But I have a feeling I already know the answer.

"Please don't be mad. At first I wasn't sure because I knew that you and Ivan kind of left things at a weird spot before the to-"

"You guys are totally together, aren't you?"

Her face flushes a deep red. "...Not officially."

My jaw drops as I try to wrap my brain around the new piece of information.

Megan and Ivan.

Ivan and Megan.

Together.

A part of me always suspected that their connection was special. I never quite understood why they didn't start dating much earlier than now.

"You aren't mad, are you?" Megan looks timid. Her eyes scan my face, weary of my reaction.

I let out a snort. "I'm far from mad. This is amazing, Meg. It truly is."

She relaxes. Then a smile stretches across her face as she exhales. "Okay good."

"Besides, I kind of already had a feeling."

She raises an eyebrows. "You did not."

"Did too."

She continues to update me on her life. Apparently, their relationship is the result of a drunken mistake. "I got shitfaced drunk at Eddie's bar a few weeks ago. Ivan let me stay at his house. And..yeah."

"Care to elaborate?"

She flushes a deep red. "Not really."

I decide not to embarrass her too much.

"So, you guys are official now?" I question.

Megan gives me a bashful shrug. "I don't know."

"Well, what does Ivan want?"

Her smile widens and she shakes her head, looking incredibly flustered. "He wants entirely too much...far too fast."

That sounds exactly like Ivan.

It's all or nothing for him. He jumps into things with both feet. The downside is that it can cost him a lot if anything backfires. But it also means that Ivan has absolutely no problem with fully committing himself to something--or someone, for that matter. He's exactly what Megan needs.

"I think you should really go for it, Meg."

She looks up at me, shocked. Her eyebrows knit together and jaw falls slack. "Really?"

"Definitely." I send her a smile. "If there's anyone that's a perfect match for you, it's Ivan."

"Well...okay." I can tell that Megan is trying to remain calm. But as her closest friend, I've seen this side of her countless of times. Internally, she's jumping for joy. "Come on." She adds, grabbing my hand to pull me out of bed. "I've never met anyone who stays at home for their birthday."

I sigh.

"There isn't anywhere that I want to go." I grumble.

"Too bad," She forces me to sit down at my vanity. "As your friend, it's my duty to make sure that none of your birthdays waste away."

And so she starts applying make up on my face, dolling me up for whatever plans she's made without my knowledge.