Queen of the Clueless #2 of 3 (COMPLETE)

Chapter 13

Sol

Now that was annoying.

For two people who'd only known each other for almost two years, Sol thought she had Hannah all figured out. They weren't opposites. Hannah was level-headed, and so was Sol. It was why they remained friends, because Sol had no patience for anyone who tipped too far one way or the other.

She knew Hannah didn't think her long-distance relationship with her now-ex was going to last. Not that she said anything blunt about it, but she didn't have to. Talking about everyone else's relationships, from Ted in PE to Tamara in English, said a lot about how Hannah viewed love. She was usually spot on.

Except when it came to her own misguided crush on the upperclassman, but even Hannah knew that.

So maybe the reason Sol had taken her time telling Hannah about the problem with Neil was because she knew what Hannah was going to say: dump him. And Sol knew that Hannah would be right, so she didn't open up until she was ready to hear those words herself.

But Hannah, surprisingly this time, didn't say it. "The fact that you suspect him of stealing is such a betrayal"? What? That didn't sound like Hannah at all.

It sounded like the most weak-willed part of Sol, the part that kept saying she had a good thing right now and should be more patient about it.

Love was sacrifice, after all.

While Sol was walking from the strip mall, where she had dinner, to her apartment, her phone buzzed three different times. Two phone calls and a text message. She didn't even peek at it, and spent the time climbing up the stairs guessing who it was.

Phone calls from Neil and her mom maybe.

Text from Hannah most likely.

It wasn't until she had showered and slipped into an old high school PE shirt did she actually check, and returned the first call.

"Hi, babe," she said, trying not to sound tired of everything.

"I wanted us to have dinner. You done?" Neil said.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't hear my phone." Sol also had three thousand pesos in her bag, which she was going to use to pay some bills this week, and she didn't want to suddenly lose it.

She felt awful thinking that.

"I love you," she hastily added. "I just... I didn't see you on the way out so I just went ahead and ate."

"I hope you'd called me. We could have tried this new place in Alabang."

"Too far, and I have some work to do anyway."

"You've thought about telling your mom already, right? Or haven't you?"

Sol had thought about it, but decided to pretend she hadn't. "Um, I'm calling her on her birthday anyway, I can bring it up then."

"When will that be?"

"Friday."

"Sure. If you think that's best." It was just days away, but something in Neil's voice said it wasn't good enough.

"I have homework. See you tomorrow?"

"Love you."

"Yeah. Love you."

Then Sol returned the next call. "Hi, Mom." But she didn't say anything about moving in with her boyfriend.

The text message was also from Neil, asking where she was. No text from Hannah, but that was fine. She didn't want to argue with Hannah tonight.

Because maybe Hannah was right.