Silvia stood aside, waiting for Lucita to hurry up. Standing alongside Jason, Elizabeth, Blake, and Becca made her feel like some sort of fifth wheel. God, please hurry up.

“Hey, Becca.” Silvia turned at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. Becca’s friend Francis approached them. At least now she didn’t feel like a loser standing here. Seriously, what was the deal with Becca and Blake?

“Francis, what’s up?”

“Not much, just chilling. I’m actually waiting for Lucita.”

“What? Why?” Silvia stared at Jason, who suddenly looked sick. His tone was unmistakable. He was jealous, and it was obvious by the way Liz eyed him.

“Because she’s my friend. Is that a problem?”

“No, we’re just curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.” Shit. Everyone turned to catch Lucita standing behind them, holding a book. Her eyelashes were thick but purple instead of black today, and she wore a plain purple tanktop under a black sweatshirt. She looked a little like herself today, but not by much.

“Only one who’s a cat is you, Luci.” Snickered Blake. Rebecca slapped his arm, but he continued to laugh, muttering an apology. Lucita just ignored him, rolling her eyes.

“Hey Francis.” Silvia noticed how widely Lucita smiled at Francis and how he looked back at her. She also noticed how much Jason was staring. And she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Yo Jason, I gotta talk to you about something. Privately, dude.”

“Huh, yeah, okay. Later, you guys.” Silvia watched him kiss Elizabeth on the cheek before walking off with Blake. It was slight, but Silvia watched Liz pull her head away from him slightly. Looking at Lucita, standing close to Francis’s side, she met her knowing eyes. So everyone noticed.

“I’ll see you in class, Luci. Nice meeting you, Francis.”

“You too, Liz.”

Silvia watched her leave. She was definitely going to see what Blake and Jason were really talking about.

“Yeah, I gotta go too. Later, guys.’

Silvia ran off, looking back briefly. It was obvious Francis and Lucita were flirting with one another. Silvia felt bad leaving Becca as the third wheel, but she had to see what those guys were discussing.

Looking at her watch, she found Blake and Jason standing in front of the library.

“Jeez, don’t you know who to mind your own business,” said Blake, glaring.

“Oh, come on, Liz is pissed. What happened?”

“Get lost, Vee.” Her skin crawled when he called her that. They were not friends. Using it looked like it caught him off guard, too.

“No, don’t. I just…ever since this summer, something happened to Lucita, and she and I got closer. Liz told me to keep an eye on her, and I have and stuff, but…its complicated. Liz thinks I like her.”

“You do,” said Silvia and Blake in unison. Neither one acknowledged the other.

“Yeah, well, she doesn’t need to think that. She shouldn’t.”

Silvia felt terrible for the guy. He was so hung up on Lucita that it was sad, and starting to tear at the seams of their friendships. No one else may have noticed, but she did. She opened her mouth to say something but didn’t get the chance.

“Yo Jason!”

“Hey Amelia.”

Silvia stared at this girl with her tie-dye off-the-shoulder shirt in a size just a little too small, revealing her midriff. A skateboard was shoved into her backpack.

“Hey,” she said, noticing staring. “I’m Amelia.”

“Hi. I’m Silvia.”

“And I’m Blake.”

“Cool. Yo Jay, you gonna walk me to class or what?” Jay! Silvia and Blake looked at each other, each trying to hide their alarm.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll see you guys later.” He left, sliding his back over his shoulder.

Silvia watched them leave. “Blake?”

“Yeah.”

“I have a bad feeling.”

“Same. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

“Good.” The bell rang, giving them the excuse they needed to go their separate ways. Looking back at him, Silvia knew she’s be lying if she said she didn’t miss him. But he’d never change and wasn’t worth the effort.

Becca walked alongside Blake towards the cafeteria. “Can we tell them we’re dating?”

Rebecca stared at Blake, confused. “What? We—”

“Becca, please. I don’t want to wait until Friday. I’m tired of keeping us a secret. Please, right now, today at lunch. Please?”

Becca didn’t know what to say. She stared at him, confused, unsure about what to say next.

“Blake—”

“You don’t want to? Figures. You know, Becca, sometimes you’re a lot like Silvia. I’ll see you at the table.” He left her there, speechless. That was saying something, comparing her to Silvia.

Was she really acting like that, keeping her relationship with Blake secret? Becca slumped against the wall.

“Yo, what’s up with you?”

Rebecca turned, finding herself face-to-face with Lucita…and Francis.

“Oh, um, nothing.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Well, let’s go get lunch.”

Lucita bumped her shoulder playfully, pulling Francis after her, wrapping her arm through his, her black hair tied loosely in a black butterfly clip. Walking behind them, Becca realized how jealous she was of how carefree they were. She was jealous of how they were wearing their emotions for one another on the surface. How open they were with one another and everyone else. It was hard to say if they would start dating, but they were clearly flirting with one another. Everything they were doing was much more than what she offered Blake, and these two weren’t even dating.

“Yo, Becca, you sure you’re okay?”

Rebecca nodded at Luci, forcing herself to smile. She could tell Luci wasn’t buying it. But she let it go, turning her heavily eyelined eyes forward.

“Alright, let’s get a hustle on it. I gotta buy Vee her lunch. Hopefully, the chick only wants a burger today. No way am I standing in that chicken strips line.”

“Maybe she wants a salad. That’s what I’m getting.”

“You and your salads,” joked Luci, bumping her in the side, her smile lightening the mood.

“Says the girl who doesn’t eat lunch.”

“Man, you caught me. Maybe I’ll get her a salad. But only because that is the quickest line.”

“You’re really eager not to stand in line today.”

“She hates people,” said Francis, entering the conversation.

“It’s not that I hate people; I just hate obnoxious people who don’t respect my personal space.” When she said that, someone bumped into her bag, making her point.

“That’s, like, everyone is highschool,” said Becca, just as someone else ran by her,  hitting her shoulder and sending her stumbling.

“Yes, because people are obnoxious and rude,” yelled Lucita, rolling her eyes as she led them out of the cramped hallway and into the open area.

Lucita closed her eyes and let out a breath of air. “People.”

“Did that girl look familiar to you?”

“Not one bit.”

“I swear I know her.”

“You probably had a class with her last year or something.”

Becca shook the nagging away. “Hmm, you’re probably right. Come on, look, Blake is already holding a table.”

Lucita narrowed her eyes. “Well, that’s nice of him.”

“He’s not a bad guy, you know.”

“He’s not a good guy either.”

“You just hate him.”

“No, I hate Matthew. I don’t trust Blake or like him. But no, I don’t hate him. That’s all, Silvia.”

“Blake is a good guy.”

“Look, let’s not talk about it anymore. You have your opinion, and I have mine. Let’s just have a nice lunch, okie dokie?”

Becca hid a smile. “Sometimes, the way you talk, you astound me.”

“Oh, come on, you love me.” Luci winked at her, pulling Francis alongside her towards the cafeteria. Becca smiled uneasily. Jason, Liz, Silvia, and the girl who had run into her stood together in the pizza line.

“Hey guys,” said Lucita, her grin not quite reaching her eyes. She eyed the new girl warily. She still hadn’t let go of Francis’s arm.

Silvia burst the bubble.

“What, are you two dating now?” Lucita quickly let go of Francis’s arm while he shoved his in his pockets, both blushing bright red. Still, they didn’t say no.

Jason shoved his hands in his pockets, turning away. “Let’s just get lunch.” Liz glared at him but agreed, putting on a brave face as she chatted up with the girl in the tie-dye.

While everyone chatted and ordered their lunch, Becca wrestled with herself. Should she tell everyone about Blake? Why was this such a hard decision for her?

Because of Luci and Silvia.

Silvia dated him. Had dated him. And now they hated each other. It was hard for her to date someone she knew her friends disapproved of. But now she understood why Silvia had never said anything.

But that was why they broke up.

Because there was no trust between them.

And Luci.

She still didn’t know what happened between them in the stairwell. No one really did.

But there was something else bothering her.

This new girl.

Becca noticed the way Silvia scrutinized her, studying her. Then there was the way Jason glared at Francis, and Liz was busy talking to this girl and Luci while ignoring the way Jason made his jealousy known.

There was something there.

There were secrets. Feelings left unsaid.

Becca didn’t want that.

She didn’t want to keep everything locked away.

But she didn’t want to alienate everyone either.

She paid for her food last, following everyone to the table. Lucita sat down first, across from Blake.

“Why so grim, Blake,” she said politely, handing her lunch to Silvia, who sat beside her.

“Girl problems.”

“What a surprise,” mocked Silvia. “What did you do.” Lucita chuckled, making Becca furious.

“Screw you.”

“Okay, enough,” exclaimed Becca. Everyone stopped and stared at her. Lucita’s eyes narrowed beneath her heavy eyeliner. She knew, she knew, and she was ready to hear it out loud. But Silvia…

“Silvia, just stop being such a bitch to him.”

“Why should I?”

“Vee,” said Lucita, putting a hand on her arm. “Let Becca talk.”

Becca smiled at Luci thankfully.

“He’s my boyfriend, okay. Blake and I are dating. You don’t have to like him, but I would appreciate you being nice to him.” Becca was shaking. She was scared of Silvia’s reaction and rage and how it would affect their friendship.

“Are you freaking kidding me? He’s scum—”

“Silvia—” began Lucita, standing up.

“No!” Silvia slammed her hands on the table, standing up. Luci was prepared, and Becca gave her credit for that. “He’s going to hurt her!”

“Yeah, okay, enough.” Something flashed in her eyes. Lucita grabbed their bags and yanked her away. Dragged was a better word for it. Jason watched them, leaving only when Liz gave him the okay to go after them. Alone at the table with Liz, Amelia, Francis, and Blake, she wished everything had changed.

“Thank you.” Rebecca looked down at Blake beside her, his hand wrapping around hers. She smiled down at him, taking her seat back.

“Don’t thank me. I shouldn’t have waited this long.” Becce leaned into him, letting him wrap his arms around her, paying little attention to the noise around them.

Silvia glared at Lucita as she shoved her into the nearest empty hallway. Before the door closed behind them, she saw the newly revealed couple cuddle. Something twisted in her gut.

“Silvia—”

“No! Come on, how can you be okay with this?”

“I’m not—”

“Then tell them off!”

“Shut up, Vee,” breathed Jason, stepping into the hallway, arms crossed.

“Thank you, Jason.” Luci sighed. “Look, maybe he’s changed. We’ll never know if we don’t let this run its course. Besides, they’ve been dating for a while, and everything has ben okay—”

“About three months,” answered Jason.

“See, he’s been good three months, and she’s been happy. Right, Jason?”

“Surprisingly, actually.”

“See? She’s happy, Vee. So because she’s our friend, we have to give him a chance. We have to support her.”

“And what if he hasn’t changed?”

“All the more reason to be there. If he breaks her heart, we’re gonna need to be there to pick up the pieces and beat his ass.”

Silvia wanted to say when because people don’t change, people rarely change, and Blake was never going to change. But, as always, Lucita was right.

“I want it noted that I am doing this under duress and because she’s gonna need when—”

“If—”

“When this ends.” Silvia glared at Lucita, who put her arms up in defeat. She seemed to have gotten colder this summer. Her eyes were harder, as if she was constantly offended. Resting bitch face, that’s what she had. Before the summer, she had seemed softer. But now….what happened this summer?

Silvia returned to the table, bag slung over her shoulder, Jason and Lucita trailing behind. Blake smiled, actually smiled instead of his usual sneer. Something about it made her even more furious. Still, she swallowed her pride and looked at the wary-eyed Becca.

“Okay, Becca, I’m happy for you, but only because this means I don’t have to listen to you pine over him anymore.”

“I did not pine!”

“Oh darlin’,” began Lucita, putting on a southern belle drawl, “you totally did.” She winked at her.

Settling back into her seat, she stared at her friends around the table. There was still tension in the air. She looked over at Francis and Lucita and their not-yet-established relationship. On Jason and Liz and their rocky relationship. Now, there was Blake and Becca and their new relationship. Besides herself, only Amelia was single. And with the way she looked at Jason and the way he looked back, she doubted she would remain single for long.