Ecstasy

My eyes almost bug out of my head. “Wow. That’s uh… That’s something.” That’s disturbing.

She is smiling so hard I swear she’s going to split her cute round face in two. “Yeah, it’s my favorite holiday and he knew my dad would want to be asked, so,” she shrugs, “he asked them, then me.” Her voice kind of goes up at the ends, like a squeak.

If Alex had asked my mother before he dated me, I would have punched him. If my mom had believed for half a second, I needed her permission to date someone, I might’ve punched her, too.

God, I’m a bitch.

But I can also recognize when another girl is genuinely happy, and Kylie is definitely that. “I’m happy for you,” I tell her, and I do actually mean it. I just wish I had that. Not the parental permission thing because that’s much too southern for me, and I’m a fucking Southerner, but the happiness part.

Alex makes me happy.

He also pisses me off.

I’m sure the feeling is entirely mutual.

“Yeah, he’s the best,” Kylie gushes, still riding high in her little love bubble. Whatever Eli was insinuating last night, he’s full of it. Ian is a nice guy. He’s got blonde hair and glasses and a boyish face, and he seems perfect for Kylie.

Maybe that’s the problem.

Maybe there’s no one that’s perfect for me because I’m a fucking freak. And not just in the sexy way. Mainly, in fact, in the unsexy way.

Kylie cocks her head, holds up one finger like she’s listening for something. It’s pretty quiet in Oasis. Kind of too early for the lunch rush, so this place is nearly empty. I don’t know what the fuck she’s trying to hear.

Then she grins again, and I hear it.

A ringtone coming from her pink backpack.

Bella’s Lullaby from the Twilight soundtrack.

“That’s Ian!” she says excitedly. She pulls the phone out of the front pocket of her backpack and swipes to answer the call.

This is my cue to leave.

I stand to my feet after I slide out of the booth, grabbing my backpack. “See you tonight,” I tell her, and she finger waves to me, caught up in the bliss of young, non-fucked up love.

Must be fucking nice.