Sweet Reunion (15 page)

Much like so many places in Hope Falls, Sue Ann's Cafe
radiated a strong, cozy vibe of hominess. Tonight every single one of the
fifteen tables was filled with boisterous parties of happy, chattering people,
adding even further to the inviting atmosphere.

“Wow,” Karina observed, “This must be the closest
thing to nightlife that Hope Falls has to offer! It's a regular party in here!”

Lauren smiled. “Honestly, it just feels good to be
back in Sue Ann's. It really feels like home. In a way, I just now fully felt
like I was truly back in Hope Falls, and truly home.”

 “Well, I'm just excited that I've decided to ignore
the fact that I'm in training for this one night and enjoy some of Sue Ann's
delicious home cooking!” Sam enthused.

Amanda chimed in, “Well, if we're all listing off
things we're happy about, let me just put in that it's fantastic to be enjoying
an evening out with my very best friends!”

They all echoed their agreement and started to study
the menu.

“Oh, pot roast,” Sam intoned lustily, “Or chili. With
cheese and onions.”

Karina handed her a napkin, and Sam returned a
quizzical look.

“For the drool,” Karina clarified.

They all laughed, Sam included, and she shot back,
“Hey, you try hardly ever eating anything but greens and grilled fish for ten
years and see what your reaction is to the thought of a big, juicy cheeseburger
and a chocolate shake!”

Just then Kelly King slunk up to their table, carrying
an order pad and wearing a curve-hugging stretchy T-shirt and a pair of jeans
that looked as if they had been painted onto her skin. Her hair was teased out
and sprayed to a volume that seemed physics should have defied, and her blusher
and eyeshadow looked as if they had been applied with paint brushes rather than
cosmetics brushes.

“Take your order?” she inquired listlessly.

“Where's your gum?” Karina asked in an innocent tone
of voice.

Kelly gave her a disdainful look, “What?”

Karina shrugged, “I don't know, you just look like you
should be popping gum, somehow. It would seem to complete the picture.”

Amanda cringed inside at the sight of Kelly, who had
been two years ahead of her at Hope Falls High. Amanda had never cared for her,
not the least reason for which was that Justin had dated her off and on. Of
course, it's not like that made her a member of an exclusive club. Justin had
dated half of Hope Falls High off and on – and the remaining half had been
male.

 But, Kelly had been different than the other girls.
While most of Justin's conquests had tried to ingratiate themselves with Amanda
as a way to further solidify their bond with Justin, Kelly had taken a
different approach.

When Justin had been in the room, sure, she had been
all smiles and sweetness. But the instant Justin left the room, even if only to
go and get a soda, she had treated Amanda like an annoying little bug to be
squashed.

Also, she had a very irritating habit of squealing
when she saw Justin, a very sharp, high-pitched sound, with a distinctive
cadence - “Oooooo, Justin!”  It made Amanda's skin crawl.

Kelly sighed dramatically and tapped her pencil
impatiently against her pad, “Are you gonna gimme your orders or what?”

Karina looked thoughtful, “Hmmm. Well, I know for sure
that Sam's getting the steamed broccoli and grilled salmon plate. As for me...”

“Like hell I am!” Sam laughed.

Kelly did not look amused, and said flatly, “We don't
have that.”

Karina shrugged, “Just as well.”

Kelly started tapping her foot, “Look, I've got other customers.
Are you going to order or what?”

Karina snorted, “Fine, buzzkill, way to put a damper
on ladies night,” and then she singsonged, “I smell a 5% tiiiip...”

Amanda rushed in to smooth things over, “Sorry, Kelly,
we're ready...I'm going to have the roast chicken with mashed potatoes, and an
iced tea.”

Kelly rolled her eyes at Amanda, for no particular
reason, and Amanda felt her pique start to rise. Without writing down Amanda's
order, she turned to Lauren, “And for you?”

Lauren smiled, the way she always smiled at her
enemies. Blithely, but with a razor current of ice underneath.

“The same,” she said sweetly, “Wouldn't you like to
write it down?”

Kelly smirked and made a big show of writing slowly as
she said, “Sure. Here we go. T-H-E S-A-M-E. I think that's how you spell it.”

“How unfortunate that you wouldn't be certain,” Lauren
replied with faux sympathy.

Kelly rolled her eyes, took their orders sullenly, and
then turned and sulked off without saying another word.

“Wow,” Karina said, “That's really the number one
thing I miss about home, if I had to narrow it down. Forced to put my finger on
it, I'd really say that how popular we are is the most charming part of being
home in Hope Falls. Adoring fans can't match this kind of love!”

“Oh, she's just still jealous of Amanda,” Lauren
stated.

“Jealous,” Amanda scoffed, “I don't think she was ever
jealous of me, she just hated me.”

“Because of jealousy, of course,” Lauren insisted
placidly, “What else could have been behind such an immediate and intense vitriolic
response, and especially where a man is involved? That's jealous, my friend!”

Amanda shrugged, “Maybe she just finds me annoying.”

Sam grimaced, looking towards the door, “Oh, God,
speaking of annoying, I think we're about to be treated to the ear-splitting
refrain of her favorite catchphrase...”

Before Amanda even had a chance to be puzzled at this,
she heard Kelly's voice, higher than usual in both pitch and volume, squealing,
“Ooooooo, Justin!!”

As Amanda turned around to witness the source of Kelly's
caterwauling, she was just in time to see Kelly launch herself joyfully into
Justin's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist,
and planting a big, juicy kiss square on his mouth.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she whirled back around
in her seat, not even realizing that her eyes were narrowed, her face was
tight, and her mouth was pressed together in a thin line.

Sam looked at her and laughed, “Well, I guess Kelly's
not the only jealous one in the room.”

Amanda gave her an affronted glance and huffed, “I
certainly am not jealous! She can act like a little tramp all she likes. She
can throw herself all over him for all I care. It's not like he's asking her
to.”

Lauren was still gazing at Kelly and Justin, her
expression one of faint nausea, “No, but he's certainly not rushing to remove
his hands from her cute little bubble butt, either.”

Amanda turned again and looked at the pair. Yes,
Justin did have his hands on her ass, one palm cupping each cheek, as she
continued to cling to him and squeal.

Amanda protested, somewhat lamely, “Well...it's not
like he's just going to let her fall or something.”

Lauren shook her head, “She's stuck to him like crazy
glue. He could stick his arms out straight to the side and try to fly like a bird,
that girl's not going anywhere.”

Amanda glared at Lauren, “Thanks, that's helpful.”

Lauren shrugged, “Hey, don't take it out on me. I'm
not the one feeling up my ex in the middle of a cafe.”

Kelly rushed over to their table, and said in a snotty
tone, “Are you almost done? We have a very important party here that needs to
be seated.”

Lauren looked at her incredulously, “Are you kidding
me, Kelly? You just took our orders not even five minutes ago!”

Kelly bratted, “And?”

Lauren glared, “You haven't even brought our food
yet.”

Karina said, feigning a helpful tone, “But, Kelly, if
you'd like to just sit Justin and his buddies with us at our table, that would
work. After all, since Justin's been STAYING with Amanda...”

This was obviously news to Kelly, because she let her
snotty mean-girl guise slip for a moment. Her true emotions showed through as
she visibly paled, and hurt sparked in her eyes. This momentary lapse was
short-lived, however, and she snapped, “What are you, an idiot? This is a four
top.”

Kelly flounced back to Justin and his crew, and Karina
shook her head, causing her long, glossy black mane to shimmer. “It's
just...the love, you know? Heartwarming.”

At exactly that moment, the people at the table
directly next to the Fabulous Four got up and left, and Justin's group began
making their way over. Kelly rushed ahead of them and blocked their way,
saying, “Oh, no, you guys don't want that table. It's the WORST table in the
whole place.”

Justin scooted around her, plopping himself down in
the chair which was in the closest proximity to Amanda's, winking at her.
Amanda turned her back on him without acknowledging the wink.

Justin turned to Kelly and said cheerfully, “Kelly,
this table is fine. We'll be great here, don't worry.”

Kelly started to turn away angrily, but Karina caught
her arm, “Oh, Kelly, darling,” she said sweetly, “Just a reminder. I have a
perfectly clear view of the counter where the plates are put out, through the
entire route you will take while carrying them to our table. No funny business.
And just as a precaution, how about you stay in my eyeline the whole time until
our food gets to our table? No little trips back to the kitchen.”

Kelly scowled at her sullenly, “I don't have to do
what you say.”

Karina met her scowl with a bright smile, “Oh, but you
do! Unless you want me to have a good long talk with Sue Ann about the way
we've been treated here tonight, and about the way that you were frenching
Justin in full view of the other tables, who incidentally probably would have preferred
you spend your time refilling their water glasses rather than playing public
tonsil hockey, then you definitely do.”

Kelly rolled her eyes. Sam said, “Careful, you do that
too much, they might stay that way.”

Suddenly, Kelly's sullen demeanor got a pick me up.
She said, “You want me to stay where you can see me? Fine.”

And with that, she stepped over to Justin's chair,
planted herself firmly in his lap, and began playing with his hair.

Sam turned to Karina, “What was that?”

Karina shrugged, “What? I played a lot of little clubs
when I was coming up. A lot of them served bar food. I've seen how it works
when a server hates you.”

Just then, they heard the shrill peal of Kelly's laugh
from the next table and looked over. Kelly had her head thrown back in a faux
carefree way, which pressed her breasts up towards Justin's face, almost at eye
level – and he definitely wasn't averting his eyes, much to Amanda's chagrin.

“Oooooo, Justin, you're so funny!” Kelly squeaked.

“God, that sound is like nails on a chalkboard,”
Amanda grumbled.

Sam smiled, “Jeaaaalous,” she sing-songed, drawing out
the first syllable, “Jealous, jealous, jealous.”

Amanda drew herself up with dignity, “I can find her
annoying without being jealous of her.”

Sam agreed readily, “Oh, for sure, definitely you can.
But she was being equally annoying before he came in, and you were trying to
keep the peace. Now, Justin's here, and suddenly her level of annoyingness –
while impressive, I grant you – seem to be affecting you quite a bit more.”

Lauren smiled slyly and chimed in, “Yep. That's the
green eyed monster. Firm diagnosis, doctor.”

Karina laughed, “Amanda, are you blushing? Blushing,
my dear? Yet another symptom. Defensiveness and blushing when diagnosis is
made. Oh, yes. It's jealousy.”

The girls laughed as Amanda buried her face in her
hands, and were still getting a kick out of their joke when Kelly slammed their
plates in front of them, making the table rattle.

“Here's your food,” she said hostilely to Karina, “am
I free to go where I want now?”

Karina shrugged, “Do what you like.”

Amanda started digging in before the other three had
even unwrapped their silverware from their napkins.

“Hungry much?” Lauren teased.

Sam added with a chuckle, “Wow, and I thought I was
desperate for a home cooked meal!”

Amanda said determinedly, “I just want to get out of
here as soon as possible. Jealousy, annoyance...call it what you will, but the
sound of her voice is like acid in my veins...”

“I call it jealousy,” Karina replied, “What? You said
call it what you will.”

As the four of them ate, Amanda's angst at Kelly's
antics was tempered by her gratitude for having such great friends. Sure, they
may tease her. They may joke a little just to get a rise. But when push came to
shove, they had her back, as evidenced by the fact that they were scarfing down
their meals like lumberjacks who hadn't eaten in a week. And when their bellies
were full, they hustled her out of there like the place was on fire, leaving
Kelly only a penny trapped below an upside down glass filled with water for a
tip.

Amanda sighed. If, like some posited, there was no
better gauge for friendship than the blind willingness to band together against
the other's enemy – then if nothing else, tonight had showed her who her
friends really were. Sadly, it seemed that Justin was not among them.

Chapter 15

The next morning, Amanda dragged herself miserably
down the stairs to the kitchen, desperate for a cup of coffee. She had tossed
and turned all night long, unable to achieve even a modicum of peace. Every
time she started to drift off, she would be jerked awake by the shrill sound of
Kelly's voice in her memory.

The refrain of, “Oooooo, Justin!” replaying over and
over again in her mind had kept Amanda up all night long, completely against
her will. This morning, she found herself bleary eyed, grumpy, and utterly
resentful of that fact.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw that she was
actually the last one in the house to find her way down there that morning – a
testament to her sleepless night. She stumbled over to the coffee pot and
poured herself a cup of the fresh, steaming brew. She took a long, glorious
slug of the magical elixir as she shuffled over to the kitchen table, setting
it down and collapsing roughly into the chair in front of it, dropping her head
into her folded arms on the tabletop.