LWLU – Dirty Laundry

Sara tried to gather her thoughts to answer her friend.  “Huh?”

Nika shook her head and breezed by Sara into the house.  “I can’t believe you wouldn’t let me take you out last night.  My best friend in the whole wide world turns 16 and she chooses to sit home alone like some kind of hermit crab or something.”

“I just didn’t feel up to seeing a movie or going to the skating rink.”

“Too bad. There were some really hot upperclassmen there.  I didn’t have to pay for a single popcorn or coke all night long.”  Her expression grew serious.  “But you know I would have gladly given up all the freebies to hang out with you…if you’d let me come over like I wanted.”

The buzzing of the dryer cut off Sara’s response.  That would be her bed sheets.  She could only hope they were clean.  The thought of having her mother confront her about what she’d done while they were away because of evidence on the sheets sent a shudder down her spine.

How were you supposed to wash sheets after sex, anyway?  If there was a special setting on the washing machine, hers didn’t have it.  Hopefully, washing them on hot with twice the usual amount of detergent would be enough.

She tried to check them with a casual look as she removed them, but it was hard to tell – especially with Nika there, grabbing things out of her hand to help.  “You seem distracted this morning.  Everything okay?”

Except for the empty feeling in her chest that appeared the moment Michael had left, she was great.  “Yeah.  Just the usual.”

They dumped all but the fitted sheet on the chair and began to smooth it over the mattress.  Nika’s eyes were on her the whole time.  “What?”

“I don’t know.  It’s just…you look different this morning.”

Sara froze.  Different?  Oh…God.  Could Nika tell that she’d had sex last night?  If she could tell, what would the kids at school say?  Oh, no.  If Nika could tell then her parents would definitely know.  She’d be grounded until she turned 30.

She flicked her tongue over her dry lips, trying to seem normal.  “Different?  What do you mean?”

Nika shrugged.  “You didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, did you?”

Omigod…omigod…omigod! “Not really.  Why?”  Did her voice sound as high and squeaky to Nika as it did to her own ears?

“You just look tired, I guess.  And a little flushed.  You aren’t coming down with a cold, are you, girl?”

“Cold?  Uh…no.”  She was so relieved she could scarcely form words.  “So…lots of hot guys roller skating last night, huh?”

She stuffed a fluffy pillow into the freshly laundered case and then flopped down with it on the bed.  “You know it.  I must have written my phone number down on a half dozen napkins last night.”

“Wow.”  Sara tried to tuck the flat sheet in around Nika, realized it was useless, then gave up and flopped down on the bed as well.  “So you actually liked them?”

“No, not especially.”

“Then why did you give them your phone number?”

She let out a frustrated sigh.  “I don’t know anymore.  It’s what everyone expects me to do, I guess.  I’m so sick of it.  It’s always the same thing.  We’ll go to a movie, their hands will get a little too friendly in the movie or in the car on the way home and I’ll end up having to deck at least one of them.”

“Have you ever thought that all your dates turn out like that because you keep picking losers to date?”

“Well…huh.  Who the hell else am I supposed to go out with?  It’s not like any of the guys around here aren’t sex-obsessed perverts.”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

“Sure it is.  Either they’re obsessed with sex because they haven’t gotten to do it yet or they’re obsessed with it because they have done it.  Come on…name a single guy who isn’t eating, sleeping and breathing sex day in and day out.”

That was a hard one.  Until last night she would have offered Michael’s name without pause, but now…well…maybe Nika had a point.  All conversations with him did seem to lead back to…

“You crack me up, Sara!  I can’t believe you’re blushing just thinking about the answer to that question.”  Once the laughter died out, “What did you do last night anyway?”

“Watched An Affair to Remember with Michael.”  The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

Nika didn’t seem to notice.  “Ah, good old Mikey.  He might be the one guy not totally obsessed with sex at our school.  But seriously, how many times have you made that poor guy watch that movie with you?”

“I’m not sure.  It’s a really good movie.”

“Yeah, but it’s a total chick flick.  I can’t believe he watches it with you.”  Her eyes glistened.  “So…Mike’s gay, right?”

Sara grinned, unable to hide it if she wanted to.  “No, I’m pretty sure he’s straight.”

“I don’t know, Sare.  I haven’t seen him out with a girl since Jess’s dad got relocated and they moved.”

“Just because he didn’t start dating the day his girlfriend moved doesn’t make him gay.”

“Keep telling yourself that, babe.  Let me know when he starts trying to go to the mall with you just so he can dress you up.”

Yeah, that was the problem.  More likely, he’d go to the mall with her just to try getting her out of her clothes in the fitting room.  “I’ll keep my eyes open and let you know.”

“I’ll hold you to it.  Just remember, I called it right here and now.”

“I won’t forget.”

“Good deal.  Is he why you’re changing your sheets?”

Sara’s jaw dropped.  “Wha?”

Nika seemed to find that funny and dissolved into giggles.  “You act like I just accused you of doing him or something.  Too funny!  I mean, even if I didn’t think he was gay, no way would I think you’d forget our pact and hook up.  I just meant that he probably fell asleep during the movie so your sheets would be reeking of guy sweat.  Who’d ever want to sleep in that?”

“Oh, yeah…”  Actually, Sara rather enjoyed the way his scent had faintly clung to the pillowcase long after he was gone.  In fact, it was the one article of bedding she hadn’t laundered.  “That’s exactly what happened.”

“I figured.”  Her eyes danced the way they always did when she needed a favor.  “Get dressed.”

“What?  Why?”

“Because you’ve got a date in about an hour.”

“I…what?”

“Don’t look at me like that.  I just set up a double date for us with a couple guys from the rival high school I met last night.  No big deal.  We’re going to pretend we don’t know how to bowl while they show off how ridiculous they look doing that little leg cross thing.”

“But, Nika, I can’t go out on a date.”

“Why not?  You got a secret boyfriend you haven’t told me about or something.”

As a matter of fact, yes.  Aloud, “I’ve got a lot of homework to get done.”

“Whatever.”  She shoved Sara until she was at the very edge of the bed.  “I’ll help you with it when we get back and it’ll be done in under hour.  Now get dressed or I’m calling Mikey to tell him you think he’s gay.”

Hmm…that would be an interesting conversation.  But she couldn’t let it get to that point because Michael would end up spilling the beans.  Then the plutonic chick flick fest Nika knew about would become, well, what it actually was.  Nope.  It needed to stay a secret.  It had to.

Nika would never forgive her for breaking the pact so soon.

If she weren’t head over heels in love – and engaged – then she’d never be able to forgive herself either.

“Alright.  I’ll go, but it’s not a date.”

“Okay…but, Sara?”

Sara was already at her closet, looking for something to wear that would put off the not interested vibe to her date.  She glanced over her shoulder.  “What?”

“It so is a date.  I even set you up with the cute one.  I think you’re really going to like this guy.”

“If you say so.”

Never gonna happen.  Her heart belonged to Michael.  Bowling with some cute guy Nika picked out for her wouldn’t change that.

And since it wasn’t a real date, Michael probably didn’t need to know about it…

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