Left Behind

Her face flushes, but she gives it right back to me. “Think you can take me, Zack? I might surprise you.”

Whoa…I better walk away now. Emily would spot what was going on in a heartbeat. Her other-woman meter is the most sensitive organ in her body.

Just as Allie and I hit the sand and start to join the large crowd, I see Emily laughing and posing in the center of a group of wanna-be-Emily girls. I look from Emily to Allie and go with my brain instead of my gut.

“I hope I see you later, Allie,” I say, meaning it, as I walk off to join Emily. For a night that is supposed to be a night all about me and Emily, it sure isn’t starting off that way.

***

“Zack, where did you go?” Emily demands. With the crowd surrounding her, she might as well be on stage. A stage where she comes alive, performing.

“I lost you in the crowd for a minute. I’m right here. Relax.”

Grabbing my hand, she pulls me into the inner circle. “Stay with us. The fun is all here.”

The “fun” consists of taking Instagram pictures of me and Em in front of the bonfire, Em listening intently to every piece of gossip her friends share, and me standing within an inch of her side at all times.

Dylan, the boyfriend of one of the girls Emily is currently gossiping with, looks as glazed over as I do. He’s a college freshman and, no doubt, tired of this scene by now too. We exchange glances and Dylan shakes his head. A minute later he tells his girlfriend he’s going to play in a nearby volleyball game. He asks me to join him. It’s a perfect excuse to escape the torture I’ve been enduring since we got here. Surprisingly, Emily smiles when I tell her I’m going with Dylan. I’m sure she thinks it’s cool I’m going to hang out with a college freshman.

After tearing off his t-shirt, to the pleasure of the junior class, Dylan smiles. “Let’s go have fun and let them stand around and play with their phones.” Thank god there’s one sensible person in this crowd.

Dylan is the star of the game within minutes of entering it. I’m not playing half bad myself. The volleyball crowd is definitely different than Em’s crowd. There’s trash talking, diving for the ball, and people don’t care if they are sweaty messes. Finally, some fun.

Halfway through the game, several players on the other side get yanked away to other things and they sub in a few new opponents. I look up and find Allie directly across the net from me. I grin and yell over, “Oh, so you’re gonna take me on after all, are you?”

Allie beams back a smile and serves the ball right at me. It should have been an easy volley, but I miss because I can’t seem to peel my eyes away from her smile. She just looks so happy and carefree. My missing evens up the score and elicits some spirited teasing and laughter from those around us— enough uproar to catch Emily’s attention, I guess. I don’t realize it at first, but she’s standing courtside, seething.

“I was distracted. You got lucky on that one,” I tease as Allie serves her next shot. The ball travels back and forth a few times and then I rush the net and spike it down on the other side. Dylan and I high-five and it’s my turn to serve. “This one’s just for you, Allie.” I toss the ball high in the air and wail it across the net as hard as I can, still smiling. They miss. Allie sticks her tongue out at me— and that’s when I finally spot Emily on the sidelines.

She lets the anger burn in her gaze just long enough to catch everyone’s attention, then she turns and storms off, her crowd of minions following her.

“Just let her cool off. She’ll get over it.” Dylan says, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. Feeling like I haven’t done anything wrong, I’m not even sure if I care if he’s right. I let her go.

***

Half an hour later, I find Emily sitting around the bonfire in the middle of her crowd. “Wanna go for a walk?” I ask quietly, offering my hand to help her up. I swear I hear the buzz start before we even walk away. It’s either gossip or be gossiped about with this crew.

“Listen, Em,” I say when we’re out of earshot of the crowd. “I was playing a game. You know how competitive I get. Hell, you’re the same way. I don’t know why you got so upset.”

Emily stops and turns to face me. “You really don’t know why I’m so upset?”

“I’m guessing it’s because I was teasing Allison, but I don’t know why that would upset you. She’s just a friend.”

“Why is she a friend? That’s the part I don’t get, Zack. We have so many friends, why do you need to hang out with people like her?”

“Wait. So you’re not jealous of Allison?”

“Jealous? Why would I be jealous of her?” She practically laughs at the notion.

“Let me get this straight. You’re mad because I was having fun with people you don’t consider cool enough to hang out with?” Disgust laces my voice, but she either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.

“Yes, Zack. You’re ruining everything.”

“Ruining everything? What are you talking about?”

“Everything is so perfect right now.” She folds her arms across her chest, reminding me of a spoiled child about to throw a tantrum. “We have the best friends, they’re just like us, I don’t get why that’s not enough for you.”

“Are you listening to yourself?” If I wasn’t so shocked, I’d probably be angrier. “Emily, you don’t pick friends by their social status or what they look like. I want friends that have fun, not pose and sit around caring about what other people think of them.”