At school on Monday Zoey once again avoided me by sitting with Hilary King. I just want to know what I did here? I deserve that much, but ever since I caught her in a lie, she won't even answer my calls or my text anymore. Okay so I said wanting to be with someone was dumb, so what? It's my opinion, why does she have to be all weird about it?

"Wait so let me get this straight, you went to Hilary's party anyway?" Wes eyed me.

Wesley Sanders is my other best friend. Sure, he and I aren't as close as how Zoey and I used to be, but he's still a close friend and my only other friend, besides Alvin from work. Wesley is cool to talk about anything with, he says that being asexual makes him unbiased. I have my doubts, I don't think that's how Asexuality works. Anyway, the guy is so chill. Most of the time. He just tells it like it is and isn't afraid to hurt anyone's feelings. That's what I like about him, no beating around the bush just straight cutthroat facts.

It's also one of the things I hate about him, sometimes the truth is hard to face. Exhibit A.

"Well yeah, I had to do research. I need to find out what's up with Hilary King and how I can take her down. Which is how I saw Zoey and made myself the laughing stock by falling into the pool. God that's so cliché am I right?" I picked at my mash potatoes with a Cheeto.

"Poppy, let me be honest with you for a sec," he ran a hand through his sandy blond hair and pushed it to one side. "Have you asked yourself why it bothers you so much? I mean Zoey is a quitter, no surprise there. We both know she quits everything she starts, maybe she's just quitting you to." He shrugged.

I felt a pain in my chest, one that left a super sour taste in my mouth. I didn't want to think of that possibility. That Zoey just got tired of me and just like everything else she gets tried of she quit me to. That hurt more than thinking that Hilary was just somehow better than me.

"She wouldn't do that to me," I mumbled.

"Okay, say you're right, say somehow she just thinks Hilary is better than you. Still, why does it bother you? People can have other friends, so why are you so hung up on this?"

I shrug.

"Poppy, look at me."

I look up and meet his dark brown eyes.

"You have to be honest with yourself." He said.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I frowned.

"Okay, look over to Zoey, tell me how you feel."

I glanced over the cafeteria to where Zoey was sitting next to Hilary. Zoey was laughing hard, she playfully bumped shoulders with Hilary who was laughing right back. They had big smiles on their faces for each other.

I don't know why but my heart sank into my guts and I felt a hot pressure pushing down on my chest. My eyes watered and I could only look for a few seconds before looking away.

"Tell me," he said.

"I don't want to talk about it." I snapped the Cheeto between my fingers in half.

"It's cuz you love her," he said.

"What!? Of course, I don't." I denied.

"It's okay if you do." He said.

"You're crazy." I grabbed another Cheeto.

"Poppy, just because I'm an ace doesn't mean I don't know love when I see it. You are totally crushing hard on Zoey"

"No, I'm not, we are just friends. Besides I don't see how that would help me take down Hilary."

"Maybe you should just tell Zoey how you feel."

"I'm not in love with her!" I shouted.

The whole cafeteria got silent.

I felt my cheeks flush and kept my head low, although my eyes did dart over to Zoey who was now looking at me. I felt my face get redder and sunk lower into my seat.

"Okay, sorry, I'll drop it." he receded.

"And even if I was... it's not like she feels the same. Just look at her, she obviously likes someone else." I said softly just as the bell rang, then I got up and quickly walked off to class.

For the rest of the day, I thought about it. About how Wes is usually right when it comes to the facts of life. How Zoey telling me she wanted to be kissed made me feel all bubbly inside. How seeing her with Hilary makes me so angry.

By the end of the school day, I was miserable, I wanted to hurt Hilary King the way she hurt me by stealing Zoey away. Because that has to be it, she stole Zoey. Zoey didn't just quit me... she wouldn't do that.

I was on my way out of the building and walking over to my bike when,

"Hey Poppy, wait up!" Hilary called.

Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

I clenched my jaw and reminded myself I still had a mission, a mission to find out what Hilary king hides that makes her less perfect and expose her to the world that way Zoey will realize how dumb she was for leaving me. I could only do that if I am nice and pretend to be her friend.

So I whirled around with a fake smile plastered on my face.

"Oh hey, Hilary," I said.

"Heard you shouting in the Cafeteria earlier, everything okay?" she asked.

"Sure, everything's great. I was just about to head to work."

"You have a job?"

"Sure do, I work at the Sandwich shop down on main. My shift doesn't start for another couple of hours but I like to get there early and bother Alvin." I shrug.

"Alvin?"

"He's my co-worker slash boss, slash friend. We always work the same shift, he's the shift leader I'm just the sandwich maker. Actually I was just promoted to the official sandwich queen, which is dumb considering I'm the only female who works there."

She giggles.

"Anyway, I'll just be going now." I backed away.

"Wait, uh maybe I could come with?" she said.

I eyed her.

"I mean like hangout with you at your job until you clock in."

Every fiber in me wanted to say no, go drop dead somewhere Hilary, but I forced a smile and nodded.

"Sounds like fun," I said with fake enthusiasm.

"Maybe we can take my car?" she said.

"But what about my bike?" I glanced over at the bike rack.

"hmm, we can see if it will fit in the trunk?"

I shrugged.

So that's how I wound up spending 20 minutes shoving a bike up the rear end of Hilary's trunk. I glanced around but Zoey was nowhere to be seen. How annoying. So she likes hanging out with Hilary but when I hang out with Hilary she vanishes into thin air. Typical Zoey.

I once again got in Hilary's car and sighed before staring out the window.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked as she pulled out of the parking lot.

"Depends what you mean by okay, am I alive and breathing, check. Do I still have good grades and have a job? Check. Is my best friend still not talking to me, check." I glared out the window.

"Oh, you mean Zoey?"

I rolled my eyes.

"She's cool. She's super funny. You guys aren't talking right now? I didn't know that she seems fine to me."

That felt like she poured a ton of bricks on me. Because if Zoey was unfazed by my absence that was like a slap in the face. I felt my eyes water again and kept silent.

Hilary must have realized she said the wrong thing because she just turned on the radio to block out the awkward silence. When we got to my job we just sat in the car for a moment.

"I can talk to Zoey if you want," she offered.

"God no, that would make everything worse. It's fine. I'm sure it will all blow over. We just had a dumb fight, I mean it wasn't even really a fight. I just, I don't know." I sighed and crossed my arms.

"Tell me,"

I looked to her and raised an eyebrow, she just blinked at me expectantly.

"Well she said that we were losers because we hadn't been kissed by anyone or gone on a date, I said she was making a big deal out of it, so yeah that was that. After that, she left and hasn't talked to me since. I mean, it's so dumb, right? I didn't even mean to say that! I was just, ugh! I'm not a loser you know? At least I don't think I am."

"I don't think you are either." She assured me.

"See! She's being dumb. I mean sure I want to kiss someone before I die but I also don't want to make a big deal out of it. Maybe I just want to wait for the right person, she doesn't get that. She just wants to lose it as soon as possible as if it's some curse or the plague or something. Whatever I guess, if she wants to stop being my friend over that then whatever."

I looked down and clenched my jeans in my hands.

Hilary put her hand on top of mine, I looked up into her lavender eyes.

"I think that's sweet waiting for the right person, want to know a secret?"

I nodded.

"I haven't kissed or dated anyone either." She shrugged.

My eyes got wide, perfect little cutesy Hilary King has never dated anyone!? No freaking way. You've got to be kidding me. Ms. Perfect King is still a virgin and has never been on a date, she's lying, no way that's true. Everyone loves her! Everyone! This has to be a joke.

"I know what you thinking, but Hilary you're like super popular, well like you, I want to wait until I find that connection. If that makes me lame then I guess we can be lame together." She playfully elbowed me.

Maybe she wasn't as perfect as I thought after all. She was like me, she wanted to wait. That made me respect her a bit more. I smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Thanks," I said.

"Butterscotch?" she grabbed the yellow plastic-wrapped candy and handed it to me.

I eyed it.

"My motto is whenever you feel down and sour in your life, something sweet helps bring the balance. Plus I'm obsessed with the candy, I have like a crap ton in my purse. Oh my gosh, that makes me like an old lady right?" she giggled.

I laughed.

"Go on eat it, don't tell me you don't like butterscotch, we might not be friends anymore." she joked.

"Lucky for you, I love butterscotch." I unwrapped the candy and popped it in my mouth.

"Good." She smiled.

"Anyways, are we going in there to give Alvin a hard time or what?" I got out of the car.

She giggled and quickly followed after me.

I took my bike out of her car and locked it up on the bike rack.

We walked in and the bell above the door rang.

"Welcome to the Royalty Subs, where--"

"Our subs make you feel like royalty." I finished for Alvin.

Hilary giggled.

"Bennette, you don't clock in for another couple of hours." Alvin shook his head.

"As your queen, I have every right to bother you."

"I knew it would go to your head." He chuckled.

Alvin Port is a high school drop out. He got his GED and goes to community college. He's what my mom would call, a scrub. He has nothing going for him. He is a shift lead and the sandwich king, but that's about it. His looks used to be better, something girls would fall all over themselves for but not so much anymore. He has long black hair that goes to his shoulders, he has to wear it in a man bun at work. He also needs to shave, he has scratchy looking chin stubble all along his jaw. Not to mention he just looks greasy overall.

We are good pals, I've been working with him since I first got the job last year. He may be a scrub but he gives pretty good advice plus he's funny and teases just the right amount to keep me entertained while I am at work.

"Don't give me the Queen's crown unless you are ready to deal with all this." I teased.

He rolled his eyes.

Hillary eyed us.

"Who's the friend?" he asked.

"This is Hilary, Hilary, Alvin."

"Nice to meet you." Hilary smiled.

"What no Zoey today?"

I glared at him.

"Ah, something still going on between you two?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine, whatever. I guess I'll just have to put up with this shrimp now."

"Hey!" Hilary complained.

I giggled.

He leaned over the front counter closer to Hilary,

"Seriously what are you, pocket-sized?"

"More like fun-sized." I teased.

"I think I'm just the right size thank you very much." She huffed.

We all laughed.

Just then the store bell rang and Alvin and I turned to look at the new customer.

"Welcome to Royalty Subs where our subs make you feel like royalty." He said.

I quickly grabbed Hilary's hand and pulled her out of the way, forcing her to sit in a booth with me.

Her cheeks were red and I eyed her. I let the butterscotch candy roll around on my tongue as I waited for her to say something.

"So, you like him?" she asked.

"Who Alvin?" I snorted in amusement.

She nodded.

"As if, the guy's a wreck. Plus he's like four years older than me. Not exactly my type either." I laughed.

"What is your type?"

"Hell if I know, but it's definitely not him."

"Oh," she looked down at the table.

"Why you ask?"

She shrugged.

I raised an eyebrow.

"What about you, what's your type?"

Her face went red.

"I-I don't know." She stammered.

"Emm."

"Poppy, help me out here!" Alvin called just as a jr league soccer team came in.

"Got to go, duty calls, thanks for the ride." I grabbed my backpack and walked to the restroom to change into my uniform.

"Maybe we can hang out tomorrow!?" Hilary called after me.

"Count on it!" I called back before walking into the bathroom to change.

Maybe Hilary isn't so bad after all, but I still need to get to the bottom of things in order to find out what Zoey sees in her. And in order to do that, I have to continue to pretend to be her friend. I've already found out some valuable intel in one day. Imagine what I could find out within one week.

The possibilities...