Best Friends Since Kindergarten

You're the Goat to My Racehorse

AMY

I looked over my shoulder. Ryan was still on the porch, saying something to Rob. My heart ached. I just wanted to run back and jump into his arms. Lucy, as if sensing my thoughts, grabbed hold of my arm and dragged me into the house. Jimmy was at the dining room table doing homework. He looked up as we entered, scanned us, and drawled, “The triumphant huntress, satisfied with her kill, deigns to grace the home with her presence.” Lucy and I exchanged a confused glance. Jimmy grumbled something about us not understanding art.

“I don’t think that was art,” Lucy said. “What on Earth were you trying to say?”

“Amy got laid and ditched us, now she’s back to grace us with her presence,” he translated. I scowled while Lucy just laughed at me.

“What did you tell him I was doing?” I asked Lucy accusingly.

“She didn’t need to say anything,” Jimmy snorted. “Your neck tells the whole story. Does Ryan know? He’ll flip if he notices,” I quickly covered my hickeys with my hand for the thousandth time. “You might want to do something about that before Dad gets back,” he said pointedly. I sighed. He had a point.

“If you’ll excuse me then,” I said and traipsed up the stairs to my room. Lucy followed closely on my heels. “What’s up?” I asked once we were safely inside with the door closed.

She gave me a withering look. “Are you joking?”

“What?”

“What happened last night?” she demanded.

“You mean with Andres?”

“No not with Andres! I heard that bit already!” she scowled at me. “With Ryan! Your neck looks like a beast mauled you!” I blushed.

“He’s not a beast,” I grumbled.

“Only for you,” she said with a snort. “Now fill me in. I KNEW you were holding back on me before the party. Spill.”

“You remember how Ryan was nasty to me during lunch?” I asked. Hard to believe that was only yesterday. Lucy nodded. “Well I went to sulk in the art room and he came and found me. He actually apologized for being a jerk, and then revealed that he had been jealous. We kissed and made up and then at the party…” I blushed, “…we just got carried away. I don’t know. I would blame Drunk Amy but Sober Amy is just as obsessed, as it turns out.”

Lucy grinned at me conspiratorially. “Did you… you know…?”

My face felt like it was going to burn off my head. “Not really…”

“Not really?” she demanded.

“No penetration or anything,” I stumbled over the words. Did fingers count? I made the executive decision that fingers didn’t count.

 I didn’t exactly want to spill my whole s*x life to my sister anyway. She always told me about her exploits with Rob, but this felt different. Private. Everything with Ryan felt like a precious little plant growing between the two of us. It had deep roots but had only just started to stretch out towards the sun and unfurl its leaves. Poetry. God, I was worse than Jimmy.

“Really?” Lucy demanded. “I never thought of Ryan as the patient type.” I blushed furiously.

“He was more focused on pleasing me than anything else,” I stuttered. Lucy smirked.

“I take it you guys are like officially together now right?”

“I mean we didn’t say so explicitly,” I said, nervously chewing on my lip. “I think as far as the school is concerned though we were together from the moment Ryan accepted Andres’s challenge.”

“Lock him down! Make sure he means it.”

“Why is everyone so convinced that he’s playing with me?” I grumbled.

“No that’s not what I meant. I know he’s been in love with you since you met,” she sighed. “Just if you don’t figure it out soon, you’ll be stuck in this weird limbo space forever.” I nodded slowly and sighed. I sat down at my vanity and started applying color corrector to my neck. Lucy sprawled on my bed, staring out the window. “Hey, Amy. I think you’ll want to see this.”

“See what?” I asked, looking over at her. She pointed out the window towards Ryan’s room. I walked up to my window and peered out at his room. There was a piece of paper taped to the window with “I love you” written on it in big letters. I blushed furiously and quickly grabbed a piece of paper off my desk. I took a bright blue highlighter and wrote “I love you too!” surrounded by hearts. I taped it to the inside of my window and stared into his room, hoping to see him, but no such luck.

“Cute,” Lucy giggled. “I don’t know what kind of magic you work on him, but I like it.”

“He’s a good person all on his own,” I argued, returning to my vanity to apply a thick layer of concealer to my neck.

“I didn’t say he wasn’t!” Lucy protested. “Just that you bring it out. Like this afternoon, when he got so angry. Rob couldn’t calm him down, but you were like a goat and a racehorse.”

“What?” I asked, looking at her blankly.

“You know how racehorses are super high strung? Sometimes their owners get them goats to stay in the stall with them and keep them calm.”

“That is absurd,” I laughed. “I do not believe you one bit.”

“Hey now! I haven’t made up alternative facts in years,” she chuckled.   

I winced. “Please don’t use that phrase. You’re giving me war flashbacks.” She snickered at me. I sighed looking at my neck. It still looked a little bruised, but it was much less obviously hickeys. Hopefully Dad wouldn’t look too closely. I didn’t want a lecture. It would be bad enough if he noticed that I’d been out of the house the past two nights. Especially if he found out I was with Ryan. They weren’t exactly each other’s biggest fans. I climbed on the bed with Lucy and the two of us scrolled through t****k for a while, looking at silly cat videos. My phone buzzed all of a sudden- a text. I tapped on the notification.

7:42pm

SUSAN: Okay I’ve been waiting ALL day and you haven’t said anything so hi. Who the heck gave you all those hickeys last night???

AMY: I’ll give you 3 guesses

SUSAN: Andres?

AMY: No!!

SUSAN: … one of the jocks?

AMY: That’s a pretty big guess but I’ll allow it. No

SUSAN: …. you and ryan finally hooked up???

AMY: ya. Idk it just sort of happened.

SUSAN: BB!!! I am so happy for u!!! beer pong brought u together!

AMY: lol something like that…

SUSAN: wait was it before then? AMY DON’T HOLD OUT ON ME PLS

AMY: at lunch!

SUSAN: Ahhhhhh!!!!! Was it magical? Did sparks fly??

AMY: Yeah actually. It was pretty amazing. ^u^

SUSAN: CUTE! Goshhhhh I cant wait for cheer practice tomorrow- just wanna see youuuu!! Need the deets!!

AMY: there really isn’t that much to say

SUSAN: is he your bf now??

AMY: I don’t know… I hope so

SUSAN: Ahhh lock it down babe!!! Before someone else swoops in!

AMY: someone else?? Who??

SUSAN: Giselle was getting all hot and bothered over him at the party last night

AMY: what??? Since when does she give a s**t about him?

SUSAN: Since last night! She thought he looked super hot. Talk to her about it at practice tomorrow! And LOCK IT DOWN!!

AMY: Noted. Thanks for the heads-up Susan

SUSAN: always bb! Ttyl!

AMY: <3 <3 <3

I put my phone down, staring up at the ceiling. Giselle and Ryan? The thought made me sick. At least the other people he’d slept with in the past hadn’t been serious, or even people I knew. They just flitted through his life. But Giselle he knew- he couldn’t do that to her, thanks to her friendship with me if nothing else. I chewed on my lower lip. Would Ryan still want me if he had another option?  It occurred to me that he hadn’t slept with anyone in a while. Was I just an easy target? My heart clenched. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, aggressively pushing back the tears suddenly threatening to fall down my face. God I hated how easily I cried.

“You okay, Amy?” Lucy asked, looking over at me.

“Just… a thought occurred to me,” I sighed.

“What is it?” Lucy propped herself up on her elbow so she was looking down at my face.

“It’s just… what if Ryan is just desperate right now? He’s been in a dry spell for a couple months. What if he knew how I felt and this is just… entertainment while he looks for someone better?” I whispered.

“Amy, that’s ridiculous,” Lucy said flatly.

“Is it? It feels pretty plausible to me. Why would he pick me over someone else if he had another option?”

“Because he’s obsessed with you and has been for years. Because you’re the perfect person for him. Because you’re my twin and I can firmly say we are damn attractive.” I chuckled in spite of myself. “Amy, stop reading into this. Just enjoy your time with him. Why are you doubting him all of a sudden? Does this have to do with what Andres said?”

“A little bit… but also Susan just told me that Giselle is interested in Ryan,” I muttered, rubbing my eye roughly. Giselle was basically perfect and everyone knew it. She was taller than me, skinnier than me, had perfect natural red hair, green eyes, cute freckles. And she was persistent. If she really wanted Ryan, she would get him.

“Ryan doesn’t give a crap about Giselle,” Lucy said with a snort. “He barely gives her the time of day.”

“But if she starts showering attention on him, then I know she’d get her way.”

“Then talk to her, Amy. Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself isn’t going to help anyone. You least of all. Also maybe warn Ryan- you’ll feel better if you’re not keeping a secret from him. And he can probably make you feel more secure.” I nodded slowly.