2: 2
I was quiet for two seconds, then went downstairs.
Melody was standing next to the soft-serve place with her arm looped through some guy in a basketball tank top, the two of them passing one cup of lemonade back and forth, sip for sip.
When she saw me, she smiled and waved.
"Sister Simon! Over here!"
I walked over, and she started introducing me to Lester James.
"Babe, this is the best friend I told you about. Sister Simon."
"He gave up an Ivy spot for the two of us. Changed his application to a community college."
"A friend like this, once in a lifetime — for someone like me, Melody Dickerson, that's more than enough."
Lester looked me up and down.
Cropped hair, a loose black T-shirt, cargo shorts, sneakers.
His face went dark, and he glared at Melody.
"He's dressed like that and you call this a friend?"
"Melody, is there really nothing between you two? Are you lying to me?"
She grabbed his hand fast, explaining.
"Babe, I really do see him as just a friend. He likes me, there's nothing I can do about that."
"Stop!"
I rolled my eyes and cut them off, loud.
"I didn't come down here for a two-dollar cone. I came to make one thing clear. I am not Melody's friend! At most, she's my deskmate!"
"She's the one who secretly changed my application. There is no story where I picked a community college for your relationship. Got it?"
The two of them stared at me and said nothing.
I shrugged.
"I said what I came to say. I'm out."
The second I turned to go, Melody grabbed me and yanked me over to the wall.
Her elbow drove hard into my shoulder, slamming me into the wall, my arm going numb with the pain.
Her face was ugly, her voice low.
"You had to expose me right in front of Lester? Make your friend lose face, is that it?"
I rubbed my arm and looked at her, cold.
"You'll do it, but you won't own it?"
She froze, then sighed.
"Forget it. There's no explaining this to someone who's never dated."
Then she started looking me over with distaste.
"You dressed this good on purpose, just to get under Lester's skin?"
I pulled in a deep breath.
"Are you out of your mind? This is how I always dress!"
"Always is always. Today is today!"
Melody raked her fingers through her hair, irritated. "Could you not dress a little more masculine? Stay in your lane as my friend? You're putting me in a really awkward spot here, you know that?"
I honestly had no idea what to say to someone this shameless, someone who insisted on treating a guy as her girl best friend.
So I just looked at her, flat, and let her put on her show.
Which she misread all over again.
She tossed her hair and spoke like she was doing me a kindness.
"Sister Simon, let me be honest with you. I really don't have feelings for you."
"Even if you stood in front of me stark naked, all I'd do is pick your clothes back up for you."
"Don't waste your energy on this."
My hand curled into a fist.
I held it in, held it in, and then I couldn't hold it in anymore, my hand already swinging for her face.
Lester suddenly stepped in and clapped my shoulder, grinning wide.
"Big bro Simon, come on, don't be mad, this is all my fault."
"Come on, let's go get some soft-serve, order whatever you want, my treat."
Before I could react, he'd dragged me over to the shop entrance.
A girl with cropped bleached-yellow hair, chewing gum, gave me a lazy once-over.
"So you're Sister Simon? You don't really look like a butch."
I turned my head toward Melody.
Her smile was radiant.
"This is the girlfriend Lester found for you. Well? Happy with her?"
