A Musical Mayhem

26 - Claude (Part 2)

~ One Day Later ~

"What was that about yesterday?" I asked Arielle, walking with her to the vending machine.

"What was what about?" she asked blankly, looking at me. I was talking about the tension between her and Ivy - but she had apparently forgotten about it. Or she was just pretending not to remember.

"You know, the conversation with Ivy," I said slowly. "You guys didn't really seem to like each other."

Arielle stifled a laugh. "Well, I mean, she was acting snotty. So I just said what I needed to say." She shrugged, avoiding my eyes, and put a coin into the vending machine.

"Yeah, but criticizing someone isn't the best way to approach a situation," I objected.

"I guess," Arielle looked down with a sigh. "Why do you care, anyway?"

I blanked out. She was right - why did I care? I mean, I had never been the meddling sort of person. And the whole thing kind of had nothing to do with me.

"I don't really know," was all I could answer. "Just . . . trying to keep everything under control, I guess."

Arielle took a can of soda out from the vending machine. "Um, Claude, I have a question."

I stared at her, suddenly nervous. What was she going to ask me?

"Do you like Ivy?" she asked point-blank, looking me in the eye. I stared at her some more.

"You mean, like her as a person? Or like-like her?" I said as calmly as I could. What was Arielle trying to get to?

"Like-like her. I'm guessing you wouldn't really like her as a person, from what I've experienced." Arielle was not letting go of this, I could tell.

"What do you mean? I just met her, and so did you," I protested. Again, Arielle was being unusually spicy about Ivy.

"Yeah, but I know you have something for her. It would have been obvious to everyone except you," she said seriously.

"Why do you even care, anyway?" I asked, a little indignantly. "Even if I did like Ivy, why are you being so intense about it?"

Arielle turned red. "I-I don't know," she said, looking away. "You're right. I have no reason to care. But . . . do you like her? Honestly? I'm asking . . . as your best friend."

I looked away as well, gulping. Did I like Ivy? Even though I had literally just met her? Was it just because she was pretty? But wasn't Arielle pretty, too? Or was there just something about Ivy that I was attracted to?

"I don't know, maybe?" I said reluctantly, biting my lip. "I mean, I know we both just met her, but you're right. I was staring at her. Which was kind of creepy, not gonna lie, but-"

"You like Ivy?" Arielle interrupted, looking at me with something strange in her eyes. "For real?"

"I don't know, maybe I do, like I said. Why - why are you so . . . surprised?" I said, confused.

Arielle looked down again - I didn't understand why she was so upset. "I dunno. No reason. Just . . . I was wrong, I guess."

"Wrong about what?" Seriously, this was the most confused I could ever get. Why was she suddenly acting like this?

"Never mind," she said quickly, turning away. "Anyway, it's time for lunch. I, um, have to run to . . . the library. See you around, I guess."

With that, she hurried away, clutching the soda can in her hand.