Watched

Chapter 14

“Where were you?” Izzy asked as soon as I set foot into our room.

She was already showered and dressed and now she stood in front of the dressing table with a curling iron held up to her hair. I hesitated for a moment contemplating whether I should tell her the truth, at the last second I decided against it.

“I was just out jogging with Maddy,” I lied.

“Really since when do you jog?”

I tried to ignore the surprise in her voice.

“Well since now,” she took one glance at me and thankfully dropped the subject. Considering my sporty attire and the fact that I was all sweaty and stuff it was a believable lie.

I dropped my gym bag on the floor and made my way towards the bathroom. I was in desperate need of a shower.

                                                       ****

Approximately 45 minutes later I was seated in the dining hall having my early morning coffee coupled with an éclair. Maddy sat next to me and as usual she busied herself reading her early morning horoscopes. Naz and Alex were missing from the table and Randy hadn’t even arrived yet. I was still riding on my endorphin high from this morning so I felt unusually energetic.

“Ladies, I’m here so what are your other two whishes?” Randy said before taking a seat between me and Izzy.

I laughed.

“You know Randy, humility is a desirable trait in a guy,” I said jokingly.

“Really?” he put on a look of mock surprise.

“Let’s ask for a second opinion okay,” he turned to Izzy and he brought his face close to hers.

“What do you think?” he asked her in a seductive tone.

“What, me…err umm no?” she sounded so embarrassed and a deep blush crept up her face.

Randy seeming oblivious to her discomfort turned to me,

“Ha see…you’re wrong.”

“Whatever,” I said before rolling my eyes and swatting his out reached hands away from my food.

“Get your own Callaghan,” he swatted my ponytail and left the table to get his breakfast. Immediately after he left Maddy let out a small giggle.

“Oh my G--” she started to say but Izzy gave her a warning look-she hated it when we used God’s name in vein- and she changed her word at the last second.

“Garden,” she said.

“What?” Izzy and I asked in unison.

“What do you mean what? Don’t act like you don’t know.”

I looked at her in confusion,

“Maddy you are starting with your crazy rants again,” I warned her.

She rolled her eyes at me and focused her attention on Izzy.

“You like Randy don’t you?” she asks but it sounded more like a statement than anything else.

I felt my eyebrows shoot up involuntarily and I looked at Izzy carefully waiting for her response.

“Me? No…. I don’t .but I didn’t. It’s not,” at this point she was blushing profusely and she couldn’t even make out a full sentence.

Maddy giggled

“You do,” she said excitedly and then she looked to me.

“She does!”

My mind was reeling with this new bit of information and I scanned my memory to find any trace of evidence that Izzy liked him. Of course there was that time when Randy helped Naz to tickle-torture me in front of the fountain and Izzy seemed very irritable after that and just the other day when he complimented her on her apple throwing skills and she blushed  and any time Randy would show up she would grow a bit quieter. I mentally berated myself, how could I have not noticed this before. I am officially the worst best friend ever. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” I finally asked.

Izzy looked from me to Maddy and to me again. At that moment I decided it was a good thing that Izzy was generally such an honest person that she couldn’t tell a lie convincingly.

“I-I don’t like him okay,” she said in a weak attempt at deception. She couldn’t even look me in the eye.

“Stop lying Izzy, I can’t believe that I haven’t noticed before but it all makes sense now. I just don’t know…why not tell me? I mean did you maybe not trust me?” I asked my feelings genuinely hurt.

She looked ashamed and she opened her mouth to say something but she was cut off because Randy chose that exact moment to return.

He placed his trey down and he glanced at Izzy.

“Are you okay? You seem a bit…red?” He said looking at Izzy.

She looked up at him and then at me and then at the place where his hand rested on my shoulder and she just stood up and walked away.

Randy looked confused as hell and I didn’t blame him.

“Whoa, something I said?” he asked rubbing the back off his neck.

I looked up at him and I saw him in a different light. Not just the boy who has been my best friend since second grade. Not just the boy who was goofy and flirty and could make me laugh even on my worst days. I saw him for the amazing, good-looking, funny and loyal person that he is. That’s when I realized that it’s completely plausible for Izzy to have fallen for him ,I know I would.