savior

ten

DAY FIVE; TWENTY SIX DAYS TO GO

Anna and I sat together on my bed, surrounded by piles of different junk food. We managed to collect it all from the pantry without my mom noticing us, although, we were extremely loud. So there the two of us sat, filling our bellies with unnecessary calories, chatting about whatever topic one of us brought up.

"You can't possibly think that Luke's lip ring isn't sexy on him," Anna decided. "If he wasn't your ex, I'd bang him in a heart—" I glared at her. "Sorry."

I rolled my eyes at her. Was there ever a time she wasn't talking about boys? Ever since eighth grade when her parents allowed her to start dating, she'd been all over guys, and hasn't quit. I didn't see how she could pull it all off. I definitely wouldn't be able to.

"Word around the school is he's trying desperately to get you back. That's why he got the lip ring; to turn you on," she stated, matter-of-factly. "Maybe talking to you would be a better option but—"

"I've made it perfectly clear to him that I don't want anything to do with him anymore," I said, cutting her off.

"Well if you feel that way, then—"

"What about Calum?"

Anna looked at me with an irritated expression. "Stop interrupting me!" Then her facial features softed a little bit. She started to blush. "Oh, right, Calum."

Sometimes I wondered how she could remember all these boys' names. She literally had dozens that she'd been through, thrown away, and never contacted again. And then there's another dozen still at her feet, begging to be her next victim. How can she possibly keep up?

I feel like I talk too much bad about her and not enough good. But hey, she's doing it to herself.

"Well, I'm actually kind of hoping he'll be my boyfriend. Like, actual boyfriend. Not another fling like the rest of them," she confessed, which actually made me look at her in shock. "I even deleted the numbers in my phone to prove it. I really, really like him."

Anna showed me her contact list, which was actually pretty empty. Her fifty-four contacts included family members, girl friends, one or two of her closest guy friends, and Calum. To say I was proud of her would be an understatement.

"What do you think? Am I being a little too quick with it?" she asked, cramming her cell phone back in her pocket. "I mean, we've only been seeing each other for a week. But I'm sure of this; I know I am."

I actually smiled at her. The way she was looking at me, like she was trusting my judgment, sort of made me proud. She's never asked for my opinion on something involving boys. That has always been her expertise.

"I think you should go for it. You seem truly in love with this one," I responded. The widest smile I had ever seen on her spread across her face. She enveloped me in a giant, friendly hug.

Anna popped a Live-Saver gummy into her mouth. "So, you and Ashton?" she spoke as she chewed. I lifted an eyebrow.

"What about Ashton and I?" I wondered aloud. She finished off the bag of candy, and threw it in my garbage tin beside my door. I sat back on my bed, resting my head on my pillow. "There's nothing going on between us, Ann. We literally just became official friends, like, this morning."

"Have you asked him on the double date? I've yet to ask Cal about it," she said.

"I haven't really talked to him since lunch. But, uh, when is this date going to happen?" I asked. I really didn't want a date to effect the process of saving Ashton's life. That's all I cared about, rather than dating him. What if he gets creeped out and avoids me? I'll never save him if that happens. I'll have to hear about his death again, and this time I'll get to join him.

Anna thought for a second. Then she shrugged. "I'll have to talk to Calum about it. We'll let you know, though, okay? But make sure you ask him!"

"I'll see."