Candice's Plan

[Mandy's Diary at 17th y.o]

"Mandy!"

My head spontaneously moved back to hear Candice's squeaky scream that I know the most and sticks in my head. My lips pursed as I watched her jog over to me with a grin like a horse. Hell, after what she did to me by leaving me alone, she came to me with a big smile on her face?

I pretended to be indifferent. My heart still hurt because she'd rather spend her time with Trevor than with me.

"What? What do you need from me?" I asked sarcastically. "You come to see me because you need something, right?" I turned my body, hands on my hips while tilting my head to one side. That's a slightly mean accusation, but I did hate it when someone only came to me when they needed help and badmouths me behind my back.

"Mandy, I am not that mean to you," Candice's brow furrowed as she retorted a little offended. "We're still friends."

"Yeah… you said we were still friends when you left me with Trevor, forgot about me, and turned into a popular blonde girl like Rebekah?" I laughed sarcastically again, showering Candice with pitying looks. Ugh… it should be Candice who gave me a pitying look since I didn't have a single friend.

I deserved a pity.

"Gosh, I'm still Candice, Drama Queen. Your stupid best friend. We're still best friends." Her eyes were wide. "Look, I'm sorry I ignored you all this time, but I did that to help you to get closer to Justin."

What the hell? I knitted my brows together, failed to comprehend what Candice meant by saying she helped me to get Justin. Did I sound like a beggar now?

"You don't have to do that." I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing in frustration. "I'm with him, to be a couple, is impossible. Not gonna happen."

"Oh, are you sure?" One of Candice's eyebrows was pulled up. She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at me doubtfully. I recognized that look as a 'lucky' look to me. "Then why did he ask me about you?"

My eyeballs almost jumped out of their sockets and ran away at Candice's last sentence. I hastily pulled her hand to the side and lowered my body to invite her to whisper.

"W-what?" My eyes widened, not believing what I had just heard. Justin asked me to Candice?? My heart seemed to stop working. I almost fainted in this place. Gosh, gosh, where's the oxygen, I needed oxygen!

"Yes, he asked me for your name."

Justin asked Candice my name! I opened my mouth wide that I could guess a base ball seemed to be getting in there.

"Then what else did he ask? Phone number? Shoe size? Clothes size? Favorite color? Favorite food?!"

Candice frowned, looking like she was trying to remember everything Justin had asked me about. What if he secretly liked me?

"Don't be stupid, how could he like a pathetic girl like you," the devil on my shoulder whispered in the confrontation while the angel on the other side nodded in agreement.

Could they just be quiet for a second? I wanted to crush them with my shoe.

"No, he listed your name for the English debate."

Damn! Turned out he asked my name just for that. But, wait a minute, why would he ask such a thing if there was no purpose? The angel on my shoulder said, Justin probably intended to take me to an English debate with him. Then we got close from there, exchanged phone numbers, chatted with each other, fell in love, got married, and lived happily ever after.

The devil on my shoulder smacked her wand on my head, snapping me out of that stupid imagination, hurling me into reality. In reality, that would not happen. Ouch.. it hurts a little.

"You mean," ignoring my stupid imagination, I added, "He asked me to join him?" I gripped Candice's hand tightly, shaking it roughly. "For God's sake, that sounds like the beginning of a love story."

Candice's eyeballs rolled upwards. "That's why I purposely approach popular students, Mandy. That way I get access to approach Justin. I told Justin that you're good at debating because you have a bigmouth—"

My eyes bulged in annoyance. Did she say bigmouth?! I wanted to punch her as if she wasn't my bestie.

Ignoring my glare, Candice continued, "and he seems interested in asking you to join his group."

I didn't expect Candice to be so intelligent. I think she's forever a moron because I doubted the neurons in her brain were linked together. At that time, I could hug Candice tightly, rocking her and thanking her over and over for helping me get closer to Justin.

"And," Candice exclaimed under her breath as I hugged her tightly, "Trevor invites you to his party tomorrow night. I'll make sure you come and look good."

I let go of my arms, looked at Candice, blinking a few times. Candice's cheeks were reddened and I patted a few times as a token of my gratitude. By the camel in the desert, I couldn't believe my ears. In my heart, I was muttering, hoping tomorrow night would be a better night than usual.

Although I hesitated that Justin would care about my existence around him.