Robin Wasserman: Envy

“Very funny. Like I knew he was going to pull a noshow? Besides, is your life all about Kane now? Wherever he goes, you follow?”

“That’s not the point, Harper, and you know it. The point is that you suckered me into coming up here, then ignored me all day, and stuck me with… the mascot . Do you know what people must be thinking when they see us together?”

“So that’s all you care about now?” Harper asked. “He’s not good enough for you? And I thought I was supposed to be the shallow one.”

Miranda recoiled-maybe because, deep down, she recognized a sliver of truth in Harper’s words. Greg was sweet, funny-but he’d spent the day acting like the court jester, not caring that everyone was laughing at him. Maybe he didn’t mind being the center of ridicule, but Miranda wasn’t looking to become Mrs. Class Clown anytime soon. Still, Harper, of all people, had no right to accuse her-not now, not after today.

“Did you ever think that maybe I just don’t like spending time with some guy who’s chasing after me when I know I’m not interested?” she asked.

“Did it ever occur to you that I’m doing you a favor?” Harper retorted.

“Oh?”

“Maybe if you give this guy a chance, instead of chasing after something you can’t have, you could actually be happy for once. Though I know that would just screw with your whole view of the universe.”

Miranda snapped. Harper had deceived her, ditched her-and now, instead of apologizing, was acting like Miranda was making the whole thing up? Just looking for an excuse to complain? Miranda had been the model friend-always there when Harper needed her, always ready to support her wild ideas, sympathize with her ridiculous problems. And what did she ask for in return? Not much: a little companionship, a little understanding. What did she get? Nothing. No, worse-she got an endless day with dull-as-dirt Greg, while Harper did what she wanted, as usual, with no apologies and apparently no regrets. Because things were different for Harper, right? Because she played with a different set of rules.

That had always been the understanding, at least-and Miranda was fed up.

“Look who’s talking!” Miranda yelled. “I’m not the one chasing after a guy who’s already got a girlfriend. And is totally in love with her. You want to talk to me about pathetic and hopeless?”

“That’s different,” Harper said hotly.

“Why? Because you’re Harper Grace and you always get what you want? And meanwhile I’m supposed to settle for second-best?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“But it’s what you meant. It’s what you always mean. But why? Why should I have to settle for someone I think is just okay? Why can’t I hold out for something that’s really amazing? Don’t you think I deserve something amazing?”

“Of course you do, Rand,” Harper said sincerely.

“Then why the hell does everyone always want me to settle ?”

“I don’t,” said a low, male voice behind them.

They spun around to see Greg standing a couple feet away. He’d obviously heard everything-or, at least, enough.

“I just came to see if everything was all right,” he explained awkwardly.

Miranda took a step toward him. “Greg-,” she began in a faltering voice, but broke off, not sure what to say.

“No, I get it,” he told her, his face impassive-but it was obviously taking him a great deal of effort to keep it that way. “You don’t want to settle-that’s fair. You think you deserve better.” He shrugged and bit down on his lower lip. “So do I.”

And he walked away, back toward the school.

Miranda and Harper stood frozen in place for a moment, and then tears began leaking down Miranda’s face.

“I can’t believe he-Harper, I feel so terrible, and he-” She stopped, her voice choked off by sobs, and Harper wrapped her in a tight hug.

“I’m a terrible person,” Miranda whimpered.

“No, you’re not,” Harper assured her.

“I’m going to be alone forever-I deserve to be alone forever.”

“No you don’t, Rand. Look, here’s what I think. You just need to-”

She was stopped by the sound of her cell phone ringing. They both looked down at the caller ID-Kaia.

“Why’s she calling you?” Miranda asked.

But Harper had already answered the phone.

“Kaia? Can we do this later? Or-no, okay, I understand. Just give me a sec.”

She took the phone away from her ear. “Miranda, I have to take this,” she said lamely. “I’m sorry.”

Tears still streaming down her face, Miranda looked at her best friend in shock.

“You’re kidding, right? You’re going to leave me here so you can talk to Kaia ?”

Harper looked confused for a moment, then looked away.

“I’m sorry, I just have to.” She gave Miranda another hug, but Miranda pulled away.

“This won’t take long,” Harper promised. “I’ll meet you back by the fire, and we’ll talk the whole thing out. I swear.”

“Whatever.” Miranda turned away, her shoulders shaking. “Have fun talking to Kaia. Tell her I say hello,” she added bitterly.

Harper didn’t respond, and when Miranda finally turned around, she was gone.

Harper hurried back to the clearing and knelt by Adam’s side, handing him her cell. “Adam, there’s a call on my phone that I think you need to take,” she whispered urgently.

“What? What do you mean?” He looked at the phone in confusion.

Harper pulled him away from the campfire and led him off into the woods, away from everyone, stopping when they’d reached a cluster of low-hanging trees.

“Just trust me, it’s important-something you’re going to want to hear.”

She left him alone and, bewildered, Adam put the phone to his ear. The reception was shockingly clear.

“Hello?”

“Adam, it’s Kaia.”

“Kaia? Jesus, what the hell are you calling me for? And on Harper’s phone?”

“Adam, don’t hang up-please. This is serious.”

She sounded desperate and, against his better judgment, he took his finger off the end button. For the moment.

“You’ve got one minute-talk,” he said gruffly.

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” she began hesitantly. “I went into school today-it was open, you know, and I wanted to do some laps in the pool, and, well, I didn’t think there’d be anyone else there, but-”

She stopped.

“Spit it out,” he ordered.

“They were there when I came in,” she said haltingly. “In the locker room. All over each other.”

“Who?” But he thought he knew. A hollow space opened inside of him as he waited for the words to be spoken aloud, to make it real.

“Beth and Kane.”

There it was. Three syllables. Funny that it took so little to ruin everything.

“And I’m supposed to believe that? From you , of all people?” He wanted to believe she was lying-but couldn’t. He was the one who’d been lying, to himself. All along, telling himself there was nothing to worry about. Stupid.

“Why would I lie about this, Adam? Look, I know I’ve treated you… poorly in the past.”

He let out a barking laugh. That was the understatement of the year.

“But I have a lot of respect for you,” she said, emotion filling her voice. “You don’t deserve this.”

“Kaia, I’m not throwing away a two-year relationship on your say so,” he said hollowly.

“I thought you’d say that,” she responded. “That’s why I called on Harper’s phone. It’s camera-equipped-and I’ve got proof.”

He looked at the phone’s tiny view screen, and a moment later there they were, right in front of him-Beth and Kane, in each other’s arms. Naked. Entangled.