Gilbert and Louis Rule the Universe: First Impressions (8 page)

“Hi,” Dylan says back.
They are looking at each other with these stupid lovey-dovey expressions on their faces. Excuse me!
Am I not even here?
I am in the middle of a very important story.

“So like I was saying…” I try to continue, but am interrupted again.

“Are you walking to math?” Dylan asks Gilbert. She nods. “I’ll walk you.”

Um, are they out of their minds?

“Tell me later,” Gilbert says to me as she closes her locker and gives me a smile.
I could strangle her.

Later in gym class, I am sitting on the bleachers with
Maddy
, both of us had decided not to dress that day because we didn’t feel like running the track.
I claimed to have menstrual cramps (a total lie as I haven’t even gotten my period yet, but I had seen enough movies to know this worked) and
Maddy
said she had a note from the doctor but forgot it at home.
Our gym teacher was clearly annoyed but let us get away with it.
I mean, I like sports alright, but running in circles in the middle of the day, getting all sweaty, and then going back to class is not on my to-do list.

“Do you think Alex is being kind of stuck-up since she started hanging out with Dylan?” I ask
Maddy
.

“I don’t know about stuck-up, but she has been kind of out of it.”
Maddy
answers while picking at her nails.
She has a bad habit of picking at her cuticles.

“I just feel like she has forgotten all about her friends,” I say.
I know I am being a touch dramatic, but still.

Maddy
shrugs.

The truth is that it wasn’t that Gilbert had forgotten about me, I just wasn’t used to sharing her attention.
Not that this sensible, rational thought went through my head, instead, I just decide to be
pissy
.

The next couple of days go on like this.
Gilbert asks me what is wrong or sends me a cute text and I all but ignore her.
She doesn’t seem terribly phased.
She and Dylan study every day after school together and pass notes back and forth in history.
I am so depressed I even agree to Jimmy’s insane project schedule that has me meeting him every Monday and Thursday until it is due.

Thursday after Jimmy's and my study session—can you believe, he has me researching the Hanging Gardens of Babylonia?—my cell phone rings.
PRIVATE it reads on the phone screen.
I pick up.

“Leah?” It is a boy’s voice.

“This is she,” I say in my most mature tone.

“It’s Winston.”

I jump up and down, but coolly say, “Oh hey, what’s up?”

“I was just calling to see what you are up to this weekend.”

I am not sure what to say.
Do I make like I am incredibly busy and important or tell the truth, that I don’t have a thing on the agenda and will do whatever he suggests?
I decide to be
vague
, “I’ve got a couple things planned.
Why?”

“Well, the guys and I are going to go and see a movie at Century Mall on Saturday, if you and your friends
wanna
meet us there.”

Yes, yes, yes.

“I guess so, what time?”

We iron out the details.
As soon as I hang up, I call Gilbert.
I mean how can I be mad at her now, I need advice, outfit planning, and a wingman.
She isn’t home so I leave a message.
I instant message the others letting them know what the plan is.
Maddy
and Rowan are in but Riley has to go to her grandparents.
She is so bummed.
At dinner I ask my mom if it is cool and see if she can drive us.
She says she will.
Everything is working out perfectly.

Gilbert IM’s me later that night.

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
hi

LeahLouis
:
hi

LeahLouis
:
did u get my message?

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
yes

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
sorry was with D studying

LeahLouis
:
did u two do anything?

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
lol

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
like what?

LeahLouis
:
like
kisssssssssss

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
NO!

LeahLouis
:
you swear?

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
on the bible

LeahLouis
:
hes
your bf

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
no
hes
not

LeahLouis
:
he totally is!

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
lol

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
don’t tell my mom!

LeahLouis
:
I would never!

LeahLouis
:
did u hear
bout
Sat?

LeahLouis
:
and Winston??????

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
yes

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
wahoo
!

LeahLouis
:
are you in?

Alex_aka_Gilbert
:
of course

LeahLouis
:
cool

Everything is perfect, I have my best friend back and a date with Winston—okay a group date—on Saturday.
What can go wrong?

Chapter 8

Saturday, November 14

Today’s horoscope: It’s a great time to gather friends for fun, laughter, and maybe even love.

It is Saturday morning.
The girls are over at my house, clothes cover the floor of my room, and it is almost time to go.

“Okay, what do you think of this one?”
I have on jeans and my sailor striped sweater.

“Maybe too cute,” says
Maddy
.
I look in the mirror and she is right.
Maddy
is by far our most fashionable friend.

“You don’t want to look like you are trying so hard,” Gilbert said.
She pulls a white button down out of the closet. “Here, try this.”

She’s right.
I look classic but casual.
I slip on my black ballet flats, and some hoop earrings and the outfit is complete.

My mom calls upstairs.
“Are you girls ready?”

We so are.

My mom drops us off at the mall.
We have about a half hour to kill before we are supposed to meet Winston.
We walk around looking in the different stores and head into Robert Sands.
Rowan picks up a sweater from the pile.

“
This is cute,” she says as she turns over the price tag.
“Oh!”

“I know I can’t afford anything in here on my measly allowance.
I just get ideas then buy the knock offs,”
Maddy
says.
We all think she is very smart.

As we wander past the skirt rack I hear Hannah’s voice from the dressing room.
“Have you guys seen Kate’s brother?
He is a total
hottie
.”

Emma steps out of her room.
“Yeah, he is totally gorgeous.
Too bad he goes to that
sucky
boarding school.”
Emma catches sight of me, “Oh, hi Leah.”
The rest of the
Fab
Five come out of their dressing rooms.

Olivia has an armload of clothes. “I think I am going to get all of these,” she says to her friends.
Rowan’s mouth opens but she closes it before anyone notices.

“What are you guys up to?”
Sophie says.

“Oh, we’re just here to catch a movie.”
I answer.

“Are you going to get that?”
Emma asks
Maddy
who is still holding onto a shirt she is looking at, knowing full well that it is out of her price range.

“M
y Gold Card is maxed out at the
moment, I guess I will just have to wait,”
Maddy
says and hangs it back on the rack. We put our hands over our mouths to hold back our laughter.

Olivia, who isn’t the brightest of the group says, “Oh, I know, I hate it when that happens.”
There is an awkward moment of silence.
Luckily my cell phone vibrates.
I pull it out of my pocket.
There is a text from Winston:
in front of theater
.