PICTURE OF YOU

ABIGAIL

I sighed for the nth time, listening to my two friends boasting and blabbering about their boyfriends. How hot, and how a good kisser, sweet, loving, and a lot more. I cringe and twitch my lips, rolling my eyes in annoyance. Every day, these things I heard from my friends made me gag in disgust, especially when they talked about how their boyfriends stuck their tongues in their throats. Ewww!!!! Yuck!!!!

I don't envy them. It just annoyed me to hear every single day. Mia changes her boyfriend every week, saying she can get any guy she wants with just a wink of her eyes, while Cora has lots of guys like her because of her feisty attitude. These two not to boast, but are very popular in our school, because of their beauty, that's not the only reason, they are also intelligent like me, that's why all the students wondered how they become friends with a wallflower like me.

Yes, I'm intelligent, and my two friends said I would be beautiful if I changed my fashion style. Still, I doubt them because no one recognizes that beauty except them, and heck, I'm comfortable with how I dress up: lose shirt, baggy pants, and my hair always in a messy bun, together with my Converse when I'm outside the school. I don't like to wear a skirt and dresses. What if when strong air passes and blows my skirt up, they'll see my underwear? It's a big no.

I quickly moved my eyes away from my two friends when their attention went to me, pretending I was enjoying staring at our classmate doing some crazy thing in front of us, like dancing, singing, and throwing paper balls, while waiting for our Math teacher who always came late.

"Abby, I have someone to introduce you. I'm sure you will like him." Mia started. "I'll set a blind date with the two of you." I groaned in annoyance. These two friends of mine are going to be a death of me. They always set me up to a blind that turns into a disaster. How many times have they set me on a blind date? Once, twice, or thrice? I couldn't remember anymore.

I remember one time, they set me on a blind date with this guy named Carlo, and they forced me to wear a dress and heels, a total makeover, they called it. At that time, I found myself beautiful, but I never knew the guy was a complete asshole. We're unable to sit at our seats because we bump into each other without getting to know each other before we reach our table in a hurry. Since I'm wearing these killer heels, I fall to the floor. Still, before that, I grasped a hold of the table near me, but sadly, I only held onto the tablecloth. Maybe I was unlucky that day because a couple was eating at that table, and all the food above it flew up in the air, and it all went to the guy who bumped me.

The guy furiously screamed at me, how stupid, pathetic, and dumb I was, embarrassing me, cursing me nonstop, while I was still on the floor laying flat on my stomach, embarrassed as hell. I only wanted that time to vanish because of embarrassment. He didn't even help me to stand up, so I did it myself despite my humiliation, head hung down, but he never stopped insulting me, how stupid I am, and because I am the kind that has long patience, I just listened to him until my last thread of patience snap when I can handle it anymore. I throw a punch at his handsome face, startling him. I quickly ran out of the restaurant and saw my two friends lounging near Mia's car, waiting for twenty minutes to pass before they left. Twenty minutes to make sure that I liked my date before they would leave me.

When they saw me, they quickly ran to me, worries written all over their face, seeing how messy I was. I told them what happened, and I found out that guy was supposed to be my date. Sighed.

"No!" I quickly declined, sighing, remembering those previous blind dates that were a big disaster.

"But Abby, we're in a senior year now, and you still don't have a boyfriend," Cora said in annoyance.

"Promise you will like this one. His name is James. He's a gentleman. A senior like us and I heard that he's going to transfer to our school together with his friends. He's a friend of mine, Abby. I'm sure you will like him."

"I already have a boyfriend." I blurted out a lie to stop them from forcing me to meet this James guy but quickly cursed myself.

"You what?"

I can't take back what I said. I took a deep breath. "I have a boyfriend," I repeat, rolling my eyes for effect, and pick my notes on my lap and pretend I'm reading them, but Mia snatches it away from my hold, glaring at me.

"I know you're lying. You only don't want to go on the blind date, I'm saying." Mia glares at me together with Cora. These two always join forces about finding a boyfriend for Abby always. They're annoying, but I love them, and I know they love me too, but I wanted this blind date things to stop.

"I really have a boyfriend. I met him in the restaurant. He's one of our customers."

"Stop making up stories, Abby. I know when you're lying because the tip of your ears turns red." Mia said matter of factly, and Cora nodded in agreement.

Crap, these two know me well. "Promise over the dead body of our math teacher. Ouch!!! Mia, that hurt. Ouch, my arms. Your hand is like a stone. Lòok at my arm is now red." I winced nursing it.

"Serve you right. How can you use our math teacher for your lie." She seethed, glowering at me.

"I'm not lying, and I'm sure you won't mind if our Math teacher.....

"Don't finish that sentence." She warned. I just pouted and then smiled at her. Mia crossed her arm over her chest, chin up, looking straight into my eyes.

"If you really have a boyfriend, show us his picture. Let us see his face." She said, challenging me.

Crap as hell. Where do I get that picture? Stupid lips for making up a silly lie. "Umm...I can't." I bite my inner cheek, avoiding their scrutinizing eyes.

"You can't because you don't have a picture of him, because your boyfriend is just your imagination, and you're lying with us just to avoid a blind date," Mia stated.

"No, it's not like that. I...I..just don't have a picture of him. We were only going out for a week." I stuttered, making up another lie. "But I will ask him for a picture, and I'll show it to the both of you." Shit, I'm doomed.

"Okay, tomorrow, show it with us," Cora said, her eyebrow raising with a smirk. Sweat started to form on my forehead and my back. Where the hell should I get that picture? And they want it tomorrow as in tomorrow.

"Umm!! Can you guys give me a week?"

"A week? He's your boyfriend, can you ask him later about that picture? I'm sure he came to the restaurant daily because his girlfriend worked there." Mia smirked. And I know she was thinking. "I know you're lying, Abby."

"How about after five days?" I said with hopeful eyes. I need more time to make a plan and where to find this damn picture.

"Three days," Cora said, grinning.

"Two," Mia said, standing up, ready to leave for our next lesson because our math teacher didn't show up, ending the conversation.

"Okay, three," I said in defeat. I always lose with two combined powers. They grinned and high-fived.

"Okay, that means you'll show us your boyfriend's picture on Monday?" Perfect." Mia said with an evil grin on her face.

"I'm dead." I walked ahead with a deflated shoulder while they just laughed behind me.

Evil friends.

***

I walked like a corpse the following day toward the restaurant. Last night, I couldn't sleep, even just a wink. I've been thinking where to get that damn picture. I've been wracking my brain to find the answer but get nothing. If I get it from the Internet, I'm sure my friends quickly find out. Did I ever mention that Mia is a computer genius? I think not, and Cora is an expert in Photoshop. If I photoshop a picture, they'll instantly know it. How could I make up a lie about that boyfriend thing again, ah, because I don't want to go on that blind date? Stupid me.

I arrived at the restaurant and finished my work without my knowing. I aimlessly walked again without direction and found myself in front of a mall. I sighed and just trudged inside and looked around to entertain myself. I walked inside one of the boutiques with different beautiful dresses hanging around. I smile, running my finger on the expensive silk dress around. It felt good to touch. Never in my life have I got a beautiful and costly dress like this. I sighed, made my way out of the boutique, and continued walking around.

After an hour of strolling around, I exited the mall, but someone caught my attention. A guy walking toward the entrance of the mall together with his friends. He was smiling with what his friends were saying.

I moved closer to them and followed them inside. I don't know why I do it, but it seems like my feet have a mind of its own. Then I gasped when his eyes moved in my direction, with a smile still plastered on his lips. It was just a second, but it took my breath away.

They continued to walk inside, and I silently followed them until they went to the food court and settled at the vacant table in the corner. Maybe I'm just crazy and stupid because I did the most foolish thing I ever did in my life, which changed my peaceful life into a disaster.

I went near him and snapped a picture of him.