Note: Time is passing, this not the next day to the last post.
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“I’m not really sure I want to know what’s going on Eliza,” said Ray, one of Eliza’s study partners. Eliza could feel the warmth in her eyes, the puffiness and both were most likely beyond apparent. The burning that had to signify that her eyes were bright red was a huge reminder that she’d spent most of the night and day crying.
“No, it’s okay. I’m over it, it’s fine.” She sniffled a little before wiping at her swollen eyes and digging out a pen and a notebook so they could get down to business, getting homework done; even if all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep away the heartbreak.
“Right, fine. You look fine. Len, she looks great right? Why would we guess anything is wrong?” asked Ray, sarcasm very plain in his voice.
Len made up the remainder of their little nerd herd of a group, Eliza had actually made them t-shirts last Christmas that had said “Enginerding” since they were engineers and nothing they talked about made sense to most of the known world. It was like everyone in their department was from outer space and everyone, all three of them in the group, had developed their own language to describe something as simple as a triangle and the three lines that made it up.
“Oh shut it, you two. I’m fine. Let’s get back to this. I’ve plotted these equations but something is very wrong so I am pretty sure we are off somewhere,” said Eliza, gesturing to some graph paper that had been erased so many times it was starting to wear thin where she had attempted to plot. It was so worn in fact the graph lines were nearly invisible. A tear rolled down her nose and landed in a very warn spot that when she went to wipe it away the spot dissolved leaving a hole.
“Len, smack her. We don’t have time for girl stuff. Spit it out,” said Ray.
“Eliza, seriously put on your big girl pants. We’re guys and our attention spans are about as long as it takes to chug a beer. Be happy Ray over here has a heart of gold,” Len paused, and finished the rest under his breath. “At least when it comes to you, poor sap.”
Eliza wasn’t listening she was distracted and had started to doodle some more in the corner of her paper. She looked up when she heard a small thud from Ray apparently punching Len in the shoulder.
“Ouch, that was a jerk move,” said Len. “You’re such a chicken.”
“What did I miss?” Eliza looked at the two of them knowing she was missing something obvious but couldn’t see it. She was too consumed with the fact she’s just, well last night she’d just, found the theater major practicing the wedding night scene from Romeo and Juliet in his bed and without the scripts.
“Right,” said Ray, a look in his eyes that Eliza just couldn’t figure out. “Well, uh. I will be right back. Len hold down the fort.”
Eliza watched Ray walk out pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “Okay, let’s get this fixed.”
“Sure, sure, one second though. You do know that Ray has a thing for you right?”
Eliza felt her face burn a little, her cheeks no doubt turning rosy to match her swollen eyes. “I uh, well no, I don’t think he does.”
“No, he does. Believe me.”
“Well, how come he’s never asked me out of anything. He’s never done anything to show he likes me.”
Len’s face said it all, his raised eyebrows and his smirk like smile told Eliza he thought she was dumb. “Right. Because every guy would go back into six bars to find the purse you think you lost just to realize it’s in the back seat. I still won’t let him live that down. You don’t see me doing that, even for my girlfriend.”
“He’s just a good guy.” Eliza was slouching in her chair now, she really felt bad. She knew that Ray did a lot for her, but she did things for him too, heck there were times she even thought about kissing him, the long nights when they’d had to do not one, not two but three runs to the local coffee shop. She’d almost thought those thoughts were from the lack of sleep, but his looks had always made her feel beautiful, smart and well, cared for, if she had to admit it. But the timing had always be off she told herself and she was imaging his feelings.
“You two are made for each other, your both idiots. You two flirt like crazy. And I’m going out on a limb here but Mr. Perfect has just stepped out of your life for one reason or another, judging from the crying thing, that or your fish died. So now the timing is right.”
“I think you have it all wrong Len, I mean with Ray not me. Yes I’m single, again,” she paused as Ray came back in the room. He was holding an extra large pizza that if Eliza had to guess was a double pepperoni with garlic sauce, her favorite.
“Here. I ordered this when I heard your voice over the phone and I know pizza always cheers you up.”
Len just stared at Eliza and then turned to look at Ray. Eliza could read him perfectly; he was telling her as plain as day, “I told you so.” Poor Ray looked at them and had no idea, clueless, wide eyed and sweet as sweet can be.
