Page 22 of Just Friends Forever
“Just at Whole Foods.” There’s a pause. “Yeah, I’ll call you once I get home.”
He hangs up and slips his phone into his pocket. “She got off early today.”
“Oh, that’s great! Let’s hurry and finish, then.”
“There’s no rush,” he says as we leave the bulk foods, but as we head to the dairy section, our luck runs out.
A girl with frizzy, wavy brown hair and a generous sprinkling of freckles approaches us. I’m holding my breath to see whether it’s Troy or me she recognizes. She’s definitely noticed me, where the first guy didn’t even seem to realize I existed.
“Troy, right?” Her eyes shift to me. “And Stephanie?”
Troy and I glance at each other, unsure what to think. The likelihood of someone knowing us both—and not using our last names—is pretty slim.
I nod and scan the girl’s face. There’s a vague spark of familiarity about her, but I’ve seen so many faces in my life, figuring out why I recognize her is a futile pursuit. She’s got to be somewhere near our age—mid-twenties, definitely.
“I figured you wouldn’t recognize me,” she says with an understanding smile. It’s totally guileless and sweet, which relaxes me a little. “Sunset Heights. Class of ‘15.”
“Wait a sec,” Troy says, narrowing his eyes as he stares at her. “Margot Jensen?”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “I go by Maggie now, but yeah.”
My jaw slips open. I see it.
Margot Jensen was one of the most teased students at our school—middleandhigh school. The combination of freckles, frizzy hair, braces, and a prominent nose and lips were enough to make her an easy target.
I feel nauseated just thinking about it. I wish I had done more to befriend her then, but, like most kids, I was worried about being tainted by association. She’s really grown into herself, though. The freckles are still there—they’ve multiplied, actually. The frizz has gone down a lot, and her lips and nose don’t stand out at all anymore.
“Are you still playing guitar?” she asks Troy.
He chuckles. “I can’t believe you remember that. Um, no, not really. That’s kind of Austin’s domain.”
My head whips around. Troy stopped playing? He always loved guitar—and he was good at it too. I’m not sure if he’s avoiding my eye or just focused on the conversation with Margot—Maggie, I mean.
“Well, you both look great,” she says. “And it’s fun to see you’re still in touch. I know you’re trying to get shopping done, but I just wanted to say hi.”
“I’m so glad you did,” I say genuinely. Maggie seems the sort of kind, down-to-earth person everyone could use more of in their lives. “It’s really good to see you after all these years.”
“You too,” she says with a smile.
“Hey, Maggie,” I say when she turns away to her cart again.
“Yeah?”
I hesitate. This feels weird. But for some reason I can’t explain—sheer desperation and loneliness, maybe?—I’m doing it anyway. I can’t rely on Troy for all of my needs, and Maggie is a perfect embodiment of the type of people I want to seek out in my new life: completely normal. “We should get together for lunch sometime.”
The pause before her response makes me wonder if she still inhabits the same sort of space she did in our early school years—a lonely one with few invitations. Maybe we can be lonely together.
“I’d love that,” she says.
We exchange numbers, and I watch her walk off, feeling hopeful I’ve made a new friend—and one who doesn’t care that I was married to and am now divorced from a Hollywood star.
“Well,” Troy says, watching Maggie turn a corner. “That was unexpected.”
“Totally. A blast from the past.” I glance up at him and smile mischievously. “So far, both of the people we’ve been stopped by knowyou. Maybe I need to beyoursecurity detail.”
“It’s a lot harder than I make it look,” he says, readjusting his fake earpiece. Maggie emerges on the next aisle, and she smiles at us before reaching for a pack of granola bars.
“Do you think she’ll tell anyone about you?” The worry in Troy’s eyes stirs emotion in my chest. Under all the silliness, he’s genuinely concerned for me. Maybe it’s because of how much time I spent alone while Curtis lived his best life and shot movies, but it’s a big deal to feel like I matter so much to him. Especially given how terrible of a friend I’ve been to him.
