I wasn’t ever quite sure why people seemed to think I was magic or really knew what I was doing, or why they thought I was something special. I was just a girl who sucked at Math and was good at asking people questions. It wasn’t like I was anything special or anything.

I was also just the girl who was in love with Xavier Harland. But that wasn’t really anything that made me special, either. Half the girls-hell, more than half, probably more like 75%-were in love with him as well. I was just a small koi in a big pond.

“Twin,” a laugh broke through my reverie, “Tell the man what you want.”

I blinked, and turned to see the waiter staring at me with a half smile on his face. His light brown hair was pulled back into dreadlocks, making him look less professional than he really should while he was at work. Even if his workplace happened to be a small, local (at least, local as far as I knew) Mongolian restaurant.

“Oh, um, Mountain Dew,” I hadn’t even looked at the menu-it was times like these that made me happy that I always ordered the exact same thing.

“Mello Yello?” the man raised an eyebrow at me.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

The waiter nodded back at me before leaving. As soon as he was almost out of hearing distance, my friends Karina and Kylie busted out laughing.

“You’re so stupid, Twin,” Karina hit me on the back, still laughing. Her long black curly black hair fell over her shoulder as we all scooted out to make sure we got to the grill before the big rush that always followed shortly after us.

“Why do we always come here?” Kylie sighed, though her voice didn’t sound as upset as her words, “It’s so expensive.”

“Because it’s the only place we can eat in peace,” Karina rolled her eyes, “Everybody finds us if we go anywhere else.”

“Oh, right,” Kylie shot me a pointed look, “If you weren’t the school’s cupid, we’d be able to eat like normal high school girls.”

I shrugged, “It isn’t my fault. It’s not like I asked to be some sort of love guru.”

“Love guru,” Karina snorted, “It still makes me laugh everytime I hear it. You wouldn’t know a good couple if it came up behind you and smacked you on the ass.”

“I would too,” I stuck out my tongue at her and crossed my arms, before shrugging, “It’s just that I’m no good at setting people up,”

“Well, you’ve apparently been doing a good enough job for people to keep coming to you,” Kylie pointed out.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” I muttered. By then we had reached the buffet and so I grabbed two bowls to put my food into while I spoke, “At first it was okay because everyone just considered it a hobby or something-something to do for fun. But now… now everyone’s counting on me. If I mess up-”

“-Then it’s their own fault that they counted on someone who’s never even had a boyfriend, before.” Karina cut in with a smirk, “They should start taking love into their own hands instead of depending on someone else.”

Well, where as I had to agree that was true, I couldn’t quite say so. After all, I made a good chunk of money from those people who came to me for “advice”. I was ashamed to admit it, but I would hate to lose that dough.

I grabbed the tongs and picked up a bunch of already soggy noodles as Kylie went for the salmon and Karina for the beef. We laughed at how Hu Hot brought out the difference in us even more. It brought out Kylie’s inner fisherman as she only got seafood, Karina’s inner carnivore as she got every meat available and little to none of anything else, and my inner vegetarian as I never got any meat.

Just like our contrasting looks.

“I don’t know,” I said, moving on to the broccoli and tofu, “I get a lot of money from those people who want my ‘help’. I don’t know if I could let them go so easily.”

“Sure you can,” Karina nudged me playfully, “After all, it’s not like you’re getting much more than you do at work.”

“Yeah, but it still doubles the amount of my intake,” I force my lower lip out into a pout, “And with Christmas coming up, I need as much money as possible. I still have yet to buy any presents.”

My friend’s mouths dropped open at that.

“Are you kidding?” Kylie gasped, “Brit, Christmas isn’t even two weeks away! What are you waiting for?”

“That big bonus I’m supposed to be getting,” my voice betrayed the sarcasm I felt for that statement. I shrugged before heading for the corn, “I dunno, hoping to miss the big rush?”

“You know everyone does their Christmas shopping at the last minute,” Karina scolded, “You should’ve done it back at Thanksgiving like the rest of us.”

I rolled my eyes, “Sorry I’m not as prepared as the rest of you. I’ll make sure to keep that in mind for next year.” I moved ahead of them, onto the sauces.

If you were to take one look at the three of us, you’d wonder why we were friends. Karina had long, black crazy curly hair, naturally tanned skin, dark eyes and a dark sense of fashion to boot. I had no doubt she’d get a nose ring or a lip ring if her mother would let her. Kylie, on the other hand had medium-length wavy brown hair, slightly tanned skin, green eyes and was the type of girl who couldn’t leave the house without a cute outfit and makeup.

And then there was me… poor, little old Brittany with my long, straight-as-a-board blonde hair with bangs, blue eyes, albino skin and “I’m basically a fifty-year-old hobo” fashion sense. That day’s outfit consisted of a pair of red short shorts-even though it was only thirty degrees out-and one of my father’s gray, oversized sweatshirts.

It really made me wonder how I became known as the school’s “cupid” or whatever.

“Did you hear about the new councilor?” Kylie asked, after they had both caught up to me at the grill.

“Oh, you mean the one only every girl and her mother has been talking about?” Karina rolled her eyes, “No, of course not. But I do believe he’s an intern, not a legit councilor.”

“Whatever,” Kylie sighed, “Have you seen him, yet?”

“No,” Karina waved her hand dismissively, “I have a boyfriend, already, so it’s not like I care, anyway.”

“A boyfriend who’s twenty-five and lives in Denmark,” I pointed out like I always did whenever this boy was brought up, “Not to mention, you’ve never met face-to-face.”

Karina shrugged, “Does it really matter when it comes to love?”

“I swear, you’re going to get raped and killed in an alleyway, one of these days,” Kylie sighed, shaking her head before perking up, “But anyway, supposedly, this new intern is supposed to be really hot.”

“Really?” Karina asked, sarcastically, “You know, I never would’ve guessed that with all the girl’s fawning over him!”

Kylie rolled her eyes, “Are you capable of being normal?”

Karina shrugged, “Eh, it comes and goes.”

Kyle shook her head, “No, well anyway. I was in the office today, and I overheard the secretaries talking about how he’s apparently supposed to take on a student one-on-one to see how he does. For the rest of the year, the two of them will have private meetings at least once a week.”

“Once again, dollface,” Karina pointed to herself, “Boyfriend,” she pointed to me, “Love guru. Why does this matter?”

“Because he’s hot!”

I rolled my eyes, “Yeah, I think we’ve already covered this.” the two people ahead of me got their food at the same time my stomach growled. Good thing I was next, because apparently I was getting hungry.

“I’m just saying it’d be a good chance for one of you to get a real boyfriend for once.”

“I have a real boyfriend,” Karina shot back at the same time I said; “Blech, who would want a real boyfriend?”

Kylie shook her head, “Now I’m beginning to wonder why I hang out with you two….”

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Okay, so it wasn’t like I’d never thought about getting a boyfriend before-I had. I mean, what seventeen-year-old girl hadn’t at least once in her life? It was just… I don’t know. Complicated. Sure, I was in love with Xavier, but as previously stated, every girl in the school was. Besides, there was a part of me that liked being a single pringle. The side that knew that the only reason I really wanted a boyfriend was for the ability to say I’d had one. I already had guys to hold my bags at the mall, and lean nonchalantly up against the locker next to my own. Guys who were just friends.

And right now, the cutest guy in school was doing just that.

“C’mon, Brit!” Xavier was saying as he crossed his arms, waiting for me to finish what I was doing, “I really need a ride to school tomorrow!”

“I’m sorry, VeVe,” I shrugged, working to keep my voice calm. “VeVe” was a nickname I’d given him back in elementary school when we’d first met and I couldn’t say his full name. I was the only one allowed to still call him that, “But I just can’t. You take me too far out of my way. Why can’t you go ask one of your other girlfriends?”

“Because I don’t want them knowing where I live.” Xavier blanched, “I’d never get any peace and quiet.”

I raised an eyebrow at him, barely turning my head as I did so, “A little bit full of yourself, aren’t you?”

Xavier shot me a half-hearted glare, “You know it’s true.”

“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t change the fact that you sound conceited when you say that.”

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. Why am I being so cool with the guy I’m supposed to be in love with? Well, the answer was simple. I hadn’t always been in love with him. We became friends in first grade, when I creamed his ass at tetherball, but my feelings didn’t start showing up until middle school and by then it would’ve been too weird if I had told him.

“Please, Brit?” Xavier pouted, “I’ll give you money for gas if I have to!”

“It’s not gas that’s the problem,” I shut my locker and turned to face him fully, “It’s the fact that it’ll take too much time and I have no room in my car. You forget I have to pick up Karina, as well.”

“Can’t Karina just get a ride from Kylie?”

I stared at him in shock, my mouth hanging open, before shaking my head, “Wow, I can’t believe you actually said that.” I was about to say more, but suddenly a voice popped up over the announcements. Normally, I wouldn’t listen, but something caught my attention. My name being said.

“Brittany Fields, please come to the counseling office.”