Free The Devil's Tattoo by Nicole R. Taylor Page B

cup and walked over to the bin, doing my best to ignore Dee's
laughter and so I could escape my awkward nightmare.
    As I walked back, Simone gave me a
knowing grimace.
    "Can I ride with you?" I
asked, wryly. It's only an hour to the Gold Coast, but I couldn't think of
anything worse than riding in that bus today.
    She looked at me and then looked at the
boys loitering in the car park and nodded. "Sure."
    "Zoe?" Dee called as we began
to walk towards the car.
    "I'm riding with Simone
today," I called back. "I'll entertain you tomorrow."
    He shielded his eyes from the sun and
even without seeing, I could tell he was concerned. He
would be kicking himself now for pushing me towards Will. Something so small
shouldn't get to me like this, but he knew me well enough to know it cut. I
waved him off and opened the passenger side door to Simone's rental. As I
settled in, she slid on her black rimmed glasses and
started the car. On anyone else, they would look awkward, but she can pull the
nerd glasses off like no one's business. She turned on the radio to Absolute and a Two Door Cinema Club song was playing. As the
bus pulled out of the car park, she followed, tapping her fingers against
the wheel. She shifted in her seat about a million times before we'd even hit
the highway and it was only a few blocks away.
    "Are you okay?" I asked,
glancing to her then to the road ahead where the bus with my awkward crush and
my infuriating best friend was sitting at a traffic light.
    "Can I ask you a question?"
she asked.
    "Uh, sure," I replied,
curious as to what had her worked up.
    "How well do you know Chris?"
    "Chris?" I asked surprised.
    "Yeah, you guys spend a lot of
time together. With the band and stuff."
    "Yeah, I guess we know each other
pretty well."
    "Does he ever mention me?"
She said it in a small voice which made me think she
was embarrassed to be talking about him.
    "Simone? Do you like him?"
    Her skin is so pale, it was totally obvious when she blushed. "I've known him for years,"
she said. "But we haven't been that close. Not until now."
    "You should tell him. He's a good guy.
Ask him out."
    "But, what if he doesn't feel the
same way?"
    I felt stupid giving her advice when I
couldn't take it myself. "You might have to take the chance."
    "Could you say something to him? I
mean , to see how he might take it?"
    "Like an undercover cop?" I
joked.
    She laughed and I was glad my joke had
succeeded in cheering her up a little. "It's just, I'm firmly in the
friend zone."
    "And you don't know how to get out
of it?"
    "Totally. Would you ask him?"
    "Sure. I'll scope it out."
    "Covertly," she grinned at
me.
    "Covertly."
    We merged onto the highway behind the
bus and it was smooth sailing until we hit the beach. We both laughed when Walls came onto the radio and she made me sing along. It always felt weird hearing my
own voice coming back at me out of a set of speakers, but it was slowly growing
on me. So far, Simone hadn't brought up the coffee incident but I should have
known she was biding her time to bring up boy chat again. It seemed to be her favourite thing.
    "So, what's with you and
Will?" She peered at me with one eye on the road.
    "What are you talking about?"
I said a little too quickly.
    "You like him," she laughed
at my reaction.
    "Not gunna happen."
    "Why not?"
    "Why would it?" I grimaced.
    "He'd be stupid not to go for
you."
    "I don't want a fling," I
said, annoyed.
    "Hmm," Simone said, in
thought. "He does have that reputation doesn't he?"
    "Which is why it will never
happen."
    "That was awkward as hell back
there."
    "One of the more stupid reactions
I've had."
    "Don't be so hard on yourself,
Zoe," Simone said kindly. "I've seen him looking at you."
    "People do that when I'm on
stage."
    "No, not then."
    I frowned. When would he look at me?
    "The other night at the Hi-Fi  back
in Melbourne," she continued as if she'd read my thoughts.
    "He was all over that girl."
    "He was hardly paying attention to
her. He was too busy