Interim Goddess of Love #1 of 3 (COMPLETE)

Chapter 6

The next day, Kathy made a grander entrance into the Guidance Office, guaranteeing that she would not be missed.

If the clatter of her chunky heels running down the hall into our room wasn't a clue, then the dramatic whoosh of the door opening, and then the bang of it slamming shut behind her, definitely was.

I just so happened to have the printout of Carson's psych test in my hand, which I dropped when I heard the door.

"I got another gift," she declared, setting down a box of pastries on my desk.

A head peeked out of one of the meeting rooms. It was guidance counselor Farrah, who happened to be in a session with a freshman student at the time.

"Everything all right here?" she asked.

"Yes," Kathy and I said at the same time.

She looked like she didn't believe us, but I could explain it all—or at least lie—to her later. Ms. Farrah was cool.

* * *

So, another thing I had in common with Kathy—mangoes were, truly, the best thing ever. Ripe mangoes, the dark yellow ones, would be my true love. Crunchy green ones, not so much, but I did have moods when only that and spicy sweet bagoong would make things better.

Although given the choice, I would take a ripe mango fresh and whole, and eat with my hands (peeling the skin gradually around) instead of put it in a pastry.

But I would not say no to mangoes in pastry.

"This is so, so yummy," Kathy said, in between bites.

"It's the best thing ever," I said, for the third time. "How did you even get this? I thought you couldn't send food through the mail service."

"I'm almost sure that someone got paid off there. They won't tell me, and it's impossible that they don't know who's doing this."

"It's not Carson," I told her, dropping my voice to a whisper.

Kathy's eyes widened, and then she gulped a little loudly, probably swallowing some shame with her mango tart. "I thought so. Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

"He's not over Martha, right?"

"Not yet. So this other guy, Ian, he knows about your thing for mangoes too?"

She paused, and then nodded. "Yeah, he does."

"We'll find out then."

The tart was perfect, by the way. Mango tarts were tricky because a too-sweet mango could ruin the thing, but this was perfect. Like the baker adjusted the cream and crust sweetness to match the fruit.

"What exactly are you doing, Hannah?" Kathy asked. "I mean, I don't mind that you're helping, but when I tell you stuff, what exactly do you do after?"

I shrugged. "I find out what's up. So you get your answers. Don't you want that?"

"Do they know that you're asking because of me?"

"Not at all."

"All right, good." She wiped a bit of tart crust off her lip, which reminded me to do the same. "I just worry, that's all."

"I'm so stealthy, they don't even know you know anything."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to charm them—in a subtle way."

Never in my life had I been called charming, subtle or not. I knew it wasn't me, but the goddess thing—I couldn't even take credit for it.

Kathy cleared her throat. "Because I do want the answer, don't get me wrong. I just hope it doesn't ruin anything."

Fear. Not the for-her-life kind, but strangely close, and it was making my own heart pound just from being near it. She was doing the thing we teenagers do, trying to act as if this kind of thing didn't bother us in the slightest.

Trying. Because, come on. This was the most exciting thing that ever happened to her. I had her heart in my hands. Her hopes for a memorable first relationship were all on me. Did I even know what I was doing?

Not going to tell her that.

So instead I told her I was proceeding with loads of caution, loads. "Don't worry. The bright side is that someone cares enough about you to do this. Your only problem, really, is if you like him back. That's not even a problem."

Some girls were just lucky.