Read Out of the Blue for Free Online Page B

guy said, jumping back from the sink. “Wrong bathroom!”
    “I’m sorry,” she said, holding up her hands. “I didn’t look before I came in.” She pulled her hands dripping wet from the sink and headed towards the door backwards.
    “Ha ha,” the guy said, pulling a paper towel down from the roller and handing it to her before drying his own. “Molly Harper, isn’t it? Gosh I love what you did to Cynthia.”
     
    Justin froze from where he sat in the stall. He’d followed her in and had hoped to just alert Molly to the fact that she’d gone into the wrong restroom. But now she was talking to someone who actually had the balls to talk to a woman in the men’s bathroom and there was nothing he could do without embarrassing her and showing himself. He knew she’d be upset to know he followed her, and humiliated to know that he knew she’d messed up like that. He’d have hated it if he were in her position. Then again, they were very different in how much they cared about what other people thought. Maybe he shouldn’t assume that she felt the same as he did. Maybe he could just go out there and —
    “Like I said, really ballsy,” the guy said. Justin could hear his feet moving, could hear Molly’s heels tapping. She seemed to be heading for the door. He seemed to be as well. “Also going in the men’s restroom. Kind of kinky.”
    He heard a snort. “Hardly. It was a mistake.” He heard the heels move and the shoes move. The door opened and closed.
    “Please move,” she said.
    “No,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m here with Molly Harper, alone in the restroom. You look great you know.”
    “And you smell drunk, Chad.”
    That’s it , Justin thought. Feelings or not, I’m going out there .
    “I’m not,” Chad said. “If you’d have looked like this when you asked me to prom, I wouldn’t have said no.”
    “Oh. Great,” Molly said.
    Chad said something back, and Justin heard shoes scuff the ground. Molly squeaked.
    Time’s up. Justin pushed out of the stall and saw Molly against the wall, Chad bent over her. Justin got there in a second, pulled Chad off, and realized Chad was bent over in pain, holding his groin.
    “So you followed me?” Molly said.
    Justin let Chad sink to the ground, slightly disappointed that he had no excuse to teach him a further lesson. “You’re the one in a men’s bathroom.
    “I came in on accident. Why’d you follow me?”
    “I guess I was worried.” He shook his head. “Look, we should probably continue this outside the bathroom.”
    Justin followed Molly back to the front lobby, dreading the conversation that was probably coming.
    “Thanks for trying to help,” she said.
    “Looks like you didn’t need it.” He pulled his leg back up and picked at his sock.
    “I still appreciate it. You always did know how to show up at the right moment.”
    He watched her for a moment. Was she actually complimenting him? That was something she hadn’t really ever done even when they were friends before.
    “Yeah. You never did get to thank me properly for that.”
    “Well, you didn’t give me a chance. You disappeared.”
    She was right. He’d run and he had no way to explain. Outside, the sun was shining and the wind was dying down.
    “You’re probably right,” he said. “I don’t really have a good explanation. Not one I can give you. Not now.”
    “What did happen that night, Justin? Why did you disappear?”
    He wasn’t ready to tell her. Not ready for her pity, or for her to think him disgusting.
    “I’ll tell you sometime,” he said. “I promise. Just not now.”
    “Why didn’t you try to tell me? Why didn’t you send any word?” She wrung her hands slightly. “I may not have meant much to you, but you were my best friend. I missed you. I thought I’d done something wrong.”
    “No no,” Justin said. “You didn’t do anything. I couldn’t contact anyone. I just can’t tell you why yet, but I promise it’ll make sense