The Signature Room

“Hey Erin, come to dinner with me and Bryan?” asked Lindsey.

“Um… Sure. I guess,” I said hesitantly.

“Awesome, meet me at my room around 5:00 PM and Bryan will drive us to the John Hancock tower.”

“Okay.”

How could I say no? Lindsey and I had been best friends since 3rd grade, when I moved to Chicago. She was my sister from another mister, so to speak. We did everything together. We lived down the street from each other. Her mom and my mom were in the same yoga club and they introduced us to each other. I didn’t want to disappoint her so I accepted the invitation.

Our freshman year of high school, things started to get a little weird between Lindsey and me. I was in art club and Genesy’s Works and Lindsey was a cheerleader and in National Honor Society. Lindsey had always been the easy-going and likable girl. I was not as outgoing as Lindsey.

Lindsey had a new boyfriend named Bryan. Lindsey helped me get my first boyfriend that year too. It was sophomore year, but that didn’t last long; he had only gone with me because Lindsey persuaded him to. Bryan was the captain of the football team and Lindsey was head cheerleader. He was 6’3”, tanned, with a muscular build like a MAC truck. She was short with a thin-build and a beautiful olive complexion and big brown eyes. Perfect couple, right? Yeah, I thought so too.

When a boy comes in the middle of a friendship, things aren’t the same. There becomes a distance between close friends to a point where they are not so close anymore. I could not say certain things around Bryan while I was with Lindsey that I would have told her anyway. She made me tag along with everything that they did together. I would rather have not been invited to everything they did as a couple. A relationship between a girlfriend and a boyfriend is meant for two not three. I guess she did not want me to feel left out.

 

Knock, Knock, Knock. The loud sound vibrated my door. It was Lindsey coming to drag me out of my room.

“Erin you were supposed to meet me at my house at five,” yelled Lindsey. “I know you’re in there. C’mon.”

“Okay!  I’m just getting ready, hold on,” I yelled back.

I had totally forgotten about dinner with Lindsey and Bryan. I went to my room and took a nap right after my last class of the day. I quickly threw on some old jeans and a floral blouse that I had worn last week. I soaked myself with the most potent smelling Victoria Secret perfume I had and managed my hair into a messy bun.

“You could look better,” Lindsey suggested.

“Fuck you,” I said with a giggle.

“No thank you. I have a boyfriend for that,” Lindsey replied in a sarcastic tone. We both laughed.

I tried to acknowledge Bryan’s presence.

“Hi, Bryan,” I said.

He glanced at me and looked irritated.

There was an awkward moment of silence as we walked toward Bryan’s car.

“Well…we’re going to the Signature Room in the John Hancock tower. I heard it has the best view in the city. A lot of famous people go there to get the best view of Chicago, better than the Sears Tower,” said Lindsey.

“Oh, cool. I can’t wait.” I replied sarcastically.

I was officially a third wheel. Being a third wheel is the most awkward feeling a person can have.