“Just my luck,” Calvin grumbles. He stands, grabbing up his tray and drink. “See you all in the waiting area.”
“What just happened?” I ask, turning back to the table as Calvin stalks away. “Who’s Patti?”
“The girl with the pink hair,” Felix tells me, nodding back in the direction they’d all been looking a minute ago. “She’s one of the commentators who presents for the live streams of the competitions.”
I crane my neck again to try to spot her. “Why did he run away when he saw her?”
My gaze lands on a tiny, fairy-like woman in the breakfast line. Her pink hair is cut in a cute bob, with choppy bangs, and she looks more like she belongs backstage at an emo concert than a speed-cubing competition. Which is to say, she looks very cool. My jeans and plain maroon sweater feel incredibly bland in comparison to her cropped lace tank top, fishnets, and combat boots.
Sebastian shrugs. “He just does that when she’s around.”
“He’s always been weird about her, and when she started commentating it got worse,” says Lukas.
“He claims she’s more critical of him than she is of any other speedcuber,” Elliot tells me.
“Is she?” Even though I’m not interviewing anyone this weekend and can’t exactly put this information in my article without Calvin’s permission—and even if I thought he’d talk to me about Patti, which I doubt he would, I’m not about to turn my article into a gossip column—I can’t help the way my reporter brain begins to whir with the possibilities.
“She’s generally pretty snarky, so it’s difficult to tell,” admits Felix with a shrug as his phone beeps with an incoming text. He looks down at the screen. “My mom just dropped her bag at the desk. I’ll let her know where we are.”
“She’s coming here? Now?” I pull out my phone and check in my camera to make sure I have nothing in my teeth. At least my hair isn’t as frizzy as I feared.
“Of course,” says Felix, surprise in his voice. “She’s not going to be able to check in for a few hours, so she may as well come see us before we have to go get ready.” He stands and scans the room, then waves slightly. “There she is.”
I can’t believe I’m going to have to tell Ronnie she was right. She is going to give me so much shit.
The blonde woman walking toward us is all color and pattern. Bold orange and green stripes make up her long dress, which clashes slightly with a bright yellow canvas purse. This is clearly not someone who is used to sitting off to the side, but prefers being the center of fun.
“Hi, Mom.” Felix hugs her and kisses her on the cheek. He gestures to the chair recently vacated by Calvin. “Do you want to join us?”
The last parents I met were Ronnie’s, the day we moved into the dorm freshman year, and they were already there when I arrived and they came over to introduce themselves to me. Should I introduce myself, or wait for Felix to introduce us? I’m not sure if I should stand to greet her, to show respect? Would that make me look a little too eager to make her like me? Or make it seem like I’m more important to her son than I really am?
“Good morning, gentlemen,” she says, slowly moving around the table and hugging each of the guys in turn as they stand and greet her.
I fidget with my napkin, waging an internal battle with myself over what I should be doing.
“Would you like us to get you something to eat?” offers Felix.
“I didn’t stay here last night, so that wouldn’t be appropriate,” says Felix’s mom. She indicates me, still sitting paralyzed by nerves and indecision. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”
“This is Rebecca,” says Felix.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Rebecca. I’m Summer,” she says, and I force myself to snap out of it and stand up. I’m thinking I’ll just shake her hand, but she pulls me in and hugs me just as warmly as she’d hugged each of the guys before taking the vacant chair across from her son. “What events are you competing in this weekend?”
“Oh, no, I’m not a speedcuber.” I’m surprised that anyone would think I’m here to compete. I mean, I know I’m smart, but if I had to say what sort of smart vibes I give off, I’d saybook nerd. Definitely notmath genius. “I’m just here for fun, kind of last minute.”
I try to pass it off as if it’s no big deal that I’m here watching these guys compete for a national championship. That I’m skipping a full day of classes to spend time with them and support them. That I’m meeting their parents and cubing friends like I’m someone who might ever see any of these people again after this.
“Yikes, last minute,” says Summer, making a face. “Where did you end up getting a room? When I dropped off my bag to be stored at the desk until check in, they said they were completely full. There’s some sort of business conference happening this weekend too.”
“Oh, um.” I glance at the guys, but none of them offers to help me out, so I guess I’m on my own. “I’m just … crashing with the guys.”
Felix’s mom freezes for a moment, and then she smiles like she just won the lottery. “Of course, yes, that makes sense. Even if you could get a room of your own, there’s no sense in paying for multiple rooms if you don’t have to.”
“If you don’t want to eat, would you like anything else?” ask Lukas, checking his watch. I don’t think he realizes that he’s saving me from the inevitable word vomit that would follow Summer’s response to my staying with her son and his friends, but I am so grateful that I don’t have a chance to embarrass myself. “We have a few minutes before we have to go back to the waiting area before our event.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind one of those fancy city coffees,” Summer admits.
Felix is already opening the map app on his phone and searching up the nearest coffee places. “There’s a café about a six-minute walk down the road.” He looks torn, and I’m betting a twelve-minute round trip plus time to order is cutting it too close for his liking.
