I can’t believe Ezra’s plan worked. At least so far.When the car stops in front of my house, Meredith turns down the music. “Hey, Rue.” Her tone is bright and happy. It sounds just like old times. “I know it’s last-minute, but I was wondering if you and Ezra wanted to come out with me and C tomorrow after school?”
“T-together?” I blink, unsure if I heard that correctly. “Like a double date?”
“Yeah, you should do it, Rue. It will be fun,” says Mabel. “Tucker and I were supposed to go with them, but we had a change of plans.”
A pause. And then Meredith’s face sinks into suspicion. It’s so familiar it makes my stomach cramp. “Sorry, would that beweird for you and Ezra? I know you two are still new. Unless it’s some other reason.”
She doesn’t say the words, but I hear the thought loud and clear.
Unless it’s Carlton you really want.
If only she knew Carlton has absolutely nothing to do with why I’m panicking, and that my complicated thoughts toward my fake boyfriend are the real problem.
But the whole point of this “relationship” with Ezra is to show her I don’t want Carlton.
So I swallow my nerves and say, “No, it’s fine. I’d love to go. Ezra and I are in. What are we doing?”
“Hmm. I was thinking we’d get lobster rolls and ride the swan boats at Public Garden. They’re opening early this year since it’s been unseasonably warm.”
She says it casually, but my chest brims with flutters at her insanely romantic date idea. “Sounds great,” I manage. “We’ll be there.”
After I get inside, I work up the nerve to text Ezra. When I see the name he entered on my phone, I don’t know whether to laugh or roll my eyes.
Me
hey
Ezra Davis the Contagious
hey
I shake my head and edit his contact info, deleting the text until only his first name is left.
Me
there’s no way I was going to leave you in my phone that way. I hope you know that.
Ezra
aw, man. Why not? It’s funny
Me
It’s stupid
Ezra
you’re the one who made it up, though
Me
yeah, well I was stupid back then
I still remember the day he’s referring to, me giggling in sixth-grade history class when Ezra couldn’t stop sneezing at his desk, which was right next to mine. He kept promising it was only allergies, but then I sneezed too, and called him Ezra Davis the Contagious. And I kept it going every time he sneezed after that. It never made him angry, though. If anything, he owned it like a compliment, which made it even funnier to me.
I shake the memories away and send him another message.
Me
