And what exactly is your point?
Ezra
you have a hard time thinking of me as your boyfriend because we grew up together, but I don’t have that problem with you
I read the message over and over like it’s going to change. Something stirs inside my stomach, a stampede of butterflies I don’t want to feel, so I ignore them.
Me
no, I have a hard time thinking of you as my boyfriend because I can’t stand you.
Ezra
well, maybe it’s time to change that
Me
impossible
Ezra
we’ll see
I close my eyes. My stomach swims at the thought of Ezra thinking of me in a girlfriend way, but it shouldn’t. I have no reason to want that. Not after the way he treated me.
The next day at school, Meredith is all smiles and chatter with me. It makes me so happy, because her renewed kindnesstoward me is proof that I wasn’t the only one who was hurt by our fight. She missed me, too. At lunch, she shows me a funny video on her phone titled “Orange Cat Behavior” while we’re waiting for everyone else to show up. The two of us laugh at all the crazy splices of videos showing cats being silly.
“I’ve been dying to show this to you for so long,” she laughs. “No one else would think it’s funny but you.”
And then she swipes to see the next video. It’s a guy doing social experiments to try and catch couples cheating. Meredith’s smile immediately fades, and she solemnly shuts her phone off, stuffing it in her skirt pocket. The memory of her crying on my shoulder in the bathroom last year comes to mind again, but before I can say anything, the rest of our friends get to the table. The video is forgotten, and for the rest of the day, things feel like they used to.
After school, I get ready for our double date with a grin still on my face, leftover from the day. But threatening my happiness is my nerves about faking it with Ezra. There’s still a lot we haven’t discussed, and the last thing I want is for us to get caught without an answer to something Meredith or Carlton might ask.
I take out my phone and call him. When he answers, a stampede of bubbles pops in my tummy, one by one.
“Hey, Sullivan.”
“Hey,” I manage. “I need you to do me a favor. As my fake boyfriend.”
“What is it? You sound nervous.”
“I’m not nervous. I’m just…” I sigh. “Okay, fine.”
Some of the teasing leaves his tone. “What is it, Rue?”
“Can we please go over some stuff Meredith might ask before this date? Just common things we should know about each other?”
“Sure. Like what?”
“Like…how we got together, and when. Or our favorite colors, and what our first date was.”
There’s a pause, and I picture him smiling on the other end of the phone. “Okay…how about we got together at one of my games? I can come up with details if she asks. And let’s just say it happened right before break.”
“Okay.” I take a deep breath.
“As for your favorite color, do you still not have one?”
Wow…he remembers that?“Nope. Still don’t have one.”
