I do not like that, but I understand. Zane is hard to like.
His complicated nature makes him…rough. He is so unlike Everest, and I do not fully understand how or why they are such close friends. But Everest adores him, and so I must as well.
I will try to understand why he behaves the way he does.
“Sorry, man,” Brody says, the ice falling away from my face and hanging loosely in his hand. “I don’t agree with that guy. He was totally overthinking it. Everyone was super into it. You’re like really strong.”
“I knowwww.”
“Yeah, good. We wouldn’t let anyone mess with our friend.”
“Frennnnds.”
“Yeah, friends. Come on. Let’s get you a latte. Then you can drink it while we do the StairMaster.”
I do not understand the StairMaster. It is a master of nothing, and the stairs go nowhere, but they enjoy it. They say it is good for their butts.
I do not know why. Their butts are small and round. They have not changed much when they get off the endless, pointless stairs, but they seem to value it.
So, we walk to the back of the gym, and I get my latte, saying hello to Rosie and telling her the best I can that I will be in tomorrow morning before following my three friends to the machine that walks uphill to nowhere, sipping on the delicious milk and espresso as I pretend to ascend over and over. My eyes linger on Zane, who is across the gym. He is doing the rowing machine, his eyes on Quilliyn, who is talking with a human woman, their lips both curled up in smiles.
Zane seems to row faster.
He seems angered by the interaction Quilliyn is having with this woman.
I do not know why, but for some reason, I want to make him feel better. I want Everest to be proud of me for trying to make his best friend happy.
Hopping off the stair machine without turning it off, I toss my latte cup into the trash. I make my way toward Zane, whose eyes have moved from Quilliyn to me. His cheeks, which were already red, darken.
He suddenly stops rowing and glances up at me, sweat dripping down his temples and onto his cheeks. He lifts a towel and mops his face.
“What’s up? You need something?”
“You wannn latte? Myyy treaaat?” I don’t fully understand that phrase either, but Dante uses it, and so does Everest, and it always means they will pay with their own money as a gift.
He cocks his head, and his face scrunches up. “I mean, a latte will make my heart race, but thanks…”
My lips purse and my mind whirls. “Smoootheee?”
He huffs a small laugh. “You really want me to drink something, huh? Is this a monster thing?”
“No, your frennnd.”
He seems shocked by that, and his eyes turn toward the ground for a quick moment. He inhales deeply, and then his gaze flicks up to mine once more. “Yeah, fuck it. Why not?”
He hops up and wipes down the machine before stepping up next to me. I grin at him, and he stares up at me, something moving across his features that I do not understand. Then we begin walking toward the back of the gym once more.
I keep my strides tight and slow so that Zane does not get angered by me walking too fast. I feel it would injure his fragile human ego.
“Shit, I feel a little lightheaded. Probably didn’t eat enough protein this morning. Maybe I did need to stop. A smoothie is probably a good idea.”
“Yes.”
He huffs a small laugh. “Your English is getting better.”
I do not know what to say, so I just incline my head.
“So,” he says after a beat of silence, “You’re friends with those three dickheads? You seem too nice for them.”
