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She pivots in Holden’s direction, holding her clasped hands in front of him. “I’ll do the dishes for a week.”
“A week? That’s all a movie date with barely any supervision is worth?”
She squeezes his knees until he grimaces and pulls her off. “I will hurt you in so many ways if you say no. I know where you sleep,” she says. “Please please please please please—”
“Fine.” He wards her away even though she only makes to stand. He turns to me. “Does next weekend work for you?”
“Oh, why am I needed?” I glance between them, telling my heart to calm down. It’s not, like, a date or something. We’d bebabysitting.
“Saine, we’re only using Holden for the car. You’re there for moral support and to make sure he doesn’t embarrass me.” She snaps in my face. “Keep up, you drunk.”
She crosses her arms and delivers such a good I’m Not Mad, I’m Just Disappointed face that I’d think I’m looking at my mom miniaturized. “You didn’t strike me as the type to get this sloppy.”
I jab my thumb at Holden. “Blame your brother for sucking at beer pong.”
“I remember being better,” he says quietly, “and I had to be sober to drive.”
Mara stares at us. Blinks once. Twice. “Okay, so, next weekend? Friday night?”
I say, “That weekend in general doesn’t really work for me, but I can do the weekend after.”
Holden glares at me.
“If you want to go next weekend, you should,” I tell Mara.
“You have to be there,” Mara says, doing something on her phone. “Showtimes aren’t up yet for that Friday, though!”
“That’s because it’s two weeks away.” Holden places a hand on her shoulder. “Breathe.”
“Tell Rose you’ll go see a movie not this Friday, but the next. You don’t need to stress about what and what time because there’s always something good at some good time on a Friday night, so it’ll be good. Good all around.”
Holden bites his lip, looking at me. “Are you gettingmoredrunk the soberer you should be?”
“I’m tired.” I frown. “But I was making sense, wasn’t I?”
“I guess,” he laughs. His eyes linger on me for a moment longer than necessary and his cheeks pinken.
Mara taps away at her phone and then throws it on her bed. “I need to pick out my outfit. Please help.”
Holden’s jaw drops. “It’s two weeks away.”
Mara rolls her eyes in my direction. “He’s gonna be useless at this.”
“I should have left you here to spiral,” he mumbles.
I clap him on the shoulder as I make my way to the door. This is pretty much my only opportunity to talk to Taylor, so...
“Where are you going?” Mara asks, already searching through piled clothes.
“She can’t go anywhere; I drove and she’s drunk. Are you going to throw up?” Holden skeptically calls after me.
“Don’t ask after my bodily functions; it’s rude.” I head for the living room, no intention on stopping at the bathroom and happy that I didn’t lie to get away. Taylor looks like she needs a break from schoolwork, so I pull out my phone and approach for an interview about HoldenandTrevor.
Thirty minutes later, we hit the road, the vibrations in my seat nearly lulling me to sleep.
“Thank you,” he says quietly, eyes on the road as we come to a stop sign.
“No problem.” I relax my body one limb at a time, melting into the seat. I’ve never been one to stay awake into the early morning hours if I can help it. “I love Mara. I’d die for her.”
