business.
“Well.” She puts down her menu. “This Sundayis his birthday, and I, um, I usually plan things we do for his birthday.”
“You—plan his birthday?”
“We’ve been friends for, like, three years now, and I planned it last year and the year before, and he likes when I plan it,” she explains carefully.
“Okay…” The waiter arrives, and we both order specialty burgers and shakes. We’re quiet as he takes our menus and walks away.
She starts again,“Okay, so, I had class with Chad earlier, and he was talking about going to Paris this weekend maybe, to celebrate. And did you know we don’t have class this Friday? It’s Thursday instead. So, I think we’re gonna go! Do you want to come? Maybe Pilot will come too? It’ll be really fun…” She trails off.
I feel my forehead scrunch up. Is she suggesting a double … date … situation? I’m afraid tovoice the question aloud. She knows as well as I do that Pilot has a girlfriend. But I want to go to Paris.
“Yeah, I’d love to come!” I spout.
“Really?” She relaxes back into her seat. “Oh my gosh, thank you! I didn’t want it to be just me and Chad, but I kind of want it, you know, to be just me and Chad, sometimes—you know?”
I study her carefully. “So, what’s the deal with you two, then? Haveyou guys had moments and stuff? Are you, like, almost a thing?”
“Well, I mean, like last year I tried to tell him once that I had feelings for him, but before I could get it out, he started talking about how he likes tiny short girls.”
“What?” I drop my milkshake back to the table, instantly annoyed with Chad. Babe’s tall and curvy. She must register the look on my face because she hurries todefend him.
“No, but he’s really nice, and we both love Disney. He’s great, you’ll see! I don’t know what was up that night. I think he was acting out and nervous about losing our friendship. I don’t know, but he’s great. I promise!”
“Okay,” I say quietly. We’ll see about this Chad.
----
Back at the flat, Babe and I retire to the kitchen to work on our laptops. When I pull up Safari, it opens toFacebook where I have twenty-three new notifications—probably people liking my Rome pictures.
I smile, opening them, but my insides shrivel when I see who the majority are from: Leo, Alfie, Anthony, Angelo. Not just likes, comments. I race down to the first one and open it in a new window. It’s the picture of Pilot and me in the Pantheon. They all liked it.
Leo Primaveri Who’s this?
AlfiePrimaveri Breaking News: Shane’s with a dude.
Anthony Primaveri No. Fucking. Way.
Leo Primaveri Do you actually speak to each other?
Alfie Primaveri Can’t wait for the wedding.
I’m gonna throw up.
Babe’s voice. “Shane? Are you okay?”
Pilot’s tagged in this photo. I’m gonna die. My mouse scrambles up: Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. I speed back to the notifications and open another.There’s a post on my wall from Leo and Alfie’s mom, my aunt Marie.
Marie Primaveri
Miss you, sweetie! It looks like you’re having a great time. Leo tells me you have a boyfriend out there. I hope it’s the cutie in the pictures!
The computer’s pulled away from my face. “Shane, seriously, you’ve been muttering no repeatedly for, like, a solid sixty seconds.”
I pull it back. “Sorry, familything,” I mumble. I pick it up and run out of the kitchen. I hear my chair fall, but there’s no time to stop. This is dire.
I slam into a seat at our bedroom table and delete the post. Another new notification pops up from Leo. He’s online. He posted on my wall.
Leo Primaveri
You deleted our comments about your new boyfriend? I’m hurt.
Delete.
Another new notification on my wall.
LeoPrimaveri
You keep deleting my posts about your boyfriend. What’s his name—Pilot?
Delete. Angry tears sting my eyes. Why is Leo leading this parade? I sit back up, opening a private thread in Facebook Chat.
Shane
WHAT ARE
“Well.” She puts down her menu. “This Sundayis his birthday, and I, um, I usually plan things we do for his birthday.”
“You—plan his birthday?”
“We’ve been friends for, like, three years now, and I planned it last year and the year before, and he likes when I plan it,” she explains carefully.
“Okay…” The waiter arrives, and we both order specialty burgers and shakes. We’re quiet as he takes our menus and walks away.
She starts again,“Okay, so, I had class with Chad earlier, and he was talking about going to Paris this weekend maybe, to celebrate. And did you know we don’t have class this Friday? It’s Thursday instead. So, I think we’re gonna go! Do you want to come? Maybe Pilot will come too? It’ll be really fun…” She trails off.
I feel my forehead scrunch up. Is she suggesting a double … date … situation? I’m afraid tovoice the question aloud. She knows as well as I do that Pilot has a girlfriend. But I want to go to Paris.
“Yeah, I’d love to come!” I spout.
“Really?” She relaxes back into her seat. “Oh my gosh, thank you! I didn’t want it to be just me and Chad, but I kind of want it, you know, to be just me and Chad, sometimes—you know?”
I study her carefully. “So, what’s the deal with you two, then? Haveyou guys had moments and stuff? Are you, like, almost a thing?”
“Well, I mean, like last year I tried to tell him once that I had feelings for him, but before I could get it out, he started talking about how he likes tiny short girls.”
“What?” I drop my milkshake back to the table, instantly annoyed with Chad. Babe’s tall and curvy. She must register the look on my face because she hurries todefend him.
“No, but he’s really nice, and we both love Disney. He’s great, you’ll see! I don’t know what was up that night. I think he was acting out and nervous about losing our friendship. I don’t know, but he’s great. I promise!”
“Okay,” I say quietly. We’ll see about this Chad.
----
Back at the flat, Babe and I retire to the kitchen to work on our laptops. When I pull up Safari, it opens toFacebook where I have twenty-three new notifications—probably people liking my Rome pictures.
I smile, opening them, but my insides shrivel when I see who the majority are from: Leo, Alfie, Anthony, Angelo. Not just likes, comments. I race down to the first one and open it in a new window. It’s the picture of Pilot and me in the Pantheon. They all liked it.
Leo Primaveri Who’s this?
AlfiePrimaveri Breaking News: Shane’s with a dude.
Anthony Primaveri No. Fucking. Way.
Leo Primaveri Do you actually speak to each other?
Alfie Primaveri Can’t wait for the wedding.
I’m gonna throw up.
Babe’s voice. “Shane? Are you okay?”
Pilot’s tagged in this photo. I’m gonna die. My mouse scrambles up: Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete. I speed back to the notifications and open another.There’s a post on my wall from Leo and Alfie’s mom, my aunt Marie.
Marie Primaveri
Miss you, sweetie! It looks like you’re having a great time. Leo tells me you have a boyfriend out there. I hope it’s the cutie in the pictures!
The computer’s pulled away from my face. “Shane, seriously, you’ve been muttering no repeatedly for, like, a solid sixty seconds.”
I pull it back. “Sorry, familything,” I mumble. I pick it up and run out of the kitchen. I hear my chair fall, but there’s no time to stop. This is dire.
I slam into a seat at our bedroom table and delete the post. Another new notification pops up from Leo. He’s online. He posted on my wall.
Leo Primaveri
You deleted our comments about your new boyfriend? I’m hurt.
Delete.
Another new notification on my wall.
LeoPrimaveri
You keep deleting my posts about your boyfriend. What’s his name—Pilot?
Delete. Angry tears sting my eyes. Why is Leo leading this parade? I sit back up, opening a private thread in Facebook Chat.
Shane
WHAT ARE
Similar Books
