Chapter 8
Rue
It was bad enough having Ezra march into the drama room with his sports crew, but it’s even worse that Miss Fern is going to force him to participate in our rehearsals.
The whole room was already in chaos before the basketball team even showed up.
Miss Fern announcing that the spring production would be a musical completely shook everyone, since Fallbrook is used to plays.
Suddenly, everyone’s scrambling because auditions now mean preparing eight to sixteen bars of a song instead of a monologue, and that changes everything.
After class, Meredith and Carlton were already talking in the hallway about what they were going to sing.
Of course they were. They both have gorgeous voices, and they looked almost annoyingly calm about the whole thing.
Meredith even mentioned maybe doing a song from Waitress.
Meanwhile, I stood there pretending not to feel devastated while mentally signing myself up for crew.
Because there is absolutely no world in which I’m auditioning to sing in front of people.
And then there was the kiss…the kiss I can’t stop thinking about. Who knew Ezra could kiss like that? I’ve only been smooched one other time, and it was during a dare at summer camp last year. The boy was from a different school, and I never saw him again.
But this is Ezra. I’m absolutely going to have to face him again.
This can’t possibly get any worse.
I try to keep my expression neutral as I walk to the parking lot with Meredith. Even though that kiss seemed to convince her, I’m still on eggshells at the thought of us being okay again. It seems too good to be true.
“You want a ride?” she asks when we reach her car.
Mabel is already there, leaning against the hood. She’s texting, but when we approach, her eyes light up. “Wait a minute! Are you guys good?”
I risk a glance at Meredith.
“We’re good,” she says with a grin.
Mabel squeals, clapping her hands together. “This is the best day ever.”
As Meredith drives me home, the three of us listen to music the whole way. My chest feels like it’s been stitched back together for the first time in weeks.
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 be weird 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
would you be cool with going out with me, Meredith, and Carlton tomorrow? Mere invited me after you left. I could tell her no, but convincing her we’re legit is kind of the whole point, isn’t it?
Ezra
yeah, it is. no problem
we could meet at Sip of Joy or something
Me
actually, she wants to go eat and ride the swan boats at public garden
Ezra
oooh, sounds romantic
Me
stop.
Ezra
why? you’re my girlfriend now
Me
I literally watched you eat your boogers for a dare once.
Ezra
well, I was there for you the first time you started your thing
Me
thing? What thing?
My cheeks burn as I read, because I know exactly what he’s talking about. I just hope I’m wrong and that he somehow doesn’t remember.
Ezra
your womanly cycle, Rue
Me
STOP. DON’T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN
Ezra
lol, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s natural
Me
There’s nothing natural about you bringing that up!
Ezra
the only reason I brought it up was to make a point
Me
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 kindness toward 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.”
There’s a smile in his voice when he answers. “Okay. Good to know. And mine is still green.”
“Great.”
We hang up a few minutes later. As I change my clothes, Mom knocks on my door before entering. When she takes me in, her face sours. “Meeting Ezra Davis?”
I laugh. “You don’t have to say his name like he’s a plague.”
“He is. Anyone who hurts my baby girl is a plague.”
As dramatic as she can be, I feel an intense burst of gratitude for my mom. “Thanks for always having my back. But don’t forget God wants us to forgive our enemies.”
She blinks before donning an innocent expression. “No one said anything about enemies. He’s not my enemy…is he yours?”
I laugh. “Mom.”
“I’m just saying.”
“He does seem pretty sorry for what happened,” I tell her.
She narrows her eyes at me. “And you like him.”
“What? No.”
“You do.” She points a finger at my face. “You’re excited to see him. It’s written all over your face.”
“I’m excited to see Meredith. And it’s time for me to go.”
She whips a nail file out of her back pocket, raising a whole new slew of questions within me. “Go on ahead. You can even take my car. But you can’t run from the truth, sweetie. And mommy always knows.”
It’s bizarre to be sitting across the table from Meredith and Carlton with Ezra beside me.