4. New Best Friend
New Best Friend
“Would I be a terrible person if I never called him?”
“Yes.” Jordan popped a corn chip into her mouth and crunched down hard to accentuate her point. She was in yoga pants and a giant hoodie, with her hair piled on top of her head. “You have to at least call him to let him know you’re not going to call him.”
“That’s a paradox.”
Her shoulders bounced with a shrug. “So is dating.”
Theo had shown up at her dorm with all the snack food groups: salty, sweet, chocolate—which was different from sweet because of science—fizzy, and nostalgic.
Because she was a resident advisor, Jordan got a room to herself, which was a lot pinker and contained more stuffed animals than Theo had expected.
Two guitars leaned against stands, plus a banjo and an honest-to-god lute.
Theo commented on her love for strings, and she made a joke about underwear.
They were soulmates.
“You hooked up with him, right?”
“Um, rounding second base?” He was hazy on the base-system.
Matt had been aggressively flirty the entire evening, which was fun at first, but got old fast. That didn’t mean Theo turned him down when he invited him back to his place, though, so they ended up fooling around until Theo got bored and went home.
“Then you have to call him. Ghosting is evil.”
It was past six, and they still hadn’t pressed play on the movie.
Theo had launched into his annoying date story and Jordan had told him about her secret crush that was obviously her friend Becks, whom she found an excuse to talk about every other sentence.
They’d begun the afternoon on her small couch, then eventually sunk to the floor with the snacks in a pile in front of them, like they were siblings sorting out their candy after Halloween.
Theo’s tongue hurt from the salt, but he still put a chip in his mouth and savoured the burn. “I hate rejecting people. I usually just wait until the universe takes care of it.”
A clump fell from her mass of hair as she whipped her head to give him side-eye. “I really hope that doesn’t mean you have a basement full of bodies.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not full.” The truth was, he’d disappointed plenty of romantic interests enough for them to get fed up and leave before Theo had to face the confrontation of a break-up, but he wasn’t about to confess to his potential new best friend about his trail of frustrated, damaged hearts.
She handed him his phone with a stern stare. “Call him.”
“Now? It’s Sunday. You don’t reject people on the day of rest.”
She tapped the screen, revealing a slew of texts from Matt. They both gasped and read.
Superior Male Specimen
Hey
I had a great time last night.
You’re a legend.
But I don’t really see this going any further.
I don’t think we want the same things.
I hope I didn’t lead you on.
I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.
Good luck in your studies.
“Good luck in your studies!” Jordan doubled over, slapping the floor. She repeated it three times, her voice getting higher and higher in pitch.
Theo’s stomach hurt from laughing and perhaps too much junk food. “I’m a legend? What does that mean?”
“Do things always work themselves out like this?” She sat up and grabbed his arm. “What kind of witch magic do you have?”
“Well, I let an old crone stay in my castle in exchange for a rose once.”
“That’ll do it.” She shook her head, gazing at him with awe, and a warm, tingling feeling spread through his body that had nothing to do with the sugar high. He liked her. Jordan was exactly the kind of person he’d come to school to meet.
She pushed the corn chips away with a vengeance. “Have you ever been in love?”
“Hard no.”
“Whoa.” She brandished a Tootsie Roll at him like a sword. “You got a problem with love?”
“Will you defend its honour if I do?” She frowned at the delicious chocolate taffy then threw it across the room. “Why are you abusing the treats?”
“Because if they’re within reach, I’ll eat them. My body is so mad at me right now.” She stood and grabbed his hands to pull him up. “Come on.”
“But the movie.”
“Can you honestly sit still for two hours?”
That was an excellent point. They practically bounced out of her room, past stressed-out students huddled in the common area and out into the cool evening, finding themselves on the same path Dae and Theo had walked the night after the concert.
In the daylight, he could see the browns, yellows, and reds of the turning leaves.
Jordan followed the cracks on the path, stepping as if they were a high-wire. “So, Theodore.”
“So, Jordan.”
“Why communications?”
“I want to be an agent.”
She spun on him, hands clasped like a gun. “Secret agent?”
“Yes.” He mimicked her, his back to an imaginary wall, side-stepping down the path. “But also a talent agent, specifically for musicians.”
“Ahhhh, cool. Not a sleazy one, though?”
“The sleaziest.” The sweet honey smell of the flowers was stronger than when Theo had walked with Dae. It was borderline obnoxious now. “I want to help people get their music out there. Take care of the boring stuff, so they can do the fun stuff.”
“Why?”
He hesitated. Usually, when he talked about what he wanted to do, people nodded and quickly moved on, but Jordan actually seemed interested; her head cocked, her mouth puckered in adorable curiosity.
“Because someone has to.”
“Why?”
He’d never had to articulate it before. “Because I love music and want to be part of the process in some way.”
“Why?”
He clicked his tongue. “Are you a two-year-old?”
“Sometimes.” She pulled a pouty face. “Why not become one?”
“A two-year-old?”
Her laugh was husky and infectious. “A musician.”
“Ah, that. There is the pesky detail of having no talent.”
“Hmmm.” Her nose scrunched. “That is a setback.”
“But it’s more than that. I don’t know, I just…” He closed his eyes and imagined he was back in that bar with his aunt, the live music washing over him, his skin tingling with goosebumps. “I’d rather be in the crowd.”
“Okay, but why?” He shot her a glare, and she laughed, throwing up her hands. “I promise I’m genuinely curious. Like, why do you care so much? You could just go to concerts and be in the crowd there. Why become an agent?”
Huh. No one had ever asked him that before, but he was happy to discover he actually had an answer. “Music is important, isn’t it? I mean, it won’t solve the climate crisis or whatever, but people need to be inspired, or happy or sad or zoned out. We’d all go crazy without it.”
She nodded. “And?”
“And I want to be part of it.”
“Okay, Theodore. I’ll accept that.”
They came to a grassy area with students sitting on blankets, their outfits incongruous with cozy cardigans paired with flip-flops. They munched on vegetables from plastic containers as the smoke from their mini barbeques wafted across the field.
Jordan hiked her thumb. “Get a load of these idiots, eating real food for nourishment.”
The sound of the merriment faded as they walked, replaced by the rhythmic song of bugs calling out to each other.
“So, Jordan.”
“So, Theodore.”
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
She kicked a rock and watched it clatter down the path. “Not sure yet.”
Theo couldn’t believe she didn’t have an answer ready. “Sorry, but the correct response is a world-famous singer-songwriter who touches the souls of billions.”
She shook her head, leaving him gobsmacked. “I’m not talented enough to go down that road.”
“You’re down that road already.” He slung his arm around her shoulders. “You’re so far down that road, you’re in a different county.”
“You have to think I’m amazing, you’re my New Best Friend.”
“No, I’m your New Best Friend because you’re amazing.”
“Oh, I see.” She flicked his arm off with what he assumed was fake indignation. “You’re using me to ride my coat tails?”
“All the way to the top.”
His cheesiest smile seemed to work, because she had to hide her own as she shook her head again. “I know you think it’s important, but let’s be real, my songs aren’t going to cure cancer.”
Such blasphemy! Such slander against the art of music. From his new best friend, no less! “But they might inspire someone who can.”
She cast him an amused faux-glare. “Damn, you’re good.
” The setting sun washed her face in gold as she tipped her head back, watching the fiery clouds drifting by.
“I’m not strong enough to face it all. Maybe in the sixties when performers couldn’t see all the mean things random strangers said about them, but now…
” She shivered. “Plus, that business is gross, Theodore. It really is. They’ll tell me to lose weight and wear glitter and write songs about Pepsi or something. ”
“Not if you have a spectacular agent.” She rolled her eyes, but he kept going.
“I’m serious, Jordan. You need someone to block all that shit.
To tell producers that you’re drop-dead gorgeous exactly the way you are, that there will be no make-up or glitter unless you want it, and that we prefer Coke to Pepsi. ”
Her skepticism seemed almost fond. “What a perfect world it is inside your imagination.”
He took her hand, swinging their arms as a gust of wind ruffled their hair. “I’ll never pressure you into something you don’t want to do, but I’m not giving up.”
“Wait.” She held her hand against the sun to squint up at the building, realizing where they were. “Did you walk me to your dorm so you could screw off home?”
“Yes, but I left all the snacks in your room. That’s your consolation prize.”
“Diabolical.” She shook her head at him. “You’re never seeing them again.”
He put his hand to his chest. Solemn. “It’s what I deserve.”
She flipped him the bird, blew him a kiss, then walked away. “Until next time, New Best Friend.”