Chapter 13 #2
My phone is locked in a death grip, like that can keep him on the line. My hand cramps. I force myself to relax.
“Brae, I’ve missed you so much! I’m so glad we caught each other.”
A voice in my head starts tallying all the times he’s ditched the schedule I made. I shut it down. He’s here now! This is our turn for the better. I can feel it. “Are you sure we can’t FaceTime instead so I can see your beautiful face?”
He chuckles at my enthusiasm. “I missed you too, Av. But I can’t. My camera isn’t working because I dropped my phone. Anyway, tell me how things are going—like that swim class you mentioned in a text. You seemed excited about it before.”
I was excited about it before. I think back on my naive self from a couple of months ago.
The class was my opportunity to prove myself ready to be selected as swim captain, which could still happen, but now the entire experience has been overshadowed by my interactions with Analiese.
She is, after all, my main rival for the captaincy, and I wasn’t expecting her to be in the class at all.
It was supposed to be an Analiese-free experience and an opportunity to put in face time with Coach Kim.
Braden knows Analiese, and the idea of telling him her private business makes guilt prickle under my skin. I keep it vague. Old Avery wouldn’t have hesitated for even a moment to share everything with him.
“It’s going great! There are some freshmen and sophomores in the class preparing for swim season, and I also helped a couple of athletes who’d twisted their ankles. I think Coach Kim is happy with how the class is going.”
“Of course she is. How could she not? I’m positive you’ll be captain this year, and you’ll be the best captain ever.”
I beam as bright as the sun. Too bad Braden can’t see it. “No one could ever top the captain we had last year! He was handsome and had the school record for the 100 butterfly.”
He laughs loudly. “I’m sure my record will be beaten this year. There were some juniors who were very close to it.”
I scoff, but he launches another question at me before I can respond.
“And calculus? Did you find a good study buddy? I know you were a little stressed about that class.”
Is he going to admit he saw the Instagram post? A part of me wants to try to get him to say it.
“Um, it was off to a rocky start, but it’s much better now.”
I can tell he’s waiting to see if I’ll elaborate. There’s a long pause then a shuffling sound like he’s repositioning himself on a couch. It better not be Tricia’s couch.
If I get evasive, he’ll crack. He knows me as well as I know him, and normally I talk his ear off until he has to cut me off—lovingly, of course. But Braden can be possessive, and that Instagram post is probably living rent-free in his head right now.
“Remember all those afternoons I’d come to your house, or you’d come to mine and we’d do homework together?” He chuckles, then continues. “Doing geometry proofs together and eating so many snacks.”
“This conversation is making me think about M&Ms,” I joke.
“Yeah! I’m pretty sure those accounted for half of my meals sometimes.”
“Me too.”
“So… did you find someone else to do homework with?”
Boom!
My face nearly cracks from how hard I’m smiling now. I can feel the jealousy in his voice! Braden still loves me! I try to play it cool though—maybe it’s a good thing we aren’t FaceTiming because I know my face would give me away.
“Oh! Well, not exactly. I mean, I’ve met up with someone a couple of times, but that’s it.”
“Huh,” he replies. “Anyone I know?”
“Yeah, actually. You know Jenna?”
“Of course I know Jenna, Avery.”
“Right. Do you remember her brother, Jake?”
“Isn’t he, like, two years younger than you?”
“Well, two years younger than Jenna, but I’m young for my grade. So I guess he’s not that much younger than me. And actually, Jake skipped a grade and now he’s a junior. He’s pretty good at math too.”
“Huh.”
Pause.
“Isn’t he a hockey player or something?”
“Yeah.”
Pause.
“Does Jenna come when you do homework together?”
“No, she’s not in calculus.”
“Huh.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘huh’?”
“It’s kinda weird, don’t you think?”
“What’s weird?”
“You hanging out with Jake alone.”
“Are you jealous or something?”
I cross my fingers hoping he’ll say YES! I’m jealous! Stop doing our thing with someone else! I love you forever, Avery!
“It’s just… when we were younger, I thought he had a crush on you, but back then it was cute, you know? Now I’m gone and he’s moving in on you? That’s not cool.”
My expression drops. Moving in on me? That’s not the response I was hoping for at all. Now he’s making it out to be some macho competition between the two of them instead of declaring his devotion to me.
“First of all, Jake never had a crush on me.”
He scoffs, but I ignore it.
“Secondly, doing calculus homework together a couple of times doesn’t mean he’s ‘moving in on me.’ What does that even mean?”
“Av—“
“And thirdly, even if Jake was ‘moving in on me,’ you wouldn’t have to worry about it because I love YOU.”
He sighs. “I know. I’m sorry. I trust you and you’re absolutely right.”
That was almost too easy. I take a deep breath and allow the awkwardness of the argument we just had to settle.
“Anyway, tell me about what’s going on with you. What’s been your favorite part about college so far?”
The pause on his end lasts so long that I pull my phone away from my ear to make sure the call hasn’t been dropped. When his voice finally breaks the silence, it nearly scares me because it feels like such a sudden change from the quiet.
“It’s getting really late here, so I’m going to let you go,” he says.
His voice sounds… almost sad. It’s difficult to interpret because Braden is typically a happy guy, so my mind immediately wants to start churning over the possibilities. It’s also the second time I’ve encountered this emotion lately with the people I least expect it from.
“Oh, ok,” I say, trying to keep my tone upbeat. “Can we talk again soon?”
“’Course, babe. I’m super busy so it’s hard to say exactly when.”
“Alright. I love you.”
“Love you too.”