“Can you tell?” He stands and holds his hand out. “You want to grab something to eat?”
I take his hand, and he pulls me to stand. “What do you have in mind?”
27
DANIEL
“Areyou sure you didn’t elope?” Kai questions.
“We promise we won’t judge you,” Gray adds.
“Are you dying of jealousy, Gray?” Angel taunts him, smirking when he rolls his eyes.
Gray flips him off. “Shut up.”
“So did you elope?” Kai asks for what seems like the millionth time.
“Is she pregnant?” Gray asks.
That makes me stop packing and look up at my roommates who have decided to take every inch of space in my room.
After practice today, I told them I’m moving out and where I’m moving to. The moment I said Josie’s name, they started throwing questions left and right and haven’t stopped. And they all happen to be the same questions. Except the pregnancy one; that one is new.
“We’d have to have sex for that, and we haven’t and we’re not.” Because we’re friends and I’m not going to ruin that even though I’ve been dreaming of it.
“That didn’t stop Mary from getting pregnant.” Gray shrugs, and for a moment, we all look at him and instead of saying anything, we all shake our heads.
“It’s true!” Our heads whip to the voice coming from the door. Pen is grinning from ear to ear, her eyes wide and glittery. “You are moving.”
I glance at Angel, but he shakes his head. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t say anything.”
Gray looks every which way except for my direction.
“You couldn’t have waited until I was out?”
“Hey! Why couldn’t I know?” she snaps, coming further into my room.
I continue packing, ignoring her and all their probing eyes.
“So…is she pregnant?” Pen throws out as she tries to find space on the floor to sit.
“Jesus Christ, what is it with you guys and that question? We’re friends. Can’t friends live together?”
They all laugh like I’ve said the funniest thing in the world. I don’t usually glare, but I find myself doing that. Particularly at my sister who has no business being here.
JOSEFINE
“We’re just friends,” I tell Vi.
She texted me and asked me to come over to her place. Pen would’ve come but she said she had things to take care of and that she’d come later. Which works out because I’m not sure I’d be able to talk about her brother in front of her.
“Just friends…” She sets the platter of sushi in the middle of the table, along with the other things she ordered. “With benefits?”
I wasn’t going to tell her about Daniel moving in, but she started pleading and asking for crumbs. I’ve never had friends,at least stable ones, and Vi feels stable. I don’t usually like to open up to anyone, not that I do it to begin with, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to talk to her.
Now I’m regretting it.
I balk at her. “No, where do you get benefits fromjust friends?”
