“Keep it up and I’m going to take Rose,” Olivia shoots back.
Charlie puts her hands on her hips and looks at me. One of the unwritten rules of our friendship is that if the three of us are going somewhere together, then I always ride with Charlie.
“Maybe I’ll just drive myself,” I say.
Charlie rolls her eyes. “Maybe when pigs fly,” she says. “Just get in.”
Scene Six
We always take the cornerbooth near the windows and away from the fan. You get a good view of the parking lot and the coffee shop.
The waitress comes over, and Charlie orders for us. Charlie always orders.
“And sparkling waters, please,” she says when she’s through.
“You mean club soda?” the waitress asks. The waitress always asks this, but Charlie just keeps ordering the same way.
“Sure,” Charlie says, rolling her eyes. “Whatever.”
“It’s freezing in here.” Olivia snuggles up to Charlie and starts nudging her nose into her shoulder. Olivia is always cold. We went skiing at Whistler last year, and she refused to even come outside. She sat in the lounge the entire four daysdrinking hot chocolate and flirting with the ski instructors who were on break.
“Oh my God. Did you guys see Darcy Sugarman today?” Charlie asks. “She was, like, practically dry-humping Jake after third.” Charlie wiggles her shoulders to get Olivia to sit up.
“That’s disgusting,” Olivia says.
“It’s not disgusting, it’s embarrassing,” Charlie corrects. Charlie says there’s a difference between wanting to hook up and being obviously thirsty. She thinks Olivia was being too thirsty with the Belgian, but she’d never tell her. Her theory is that the distinction between interested and thirsty is the difference between how you act and who you are. Olivia’s was an action, whereas Darcy’s is a defining quality.
“Why does everyone want my boyfriend?” Charlie wails, putting her hands over her head like the ceiling is collapsing.
“So we’re using the term ‘boyfriend’ now?” I ask.
“I told you this morning that things were good. And don’t be jealous just because you guys have some catching up to do.”
“You’re gross,” I say.
“Better hop on it, pretty lady. Rob may not be around forever.”
Olivia is smiling with the corners of her mouth, and Charlie is gyrating her body like she’s trying to hump the table. I figure now is as good a time as any to tell them aboutthe start of summer and this morning, except when I open my mouth, the only thing that comes out is a kind of gurgle.
I don’t know why I feel so hesitant about telling them. They are my best friends. They should know this. I mean, itisa big deal. Unless I completely dreamed up this morning. Maybe he thought my leg was the edge of the chair? Totally possible. He might not have even known we were touching. Or what if he tried to move away but I didn’t move away and he didn’t want to be rude? And that comment, about not seeing anyone this summer? I completely read into it. He tells me everything. Of course Rob would tell me if he dated anyone this summer. I was the first one he told that he kissed Tracy Constance during a round of spin the bottle. I remember him saying she tasted like newspaper.
“So are you going to tell us about my brother or not?” Charlie says. She crosses her arms and raises her eyebrow at Olivia. Olivia bites her lower lip. She’s nervous, it’s obvious. She does ballet and gets this way before every dance recital. Charlie and I usually sneak backstage to see her, and she’s always biting her nails and hopping around like she’s had too much caffeine.
“I already told you this morning. What else do you want to know?” She takes a small sip of water.
“Don’t be cute,” Charlie says. “You still haven’t said how this started.”
Olivia looks up at the ceiling and then back down at her glass. “Do you really want to know?”
“Yes. And I’m still not over this. Since when can you keep a secret?For two months?”
Olivia sends me a nervous glance, looking for support. “We weren’t sure it was going to be anything.”
I know that Charlie can be scary, and intimidating, but honestly I think it just comes out of how much she cares. She’s tough on Olivia, though. Especially because this couldn’t have come as a total shock to her. I mean, I all but saw them make out multiple times this summer. It was clear they were getting closer. I don’t really buy that Charlie missed it.
“I can’t believe you make out with my brother,” Charlie says.
“He’s a good kisser.”
