“As ready as I’ll ever be,” is what I say instead, and Markham begins today’s lecture.
Wes leans toward me, lowering his voice. “You’re gonna nail it this time, I can already tell.”
“We’ll see,” I murmur.
“How’s Saturday?”
His offer surprises me. Why he’d want to waste two weekends in a row running speeches with his freshman classmate, I have no idea. Doesn’t he have better things to do? Still, I agree. “Saturday’s good.”
“This time will be different. You’ll see.”
I wish I had his confidence.
Walking back from class, it’s difficult to think straight, and I almost miss my phone vibrating in the pocket of my coat. I pull it out and frown at the unknown caller. There’s no spam alert, though, so I answer just in case.
“Hello?” I say quietly into the phone.
“Hi, is this Ivy?” The voice is deep and unfamiliar.
“Yes. Who is this?”
“Oh, hey!” the guy responds, relief evident in his tone. “This is Kaden, Wes’s housemate. I tracked down your number, hope you don’t mind.”
I pause my steps for a moment, blinking in confusion. I have zero clue why Wes’s housemate would need my number, and my stomach churns uneasily. “Oh. Um. How can I help you?” I ask and immediately cringe at the formality of it.
“I don’t know if he told you, but Wes’s birthday is on Sunday, and the reason we called is because we’re throwing him a surprise party?—"
“Because we’re the best housemates ever!” cuts in another voice, this one more muffled.
“That was Ben,” Kaden says. “He’s here, too.”
“I’m here, too!” calls Ben, and then the line rustles. “Let me talk to her.”
“Dude, no. Go away.” The line rustles again, and then Kaden’s voice returns, clearer than before. “We called to extend an invitation. The party’s Saturday night. Invite only, by the way. We don’t want it to get out of hand, as these things tend to do.”
“Um…where is the party going to be?” I ask, struggling to collect my thoughts. I had no idea Wes’s birthday was this coming weekend, but why would I? I feel like an imposter, one who shouldn’t be invited to a secret senior birthday when I’ve (realistically) barely spent any time with Wes. I’m sure these guys have known him for years. Hell, I’m sure everyone on the list has known him for years, and I have no idea what prompted them to reach out tome.
“Our house. Have you been here before?”
“No,” I say carefully, and wait for them to rescind the invitation after my admission. Clearly, they think I’m more important than I am.
“I’ll text you the address.”
“Thanks,” I say without thinking, and then I start to freak out.
What are you doing? You can’t go to that!
Shifting my phone, I unlock the door to the apartment, stepping inside as I add, slightly panicked, “But I’m just not sure I can come.”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to answer now,” Kaden assures. “Text me when you decide, and we’ll add you to the list.”
I’m surprised to find Quinn seated on the couch with her notebooks spread out on the coffee table and the TV on low inthe background. She looks up from her studies and gives me a small smile and a wave. I wave back. “Okay. Um, thanks.”
“He talks about you a lot, by the way,” Kaden adds. I freeze halfway through the kitchen, trying to process the words he just said. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have known to invite you.” I stay silent, uncertain of how to respond. “Anyway…I hope we’ll see you this weekend. If not, don’t sweat it.”
“Sure. Thanks again. Bye.”
“Bye, Iv—” I accidentally hang up before he can finish and wince, staring apprehensively at the phone. A small part of me is expecting Kaden to call back and tell me to forget it. That it was a joke, a mix-up, a misunderstanding.
