“Right, well, let’s go to the party,” Zane says while scratching the back of his neck. It’s weirdly fun to see him this nervous and uncomfortable.
Gwen and I get into the back of the car.
“Was I supposed to bring something?” Gwen asks, and I shake my head.
“Not your sanity. You’ll lose it with this crowd,” I tell her, making her laugh.
“You’re fine, Gwen. No need to bring anything,” Zane says while he reaches his hand back from the front seat and touches her knee. I can’t help but smile.
“Is my face shiny?” I ask Gwen as we turn the corner.
“No?” she chuckles.
“Pictures will be taken tonight, Gwen. We have to be prepared.”
I can tell this worries Gwen, and I feel bad about it.
“Am I shiny?” she asks, and I shake my head.
“You shine, but you are not shiny,” I try to compliment her.
The second we merge into traffic, I decide that if I’m trapped in a car on the way to a hockey party, I might as well entertain myself.
“So,” I say, leaning forward between the seats,“Gwen. Since you and I are becoming best friends, I feel like you deserve to know a few things about my brother.”
Zane groans immediately.
“Lisa.”
“No, no. This is important. She needs context.”
Gwen laughs.“I’m listening.”
“First of all,” I say, lowering my voice dramatically,“Zane used to be deeply obsessed with the Power Rangers.”
“I was six,” he argues.
“You had matching pajamas.”
“They were cool pajamas.”
“You also wanted everyone to call you Red Ranger for, like, an entire summer.”
Gwen is laughing openly now, shoulders shaking, and I feel absurdly proud of myself.
“It was leadership energy,” Zane mutters.
“Oh, it gets worse,” I promise her.“There was also an Avril Lavigne phase.”
“There was not.”
“There absolutely was,” I say.“He wore a wristband and everything. And he got weirdly emotional over‘I’m With You.’”
“Lisa.”
“And,” I continue, because I am unstoppable now,“for two full years, his favorite color was teal. Not blue. Not green. Specifically teal.”
Gwen presses a hand to her mouth.
