It’s easier to say yes to Alex, now that he knows the truth. When I tell him I changed my mind about Friday, he lights up.
“But, would it be cool if we didn’t go to Rallyburger? I’m not really up for being in public around a lot of people from school.” School itself is about all I can take these days.
“Sure,” Alex says. “We can order pizza.”
We settle in with pizza and snacks, diving into a video game marathon that throws us back to middle school. The familiar is comforting and it strikes me how much I’d have been missing this if my brain wasn’t soup most of the time.
It’s pretty late, almost ten, when Alex’s phone starts lighting up.
“Cindy.” He smiles. “She’s drunk texting me from Steve’s party.”
“Cute.”
His thumbs work the phone. “This girl, man. Get a couple of drinks in her and anything can happen.”
“Sounds like she keeps you on your toes.” I know the feeling.
“Definitely.” He grins, then stops. “Shit.”
“What?”
Alex bites his lip. “Um. So … you know how you ‘coincidentally ended up going’ to the game with Matt? And I got mad?”
“We don’t have to rehash—”
“No, no,” he says. “But now I, uh, totally get how that could happen.” He’s being super vague.
I turn my palm up. “Meaning?”
“Don’t be mad.” Alex looks chagrined, like he’s about to ask for my kidney or something.
“What?”
“Cindy’s DD just bailed on Steve’s party. She wants to know if I can come get her on the way to dropping you off.”
Among my shittier best friend moves of late: my total failure to celebrate with Alex over getting his driver’s license. Fuck. I’m awful. I assumed his mom would be driving me home later.
“Oh. You told her yeah, right?”
“Yeah. And I know I promised you a quiet night, but…” He grimaces.
“But her getting ditched isn’t cool and you want to go there now and make sure she’s okay.”
Alex sighs, relieved. “Yeah.”
I shrug. “So let’s go.”