There's Something About Sweetie(54)

Sweetie laughed. “I can see that.”

They walked to Ashish’s Jeep. “I thought I’d drive this today, if you don’t mind. Don’t want to get the Porsche all messed up.”

“Well, actually, I thought I would drive today,” Sweetie said, raising her eyebrows.

Ashish hesitated for a moment. “Oh, okay, yeah, yeah.” He walked over to her car and she laughed. Frowning, he said, “What?”

“You’re not used to this, are you? Being driven on a date?”

He opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again. “No, I’m not,” he said, and then he laughed as he got in the passenger side. “But I’m totally open to it.”

“Good.” Sweetie smiled, got in, and started the engine. “Because I am an excellent driver.”

Ten minutes into the drive, Ashish turned to Sweetie. “So when you said ‘excellent,’ did you actually mean ‘slowest ever in the history of humankind’?”

Sweetie frowned and glanced over at him. “I meant the safest. Ever.”

Groaning, Ashish leaned over to look at the speedometer. “Thirty-two miles per hour! The speed limit’s forty-five.”

Sweetie slapped him away. “Get back on your side! And yes, I know. That’s why I’m in the right lane. That’s the speed limit, you know, not the speed minimum.”

Chuckling, Ashish said, “Just another way we’re opposites, then.”

Sweetie cleared her throat and surreptitiously wiped her damp palms, one at a time, on her shirt and returned her hands to the appropriate ten o’clock and two o’clock positions. Time to get to the big issue: Band Night. “So, I had a question for you.”

“Yeah?”

But before she could say anything, Ashish’s phone beeped. And beeped again. And again.

“Whoa, do you need to take that?”

“Yeah, let me just …” He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. She heard him mutter under his breath, something that sounded like, “Oh, for …”

“Everything okay?”

He sighed. “Fine.” She glanced at him, and his jaw was set. He was staring rigidly out the windshield.

“So obviously that’s not true,” Sweetie said softly. “You don’t have to talk about it, but I’m a good listener. Just saying.”

She saw his shoulders relax in her peripheral vision. “Sorry.” Rubbing a hand over his jaw, he continued. “I’m just, uh, having issues with a friend. Pseudo friend. And my other friends. It’s a messy time right now.”

“I’m sorry.” After a pause Sweetie asked, “Your pseudo friend … Do you mean Samir?”

“That obvious, huh?” Ashish’s voice was low, tired. “He’s not much of a friend, really. He’s always saying the wrong thing, annoying us. I feel bad for him—I’ve known him forever—but man, that guy drives me up the wall. He’s homeschooled and totally sheltered, but he thinks he’s, like, the authority on everything and everyone.”

“Maybe that’s a defensive wall he’s set up for himself,” Sweetie said, nibbling on her lower lip. “Sometimes when people feel vulnerable, they lash out. Maybe he just doesn’t know how to relate to you.” She’d gone through a phase like that in middle school. Since kids were always making fun of her, she’d decided she’d turn the tables and become a little jerk. But being snarky and aggressive all day long was exhausting. Sweetie had decided it just wasn’t her, much like being Amma’s doormat wasn’t her either. The answer lay somewhere in the middle, maybe.

“Complaining to his mom is definitely not the way to do it,” Ashish replied. Then, seeing her confused face, he held up his cell phone. “That was my mom texting me. Apparently, his mom’s been on the phone with her, telling her that I upset Samir Monday night. We had a talk that didn’t go the way he wanted it to go.”

Sweetie shook her head. “Friendships can be so tricky. I’m lucky enough to have three best friends and minimal drama, but even we go through our rough patches.”

“Yeah …” He paused, and she felt the weight of unspoken words in the air. She waited. “And on top of that, Oliver and Elijah broke up. I was on the phone with Oliver until three in the morning, mostly just listening to him cry. And Oliver never gets on the phone, so that should show you how bad things are.”

“Oh no.” Sweetie felt genuinely bad; she’d really liked them. Especially Oliver, who’d been so soft and open and welcoming. “What happened?”

“I’m not even sure they know. They’ve been together since freshman year. Everything seemed to be going well and then it all just exploded.” Ashish laughed. “Wow, listen to me just unloading on you. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Sweetie looked at him for a moment to show him she was serious. “I like hearing about your friends.”

He smiled. “Thanks. But weren’t you going to ask me something when my phone went off?”

“Oh. Right.” Sweetie swallowed. It was ridiculous to feel this nervous, really. “Um, so my friends and I are doing this Band Night thing at Roast Me. It’s a week from Thursday at eight thirty. I was wondering, if you were free, if you wanted to come.” When he didn’t answer right away, she hurried on. “Um, not as a date, obviously. Since we’re only allowed to do the four dates on your parents’ list. But as … friends. Just to support us. The money we make’s going to new team jerseys.” Stop talking and give him a second to answer, Sweetie, jeez. She closed her mouth with a dry little click and waited.