Counting Down with You(33)
I laugh weakly. Going to my cousin Sana’s party on Friday is the least of my concerns. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. “I’m not sick, don’t worry.”
Dadu hums. “If you’re sure. Let me know though, okay?” I nod, and she tugs my shirtsleeve. “Come on, let’s pick the bananas together.”
“Yeah, maybe some candles, too,” I say, biting my bottom lip as I sift through the various bananas.
Dadu holds a bunch toward me, perfectly yellow with a few brown spots.
The strange block in my chest seems to come loose. “You know me so well,” I say.
She smiles and pats my cheek. “Let’s grab your candles, and then we can get your brother’s cereal.”
I roll my eyes at the mention of Samir’s special cereal but follow my grandma anyway. “He should just eat the cereal the rest of us eat.”
“Your brother should do a lot of things that he doesn’t do,” Dadu says, laughing.
“Yeah, but Ma and Baba let him do whatever he wants,” I say under my breath, tossing a few oranges into our shopping cart as we turn from the fruit aisle.
Dadu pats my shoulder in understanding. “Boys have it so much easier, don’t they?”
I snort, thinking of all the times Samir has gotten away with doing things I can’t even contemplate. “That’s an understatement.”
Dadu would know. She grew up with five older brothers. The sheer thought is horrifying.
“Hey, how about this, Myra—when we’re done here, we can go to that bookshop you like and I’ll buy you a book for coming with me to the grocery store. They might even have nicer candles there. What do you think?”
“Really?” I ask, something like lightning zinging through me. “Dadu, you’re the best.”
She smiles and gives me a one-armed hug before getting distracted by an assortment of mixed vegetables.
I pull out my phone with the intention of Snapchatting Nandini and Cora about how awesome my grandma is, but then remember the predicament I’m in when I see all my missed notifications.
Ugh. Ace might not be excelling in his studies, but he’s definitely excelling at giving me a headache.
T-MINUS 21 DAYS
Sunday morning brings a horde of Samir’s friends to my house.
I leave my room at noon to grab breakfast but falter halfway down the stairs when I catch sight of several teenage boys in my living room, playing Wii Bowling.
I’m kind of hungry, but to pass through, I’d have to walk over their various belongings littered on the floor and make small talk.
I already dislike dealing with groups of strangers, and one consisting of excitable freshmen is arguably my worst nightmare. I don’t even have a bra on. It’s not worth it.
I try to catch Samir’s eye as I hover on the staircase, hoping to tell him to hurry up and get his friends out of the living room, but he’s too busy laughing as he shows one of them something on his phone.
Great. I discreetly go back upstairs and busy myself doing homework while I wait for them to leave. I force myself to ignore the sound of bowling pins falling over and over downstairs. I’m in the middle of attempting to finish my precalc assignment when I get a text from a number I don’t recognize.
don’t be mad @ me, I’ll explain tmrw.
I frown at my phone. who’s this???
In response, I receive a picture of a shirtless Ace and nearly break my phone when I throw it halfway across the room. I must be losing my mind.
There’s absolutely no way Ace Clyde is texting me shirtless selfies right now. There’s no way this is my life.
I inch toward my phone slowly. I can’t help but feel like it’s a bomb that’s going to explode at any moment. When I pick it up, it’s blessedly intact, but Ace’s shirtless selfie is still looking back at me unanswered.
WHY are you shirtless? is the only response I can manage.
i was working out, Ace texts back.
I sigh. Ace might be a delinquent who separates himself from the rest of the high school crowd, but he’s as clueless as any other teenage boy. I save his contact in my phone and say, pls don’t text me shirtless pics of yourself dude!!! it’s weird!!!
Alistair Clyde:
u asked who i was
Me:
and I regret it dearly
Alistair Clyde:
haha ur a comedian
Alistair Clyde:
anyway don’t be mad. i’ll explain everything tmrw morning ok?
Me:
you mean if I don’t kill you first
Alistair Clyde:
I look forward to u trying ;)
I put down my phone and dig the heels of my palms into my eyes. My life is a mess.
“Myra, come down for food!” Dadu calls. “Samir’s friends are gone!”
“Coming!” I say and toss my phone aside in favor of a book. After breakfast, I always read to Dadu for a while. She says it helps improve her English, but I think she just likes hearing me read. Either way, I don’t mind—rather, I’m happy to do anything that puts her mind at momentary ease—but today, it has the extra benefit of giving me a chance to get out of my own head.
It’s something I need desperately if Ace is determined to keep up this charade.
18
T-MINUS 20 DAYS
For the first time in my life, I walk into school with my hood over my head, not wanting to attract the attention of my classmates. I don’t think anyone will stare if Ace isn’t by my side, but I don’t want to risk it. He still hasn’t changed his relationship status, and upward of a dozen strangers have requested to follow me on Instagram and friend me on Facebook this morning alone.