Better off Friends

I hid my face. I was grateful that the only time my boyfriend and best friend got competitive was during track. The varsity track coach, Mr. Scharfenberg, had already told Levi he was pretty much a shoo-in to be on the varsity team this year.

Ian and I sat through the entire game. I tried to pretend to be interested in what was going on, but honestly, if Levi wasn’t playing or the players weren’t wearing green and gold, I couldn’t have cared less.

I did spend a significant amount of time avoiding eye contact with the cheerleaders. Emily performed like she didn’t have a care in the world, and she probably didn’t. She’d dated Troy for a bit, followed by Keith, then James, then Mark, then Dave. Despite all her concerns, she never struggled to fit in. She had an even bigger circle of friends now.

Danielle had gone with me “in the divorce,” which was good, because I’d really needed her dry sense of humor to help me after the breakup. Whenever Emily and I had class together, we’d sit and chat, but as soon as the bell rang, she’d go to her new friends. But I had new friends of my own, which made it easier not to have hard feelings.

After the game was over, Ian and I waited by the locker room for Levi.

He exited the building with a gray hoodie pulled low over his head. His entire posture showed defeat.

“Hi!” I tried to be enthusiastic for him, but not too enthusiastic.

“Hey, guys.” Levi continued to look down at the floor.

“I told your mom we’d give you a ride home. But first maybe some custard? On Ian?”

“Hey!” Ian grabbed me by the waist.

I swatted his hands away. “Ever the gentleman.”

Levi wasn’t amused. “Nah, I’m okay.” He wouldn’t even look at us.

There were two words for a moment like this: awk-ward.

We got into Ian’s car. I could practically feel Levi’s eyes roll into the back of his head when a rap song came blasting from the stereo. I turned the music down.

“So, Levi.” Ian glanced in the rearview mirror. “I heard you’re dating Carrie Pope?”

I didn’t think you could technically call one coffee and one movie dating. But Levi nodded.

“Isn’t she a freshman?” Ian’s interest in Levi’s dating life was making me anxious.

“Hey, pot, are you calling this kettle black?” Levi said with a laugh. I was relieved that he still had his sense of humor.

“No,” Ian stammered. “I’m just saying she’s cute.”

“Hey!” I playfully hit his arm.

“That’s not what I meant. She’s not my type.”

“Oh, so cute isn’t your type?” I countered.

“Sounded like that to me,” Levi announced from the backseat.

“You know, you guys are no fun,” Ian sulked. “Nobody can ever win anything with the two of you ganging up on poor, poor souls.”

“Oh, please.” I turned around and gave Levi a high five just to annoy Ian further.

“Blimey if we can help it,” Levi said in a British accent.

“Ack!” Ian protested. “Enough with that blimey stuff. You guys are too much.”

“I believe he means too much awesome,” I clarified.

“Clearly,” Levi agreed. “Can’t imagine what else it would be.”

“Unless it’s amazing.”

“That’s another word people often use to describe us.”

“And fabulous,” I reminded him.

“Inspiring.”

“Extraordinary.”

“Stop!” Ian cried out like he was in physical pain. “Oh, I’ve got plenty of words to describe you two. Believe me.”

He pulled over in front of Levi’s house. “So, Levi, how about we even the playing field and go on a double date. Then maybe Carrie and I can gang up on you two for a change.”

An odd silence took over the car. Levi and I were no longer joking around. I don’t know why we were both reacting so strangely. It wasn’t as if Levi didn’t hang out with us, but now we were adding a fourth. Would it be uncomfortable?

“Was it something I said?” Ian asked, to lighten the mood.

I tried to grasp on to reality and not overreact. “No, yeah, I think that would be great.”

I looked at Levi, who was studying my face. “Sure,” he said. Although he didn’t sound sure.

“Great!” Ian was way too excited about this. “We’ve got that party at Keith’s next weekend.”

“We do?” I hadn’t known we had that.

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” I shook my head in response. He continued. “Oh, well, let’s go grab a bite beforehand and go over together.”

“Ah, okay.” Levi got out of the car and gave me a little wave before going inside.

“See.” Ian leaned over toward me. “Look at me playing nice with your BFF. What does this get me?”

“The privilege of driving me home,” I stated flatly.

He laughed. “You’re something else. You know that, right?”

So I’ve been told.

I didn’t know if it should comfort me that Levi was as hesitant about the double date as I was. I’d met Carrie a couple of times, but I’d tried to give her lots of space. I knew that Levi having a girl as a best friend could be intimidating. She seemed sweet and he liked her, so I wanted it to work for him.

Plus, I had learned to knock before entering rooms, both literally and metaphorically.