He definitely didn’t understand teenage girls.
“If she doesn’t have you,” he went on, “then all she’ll have is Kaylee and that bunch. Those were the type of girls who got her expelled in California. Don’t you care about her at all? You’re the one who was always telling Elise she should go to college.”
I understood now why Josh had come over instead of calling. It would have been easy to say no to him over the phone. It was harder with him sitting here, looking at me so intently, so earnestly.
Josh leaned in closer. “Come on, Cassidy, you’re not the type to hold a grudge. I want you to keep riding with Elise and me to school.”
It was a terribly inappropriate time to think about what a deep shade of blue Josh’s eyes were, but suddenly I found myself doing just that. Blue eyes and dark hair was such a striking combination. It was easy to let my gaze linger on him.
“Just talk to her,” he said softly. “Please.”
If I didn’t talk to Elise, it wouldn’t just be her friendship I’d lose. I’d lose Josh’s too. No more joking around with Elise and him in the car, no more talks, no more deep blue eyes.
He leaned in even closer. “Please.”
I let out a sigh. “All right. For you, I’ll talk to her.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up for school on Monday.” He smiled, a little triumphantly. Maybe he did understand teenage girls after all.
After Josh left, I went to my room and thought about what I should say to Elise. Whenever I started a paper for school, I jotted down a list of everything I wanted to say and bullet-pointed the most important details so I didn’t forget anything. This was at least as important as a school paper, and I needed to make sure I phrased things right. I picked up a pen, then put it down. Bullet point lists for phone conversations was something Elise would have made fun of me for. I would do this her way, from the top of my head. From inside my heart.
I waited for the image of Chad and Elise in the parking lot to flash through my mind again, with its accompanying sting. It didn’t come. All I could see was Josh leaning toward me, his gaze locked on mine. He had said he wanted me to keep riding with Elise and him. Had he only said it because he thought I was a good influence on Elise, or had he meant he would miss me too?
I made myself stop thinking about Josh, and picked up my phone. My mom has always said that a real friend wants what is best for you. I had only been looking at that equation from my side, I realized. If Elise wanted Chad and he wanted her, a real friend would be happy for her. I needed to be that real friend now.
She picked up after a couple of rings. “Hey, Cassidy.” Her voice sounded guarded, wary.
I kept mine light. “Josh told me he chewed you out over Chad.”
“Chewed out is putting it lightly.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have made a big deal about it. It wasn’t like I owned Chad or something. I’m embarrassed Josh even told you I was upset.”
“I’m really sorry,” she said quickly. “I actually put off Chad for awhile because I didn’t want you to be mad about it. But the thing is, it wouldn’t have worked out between you and Chad. He’s not your type; he’s my type. He likes to party. You like to study.”
I knew Chad went to parties sometimes. A lot of the football players did, but I had always thought it was only that—him hanging out with the football team. He got good grades, so he obviously studied some of the time. I didn’t point this out to Elise. She didn’t give me time.
“Chad has a lot of hot friends,” she said. “I bet I could set you up with one.”
“You don’t have to.” I didn’t want a consolation prize tossed in my direction.
“We could double somewhere.”
“That would be too . . . ,” painful and mortifying, “awkward.”
“Come to a few parties with me. I don’t want to see you stuck with every Bob that comes along.”
“I promised my parents I wouldn’t go to those kinds of parties. Do you know how many lectures they’ve given me on date rape drugs? I already have a phobia of drinking anything someone else gives me. And did you know sauces and dips can be spiked too?”
“One party. You can bring your own guacamole.”
“I can’t.”
“Okay. No parties. Just a social gathering. Come with me to one social gathering where a few friends and acquaintances will visit with one another. I could set you up in a second.”
“You don’t have to find another guy for me. Really. I’m fine.”
“Okay,” she said, but she didn’t sound like she believed me.
I was fine though. And if Josh was right about Chad being back on the scamming scene in three months, well, I wouldn’t have to feel bad dating my friend’s ex.
Chapter 11
I worried that Monday would be tense and uncomfortable, but Elise and Josh were both joking around in the car like normal.
As soon as I got in, Elise fluttered her hand in Josh’s direction. “It’s only fair you tell Cassidy about your date on Saturday. You got a big enough laugh over the Bob affair.”
Josh grimaced. “I’m no longer dating Courtney.”
“He broke her leg,” Elise said.
“It was her ankle, and it was just sprained.”
Elise turned in her seat to see me better. “It all started when Mom and Dad forgot they were supposed to take Olivia to a birthday party and they went shopping in Lewiston. Olivia was in tears because she thought she was going to miss it. I, of course, volunteered to drive her to the skating rink, but Josh insisted he do it even though he had a date lined up with Courtney.”
Josh’s gaze shifted to Elise. “You don’t have your license yet.”
“A technicality. I’m a wonderful driver.”
“You’re going to get the story wrong,” Josh said. “Let me tell it.” He addressed me through the rearview mirror. “I picked up Courtney—”
“With Olivia in the car,” Elise added.
“And explained to Courtney I was dropping off Olivia at a party. When we got to the birthday person’s house, they’d already left for the rink. So we drove all the way over to Moscow, where we thought they’d be, but they weren’t there either. By this time Olivia was crying, and I couldn’t take her home, and I couldn’t leave her there, so I suggested to Courtney we postpone dinner and go skating.”
“With his kid sister,” Elise emphasized.
“It wasn’t as though Olivia was right there, skating between us . . . at least not most of the time.”
“And Courtney was dressed for roller-skating.” Elise put in.
“What else could I do?” Josh protested. “Olivia was brokenhearted. Besides, the whole fiasco was partially Courtney’s fault. She should have told me she didn’t know how to skate. I thought it was something all girls know how to do.”
I gestured outside to the road we were driving up. “Josh, Pullman is built on hills. You can only roller skate two ways here—at thirty miles an hour going straight down, or holding your skates and walking back up.”
“Well, anyway, there was this little collision . . .”
“Which involved how many people?” Elise prompted.
“Six,” Josh said. “And Courtney ripped her pants, twisted her ankle, and cursed my name all the way home.”
“Didn’t you forget one part of the story?” Elise asked.
“And Olivia was so upset by the whole thing that she threw up.”
“On?” Elise prodded cheerfully.
“On Courtney.”
I didn’t try to stifle my laugh. “Excuse me while I cough for a while.”
Elise nodded. “It makes a soy sauce spill seem pretty tame, doesn’t it?”
Josh let out a sigh. “I’ve gained new compassion for Bob. In fact, I feel a kinship with him now.”
Elise sat back in her seat. “Perhaps you two could have your own reality show: Dates that Maim.”