Page 100 of Crescendo

How long had Lydia and I been talking? How slowly had I been walking?

He jumped up, shooting a wide grin at the both of us. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”

“Thanks, Bansi,” Sian said—as if none of this were weird.

“Oh, it’s my pleasure. The chai was absolute perfection.”

She laughed. “You did most of the work.”

“Well, next time, you’ll know how to do it, and then it will be all you. And I know you’ll be amazing at it.”

I stared at them in confusion as they shared a few more parting words. Not one part of me understood what was going on.

“You look like a fish,” Sian said once we were alone.

“Can you blame me?” I made sure to close my mouth, though. “Bansi was in your home.Bansi.”

“Yes, I know his name. You introduced us.”

“Right. So, is there something you need to tell me?”

“No?”

I laughed once in shock. “So, you’re not… dating Bansi? Sleeping with him?”

“No! Of course not.” She frowned and shook her head. “I mean, we made out one time, but that was just the one time.”

My body, which had started relaxing, froze again. “You did what?”

She shot me a look and rounded the breakfast bar. “You’re not twelve, Ella. Making out with someone isn’t that big of a deal.”

“Oh, right,” I said, moving somewhat mechanically onto the stool Bansi hadn’t just vacated. “So, if I’d just told you Lydia and I made out once and it wasn’t a big deal, you’d have bought that?”

She snorted, pausing from where she was clearly preparing me a cup of chai to look at me. “No, because nothing between you two is a small deal. She doesn’t seem to come inthat setting and—actually, why are you even here? Shouldn’t you two be enjoying that gift I generously supplied?”

I sighed. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Now, I’m definitely worried about it.”

“It’s fine. Don’t change the subject. What the hell’s going on with you and Bansi? And how on earth did you end up making out with him?”

She finished pouring the chai and slid the mug towards me. “He and I have a lot in common. We got to talking about our families wanting us to go into medicine, how our true passions lie in music, you know… just all that stuff. So, yeah, we exchanged numbers and became friends.”

“Okay. I can see that from both of you.”

Sian rolled her eyes and slipped into the seat next to me. “Sometimes, you’re just questioning some things and need a friend to help you out.”

“Right. Like, with work or family or your other friends, right?”

“Sure. Or, you know, whether you’re gay or bi.”

“You’ve got some guts telling me I’m not twelve and kissing isn’t a big deal if you’re up in here kissing your friends to check what it’s like.”

She laughed. “You asked.”

I reached over to the little tea strainer. “And you just happened to have cardamom pods in the cupboard?”

“No. I bought them after he told me he’d teach me how to make a good masala chai.”

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