Page 27 of Going the Distance
“Wanna talk about it?”
“Lee’s just being so mean to me,” I whined, sounding pathetic even to my own ears. “We hardly get to spend any time together now, just the two of us, and tonight was supposed to be a chance for us to hang out without Rachel or anything, and instead he’s just ignored me and I don’t know what I did to make him hate me!”
“Lee doesn’t hate you.”
“Then why’s he being so mean?”
“He’s probably just stressing out about college, like everyone else.”
“Then why isn’t he talking to me about it? You know he told me tonight he’s gonna apply to Brown, with Rachel. Like, out ofnowhere.We used to spend all our time together. And now, if we make plans, he almostalwayscancels to spend time with Rachel, or he’s too busy with football. He’s even canceling our college plans for her.”
“Maybe it’s because of Rachel that he’s not spending much time with you, when he has free time outside of football practice. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s gotta be weird for her when her boyfriend’s best friend is a girl. And a very pretty girl, at that. Objectively speaking, of course. And, like, don’t lots of people want to go to college with their other half?”
“I’m supposed to be his other half.”
“You know what I mean.” Levi sighed. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to say that maybe there’s a good reason for it. I can’t see him being a dick just because heisa dick. He’s not. He’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, he is.”
Somehow, that only made me feel even worse.
“I think I want to go home,” I said, folding my hands over my knees. “I’m not really in the party mood anymore.”
I stood up.
“Wait, you’re not gonna walk home, are you? (a) You’re not sober, so that’s not a good idea, (b) you don’t exactly live nearby, and (c) that’s just not safe at this time of night.”
“Thanks for your concern, but I was actually only going to go find my purse. I’ll call my dad for a ride home.”
“Oh,” Levi said, and stood up, too. “I don’t mind taking you home if you want. Then I’ll come back here for an hour or whatever till the others are ready to go.”
“Are we paying you to be our personal chauffeur, or something?”
“Nah, this is just me building up some good karma.”
“I’m not sure you get the karma if you’re trying that hard.”
“Worth a shot, right?”
“I guess. Just a shame we’re not talking a shot of tequila.”
• • •
At home, the light was on in the living room and the drapes were shut. Levi put the car in neutral and pulled up the hand brake.
“Thanks. Are you sure I can’t give you some gas money?”
“It’s fine, Elle, really.” He smiled. “But I may call in another babysitting favor in payment.”
“Ah, I knew there was a catch.” I unbuckled my seat belt and climbed out. “Well, thanks. Again. I appreciateit.”
I shut the door and walked up the path to my front door, but only got halfway to the porch before I heard him wind down the window and call out to me. I turned back.
“Yeah?”
“I’m sure Lee will come around. You guys will figure out the college thing. If you two are best friends, you’ll work things out.”
“I hope so.”
