Solving for Ex

Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-eight

yet a keener solicitude

 

I hadn’t been back in my Mom’s house for longer than ten minutes before my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket just in time to see Brendan’s picture, that stupid one he’d made me take with his face pressed up against the window so it’d look like he was trapped in my phone. I wanted to roll my eyes, laugh, and cry all at the same time.

“Hey,” I said right when I picked up. I tried to keep my voice sarcastic, vaguely friendly, and measured all at the same time. To match the eye rolling, laughing, and crying.

I had forgotten how awesome living next door to someone was for ease of communication. When you could just go next door to talk to someone, you could use things like facial expressions. That was lost to Brendan and me, at least for today.

“Hey,” Brendan said on the other end. “How was your Thanksgiving? How’s your mom?”

“They’re…uh…fine. What’s up? Aren’t you busy?” I left off the part I was really thinking— With Sofia? Possibly making out with Sofia in your room? I shook my head. I couldn’t think of that now.

“Actually, yeah. Getting ready for State. I…things aren’t going well. I need you.”

“I need you” was in the list of top five things I would have killed to hear Brendan say to me. Just not in the context of Mathletes. But whatever.

“I’m not even on the team anymore, in case you forgot.” That one stung, I knew it. But it stung me too.

Brendan sighed heavily. “I know. And that sucks, and you’re pissed off, and I get that. I really am sorry it turned out like that, Ash. You have to believe me. But right now…I really think you’re the only one in the whole damn school who can help us.”

Now I was listening. Damn Brendan for knowing that Mathletics-related flattery could get anyone pretty far with me. I sighed, too. “Okay. What’s going on?”

“I tried running some board problems with Sofia. You know, for fun.”

I rolled my eyes. Only Brendan would think that running Mathletes competition questions on opposing whiteboards would count as fun with one’s girlfriend. Only Brendan would actually have two giant whiteboards set up in his room for that purpose. And only I would have been totally on board with that as a recreational activity.

“And? She kicked your ass? What does this have to do with me?”

“No, Ash. She was…slow. Actually,” he blew out a long breath, “I’m not really sure she knew how to do them at all.”

“Well, that’s….”

“Impossible, I know.”

I was going to say that it actually made a lot of sense. But I bit my tongue.

“That’s why I’m calling,” he continued. “I want to run a crash course. Tomorrow. And I need you to help me.”

“Are you seriously asking me to come home early from Thanksgiving break to help you and your girlfriend train for a Mathletes competition that I so desperately wanted to go to?” There was a long pause.

“I….well, yeah. I guess I am. I’m sorry, Ashley. About the team. You know. But it doesn’t mean that you’re not awesome at this, and that we still couldn’t use your help. And it’ll make you an awesome captain next year.

 “I’m going to need you at the competition, too. Will you come? Please? Be an honorary team member. I need you, okay?”

“Okay, okay.” As much as I would have loved an extra day to emotionally deal with the fact that I had just rejected the most beautiful guy at school, I’d go home early, and I’d help him.