Getting Closer

Chapter Fifteen - Charlie

Juliet has quickly become a part of our group. She easily fits in and she gets along with pissy Seth and horny Max, despite their overbearingness. Because she admitted to me the other day at lunch that she's been lonely, I've been inviting her over to hang with us and she accepts every time. Max shamelessly flirts with her and Seth tries to get gossip from her, but she deals with them easily enough that I don't have to worry so much that they'll drive her away.

While driving to school with Max this time, he rarely talks the whole way there as he's constantly texting with someone. "Is that Jessica?" I pry.

He grunts but that could mean either yes or a no.

Sighing, I ask, "You know, friends tend to talk to one another. Especially one that drives you everywhere."

A long bit of silence. "It's not Jess," he eventually says but doesn't add the detail of who it is.

"I thought you liked Jessica."

"You're just as much of a gossip as Seth is," Max whines as he shoves his phone in his pocket.

"Am I wrong?"

"I wanted to fuck Jess. That's it."

"So who were you texting?"

"None of your fucking business, Evans."

I scoff. I'm used to Max being a shithead but sometimes he just sucks to be around. "Fine, don't tell me."

"Wasn't going to."

Rolling my eyes, we finally get to school to find Seth waiting for us in the student parking lot. Seeing my truck right away, he runs to my parking spot and he waits for us to get out. "Good morning," I say nonchalantly. 

"Morning sexy," he says back as if it's second nature to him. "So you guys aren't going to believe me when I say this."

Max leans against my truck. "You finally fucked a dude?"

"He would have to actually talk to other people," I laugh.

"Will you two shut up?" Seth whines. "So I was on my way to my halmeoni's house yesterday to help with her dementia or whatever and Jenny and I may have heard things from my halmeoni."

Max and I share a look. His grandmother was always nice to us but since being diagnosed with dementia, she barely remembers anything and has been saying cryptic things. "Like what?"

"She says we're not even Korean."

Max rolls his eyes. "Do I care?"

"It's very big for us, Maxwell. It's like calling you Spanish even though you're Mexican."

"My grandpa was from Spain, you dipshit."

Seth rolls his eyes. "Okay fine, whatever, but it's the same testament. For us Asians, mixing of cultures is kind of a no-no."

"Then your grandmother must have been thrilled your mom married the whitest fucker around."

Seth sighs. "My grandfather was more pissed, but enough about the white half of me. So this means my life has been a whole lie this entire time?"

Max smiles, "Half your life was a lie."

Seth slaps Max in the arm and looks to me. "Why are we friends with him again?"

"Honestly no clue."

"Too bad," Max says as he leans off of the truck. "You're both stuck with me." 

Seth groans at the idea that we are stuck with him and I laugh. I truly love these two idiots. "Let's get going," I say. "I have to meet Kate before class."