TANGLED PLANS

20

Being accompanied on a date with your older brother and his best friend is as scary and intimidating as it sounds. Brayden had been acting like a prude once I came out of my room in my outfit. I had on the flowy white dress with the cardigan and a pair of sneakers. I'm not sure why he was trying to make it seem that I was wearing something worse.

I ignore him as I headed downstairs to find Max on the phone with someone. I knew that judging from the one-word response that he gave the person (a hard fine), that it had to be his father. I had to ask Max about that. I had to ask him if he needed me to accompany him on his own events. He was doing a lot for me, and I couldn't let him continue to do so without him gaining anything from it.

Our plan was simple. He helps me while I help him. In the end, I get the one thing I want from this whole situation: to be rid of my feelings for Max.

The plan seemed to be working well now that I was so excited to be going on a date with Justin. He says that his parents were letting him drive to pick me up, despite him having only turned sixteen a few months ago. I was happy to know that he had some kind of freedom. Once we are all standing on the doorstep of my house, we wait around for the car.

I was so excited for a new experience that I was practically dancing on the balls of my feet. Brayden sighs from beside me and says, "Stop fidgeting, Daise. You are making my head spin."

I turn to him and stick my tongue out in response. "Sucks for you," I tell him, and he grumbles while the other guy beside him laughs. I haven't made eye contact with Max the whole day, and when I do, I feel nerves going through my body. His eyes stay on my face for a second before they drop down to my outfit. He looks away once he gets to the length of me and shoves his hands in his pocket.

I wondered if he thought I looked pretty today. As soon as that thought comes to my mind, I shove it away with a scolding to myself. I couldn't be thinking of that when I was going on a date with another guy. Eyes forward, moving on, I tell myself in my head.

A white car pulls up in front of our house, and with a giggle, I head over to it. Justin pokes his head out and says, "Hey, Daisy. You look pretty."

"Thanks," I tell him softly, and then I move away so the others come into view. Justin's expression lightens when Max comes into view and he says, "So you are accompanying us." Afterward, his eyes glance to the left, where he finds my brother. He frowns when he realizes the other person, the supposed girlfriend (from his perspective), is missing.

"So, um, no date for you, Max?" Justin asks with a frown. My brother decides to step in at that time and puts his arms around Max's shoulders. "I'm his date," Bryaden says with a large smile, and to prove his point, he kisses Max on the cheek. The other boy moves off to the side with a hand wiping at the kiss, and my brother gives him a pointed look.

"We're going on a date, babe," Brayden says to him with a humorous expression. Before he can say anything worse, Max holds up a hand and says, "Use that word with me again, and you aren't seeing the light of day."

I frown at the threat of my brother being murdered by his best friend, but Max only flashes him a grin. I shake my head and walk over to the other side of the car, where I slip into the passenger seat. Once I'm inside and buckling up my seatbelt, I look towards Justin and say, "I'm sorry my brother is coming along on the date. Max's girlfriend—or closest thing to a girlfriend—couldn't make it. So we had to improvise."

Justin's similar blue eyes meet mine, and he says, "It's fine. It'll be a good time to talk to them anyway." Oh, I'm not sure what to say about that. The drive to the nearest ice cream shop isn't far, and as I try to ignore the butterflies swarming in my stomach and the looks Max was throwing me in the backseat, it passes by quickly.