All Planned Out

Seventeen (Alex)

"I should probably just sit in the back seat."

Being called by Montana on Charlotte's phone had definitely thrown me off last night, but the confusion of that thirty seconds was nothing compared to the feelings I had when, an hour or so later, Charlotte called me back to tell me that Montana had requested that the four of us of all carpool into school today and that I was being volunteered for driving duty.

"You don't have to do that."

"Of course I do."

"Of course you absolutely do not." I said. I was usually so good at reading her face and knowing exactly what she was thinking. Too bad nothing about this morning was feeling anything like usual.

"Stuart is not getting all of himself into your backseat." She said, then covered her face and shook her head. "That might not be the best turn of phrase."

I could not roll my eyes hard enough. "Funny, Char."

Her hands fell and I could see that she was grinning. "It's simple. I'll sit behind you and Montana can sit next to me while Stuart sits next to you. I think that's perfectly reasonable."

"Do you think that's what Montana is expecting us to do?"

"Well," Charlotte traipsed across the grass in front of me, then spun and leaned her back against my back door, "I don't think she's against the idea of her cousin and her best friend getting together." The grin had spread into serial killer territory. "And if that's what it takes to get me closer to her, then I'm all for it."

I was starting to get the feeling that I was going to have a headache from all the eye rolling I was going to be doing between m house and school this morning. "Of all the things for me and Montana to have in common..."

"...what thing is that?"

"The thing where neither of us is against the idea of our cousin and our best friend getting together." I tried to match her psychopathic smile but I could tell by her reaction that I had not succeeded.

"Never look at me like that again. Yikes." She laughed and shimmied herself against the door. "Now let's go or we're going to be late."

"Sure thing." I said as I stepped forward and both of us opened our doors together. "While I'm driving you can tell me everything you learned about skateboarding last night."

"Nope." She chirped. "Not happening."

"I'm trying to be supportive and not stand in your way, just like I was told."

"Do I need to ask Montana to tell you to shut up when we get to her house?" She said as we slid into our seats. As I started the car I watched her in the rearview mirror toss her bag into the other seat, only to then panic, grab it, and shove it down between her legs. As she sat back up to buckle in, her eyes caught mine. "I'm also telling you to shut up."

"Stop being so nervous. You've spent way more time with her than I've spent around Stuart. If anyone should be nervous, it's me."

"And why would you be nervous?" She asked, her voice practically singing. "Did something happen with you, too?"

"Nope." I shook my head. "And if you think I'm just going to start dishing dirt about what me and him may or may not be doing when I can barely get a word out of you, you're crazy."

"Pfffft. I know you two aren't doing anything."

"Confident much?"

"Very." She said. "If you were up to something, I'm sure Montana would already know and she'd have told me."

"She would?"

"She wants you two together, Alex. If she found out something happened the first person she'd talk to about it would be your sweet, precious girlfriend. She'd need to know I was okay with it, you know?" The smile had returned in full force. "Which I am."