I Do Until I Don't

Chapter 27

 We start the game once the food arrives. (Hurray for my burger!) Fannar is the first to ask a question.

"Gavin, what's your dream job?"

"Easy. Dentist," Skylar says.

Gavin nods.

"Wait!" I say a little too loud, and the people around us turn around. I lower my voice. "How can we know you're telling the truth? Maybe you're just agreeing with her for─"

"Come on," Skylar lets out in a sigh. "Do you really think we're the ones who need to prove something?"

Yes. Yes, you are.

"I agree with Ella-Mae," Fannar backs me up. "And, if you think about it, we could all go along with the other one's response."

"Well, I would know if you lied," Skylar disagrees.

I don't know why, but something inside me twitches. Skylar and Fannar have history, they have a thing. And though I'm pretty sure Fannar doesn't like her anymore, they still know each other. I'm still the third wheel.

And, like he can read my mind, Fannar takes my hand and squeezes it.

"I've changed."

Skylar sighs. "Okay, well. What do you propose?"

"Maybe we could write down the answer on paper?" I propose.

Skylar doesn't even acknowledge me. "What do you propose?" she asks again, looking at Fannar.

"I don't know," he admits.

"Come on. You must have some ideas."

"Well," he starts, changing positions on his chair, "Ella-Mae raised an interesting point. And if you were polite enough to listen and smart enough not to bring a date if you're still wrapped up in the idea of me, you'd agree."

I choke on my water.

Fannar dabs his lips with his napkin. He bites his lower lip like he's trying not to burst into laughter and takes a bite of my burger. "Sorry," he says when he realizes. "I already took my half." He starts digging into the poke bowl.

"It's okay." I give him my burger. "I can take the poke bowl."

"Sure?"

"Uh-huh."

He flashes me one of his beautiful smiles, and giving away my half of a burger suddenly doesn't feel so bad. We exchange plates and exchange looks during which we both say: Fannar/Ella-Mae: 1; Skylar/Gavin: 0.

"Anyway..." Skylar starts again. "Fannar, what's your favourite drink?"

I scribble down my answer on a napkin and then pass a pen (one most always have a pen) to Fannar who scribbles down his. We show our answer to Skylar at the same time.

Oreo milkshake. / Oreo milkshake, Baby.

Skylar purses her lips, but nods and draws a one next to our name on her napkin. I guess we're keeping scores, now.

"Gavin," I say. "Where do you work?"

They look at each other, Skylar and Gavin, and it's like Skylar is wondering how she could kill him without going to prison. Perhaps if she knew Harvey Specter...

Skylar shows us her answer: He doesn't work.

I write down that they didn't have the point.

"Ella-Mae," Gavin says. "Have you ever been in love?"