Page 22 of Nothing Like the Movies

Which also wasn’t a surprise. Sarah was in all my business, all the time.

Sarah: How’s the epic party? Are you hard-core kegging?

I texted:Walking home, actually.

Sarah: So early?

I replied:Liz was there.

Almost immediately, she was FaceTiming me.

Dammit. I didn’t feel like talking about it, but I also knew she wouldn’t go away.

“I knew I shouldn’t have told you,” I said as I answered, fully aware that I would never not tell her. Sarah had gone from annoying little sister to the only person in the world I could count on after my dad died and my mom had her issues, so we kind of told each other everything.

Spoiler: You get really close with your siblings when you have to learn survival together.

“Oh my God,” she said, like I hadn’t spoken. “Did you talk to her?”

Sarah had on her glasses, which meant she was ready for bed. The kid hated glasses and had always waited until right before bed before taking out her contacts.

“I did,” I said, not wanting to rewind that polite small-talk nightmare.

“Oh my God, Wes, I was right!” Sarah, the romantic, had wanted me to track down Liz the second I got to LA. “This is fate, I just know—”

“She was with her boyfriend.”

“She has aboyfriend?” My sister, not one to be deterred, immediately launched into a fact-finding mission. “And he was there? Is it serious?”

“I had the privilege of meeting him and talking to them—together—as a couple.”

“Noooo—quelnightmare,” she sighed in horror, her eyes wide. “What was he like?”

I hated him. I hated him so much. Because, “He seemed like a really great guy.”

“Oh my God, theworst,” she said, groaning and shaking her head. “What about the time? Do you know how long they’ve been talking?”

“That’s the weird part,” I said, leaning back and stretching out my legs. “Liz said it’s new, that they’ve just started dating, and then they both said they’re still getting used to it. The guy was like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right—I’m your boyfriend.’?”

“What?” Sarah must’ve flipped on a light because it was brighter now. “They arestill getting used to it?”

“I know,” I said, still a little confused by that. “Like how?”

“Obviously it isn’t serious, then. What else?”

“What else what?”

“What else happened with Liz, you moron? What did you two say to each other?”

“It was all very polite,” I said, my gut in a knot as I replayed the very cordial reunion. “Like we were total strangers.”

“Gross,” she said, almost in a whine.

“I know.” I sighed and tried pushing back the disappointment. “But even if she was single, Sar, it probably wouldn’t matter because she still hates me.”

“She said that?”

“No, but it was obvious.” It was all over her face when she looked at me. “Trust me.”

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