Page 60 of You Started It

“Why?” I ask, picking it up from the console table. “You want me to fill it up with shrimp?”

“Maybe.”

“Okay.” Mom chuckles. “Let Jamie go. Be careful, and call if you need anything.”

I nod and turn to open the door. Behind me, Eli shouts, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Just kidding, do it all!”

“Bye!” I say in an annoyed yet kind of playful tone before heading out.

On my drive to Fantasy Farm, the venue where the reception is being held, I can’t stop myself from going over the complexities of my relationship with Axel. It would be easier if I knew where Axel and I stood, both business-wise and…not business-wise.

The lines between fiction and reality are getting blurrier the closer Axel and I become. Even though Ben irritated me at the mall last night, I haven’t been able to get his words about Axel out of my head. Is Axel just a distraction, and are these feelings swirling around inside me just based on a (mutual?) attraction?

Perhaps I’m falling victim to what so many other teens before me have. Choosing a partner based on physical attraction. But the thing is, if Axel had been in a lineup with eight other guys, I don’t think I would have gone for him. His looks didn’t jump out at me at first—at least in a good way. The attraction grew over time and continues the more we get to know one another. And is he really a big distraction? Since being with Axel I’ve checked two big items off my bucket list: Wonderland and a concert atBudweiser Stage. And both those nights have been the most fun I’ve ever had.

Fun.

That’s what Axel is.

It’s also what Ben isn’t.

And something I didn’t think I was.

I don’t understand why things are so confusing. The plan I concocted seemed simple, but nothing is working out the way I expected it to.

When I arrive at the reception hall, I park my car and check my reflection in the rearview mirror. Am I sending mixed signals to Axel by coming here? By wearing this dress? By continuing to play the role of adoring half-Arab girlfriend? Not half Arab. Just half girlfriend.

I step out of my car and take in the sights before me. This place is giving magical, fairy garden vibes. It’s the kind of wedding venue where the girliest of girls get married so they can live out their dream of playing princess for a day. But there is something romantic about it. It’s like being in the middle of a forest. Tall trees line the path, covered in the bright reds and oranges of autumn leaves. You’d never know this wedding hall was nestled in the city, right off one of the busiest highways.

I walk up some steps and follow the signs leading me to the Dahini wedding. Axel’s last name. A pang shoots through me at the thought of Axel marrying another girl one day. I wonder if he’s ever dated an Arab girl before. But like, for-real dated. I bet he has and I bet she was a lot more beautiful than I am and probably fit in really well with his family.

He probably only dates girls who love to dance as much as he does. Girls who don’t give him mixed messages. Girls who march right up to him and let their intentions be known. Axel already has his choice of almost any girl, but whenever we’re together, hisattention is always one hundred percent on me. We’re not always together, though. And I’ve seen what can happen when people spend time apart.

I walk into the hall and, to my surprise, it’s mostly empty. This is not the loud, Arab reception I was expecting.

Elaborate floral centerpieces in red, orange, and yellow adorn every table, bringing the atmospheric fall-foliage vibes inside. The rust-colored tablecloths match the seat covers. The head table is flanked by gigantic floral displays and large candelabras, set against floor-to-ceiling windows. I stand in the doorway, unsure of what to do or where to go. I’m one of the first to arrive. It’s just the DJ playing around in his booth and waitstaff placing bottles of water and wine on the tables. But the invite Axel gave me said to be here for five thirty, and it’s quarter to six.

“James,” Axel calls from behind me. “You’re here.”

I turn to find Axel in a three-piece suit and black tie. It’s the most clothes I’ve ever seen him wear. His hair is gelled, which seems to be taming his curls. He looks good. He looks great. But he doesn’t look like Axel.

“Hey. Am I early?” I ask, glancing around the mostly empty hall.

“No. Arabs run on different time. Come on, let me show you around. We just got back from taking pictures.”

He takes my hand and guides me around the venue.

“Where’s the bride?” I ask.

“Fighting with the groom. They’re holed up in the bridal suite.”

I laugh. “Well that’s a promising start.”

“It’s more like their foreplay. My cousin drank too much in the limo on the way here and couldn’t make a straight face for any of the photos.” He loosens his tie as we arrive at a large window, overlooking the grounds. “I can’t wait to rip this suit off. I’ve been walking around like a penguin all day.”

“You actually look really nice,” I say. “Like an Arab Ken doll or something.”

“I’m a fool.” He steps back to take in the full sight of me. Then takes my hand again and makes me spin for him. “Jamie T-F. You are a fox.”

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