Page 117 of I Can't Even Think Straight

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he’s becoming my best friend.

He might not become my boyfriend.

Sometimes I think he’s more lonely

than romantically interested in me.

He needs someone to listen to him.

I think he’s misunderstood.

I think he’s a good person.”

Jyoti pauses to weigh her words.

“I think ‘seeing each other’

means seeing how it goes.

It’s one of those slippery labels.

It might go toward becoming a couple.

It might go toward becoming friends.

It might fade to nothing.”

Mrs. James shushes us, and we obey.

“And there’s this,” Jyoti whispers,

and gestures to the space between us.

“What?” I ask, royally confused.

“This conversation with you.

We’ve not done much of this before.

If I wasn’t seeing your cousin,

we wouldn’t have had our little run-in

and gone from enemies to friends,

or whatever this is...” She trails off.

“We were never enemies,” I scoff.

“I’m glad to hear that,” says Jyoti.

“You do know I’m sorry

for the trouble I caused for you and Matt,

and between you and T.”

“Yes, I know,” I say gently.

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