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Authors: Stacey Wallace Benefiel
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Sylvia.”
“Okay,” I say, not getting it, “and she really needs to talk to you because why?”
Andy takes in a deep breath and then blows it out on a sigh. “Because I’m supposed to break up with you tonight, but I’m being chicken shit.”
“Ah ha,” I drawl. Thank God! Our evening is making a lot more sense now. “So, she told you to act like a dick?”
He nods. “She thought it would make you break up with me.”
“Jesus.” I can’t help but laugh. “Dude, I do want to break up with you, but not because on one night out of our entire relationship you decided to be the worst person ever.”
He scrunches up his face. “Because you want to date Gabe?”
“Yeah.”
“I knew it and I thought it was fine. I mean I really like Sylvia and want to, y’know, be with her more than you, but you’re you, Brynn. My Brynn, for a long time.” Andy gives me a half-hearted smile. “Letting you go is harder than I expected.”
I sling my arms around his neck and give him a tight hug. “We’re not in high school anymore.”
“Truth.” He pulls back and looks down at me. “I want you to be happy. I tried, but you never … I hope Gabe does a better job than me.”
“And I hope Sylvia treats you right, because you’re one of the best people I know. Usually.”
I step back from him, and he holds his right hand up to me, palm out. “High five for the most kick ass break up ever!”
I slap his palm with mine. “Yes! We win at breaking up!”
Andy nods toward Sunny’s. “I’ll still give you a ride home, but I think someone’s waiting to see how this all played out.”
I turn and see Gabe parked not so conspicuously at the top of the last block and then look back at Andy. “Have a good Thanksgiving. See you around.”
Andy shakes his head. “See you around, Brynn.”
Gabe pretends to be fiddling with the radio controls when I pop up next to his window. He looks over, acts startled, and rolls the window down. “Oh, hey.”
I snort. “Hey. You couldn’t look more stalkery right now if you tried.”
“Really? ’Cause, I was considering getting my binoculars out.”
“You have binoculars in the candy van, why?”
“I don’t,” he says with faux sheepishness. “I was gonna use the zoom on the camera on my phone.”
I shake my head in disappointment. “Low tech, bro.”
Gabe leans out the window and says in an old timey accent, “So, are you getting in here and becoming my woman or what?”
I stand on tip-toe and rest my chest on the window sill, forcing him back inside the van. “Yeah, I became a woman at twelve. I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but it’s vaguely gross and incomprehensible.”
He rolls his eyes and sighs exaggeratedly. “You wanna make out with me?”
“Why didn’t you just ask?” I remove my person from the window.
“I did, like, four different ways.” Gabe reaches out and knocks on my forehead. “Did Andy high five the brains out of your head or what?”
“No,” I say, grinning. “He was really cool, actually. Turns out, he wanted to break up with me to be with this girl Sylvia. The whole being a mega dick was an act.”
“Good, because watching you leave with him made me want to roll over his face.”
I get in the van and he pulls away from the curb. We wave at Andy, who’s still leaning against his car, texting, a huge smile on his face.
“Goober.” I roll my eyes and chuckle. “So, are you really going to work with me?”
Gabe nods. “We shook on it, didn’t we?”
“Indeed. I just didn’t know if that was for show or what. You guys and your trying to be manly is confusing.”
He looks worried. “I never have had a job, though, for real. I might suck as an employee.”
I put my hand on his arm. “It’s not that hard. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”
“Okay, I just want you to be prepared. Since the accident I sometimes get … overwhelmed easily.”
“We’ll take it one day and one customer at a
“Okay,” I say, not getting it, “and she really needs to talk to you because why?”
Andy takes in a deep breath and then blows it out on a sigh. “Because I’m supposed to break up with you tonight, but I’m being chicken shit.”
“Ah ha,” I drawl. Thank God! Our evening is making a lot more sense now. “So, she told you to act like a dick?”
He nods. “She thought it would make you break up with me.”
“Jesus.” I can’t help but laugh. “Dude, I do want to break up with you, but not because on one night out of our entire relationship you decided to be the worst person ever.”
He scrunches up his face. “Because you want to date Gabe?”
“Yeah.”
“I knew it and I thought it was fine. I mean I really like Sylvia and want to, y’know, be with her more than you, but you’re you, Brynn. My Brynn, for a long time.” Andy gives me a half-hearted smile. “Letting you go is harder than I expected.”
I sling my arms around his neck and give him a tight hug. “We’re not in high school anymore.”
“Truth.” He pulls back and looks down at me. “I want you to be happy. I tried, but you never … I hope Gabe does a better job than me.”
“And I hope Sylvia treats you right, because you’re one of the best people I know. Usually.”
I step back from him, and he holds his right hand up to me, palm out. “High five for the most kick ass break up ever!”
I slap his palm with mine. “Yes! We win at breaking up!”
Andy nods toward Sunny’s. “I’ll still give you a ride home, but I think someone’s waiting to see how this all played out.”
I turn and see Gabe parked not so conspicuously at the top of the last block and then look back at Andy. “Have a good Thanksgiving. See you around.”
Andy shakes his head. “See you around, Brynn.”
Gabe pretends to be fiddling with the radio controls when I pop up next to his window. He looks over, acts startled, and rolls the window down. “Oh, hey.”
I snort. “Hey. You couldn’t look more stalkery right now if you tried.”
“Really? ’Cause, I was considering getting my binoculars out.”
“You have binoculars in the candy van, why?”
“I don’t,” he says with faux sheepishness. “I was gonna use the zoom on the camera on my phone.”
I shake my head in disappointment. “Low tech, bro.”
Gabe leans out the window and says in an old timey accent, “So, are you getting in here and becoming my woman or what?”
I stand on tip-toe and rest my chest on the window sill, forcing him back inside the van. “Yeah, I became a woman at twelve. I don’t know what you’re insinuating, but it’s vaguely gross and incomprehensible.”
He rolls his eyes and sighs exaggeratedly. “You wanna make out with me?”
“Why didn’t you just ask?” I remove my person from the window.
“I did, like, four different ways.” Gabe reaches out and knocks on my forehead. “Did Andy high five the brains out of your head or what?”
“No,” I say, grinning. “He was really cool, actually. Turns out, he wanted to break up with me to be with this girl Sylvia. The whole being a mega dick was an act.”
“Good, because watching you leave with him made me want to roll over his face.”
I get in the van and he pulls away from the curb. We wave at Andy, who’s still leaning against his car, texting, a huge smile on his face.
“Goober.” I roll my eyes and chuckle. “So, are you really going to work with me?”
Gabe nods. “We shook on it, didn’t we?”
“Indeed. I just didn’t know if that was for show or what. You guys and your trying to be manly is confusing.”
He looks worried. “I never have had a job, though, for real. I might suck as an employee.”
I put my hand on his arm. “It’s not that hard. I’ve been doing it since I was a kid.”
“Okay, I just want you to be prepared. Since the accident I sometimes get … overwhelmed easily.”
“We’ll take it one day and one customer at a
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