Meet Me in the Middle

Chapter 21

He pulls a chair next to me and dumps the plates in front of us. "You have got to learn how to whisper. I'm just worried what will happen on my--" He pulls out his phone and unlocks it as my eyes bug out. Wait—did he—NO.

"Hold on! Unlock it again."

He stutters and tries to shrug, appearing casual. It is NOT working. "Why..?"

I harden my face and demand of him, "Unlock it again."

"My fingerprint scanner doesn't work."

"Use the pattern like you just did."

He locks his phone using the switch and then reawakens the screen. He slides his thumb across the screen, making the pattern that unlocks his phone. It's all normal. Regular stuff, right? Except, his pattern is distinctly familiar.

"Is that an 'A'?"

"What..?"

"Your unlock pattern. It makes an 'A'." What. The. Hell..

"Does it? I didn't realise. I don't use it that much."

"You just said your fingerprint scanner doesn't work!"

"I... Avi! What the hell! Back me up here!"

The idiot is just sitting here, digging into his plate of samosas, drenching them in extra chutney.

"You're on your own, Bhaiyya."

"I'll remember that the next time you need me to bail you out."

"I told you this would happen! I didn't realize it would even take this long, to be honest! She's smarter than the average person!"

"Not in this case, she isn't!"

"Guys, I'm right here!" I yell and they both freeze instantly.

"Told you" Avi mumbles to his samosas while Samar looks at me guiltily.

Oh satan. How could I have missed this!? How could I not know!? The signs were always there! I just kept missing them! I asked him and he even denied! But of course, he still has feelings! Of course, he denied! How did I not figure it out earlier!?

"You really do love Puri, don't you?" I almost whisper to him.

He frowns at me and Avi spits out his samosa.

"What?"

"You love her! Enough to set her initial as your password! Dude, I'm so sorry! All the jokes and stuff! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or such. I'm really sorry! It does change the entire perspective if you actually love her! I didn't know and made fun of her constantly in front of you! I mean, she is worth being made fun of. I still don't understand how a dude as awesome as you can like that blood sucking witch. But I guess we can't choose who we love. My ex was a whore and a part time Disney villain, so I get it. Although I think this is a mistake and she doesn't deserve you and you deserve much much better, I'm not gonna say anything. And I really am sorry. Sorry. I'm gonna shut up now."

I usually say this to others, but boy, am I overcompensating? Avi is breathlessly laughing now, the goddamn traitor. Samar's smile has been just growing with each and every sentence that I babbled. He tries to purse his lips. He looks down and tries to cover his mouth with his hand. He fake coughs a couple of times.

I decide to conclude the speech, "I'm really sorry I undermined your feelings for your possibly-girlfriend." I frown in my best apologetic face (something I got really good at with Hardik and he called 'sad puppy eyes').