Just Rose

Chapter Nineteen

"Why's he here?" Josh muttered when I walked into Food on Thursday with Eddie by my side.

"I decided to come by, stake out the competition, you know," Eddie joked, clapping Josh on the back.

"I wanted to show Eddie around," I explained.

"Can't he just show himself around?" Josh said.

"Come on, Eddie," Kiana said, hurrying over, "I'll show you where we make all the food."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked Josh, pulling him away from the kitchen. "It's after hours. You and Max bring Jake over here all the time. I don't know what's wrong with bringing Eddie. He's our friend."

"He's your friend," Josh said. "I don't like him. Or trust him. But you seem like you trust him a little too much. And like him a little too much."

I ignored the comment. "He's Kiana's friend, too. Don't you trust Kiana's opinion?"

"Sure, I guess," Josh agreed. "But you've only known Eddie for what, a week?"

"More than a week. Nine days. I met him last Tuesday."

Josh groaned. "Oh great, you're keeping track of the days. Nine days after I met you, we were still trying not to kill each other," he reminded me.

"No, the day you met me you asked me on an unofficial date. Remember? To that diner. And then you told me about all the girls who loved you back here- none of them seem to exist, by the way."

"Touche. But at least I wasn't inviting myself over to your house."

"Why do you care?" I asked. "You barely talk to me, anyways."

"Have you ever noticed how when you need me- like when you wanted information about Texas, and when you were trying to get advice on how to talk to Sarah and Kiana- I'm suddenly one of your closest friends?" Josh asked. "But as soon as you don't," he continued, "nope, Josh just becomes a jerk to you."

"That's not true," I protested.

"Really?"

"Well, maybe if you were actually helpful-"

"I try to be! I told you all I knew," Josh said, looking out the window. "I have no idea what your life was like or where you were before I came to Texas. Anyways, what if I don't want a fancy new English friend?"

"Fine," I said. "You don't have to be friends with Eddie. But I'm going to be."

"Have fun with that, E."

***

"I feel you, Josh," Sarah sympathized a day later. "I'm not a fan of Edweird either, and I haven't even met him!"

"He's nice," I said, folding my arms. "And his name isn't Edweird. It's Eddie."

"It was a joke, Rose," Sarah said. "He might be an okay guy."

"Might."

"Guys!" I protested, hanging up my apron. "Let's just not talk about it. I invited him over for Friday Night Movie Night, you can meet him then," I told Sarah.

"I thought we agreed I wasn't having Friday Night Movie Night today," she responded, taking off her own apron and hanging it up.

"You're not," I agreed. "I am. Me and Max planned it. We're all going to make up and be friends tonight. Come on, let's go!" I urged, maybe a little bit over-enthusiastic.

Josh and Sarah shared a look. "Uh, sorry, Elisaveta, you're not getting me to go to that," Josh said.

"Saying my name with a Russian accent doesn't make it any more okay. And you live there. You have to come! And Sarah will, too. Right, Sarah?"