A Beginner's Guide to the American West ✓

chapter ten

“Howdy, cowboy,” he says when I stand next to him, tipping an imaginary hat at me. “Did you know that Arizona has more types of rattlesnake than any other state?”

“You know, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear when we’re about to spend the night camping in Arizona.”

“Thought as much,” he says. He rustles in his bag and pulls out a can of Arizona Iced Tea, letting out a happy gasp after his first sip. “When in Arizona, do as the Arizonians do, right?"

"Is that stuff good?"

"Amazing." He holds out the can. "Want a sip?"

I take it and try not to overanalyse the fact that we're sharing a drink, my lips where his have been.

"Not bad," I say.

"I'm going to have to stockpile all the flavours we don't have at home," he says. "Feeling better?”

“Much. Glad to have avoided an unfortunate incident on the back seat.”

Arjun chuckles and says, “Speaking of incidents on the back seat, look at this.” He leans close to me as he opens up his camera roll and shows me a selfie he must have taken while he was DJing earlier. In it, he’s wearing a broad grin that shows off his perfectly white but endearingly crooked teeth – he has these little fangs that, now I’ve seen them, I can’t stop noticing – and everyone who’s awake is grinning right back.

Except Young-mi and me, who are both fast asleep in the back of the photo. Her head’s on my shoulder; my temple is against the top of her head. It’s quite a sweet photo, actually, even if I’m not conscious, and it makes me smile.

“Can you send me that?”

“I can indeed.” He opens Facebook and searches my name, but March Marino yields no results. At least no accurate ones. He hands me his phone. “Find yourself so I can add you as a friend. If that’s ok?" He eyes me.

I nod. "It's ok."

"I’ll send you any pictures you want.”

I still use Facebook but I never bothered to update my name when I legally changed it to match my siblings, so my profile is still under the name Marcello Mehta. My mother may not have given me her time, but she gave me her last name.

Arjun adds me as a friend and sends me the photo, and then a few more that he took at Joshua Tree National Park. There are a few selfies of the two of us, and some that he took of the scenery that I happen to be in. In one, I’m standing slightly sideways on, one hand up to shade my eyes and the other in my pocket, no idea that my photo is being taken.

“I like that one,” I say. Arjun shrugs one shoulder, gives me half a smile.

“You looked photogenic; figured I might as well snap a pic.”

“Cheers.”

“Anytime. What are tent buddies for if not to be your personal cameraman to take candids for Instagram?”

As soon as the start of a smile meets my lips, Arjun proves himself by opening his camera app and snapping a photo of me. He manages to capture that moment between my genuine expression and the flicker in my eyes when I’m caught off guard, and ... it’s a good picture. I look happy and slightly dazed, the sun making my skin glow and sending a halo of light through my curls.