Silently Falling in Love: Race (THE EDITED VERSION)

Chapter 8 - Studying

"Come on, Alex. Come with us, we're all going to Cape Cod! It will be great. Steve's parents have a huge house and we have it all to ourselves. Bring Chris if you have to," Ed pleaded.

I closed my eyes; Chris had already told me she didn't want to go. She had a lot of studying to do and there was no way she could study in a houseful of drunken people.

"Chris has too much work to do."

"Then you come, and Chris can concentrate on her work," Sam suggested walking into the middle of the conversation. Ed and Sam weren't the biggest fans of Chris. They didn't think we would last this long. I think they assumed she would have dumped me by now.

"You guys go, I'll stay back. I'll have the apartment to myself and Chris can stay over without bugging you," I offered.

"You know you want to come man, so just come," Sam said, knowing me all too well. I desperately wanted to hang out at the Cape but felt like I'd disappoint Chris if went without her.

"Look, if I can convince Chris we'll head to the Cape on my motorcycle later in the weekend."

Ed just nodded his head. "When has she ever ridden on your motorcycle?"

"I'll convince her," I said unconvincingly even to myself.

"Suit yourself," Sam said as he grabbed his duffle bag and headed out the door. Ed looked at me with pity and followed behind Sam.

I sank down on our couch. I wanted to go. Maybe I'd spend the night with Chris tonight and then head to the Cape tomorrow morning.

I picked up my phone too agitated to work on my homework, so I thought I'd call my parents. I hadn't spoken with them in a few weeks.

Within one ring, I heard a weary, "Hello."

"Arjun?"

"Amar?"

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing answering Mom and Dad's phone?"

"What do you mean, this is my house? Why wouldn't I answer the phone!" Arjun said his initial weariness replaced by irritation.

"Because you're supposed to be in the backwoods of Yosemite where there is no phone service or a comfortable bed."

"Well, yeah, we had to end our trip early," Arjun confessed.

"Your wannabe girlfriend couldn't handle sleeping on the ground, so you graciously offered to bring her back to civilization, you know being the chivalrous gentleman that you are," I said trying to hold back the laughter. Why didn't women want to travel? I couldn't go to the Cape, and Arjun couldn't stay in Yosemite. Looks like it was a shitty vacation for both of us.

"Actually, it's the opposite, she graciously offered to drive your "sick" brother back to his house because he got food poisoning or something," my dad countered on the other line.

It all made sense now. I could imagine Arjun lying on his bed, sinking down into his comforter. My guess was he was speaking to me from his room. Yup, the comfort of his room and civilization. Arjun loved sleeping in his own bed.

"Are there no private conversations in this house?" Arjun asked.

"Nope," my dad and I said in unison.

"So, your wannabe girlfriend didn't mind camping," I asked, now curious about my brothers Shakuntala.

"Amar beta, she knows her camping gear–she went through all of your stuff put together everything and rolled it up and packed it like a pro. When I started to give her instructions on setting up a tent she smiled and told me she knew how to set up camp. She's a camping pro. Why do you think this idiot of a brother of yours went camping? He was hoping she'd be the one to flake and he could look like the macho hero, but she showed him," my dad said in between hearty laughs. "Your mom and I had to do everything from laughing hysterically when Arjun came back after two days."