"I don't know about you
But I'm feeling twenty-two
Everything will be alright, if
You keep me next to you
You don't know about me
But I bet you want to
Everything will be alright, if
We just keep dancing like we're twenty-two, twenty-two"

-22, Taylor Swift

(because this is chapter 22 AND I'm turning 22 on the 22nd of this month, so don't forget to wish me hahaha, also, cries because we are still in quarantine lol)

Chapter 22

"Avi is waiting for us at a park near her house," Ethan stated as he shifted gears.

I smiled at him as I realized we forgot all about my fries.

I needed my carbs for this.

"So, what is she doing again?"

"In life? Failing miserably," he chuckled, shaking his head as if remembering an inside joke. "She is doing engineering. IT."

I nodded as I watched the buildings pass by.

"I'm sorta excited about you guys meeting."

"What if we don't get along?" I mumbled under my breath.

"She will love you."

But what if I don't like her?

"What if?" I asked again.

"I will make y'all like each other," he said with conviction in his tone.

"So if she doesn't like me, this is over?"

He sighed as he glanced at me.

"She is important to me," he stated simply.

"Have your relationships been affected because of her?" I asked, bluntly.

There was a moment of silence as I watched a crease form between his eyebrows. He was contemplating his answer.

"So they have?" I prodded.

"You're acting like a therapist," he said, chuckling.

"Ethan-"

"She has been there for me through all my ups and downs and to answer your question, yes, she has disapproved of girls before but that's because she sees through them and knows what's best for me, just like I watch out for her. But I am sure she will like you, Jenny. And if she doesn't, she will get around."

His words gave me a weird sense of comfort but there was still a nagging feeling remnant.

"Trisha and Arnav seem cool," he said, after a few minutes of silence.

I chuckled, "We don't have to do the double date thing."

After saying it, I realized how harsh that sounded.

He looked at me quizzingly.

"I meant-"

"No, I gave the suggestion because I genuinely want to. I want us to be intimate, Jenny, but you're only intimidated," he said, sighing.

"Low blow," I mumbled.

"Jenny-" he trailed off.

We were quiet after that. This day was already getting worse.

After about fifteen minutes, we reached the front gate of a park in a society I'd never been to.

"Are we okay?" Ethan asked, as he parked the car. I turned to him, my insecurities fading away as I saw the vulnerability in his eyes.

"Yes, we are," I replied as I smiled at him. He grinned back.

Just then, his phone rang and he shook his head.

"This girl is impatient af," he muttered.

As soon as we got out of the car, I saw a yellow summer dress pounce on Ethan.

Cue in chuckles and giggles as I watched a pretty girl smiling at Ethan, mumbling something to him, I couldn't hear from my side of the car.

Ethan laughed as he placed her on the ground and glanced over at me.

Avi looked at me too and grinned.

"Hi, Avi, well, Avishka, but please call me Avi," she said, as she waved at me while walking closer to me with Ethan following her.

I smiled back, "Jennifer."

"I've heard so much about you for the past two months and I was literally like, 'Ethan, just shut up about her and introduce us already '", she said, giggling.

"Well, she is a busy bee unlike you," Ethan chuckled as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Fashion designing, right?" she asked, as the three of us entered the park.

"Yes-"

"Wait," she stopped walking dramatically and I knew what was coming next before the words even left her mouth.

"Are you related to Kiara D' Souza? D' Souza designs?"

"Nah, it's just a coincidence," I replied, instantly.

She looked between the two of us before her eyes landed on Ethan and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"She is her daughter, isn't she?" she asked.

I sent him a warning glance and he kept his face as blank as he could but in a second she exclaimed, "Oh my god!"

"You are Kiara D' Souza's daughter, holy fuck!"

A few old people walking in the park gave her disapproving glances which she ignored blatantly, while gaping at me.

"Say it a little louder, I don't think the people in Mars heard you," I mumbled.

She threw her head back, laughing.

"But no wait, so you must be getting her dresses for free," she whispered, like it was some sort of trade secret.

I scoffed, "Not even if no one is buying them."

She looked at me quizzingly but before she could ask me something else, Ethan hollered, "Unoccupied benches, let's sit." I gave him a thankful look as he returned an apologetic one.

"You are such a lazy ass," she chuckled.

I walked ahead of them to the benches as I heard Ethan warn her. I sat on one of the benches and Ethan sat on the other with Avi with all her energy bouncing on her feet between the two of us.

"Well, Jenny, you don't mind me calling you that, do you?" I shook my head and she continued, "let me give you a formal introduction of myself. There are three levels of fuck-ups. One, is stalking your recent ex. Two, is accidently liking said ex's old post. Three, is accidently liking your ex's reply to someone's comment and then there's a special kind of fuck-up, known as Avi-fuck-up."

Ethan bellowed with laughter just then.

"Liking your old ex's comment on your recent ex's post."

"What?" I gaped.

She pointed both her thumbs at her face as she exclaimed, "Yup, done that."

I laughed as she chuckled.

"Maybe you shouldn't date two boys who are friends," Ethan said, still chuckling.

"Excuse me, they weren't friends before, I think they bonded over their mutual hatred for me."

Ethan and I laughed.

"Well, you ghosted one and told the other one that you weren't ready for anything serious when he said that he wanted to marry you."

"Trust issues are a real thing plus, I wouldn't have met Vishal if these two hadn't left my life."

"Vishal is a good guy, don't pull up an Avi fuck-up on him," he warned.

"Not a chance but he is too good to be true," she exclaimed before glancing at me and explaining, "Vishal and I've been dating for three months now, touch wood, I don't want to jinx this one."

"Vishal plays for the Mumbai football team, Jenny, don't you have a friend in it too?"

Wow.

Wow.

What a small world, this is.

My throat constricted as I replied, "Yes, more so Jeremy's friend."

"Yes, yes, I'd met him when I was waiting under your building and he was leaving your home with Jer."

"You've talked to him?" I asked, this information being new to me.

"Yeah like, Jeremy introduced us, we exchanged some pleasantries, that was about it, I guess, but I remember him telling that he was getting late for practice."

I quickly regained my composure as I realized Avishka was watching me.

"Yes, Soham, he plays for the team-"

"Wait a second," Avishka whipped out her phone and tapped away. "Soham Ashar? He is the captain?"

Why is all the information about everyone available for everyone to access on the internet?

"Yes-"

"I have seen him in one of Vishal's after parties, don't they have a match this weekend?"

I don't know.

I don't want to know.

What the fuck is happening?

"I am not sure-"

"I've never watched one of those matches live even though Avi here keeps promising that she will take me on one-"

"Its just been three months since Vishal and I've been dating, I didn't want him to think that I'm using him to get tickets for my friends-"

Ethan scoffed, playfully.

"Okay, you know what? I'm calling him right now and asking him for three tickets, two for you both and one for his girlfriend who he's been begging since day one to watch his match live but you know me, Ethan, I don't like sports as much-"

Wait, what is going on?

"And yet, you're dating a sportsman-"

"Shush, Vishal, hi, you have a match this weekend, right? Well guess what, I want to watch your sexy ass play, yes! One ticket for me and two extra for my friends, can you arrange them? You can? Have I told you, I love you? Okay, I'll call you later, bye." She cut the call and grinned at us.

"Done."

But the colour in my face was draining.

"Oh damn, we could have booked tickets for Trisha and Arnav, too, made a double date out of it."

"No need," I squeaked. "They usually attend Soham's matches but I don't think I'm free-"

"Oh come on, Jenny!" Avishka whined. "I know we just met and all but none of my girlfriends would ever accompany me for a match and Vishal was getting annoyed that I wasn't being one of those girlfriends who wore his jersey and cheered for him from the crowd."

Images of Sarah wearing a jersey and cheering for someone flashed before my eyes.

The hurt I felt.

"So wait, you never went to a single match of his?"

"I mean I did meet him during his practice and all, don't make me sound like a bitch," she pouted.

"You are one."

"Takes one to recognize another," she snapped back and as I watched the two banter, I decided I like Avi.

But how am I going to go for that match this weekend and what will happen if I meet Soham there?

~

(Notice valid till 15th August, 2020: Hi, help me out?

I have participated in a contest which requires maximum likes to win, so please hit the like button in the link on my message board (will take two seconds, you dont even have to watch it) and share it with as many people as you can and ask them to hit the like button too, its super important for me, so thank you so much in advance and hope you have or had a great day xo)

This chapter is the only productive thing I've done since I woke up which was at half past eleven lol, hope y'all liked it xx

take care, anamika xo