“Nice to meet you,” Aisha greets Ishu with a smile. “So, how long have the two of you been together?”
Ishu glances at me, like she’s asking permission to talk about us. I guess nobody’s really asked us this question before—everyone at school thinks we’ve been together since the time we started fake dating, Abba and Amma finally know the truth now, and Ishu’s parents still think we’re just friends.
“Well …” I hesitate, unsure of how to answer her question. “I guess we’ve only been together for about three weeks. But … technically we might have been together for much longer than that.”
Aisha raises an eyebrow at the two of us. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Hang on, let’s see,” Ishu mumbles, slipping her phone out of her pocket. She taps for a few moments, and I can see the fake dating guide open on her screen. “We technically started dating six weeks ago,” she says, looking at that first picture of the two of us on our “first date.” We both look horribly awkward. “But it was fake.”
“But our fake dating led to us realizing we liked each other for real,” I add. “And … we got together for real about three weeks ago.”
Ishu glances away from her phone and up at me, meeting my eyes. She smiles for real this time—that smile that I’m sure is what made me fall for her in the first place. The rare one she only seems to reserve for the special people in her life.
“Wow.” Aisha chuckles. “I thought that only happened in the movies.”
“The movies, and us, I guess.” I loop my arm through Ishu’s, and pull her close.
chapter fifty
ishu
DATING HANI FOR REAL IS WEIRD. IT’S DIFFERENT THAN dating Hani for pretend.
Maybe because I know when Hani holds my hand now, it’s because she wants to, not because she’s trying to prove something to her friends. Because I know that Hani cares about me in the same way that I care about her. She’s also forced me to spend less time shut up in my bedroom, poring over my books and exam papers this summer—even though I keep telling her this is our last summer before the Leaving Cert—and to spend more time hanging out with her in all of the places that I have never hung out before.
Which is how I’ve found myself at events like her parents’ mosque barbeque, and today I find myself in St. Stephen’s Green park with ice-cold bubble tea in my hand. We’re in the middle of a heatwave and there are way too many people around with their shirts off. Normally, this would annoy the fuck out of me, but with Hani in my arms, I don’t even care. I don’t want to sidle back home to the company of my books.
“We should try crocheting!” Hani exclaims, like she’s figured out the solution to world peace. “Amma does it, and she says she finds it so calming. Plus, she always crochets me the best things.”
“I don’t think crocheting sounds … like me,” I say. For the past few weeks, Hani has been trying to cajole me into picking up a hobby. I agreed, mostly because Hani says whatever I agree to do, she’ll do with me too. But it’s definitely not going to be crocheting.
Hani lets out a gasp, like she’s suddenly gotten the best news of her life. She points toward the entrance of the park, where a group of musicians are setting up. “I wonder what they’ll play,” Hani whispers. There’s wonder in her eyes—as if there aren’t a bajillion buskers in Dublin at any given time, playing all kinds of music.
They set an empty guitar case in front and begin playing an upbeat, folksy tune. Hani bobs her head side-to-side, as if this is the best music she’s heard in her entire life.
I stifle a groan, and a roll of my eyes. I mean, the music isn’t terrible, I guess.
“What if we started our own band?” Hani asks.
“Can you play an instrument?” I ask.
Hani glances at me with a little frown. “No …”
“It’s kind of important to have musical talent to start a band.” I point out. “I mean … I can play the guitar, but—”
“Shut up!” Hani turns to me now, and her jaw is practically on the floor.
“I can play the guitar … badly,” I finish. “I learned a long time ago, when I was a kid. My sister and I wanted to start our own band. I don’t even know if I can play anymore. Plus … Nik was obviously a million times better than me.”
“So, you’ll start a band with your sister but not me?” Hani sounds mortally offended at the idea.