Fabio vs. the Friend Zone (The Pen Pal Romance Series)

by Kelsie Stelting

  “Hey,” I said. “Let’s play a game?”

  “Which one?” She shifted so her back was against the door and pulled the throw blanket up to her chin.

  “Pants on fire?” I couldn’t wait to hear what kind of story she would twist to be a lie. Or what she might reveal. Plus, I loved calling her on her crap. I might have loved her, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still my best friend.

  Her eyes lit up. “Game on. What’s the winner get?”

  She got it. Games were pointless if no one could win. “Winner picks the first restaurant in Dallas?”

  “You weren’t going to let me pick? It’s my first meal back!”

  I raised my eyebrows. “What? Worried you’ll lose?”

  She folded her arms under the blanket, making her look like she had big...well, you know. And I laughed.

  “Don’t laugh at me! I’m going to win this.”

  That wasn’t what I meant, but... “Fine. You go first.” I just wanted her to keep talking. But I needed to pay attention to the road. It was hard with Grace, though. I deserved a medal. Or at least a cookie.

  Her eyes turned up toward the ceiling. “Okay, I’ve got it. When I was eight years old, my parents took me trick-or-treating, and—"

  “Lie. Come on. Too easy.”

  She threw an empty wrapper at me. “You didn’t even hear the whole thing!”

  “Didn’t need to.” I grinned. “Cookie would have been the one to take you. Fabio one, Grace zero.”

  She looked out the window. Probably so I couldn’t see her smiling. “Let’s see you do better.”

  “That won’t be hard.” I ignored her glare. “Remember that shirt I had? The one with the things on the shoulders?”

  “The spikes?”

  “Yeah, that one. Well, I wore it to school that day, and when I got home, I fell off the bus steps and...um...impaled myself.” I cringed at the memory. “I had to get stitches on my cheek.”

  “Liar!” Grace said. “I don’t see a scar on your cheek.”

  “Oh really?” I asked. “What if it’s on my other cheek?”

  “Let me see,” she said.

  I furrowed my brows. “Come on, I’m driving.”

  Grace didn’t care. She unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned forward, sending tons of Twix wrappers cascading to the floor. She was so close now I could smell her.

  Could she smell me?

  In a good way, I hoped.

  She reached across my chest and brushed her fingers over my chin. I swear to God she zapped me. Or Zeus. He was the lightning bolt guy. Whatever.

  Here was Grace, her hand on my cheek, making me super glad I’d just shaved. Her fingers searched my jaw bone for the scar I’d promised, but she was left of the mark.

  I took her fingers in my hand. Forget lightning bolts—I had this current of pure awesomeness coursing through me. I fought to keep my hand steady as I brought her fingertips to the spot right under my ear. My skin tingled under her gentle touch.

  She tried to speak but cleared her throat. Her hand slipped from mine, and she sat back. “I guess that’s two for you.”

  Yeah, but I’d already won so much more. “I can’t wait to go to college with you.”

  Twelve

  Grace

  Guilt immediately wracked my gut. That, combined with all the Twix I’d eaten, was enough to make feel like the scum of the earth.

  I wanted to tell him, I did, but I couldn’t. How did you tell your best friend, who had feelings for you, that you wouldn’t just be turning him down but moving across the world for an entire year? Our friendship might not survive it.

  Fabio had been a constant, and I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life. But I couldn’t miss out on this opportunity either. I was between a rock and a hard place, suffocating under the weight of it all.

  Fabio deserved better than me—as a friend or otherwise. But he was looking at me like the sun shined only for me. I felt that way about him, too, but as a friend.

  “Ready for more?” Fabio asked. “I could whoop up on you all day.”

  I swallowed, trying to shove some playfulness back into my voice. “You’re literally celebrating the fact that you’re a good liar.”

  He jutted his chin out. “And?”

  “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Okay, if you’re giving in, then I’m taking us to eat Mexican.”

  My mouth fell open in horror. “We’re sleeping in the same room and you want to eat Mexican?”

  Looking way too pleased with himself, he nodded. “Got your gas mask ready?”

  I laughed. How could Fabio make me laugh about sleeping in a gassed-up hotel room all night? “You’re ridiculous.”

  “No, what’s ridiculous is the amount of extra beans I’m going to order.”

  “Fine, fine, fine!” I cried. “Best out of five.”

  He agreed, and we spent the rest of the drive spinning one ridiculous story after the next, each wilder than the one before. Even though Fabio won, he let me pick the restaurant. I’d been craving a milkshake, so we went to this hometown diner near the hotel.

  I stumbled out of the car, the jetlag really starting to catch up to me, and stretched out my legs.

  Fabio pulled his arms overhead, and his sweater revealed a little strip of hair along his stomach. It wasn’t the kind of hair he had the one time I dragged him to the pool last summer. It was a man’s hair.

  My Fabio, my Pokémon-shoe-wearing, video-game-playing best friend had matured. I had too. Had we outgrown the stage where guys and girls could be friends? I hoped not. Fabio was a part of my life, just like nightly family teas and Marvel movies.

  “Are you doing that horse thing?” Fabio asked. “Sleeping while standing up?”

  I shook my head, trying to shake those thoughts. They didn’t help anyone. “Just spaced out, I guess. Ready to go in?”

  He nodded and started across the parking lot. Heat reflected from the asphalt up to us, so the diner’s frigid AC hit me like a slap in the face. I walked behind Fabio, already feeling my fingers turning into icicles.

  The only open booth was a circular one, the kind that wrapped all the way around. I dropped into one side, and the leather made a farting sound.

  Fabio cracked up laughing.

  “You’re a two-year-old,” I said, grabbing a menu.

  That made him laugh harder. “You like it.”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny that fact.”

  “Mhmm.” He scooted in beside me, and his face disappeared behind a menu, but I could imagine his amused smile.

  Almost as clearly as I could picture a thick chocolate milkshake. And French fries. And cheeseburgers. It all sounded so good.

  When the waitress arrived, I ordered enough food for five people, and Fabio hadn’t even spoken yet.

  The waitress nodded appreciatively and smiled at Fabio. “Your girlfriend’s got a healthy appetite.”

  I nearly choked on my spit.

  Fabio grinned. “She sure does.”

  Still coughing over here.

  “Would you like a water, darling?” the waitress asked.

  “Root beer,” I managed.

  She smiled and waddled off.

  “Girlfriend?” I said.

  Fabio shrugged. “It has a nice ring to it.”

  “Speaking of rings,” I said. “When does the conference start tomorrow?”

  He drew his eyebrows together. “What do rings have to do with that?”

  “They don’t.” I laughed. “I just wanted to change the subject.”

  “Ah.” Fabio pointed from his eyes to me. “I see you, Grace Chu.”

  I smiled.

  “It starts at eight, so it’s going to be an early morning,” he said. “We’re about a thirty-minute drive from the convention center.”

  Just thinking about getting up that early made me feel tired. Back in China, it would have been eight in the morning now. I would be walking to the orphanage, getting greeted by at least
twenty grinning children, fighting to get hugs. I missed them already.

  A piece of my heart was still in China. In a month, I’d be back there with them. And a part of my heart would be here, in the U.S.

  “Tired?” Fabio asked.

  I rubbed my eyes and nodded.

  We ate in silence—not because there was nothing to say, but because I was busy soaking up all the “culture” I could. Nothing said ‘Merica like cheeseburgers, fries, cheese sticks, and milkshakes.

  Good thing I was wearing stretchy pants. Those things were a lifesaver.

  Fabio paid for us—even though I told him he didn’t have to—and then we got back in the car. The hotel was only a few minutes away, and I waited while he checked us in. We’d only gone on an overnight trip together once before—over spring break—and that had been so much fun. Tonight was different.

  Now, I knew how he felt about me. How could we ever be just friends when we both knew he wanted more?

  I didn’t know, but I didn’t have time to think about it. Fabio got back into the car and drove around the hotel until he found a spot to park closer to our room.

  I walked around to the back of the car, ready to lug my big checked bag upstairs, but I spotted one of my duffel bags back there. “How did you...”

  Fabio hoisted it over his shoulder. “Your mom helped me pack it.”

  I smiled. Of course. Mom loved Fabio. Probably because he promised to “defend my honor” on more than one occasion. Whatever that meant.

  “I can grab it,” I offered.

  He shook his head and shut the trunk. “I got it.”

  We walked together up the carpeted stairs and down a hallway. A couple of kids with dripping hair and swimsuits ran down the hall.

  Fabio stuck his hand out, and they both slapped him high fives.

  I laughed. “Friends of yours?”

  “Of course.” He stopped in front of a room and fumbled in his pocket for the key. Honestly, doing that while holding both of our bags was pretty impressive. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. His head was already pretty big.

  We walked into the room, and it struck me how much larger and more spacious everything was here than in China. This room was way bigger than my apartment there. Who needed this much space?

  Fabio dropped my bag on one of the beds and his on the other, flopping down next to it and lacing his hands behind his head. “Comfy.”

  “Good.” I unzipped my bag and looked at the contents. Clothes, toiletries, the essentials. Thank you, Mom. “I think I’m going to take a bath,” I said.

  And yeah, baths were generally pretty gross in what equated to a public restroom, but I hadn’t soaked in a tub in a month. It was time.

  “Sounds good,” Fabio said. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  I nodded and left to the bathroom. Immediately, I turned on the faucet. While the water poured in, I checked my phone.

  Mom: Have a nice time, Nuo. Call me when you have a chance.

  Then in a group text, a couple of messages from London and Nora.

  London: I MISS YOU! Spa day set for Monday. Right after you get back from your romantic trip. ;)

  Nora: Can’t wait to see you!

  I didn’t even want to know how they knew I was in Dallas with Fabio. But London knew everything. It shouldn’t have surprised me.

  I decided to call my mom first. We talked about my flight, how nice it was to have a milkshake, and how my sister had taken one of my sweaters to sleep with because she’d missed me. I needed to take her out when I got back. I wanted to tell her all about China.

  When the water neared full, I said goodbye to my mom and rested in the tub. I needed to tell London and Nora what was up. Fabio was in the room right outside the door, and for the first time in my life, I didn’t know how to handle being around him. Being his friend used to feel so natural. Thinking about being something more... confused me to say the least. But there had been that moment in the car. I’d felt something, a ghost of a spark. Had I been imagining things?

  Grace: I need help.

  Nora: What’s going on?

  London: ???

  Grace: I don’t even know how to say this.

  London: SPIT IT OUT ALREADY.

  Nora: Translation, you can tell us. :) Whatever it is.

  London: Yeah, that.

  Grace: Fabio said he’s in love with me.

  London: ....

  London: And?

  Grace: My best friend said he likes me as more than a friend. I’m panicking over here!

  Nora: What did you say to him?

  Grace: I told him I just liked him as a friend.

  London: Is that true?

  Grace: Of course it is.

  Nora: But you guys are going on this trip? And you’re going to be living together...

  Grace: Hence the problem.

  London: What did Fabio say when you told him that?

  Grace: He said to give him a chance this weekend. That if I still didn’t like him by the end of it, he wouldn’t bring it up again.

  Nora: Wow...

  London: So are you?

  Grace: Am I what?

  London: Giving him a chance.

  Grace: How can I? He’s my best friend.

  London: Exactly.

  I leaned my head back against the tub. That question still rang through my mind. How could I give him a chance? But now there was a new question. How could I not?

  Thirteen

  Fabio

  I cracked my eyes open, almost forgetting where I was. Grace’s soft snores reminded me.

  I rolled over on my bed so I could see her. The covers bunched over her, and her black hair splayed around her long tangles. But her face, with her lips slightly parted and her black eyelashes contrasting her skin...amazing.

  What would it be like to wake up beside her every morning? To feel her soft skin against mine?

  That would be heaven.

  My stomach squirmed.

  That meant the opposite would be hell.

  I glanced at the clock. We still had another half hour until she really needed to get up, so I went ahead and took to the bathroom. I wasn’t doing all the cosplay competitions, but I still wanted to look nice for the angel sleeping only feet away.

  Okay, I needed to cool it. Driveling, lovestruck schoolboy wasn’t a good look for anyone.

  I showered, rubbed on some Blue Mountain, ran a comb through my hair and put on my clothes. This was the one place I wouldn’t catch any crap for wearing Pokémon stuff, and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.

  When I walked out of the bathroom, Grace was standing right outside the door, blinking sleepily. If that wasn’t the cutest thing ever.

  She yawned and stumbled into my chest, hugging me.

  Yeah, Grace got cuddly in the morning.

  I loved it.

  Loved her.

  “Morning, sleepyhead,” I said.

  “Morning,” she mumbled and stepped back. “You smell good.”

  Blue Mountain FTW.

  “Hey,” I said, “don’t get ready yet. I have something for you.”

  She nodded sleepily, yawned again. “Okay.”

  This girl, this weekend, would be my undoing.

  I went to my bag and pulled out the gift. A bright yellow shirt, a headband with Pikachu ears, and the equivalent of a clip-on tie for her backside. I held it up and said, “Today, you get to be your cousin.”

  Understanding registered on her face, and she rolled her eyes. “Hate to break it to ya, but I’m not related to Pika Chu.”

  “Ah, man.” I fake groaned. “You know I was just using you to get closer to him. I’m not sure we can be friends anymore.”

  Well, I’d rather not be friends anymore. I wanted to be more. But she knew that.

  She laughed. “Hand it over.”

  I gave her the costume, and she stumbled into the bathroom. While she showered and got ready, I went downstairs and grabbed us breakfast. Cinnamon Toas
t Crunch for Grace, a waffle and yogurt for me.

  I’d already made it through half of the waffle when Grace came out of the bathroom. She’d give Pikachu a run for his money, for sure.

  Her eyes landed on the cereal. “CTC? Yes!”

  For the next few minutes, all I could hear was her crunching and slurping, but not in a gross, annoying way. More like an adorable kitten kind of way.

  She finished up, and we went out to the car. Thank God Grace was with me, because I needed her to navigate and keep me calm. And hand me my inhaler when the eight-a.m. traffic got to be too much. It was already way too much.

  I needed more deodorant.

  I’d have to settle for the baby powder Grandpa kept in the glovebox. Don’t ask me why.

  On our way into the building, my phone went off.

  Gretchen: Grandma told me what you were doing. Get your girl.

  I fired off a quick text.

  Fabio: Any advice?

  Gretchen: None. She’s an idiot if she hasn’t already fallen for you.

  Fabio: Well that was helpful. Not.

  “Who ya texting?” Grace asked.

  “Gretch,” I said.

  She snorted. “I bet they’re gonna miss you for spa day.”

  “It was a bingo week anyway.”

  She snapped. “Well, rats.”

  We got closer to the convention center. I could already see the crowd of people through the glass doors, and my blood pumped faster. Not from the drive or nerves. From excitement. These were my people. I didn’t know them, but I knew them. This was the kind of thing I lived for.

  I held the door open for Grace, and we went to the registration table. Someone dressed like Zelda checked us in and gave us our badges.

  Grace tried to put hers on, but it got stuck on her Pikachu ear. I hooked the string with my finger and lifted it over. The lanyard settled on top of her hair, so I brushed locks out of the way. Her hair rippled like strands of silk over my fingers. What would it be like to play with her hair as we kissed?

  My cheeks heated, and I looked away. My thoughts were getting away from me. This weekend had to go well before I could even think of that.