The Plus Side of Negative Thinking

Chapter Twelve

"The Milky Way is pretty clear tonight," Remington said, not looking up from the telescope as Jeisson joined him on the balcony. 

Jeisson looked up at the night sky. Remington was right. He could make out the white wispiness of the Milky Way, trailing across the stars. It looked so far away, distant. And yet, he knew, they were in it, too. It wasn't far away at all, but right here. 

It was Thursday, and the Mathletes were gathering for their last practice before the competition on Saturday. Kyle and Alice were inside, prepping the whiteboard. Sheng and Nat hadn't yet arrived.

Remington moved aside and Jeisson took his spot at the telescope, looking at what Remington had been looking at. "The double stars of the Big Dipper," he said.

"You know, they're not actually double stars."

"No. They're lightyears away from each other," Jeisson said. Like the opposite of the Milky Way. They looked so close together, even appearing as one star to the naked eye. And yet, they were so far apart it was beyond comprehension. 

"Mind if I move this?" Jeisson asked. When Remington didn't answer, he looked back at him. Remington's gaze was fixed inside. Jeisson followed it to see Alice at the bookshelf, flipping through an AP book. 

Jeisson went to stand next to Remington. "So, Alice, huh?" he said.

Remington flinched, startled. "What?"

"You like Alice?"

"Um, well, no, that's not exactly... I don't... I mean--"

"Dude, relax." He sounded like Kyle, all stammering and nervous. Jeisson had never known Remington to not speak in complete sentences. "You like her. What's the big deal? It's nice."

"It is?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because I don't think she likes me," he said, suddenly dejected.

"I don't know about that. You guys are friends. Maybe you just need to make the first move."

Kyle opened the sliding door, poking his head outside. "Sheng's coming up, and Nat just texted she's running a bit late. Got caught up talking to Dr. Kiely."

Remington and Jeisson both nodded understandably. Jeisson had only been at the school almost two weeks now, but even he already knew that Dr. Kiely, one of the English professors, was known for his long-windedness. 

"Hey," Kyle said, "is Kelly coming to the competition Saturday? It'd be nice to actually have someone in the stands cheering for us. Besides our parents."

"Fuck no," Jeisson said bluntly, turning back to the telescope. No way he would subject Kelly to that. Or himself. He didn't need anyone seeing him at a math competition. They'd get the wrong idea.

"You don't want her there supporting you?" Kyle asked, missing the point entirely. 

"Supporting me?"

"You know, as your girlfriend."

Jeisson felt a sudden, irrational irritation at this. "She's not my girlfriend," he said, pulling away from the telescope. "Why would you think that?"

Kyle stepped fully onto the balcony, then closed the door behind him. "You know, because she came to visit you. And I sort of, you know, interrupted you guys, like, you know, hooking up in your room."

"Stop saying 'you know,'" Jeisson said, at the same time Remington's eyes went wide and he said, "You did what, now?"

"What happened to not telling anyone?" Jeisson asked Kyle with an accusing eyebrow raised.