When we got home from the university thing, my sister flopped down on the couch and set about cataloging her life according to whatever pictures she’d taken during the day. She was prolific, and it showed on her social media feeds. She was also very photogenic and knew how to take a great selfie.

“So what do you think of Lex?” she asked, twisting her hair back into a messy bun.

“What do you think of Lex?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She didn’t bother to look up from her phone.

“Seems like a good guy,” she said absently.

“How good, exactly?”

That got her attention briefly. She looked over at me with a scowl on her face.

“You are so transparent. I don’t mean anything by it. He seems like a good guy. Like maybe he’d be a good friend for you.”

“Friend. For me.” I didn’t need my sister managing my social life. I had plenty of friends. I had enough friends.

Nadine rolled her eyes. Then, as if she’d heard my thoughts, she said, “Yeah, I know you have friends, but a bunch of them graduated last year, and it’s not like you were all that close to begin with. You have a few open slots on your roster. I wonder if you and Lex have many classes together,” she mused.

I shrugged. “It’s a big high school.”

“Not that big,” she said. “You’ll run into him at the very least. I bet on you having at least one class together.”

“We’ll see, I guess.” It seemed pointless to speculate.

Nadine’s phone pinged with a notification. She rearranged herself on the couch, lying on her back with her feet resting on the armrest. After snorting at her phone a few times, Nadine asked if Anjali could come along to the dragon boat thing.

“Who’s to stop her?” I grumbled. “Does she need a ride?”

“I’ll check.”

I wasn’t too happy about the addition of even more people on my initial date with Lex. Nadine had already invited herself, which made things a little bit awkward. Well, quite honestly, she had arranged my first date with Lex, but having her along was problematic. This was supposed to be something between me and Lex.

Maybe having Anjali along was for the best. She and my sister could distract each other and leave me and Lex alone.

After some further texting back and forth, Nadine looked up from her phone. “Anjali says she might be a little late. She’ll meet us there.”

“Fine. She can be late. Just don't you make us late.”

I didn’t plan to start things off on the wrong foot with Lex, even if it wasn’t a real date and my sister was tagging along.

***

“Let’s go,” I called to Nadine.

She climbed into the front seat of the old Honda Accord I’d inherited for my seventeenth birthday. “What’s your hurry?”

Lex lived in a high rise not too far from campus. It was a five-story yellow brick building with white shutters around the windows.

I pulled and texted Lex to let him know we had arrived. I was tempted to park at Lex’s place and walk, but I’d borrowed my mom’s parking permit, and that would get us right to where we needed to be. It seemed a shame not to take advantage of that.

“I wasn't sure what the dress code was,” Lex said when he met us at the car. He was wearing quick-dry shorts and a University of Wisconsin-Madison football jersey. “I brought sunscreen and water.” He held up a small drawstring bag. “Did I forget anything?”

Nadine answered from the front seat. “Sounds like all you need. Well, maybe a hat?’

Lex shook his head. “I can’t stand how they feel. When my hair gets squashed, it makes my skin crawl.”

“Really?” my sister asked.

Lex squinted his eyes. “Weird, right?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but it is a little weird. Well, in case you regret your decision, there’s an extra hat in the back somewhere. It gets pretty bright on the river,” Nadine said.

Lex pointed to the sunglasses resting on top of his head.

I didn’t say much on the drive there, but my sister kept up a constant stream of meaningless banter with Lex. I listened for any red flags, but they weren’t talking about anything of consequence, so it wasn’t worth my time to pay much attention.

I dropped Nadine off near the entrance to the dragon boat festival, marked with a multicolored balloon arch, but Lex said he’d walk with me from the parking lot to the docks.

“Suit yourself,” Nadine said. “I’ll stake out a good place to watch the festivities.”

“Your sister seems nice,” Lex said as we pulled away.

“Yes. I’m aware she is nice. But kindly remember that you’re not on a date with my sister,” I said.

Lex nodded. “Right. I’m pretty clear about that. While simultaneously having no idea what you’re talking about.”

I looked directly at Lex. “I’m a little bit protective of my sister.”

“You don’t say,” he deadpanned.

“But it’s not like I want her to never date anyone. So if you can just put up with me for a little bit—show me what kind of a guy you are—then you’re free to ask her out.”

Lex shook his head. “What makes you think I want to ask your sister out?”

“Please. Here’s how I know you want to ask my sister out: you’re new in town, so who else do you know? And I have it on the best authority that Nadine is a catch. Why wouldn’t you want to date her?”

“But I—”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not even saying you have to ask her out once we’re done with our trial dating period. You might find someone else. Or no one else. That’s fine. I’m just saying that going on a few dates with me is your ticket to future possible dates with my sister. And it’s not like dating me should be much of a burden. I can assure you, I’m a great guy. Six dates will go by in no time.”

“I’m sure they will,” Lex said, smiling. He had a charming smile, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a strike against him.

We parked in my mom’s spot in the faculty parking lot and walked down to the river, where my sister was standing on a hill near the waterfront. We’d gotten there plenty early, so we didn’t need to report to our posts yet.

The boats on the water flashed silver in the sunlight. They were impressive, even if they weren’t the older ones with the carved dragon heads.

“Which one do you think is ours?” Lex asked. He was standing closer than I thought, and I jumped a little when he spoke.

He laughed. “I didn’t mean to spook you.”

“Yeah. Whatever. I don’t know. I think they’ll just stick us wherever we’re needed,” I said.

Just then, we were joined by my sister’s exuberant friend Anjali. “Dina! There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

My sister’s best friend nearly knocked her over with the force of her greeting. Her waist-length black hair was tied back in a thick braid, and a tinkling collection of silver bangles snaked around her wrist.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said.

“We didn’t beat you by that much. Family stuff?” my sister asked.

Anjali nodded. “Big Acharya family meal. I’m stuffed.” She patted her stomach contentedly.

Nadine pouted. “Did you save me some—”

“Yes. I set aside some dhokla for you—your favorite Gujarati dessert. You can drive me home when this is done. It didn’t occur to me to bring it with me.”

“No worries. It’ll be the perfect afternoon snack.” Nadine replied, a rapt expression on her face.

I wasn’t terribly fond of the salty sponge cake, but my mom and Nadine liked it quite a bit.

“Who’s the new guy?” Anjali asked, twirling her braid around her finger.

“This is Lex. He just moved from the States,” Nadine said. “Michigan, right?”

Lex nodded. Then he turned on the charm—he knew what he was doing. It’s important to get on the good side of the best friend. You don’t just need to worry about the big brother.

He smiled winningly when he said, “Pleased to meet you. Is it Anjali?”

“Yes. I’m a friend of the family,” Anjali said.

Nadine shoved her. “Don’t listen to her. Anjali’s all mine.”

A guy with a bunch of lifejackets threaded on a paddle came walking toward us. “We’re looking for a few more paddlers for the open races. Are you in?” he asked the four of us.

“Yeah. We signed up yesterday,” I said.

“Great. How about you?” He asked, turning to the girls.

Anjali waved her hands in front of herself. “Sorry. You won’t get me on the water.”

“I’ll watch from the sides,” Nadine chimed in, “but you two should take your places.” She gave Lex a little shove toward the guy with the paddle.

“It’s actually pretty cool. I’ve done it once before. How are you around boats?” I asked Lex.

I hadn’t even thought to question him on that before volunteering him for this experience.

“Not bad. Although I’m not an expert rower or whatever,” he said.

Our recruiter smiled and shook his head. “We train you. And it’s not like a rowboat or canoe or anything. With this, you dig in and go. Very little finesse. It’s more about tempo than anything else.”

Lex and I put on life jackets and followed him to the shore, where a dozen or so people were waiting. The leader, who would be in the rear of the boat calling the strokes, led us through some dry-land drills before we shoved off into the water.