It's Totally on the Way

Your phone buzzes just as you finish packing away your notes after another painfully long Friday morning. 'Helmet. Downstairs. Now.' A text message from your best friend, Tyler. You snort, typing a reply, 'Bossy.' His reply comes almost instantly. 'Five minutes. Or I'm leaving without you.' You know he's bluffing. By the time you step outside your apartment building, Tyler's already leaning against his black motorcycle, helmet tucked beneath one arm. His dark riding jacket catches the golden morning sun, and the familiar, infuriatingly smug grin appears the moment he sees you. "Took you long enough," he teases. "You texted me five minutes ago," you counter, a smile on your face. "I know," he grins. "You're impossible, Tyler," you roll your eyes, but there's no heat to it, just banter from being friends for so long. "So I've been told," he laughs as he hands you your helmet before producing another surprise from the storage compartment—a thick riding jacket. "What's this?" You ask, raising a brow at him. "Oh..." He rubs the back of his neck. "Bought it in the wrong size." You hold it up. It's the same charcoal grey as his, right down to the reflective stripes. "...You accidentally bought two matching jackets?" "Stranger things have happened," he shrugs. You stare until he suddenly finds the pavement fascinating. "You're a terrible liar," you huff softly. "Get on the bike before we're late." The matching jackets become a problem almost immediately. Walking across campus together earns knowing smiles from classmates. One girl from your business management tutorial nudges your shoulder. "You two finally dating?" she asks. Before you can answer, Tyler nearly drops both helmets. You laugh a little too loudly. "No! We've been best friends since college." "Right," she says with a grin that clearly doesn't believe you. Tyler clears his throat. "We should... go to the lecture hall." The tips of his ears are unmistakably pink. You spend the rest of the morning trying—and failing—not to smile whenever you catch him avoiding eye contact. By evening, the campus is bustling with students leaving for home. Tyler waits patiently beside his motorcycle while you finish chatting with classmates. As you walk over, someone calls after you. "Don't keep your boyfriend waiting!" This time, Tyler actually fumbles his helmet. You burst into laughter. The ride home is unusually quiet until the bike stops at a red light. "So..." you ask through the helmet intercom. "Were you embarrassed?" A beat of silence. "Only because you laughed so hard." You can't see his face, but you're sure the back of his ears is bright red beneath his helmet. Somehow, your smile lasts all the way home.