Kian

HE SAW THE group chat texts.”

Matthias starts to smirk. While bursting into a laugh, we head to the pet shelter and begin walking around. He opens Snapchat as we pass by the puppies.

“Okay,” I pause, “I've been thinking…what do you think his sign is?”

Matthias is still laughing. Through his giggles, he manages to say, “You're really thinking about that right now?”

“Oh, you know I would.”

He lowers his laugh, solely asking, “But how did the date go?”

“Do you think his sign’s Pisces?” I watch Matthias roll his eyes. “He’s such a Pisces. Or maybe he's Aries, like me?”

“There’s no way he’s Aries,” Matthias snorts. “Maybe he’s a Leo but Beth, can we please talk about your date?! How did it go?”

I stuff my hands into my the back of my jean pockets and shrug. “It was fun.”

He sighs, “Fun?” He watches me nod. “That's all you have to say.”

“It was fun and nice,” I tease. I take a long look at the puppies ahead of us and smile to myself. “Wow, they are all cute! I want them all!”

Matthias puts a hand on my shoulder. “B, focus.”

I shake my head, pointing a thumb around me. “How can I focus when I'm surrounded by cuteness?”

“Surrounded by cuteness? I'm flattered,” booms a voice coming from behind a shelf. I see Jonathan Olsen popping his head in plain sight, causing me to take a step back.

Matthias and I exchange a look before I say something.

“Jonathan? I didn't know you worked here,” I gasp, glancing at Matthias.

“Oh, wait,” he whispers, “I'm Giovanni.”

My eyes widen. “I'm sorry, Gio,” I softly say, turning my head to the side. I can feel my cheeks redden. “You and your brother are so identical, and I–I have a hard time identifying who’s who. I'm so sorry.”

“I'm just playing with you, Bethany,” he smirks. “I'm really Jonathan.”

I freeze, unsure if he really is telling the truth.

So, I stare harder at him. He's still grinning at me. I scan his face and notice the moles on the temples and the cheeks of his face. Thinking that Jonathan has more facial moles than his brother, I realize I am talking to the correct twin.

I glance at Matthias and his expression is the same as mine–confused–as we didn't know what else to say. The last I seen of Jonathan was during the Olsen dinner and at Tuck’s Bowling Alley. Both moments were awkward. Painfully awkward.

Comparing Jonathan during the Olsen dinner to this moment–it is like I am talking to a completely different Jonathan. A couple weeks ago, he barely said a word to me; he was moody as if he was thirteen years old again. But right now, he's cracking jokes with me as if we knew each other for years.

I stay quiet, not knowing what to say next.

He briefly looks at Matthias before smiling at him. “Hey, man. I'm Jonathan. You must be one of Beth’s friends? I think I saw you at the Bowling Alley that one night.”

Matthias nods. “Yeah, yeah, of course,” he says, “Right, I remember you.”

“Anyway, Beth,” Jonathan says, turning his head, “A little bird told me that Kian had a little date this past weekend.” He wiggles his eyebrow, not averting his gaze.

I part my lips, looking away from Jonathan. Matthias is staring wide-eyed while his mouth forms a small o.

“We had dinner,” I say, smiling. “And it was his first time at Yakiniku BBQ house so that was a treat. We got boba, too.”

I watch Jonathan start to tap his shoes. He's nodding, putting his hands in his pockets. Matthias is still speechless.

“I saw him borrow my mom’s car. And I was like,” Jonathan raises an eyebrow, “where the hell is Kian going, y'know? He never goes out.”

I begin nibbling on my bottom lip. “Yeah, I said we could've walked but he insisted on taking the car.”

“He would've saved gas too,” he chuckles, “but that's Kian for you.”

Jonathan abruptly stops talking, causing the smile on his face to fade. Without looking at me, he excuses himself to help a customer.

Once he leaves our sight, Matthias turns to me, pleading, “Now, please tell me how the date went.” He switches his gaze from Jonathan walking away and my wide eyes, “From the look on his face, I just know homeboy was jealous. Now, if you will, spill the details, Beth.”

I begin to walk in the opposite direction of Jonathan and towards the kittens. Matthias walks closely next to me, still pleading for some date night scope.

“That was weird, right?” I spat. “Just me?”

He shrugs, “I dunno. At first, I thought he was only eager to know how the night went, like I'm trying to do, but now that you mention it, he seemed a bit…uneasy?”

I shake my head. “I think it's more than that.” I can't put my tongue on it. “To me, it was like he was forcing an act or something. It felt kinda odd and just…forced.” I began to whisper, “I wonder what Jonathan’s sign is.”

“Definitely Taurus,” Matthias says.

We don't talk more about Jonathan but look at the cute animals. Matthias gushes, “Oh, she’s cute!”

Before leaving the pet shelter, Matthias adopts a kitten and announces that he’ll name his net pet Tina.

I smile, “Don't tell me you named her because of Tina from Bob’s Burgers.

“The one and only,” Matthias grins, closely holding Tina against his chest.