Once Shivani's texts had finally all come through, she started to piece together what exactly had happened.
So it turned the incident wasn't so much an incident as it was dramatic miscommunication turned dumpster fire. Basically it all started after Shivani and Noah left Bailey's room. Apparently Ashlee lived below Bailey's hotel room and she heard a lot of stomping from the room above hers. Like the Karen she was, Ashlee went to the front desk to complain and when that didn't work she marched over to Bailey's room to complain.
Then once the door opened and Bailey greeted her, she apparently marched straight past him and was surprised to find that everyone was there without her. Apparently she thought this was some weird form of "discrimination" so naturally, even though it was the middle of the night, she went over to Simon's room to lodge an official complaint. But Simon obviously isn't staying at the hotel so Ashlee yelled at the poor front desk clerk until he gave in and called Simon. Simon wasn't sure what was happening, just that there was an emergency and he rushed to the hotel, calling Edward as well.
Apparently Ashlee thought Shivani wasn't invited either and texted her about the incident and saying they would have to get through this competition together and if Shivani had experienced any microaggressions. Ironically the only time she'd felt weird about being Indian was when Ashlee had asked her all those weird questions before the interview...
Anyways, according to Hina, Simon had gotten to the hotel and he was extremely upset at the fact that Ashlee's high school drama had dragged him to the hotel at 12am, but now he was sitting in the lobby talking to her. The rumors were going around that she would be kicked out soon, and...people were talking about all the racist things Ashlee had told them. They were planning on going to talk to Simon about it afterwards.
"Hey you should talk to Simon too."
"I should?"
Noah nodded. "Definitely. Ashlee made you feel uncomfortable before the interview and those questions were not appropriate. Besides, someone like that doesn't change overnight and is not a good representative of unity in any way."
"I just- are you sure what she said wasn't alright? I don't want to get her in trouble and...maybe she didn't know she shouldn't ask me that?"
"No she definitely knew what she was saying. And even if she didn't, when I tried to correct her, she didn't listen. And she definitely didn't stop when she noticed how uncomfortable you were. But at the end of the day, it's your decision not mine."
Shivani shrugged. "Maybe I will... I don't know? I've never had to deal with something like this before because back home racism isn't really a thing. I guess colorism is and discrimination based on your religion is, but back home, I'm part of the majority."
"Yeah well I guess every country is different, but discrimination is everywhere."
Shivani nodded sadly. "Yeah I guess you're right."
"But the point is that if you ever feel uncomfortable about anything, don't discount that feeling. The other person is definitely in the wrong. But also I'm a privileged straight white male. What do I know?"
He really emphasized the straight. Like he said privileged STRAIGHT white male. Shivani decided she should probably stop ignoring all of the hints being dropped. Her mind had subconsciously made a note of every subtle reference Noah had thrown out there, but it was so much easier to push it to the back of her mind. He was the one uncomplicated relationship she had here. Back home she had Kinjal, but...Kinjal! Shivani needed to talk to her too. This was shaping up to be the longest week of her life.
The thing is Noah was a highlight of her life and the last thing Shivani wanted to do was to blow up a good thing. But...some part of her wanted to go there with Noah. She wanted to know what it was like to be with someone so respectful. But none of that could happen until she talked to Bailey.
Noah waved his hand in front of Shivani's face.
She jumped a little. "Sorry I was just...really out of it for a second there."
He laughed. "Yeah I could tell. I said your name like three times."
She laughed. "It's just...I'm so happy we weren't part of all this drama."
"Yes! Me too! It can just get so exhausting sometimes because I feel like it's been a month of auditions already you know?"
Shivani nodded. That's exactly how she felt. "Yeah all this drama feels very stereotypically American sitcom-esque. Which is cool, but I always figured I wouldn't be a part of the drama, you know?"
"With Bailey you mean?"
"Yeah exactly."
Noah sighed and looked at Edward's GPS. "Okay we still have half an hour and we're alone so I have to ask. What's going on with you and Bailey?"
Oh. So this was happening. There was something about it being so late at night that made Shivani feel emboldened. Okay she was ready to have this conversation.
"Okay so I don't actually like him like that...which you probably could tell."
The brief look of relief on Noah's face made Shivani think he didn't know that. Oh.
"Uh...I didn't, but now I'm really confused. Why did you have the thing with him then? Also if I haven't said this already, sorry about the stupid fight we had about Bailey earlier."
"It's fine." Shivani sighed. "Okay so I've wanted to tell you this for a while now, but at Disneyland I realized that I needed to stop being so scared of what could happen and I need to talk to Bailey too, but I guess what I'm saying is that everyone kept telling me that you maybe liked me and I got scared and then Bailey told me he needed to be shipped with someone so Simon wouldn't think he was a player and then he told me that maybe that could help protect our friendship and so I went along with it, but..." Shivani's mouth clamped shut. If she put the words out there, she couldn't take them back.
"But?" But something about the way said that undid every hesitation she had.
"But I guess I realized that I was just scared this whole time that you would realize I'm not worth it and maybe if we were friends then you wouldn't get to know me like that and you would still be my friend because having a fake thing with Bailey and pushing you away was a lot easier for me to take then you pushing me away because of me."
Shivani wanted to slap herself. Why couldn't she just have kept her mouth shut. They were now 15 minutes away from the hotel and Noah had gone silent. Why was he silent? Oh right. Probably because she just gave him a word vomit monologue about how she was fake dating Bailey to push Noah away and that made no sense at all.
He laughed. She was now horrified.
"I'm sorry. It's just... do you want to know why I hated Bailey so much?"
She shook her head.
"Well I was mad that you picked him because I thought that meant you didn't like me like that and that you had gotten to know me and chosen him. I didn't even really know the guy, but I was just jealous I guess."
They had skirted around actually saying the words, but Shivani needed to understand what Noah was saying.
"Um Noah? Why were you jealous?"
He raised his eyebrows and then sighed. "Well I guess I haven't actually said the words yet, but everyone was right. I do like you. I know it's only been a week, but I liked you since the day we were partnered up."
She blushed. What was wrong with her? This was Noah.
"I think...IthinkIlikeyoutoo." She rushed the last words so much it sounded like she was speaking in cursive.
There was a hint of a smile playing at lips. "I'm sorry I didn't catch that. What did you say?"
She nudged him playfully. "Come on! You know what I said."
He shook his head. "No I'm confused. What did you say?"
"Fine. I said I think I like you too."
"You think?"
"You're so annoying! I like you. There I said it." She'd been avoiding it for so long, but now the words were out there.
He smiled. "I didn't actually think you did. Like at all. Especially when you were not very subtly pushing me towards Sina- what was that about by the way?"
Oh shoot. Sina. "I'm the worst person ever. She likes you and she told me that she wouldn't do anything if we had a thing, but since we didn't?don't?-uhhh whatever the tense- she asked if I would help her so I thought I would play Cupid!"
He laughed. "Okay yeah you really weren't subtle about it at all. Like the entire time I was trying to get you notice to me, you would do something really obvious."
"I wasn't that bad was I?" She started laughing.
"Really? You have to ask? You went-oh no I am so carsick. Sina will you trade places with me? Like FYI you get carsick sitting in the opposite direction of driving not facing it!"
They both burst out laughing.
"Okay okay whatever! I guess my heart wasn't totally into it."
He smiled and bumped his knee against hers. "I guess not."
"So what does this mean for us?"
"Well I guess this means you need to talk to Bailey and I need to talk to Sina."
"And then?"
He smiled. "Someone's impatient."
Shivani's cheeks turned red. "No it's not that-"
He laughed. "You're so cute when you're embarrassed."
Thank god for melanin because her face would've looked like a tomato otherwise. Thankfully they pulled up to the hotel just then.
"Once we figure out what's happening inside and talk to Bailey and Sina...let's go on a date."
"Now who's the impatient one?" She smiled at Noah who winked and they got out of the car ready to deal with the Ashlee situation. On the bright side if Ashlee went home, there would be one less person in the way for Noah to deal with for a spot in Now United. They thanked Edward and got out of the car into the lobby where it seemed like everyone was sitting around half awake.
When Hina saw them walk in she ran over and hugged Shivani. "Just a heads up," she whispered into Shivani's ear, "but I think Bailey really likes you. Like genuinely likes you."
"What? Hina? What do you mean?"
"We talked while waiting for Ashlee and...he told me everything. He told me why he agreed to fake date you."
"Yeah to get a spot in Now United!"
Hina laughed. "Shivani, come on! You know that's not why. He's a lock to get into Now United which means Ylona won't...but she sort of knew that before coming here anyways."
"He's a lock? But he told me... he told me he needed me to get into the band?"
She shook her head. "Listen you should talk to him, but he overheard Simon saying he wasn't sure about you and he figured if Simon saw the chemistry...it would help you get into Now United."
"There's no way Bailey said that! Hina that's Bailey!" They were still whispering back and forth in the world's longest hug and Shivani finally pulled out of it to look at Hina.
"There's a lot you don't know about him. If you knew what he's been through...Shivani you should talk to him."
"I will, but Hina I'm going to end the fake thing with him. I like Noah."
She shrugged. "Listen I support whatever you do, but listen to Bailey once okay? And if you still like Noah after that, I won't stand in your way."
Shivani looked past Hina at everyone, but she didn't see Bailey anywhere.
"Where is he?"
"He's talking to Simon right now. I can't even repeat some of the stuff Ashlee told him..."
Just then Bailey walked into the lobby and when he saw Shivani he ran over and hugged her. In front of Noah. And then he started crying.