Every Other Weekend(42)
Jolene:
Liar. That is why I have a plan for one awesome day before the suckfest begins. So are you in or out?
Adam:
Tell me exactly what your plan is, oh brilliant one.
Jolene:
First, I totally approve of that nickname. Second, have you seen Ferris Bueller’s Day Off? And third, do you know of a parade nearby?
Adam:
Jolene.
Jolene:
This is where you point out that we have no cars and can’t drive.
Adam:
Also we have school.
Jolene:
All of those things are true, but you forgot one very important thing.
Adam:
I’m afraid to ask.
Jolene:
My friend has a loser boyfriend that she’d do anything to see, including put a temporary pause on the fight we’re having and have him drive to pick you up if I provide an alibi later for her parents. Jazz hands!
Adam:
You’re serious.
Jolene:
We’ll pick you up outside your school in 20 minutes. Also, where is your school?
Adam:
Unless your friend’s boyfriend drives a certain DeLorean, it’s gonna take you longer than twenty minutes to get here.
Jolene:
! You are totally winning for the Back to the Future reference right now. And I stand by my original estimate. Ask me why.
Adam:
...
Jolene:
Because we left fifteen minutes ago.
Adam:
You’re out of your mind. What if I said no?
Jolene:
LOL
Adam:
I could have said no.
Jolene:
You’re hilarious. Now give me the address.
ADAM
“What are you wearing?”
Jolene made a face as a girl from inside the car called out, “Told you.”
“Yes, I go to a private school. Yes, they make us wear uniforms. No, it’s not a Catholic school. The plaid skirt is just something they decided on to torment us.”
And me, apparently. It wasn’t even short, but I’d almost tripped down the school steps when I pushed out of the double doors and saw her leaning again a car. In tights and that skirt.
It was cold enough outside that I hoped she chalked up my red cheeks to the temperature, but just to be sure, I said something completely at odds with how surreal I found the situation.
“You know that text conversation this morning could have been avoided if you’d just sent me a picture of what you were wearing. I’d have been in.”
“Seriously? Boys are so dumb.”
Relieved, I shrugged. “So you must be Cherry.” I stuck my hand through the car window. “Hey, I’m Adam.”
Cherry shook my hand and raised her eyebrows at Jolene. “Polite, too. Are you sure we should be kidnapping him? Someone is going to miss him.”
“I have a shared custody agreement with his girlfriend, so we’re good.”
“You have a what?” My hands grew sweaty at the thought of Erica and the fact that she had no idea I was about to take off with another girl.
Jolene sighed. “I get you two weekends a month. Two. She can give me one measly afternoon, since I’m guessing she won’t even know you’re gone.”
I felt my cheeks heat again, because she wasn’t wrong. Erica would be less than thrilled by my friendship with Jolene—and could I even call it a friendship when I thought about her all the time? We texted every day when we were at home, and we barely left each other’s sides at the apartment. Jolene was becoming my best friend, except I never got caught checking out my other friends’ tights-covered legs or thinking about them while I kissed my girlfriend.
Yeah, I hated myself for that, and I was trying to stop, because that wasn’t fair to Erica. Or Jolene, who, despite her initial reaction, seemed fine with me having a girlfriend.
I wanted her to care a little. If it bothered her even a tiny bit...
I had to tell Erica. She didn’t always ask me what I did when I was at my dad’s, but she had to realize that I did more than sleep and eat. Plus, it was just my luck that Jeremy had spontaneously decided to go out for the school play same as Erica, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he let something slip at rehearsal sooner or later. He was constantly telling me what a tool I was being to her—her being my girlfriend, not my friend-who-was-a-girl—though I’d have argued I sucked pretty hard to both of them. I knew it was bad when even Jeremy was disgusted with me.
“What’s up, man?” the guy in the driver’s seat said.
“That’s Meneik. He’s mine.” Cherry snaked an arm around the neck of the lanky guy next to her.
“Hey. Thanks for the ride.” I didn’t get a response as talking became physically impossible for either of them after that. I turned back to Jolene and found her grinning at me.
“You ditching school for me, Adam Moynihan?”
“I guess I am.” I grew sweatier at the prospect. I’d never cut before. None of my friends had cars so it’s not like I could have gone anywhere, but the idea had never appealed to me until Jolene. I couldn’t think of many things she’d ask that wouldn’t appeal to me. Still, I’d have been a lot more nervous if my buddy Os in the front office hadn’t agreed to stop the robocall to Mom telling her that I’d missed class.