Every Other Weekend(67)
I hated crying. I’d have rather she vomited on me than break down like this. With Mom, crying was a regular occurrence, one I knew I could wait out if I stayed completely still and silent. But Shelly didn’t look like she was going to stop on her own.
“I just hate you so much sometimes.”
“Okay,” I said, glad that she was controlling herself enough to speak. “I’m fine with that, just stop crying.” I grabbed her a tissue from my bag. “You look gross.”
Shelly half laughed, then scowled at me. “You’re just awful all the time, aren’t you?”
“You’ve seen my gene pool. What’d you expect?”
That comment sobered her up. “I’m not waiting up for you again. Stay out all night for all I care.”
“I don’t remember asking you to, and we both know my dad didn’t.” Heat suffused my face at the mention of my father. Wow, did it gall that she knew exactly how low I ranked in his estimation.
I stared at her.
She stared at me. “Here.” She twisted her purse in front of her and dug around inside before pulling out several folded bills and slapping them into my hand. “This is to buy your dress.”
IN BETWEEN
Adam:
Bad news.
Jolene:
The other girl you asked to the dance said yes, too, and now you’re in a sitcom situation trying to figure out how to juggle two dates?
Adam:
Jeremy is driving us to the dance tonight.
Jolene:
So the other girl said no?
Adam:
Funny. Jeremy got a date to the dance and it didn’t make sense to take two cars.
Jolene:
I’m sorry I won’t get to meet your mom.
Adam:
Me, too. Her, too.
Jolene:
I’m also morbidly curious about the girl who agreed to go out with Jeremy.
Adam:
I think she’s someone he met working on the play. He’s got the tiniest part ever but he never misses a rehearsal.
Jolene:
That’d be sweet if I hadn’t witnessed his turd act firsthand. Though I’m guessing he’s sweeter with her than he is with me.
Adam:
Whoever she is, we’re sharing a car with her tonight. You can go, right? We don’t have to sneak you out of your bedroom window or anything?
Jolene:
Sneak me out of my third-story window?
Adam:
I’d catch you Princess Bride–style.
Jolene:
!!!!
Adam:
Is that a yes?
Jolene:
That’s a yes but I kind of want to do the window thing now anyway.
Adam:
I vote for the front door.
Jolene:
I’d probably ruin my new dress going out the window.
Adam:
You got a new dress for me?
Jolene:
I got a new dress for me.
Adam:
I got a new suit for you.
Jolene:
What time are you picking me up?
Adam:
6
Jolene:
I need to prepare you for my mom.
Adam:
She’s letting you go. How bad can it be?
Jolene:
You sweet, naive boy.
Adam:
So prepare me.
Jolene:
She hasn’t spoken to me in four days. That’s a new record.
Adam:
Why the silent treatment?
Jolene:
Because I called her bluff.
Adam:
?
Jolene:
She told me to ask my dad for money for a dress and I did.
Adam:
You didn’t need a new dress.
Jolene:
You sweet, naive boy.
Adam:
I don’t care what you wear as long as you come. Return the dress. And stop calling me naive.
Jolene:
I had to take money from Shelly for that dress. I can’t go back from that.
Adam:
I’m serious. Return it.
Jolene:
I look really good in the dress.
Adam:
You look good in anything. Think your mom will stay silent through me picking you up?
Jolene:
Here’s hoping. So tonight we’ll be an awesome teen dance movie, right?
Adam:
Tonight we’ll be us, so the awesome is a given.
Jolene:
How do you always say the right thing?
Adam:
I’m learning.
Jolene:
Oh, I’ll get to meet the famous Erica!
Adam:
We’ll probably want to give her some space, but she’ll be there. This guy John pulled off an elaborate ask involving the entire marching band.
Jolene:
Wow, seriously?
Adam:
Yeah. Wait, should I have done something like that?
Jolene:
What could possibly have been better than asking me while I lay on the couch with a heating pad on my stomach so I wouldn’t die from cramps?
Adam:
I suck.
Jolene:
I’m messing with you. Besides we don’t go to the same school.
Adam:
I could have done something.
Jolene:
The point of the big ask is to get a yes. You got that just from saying the words. No pomp and circumstance needed.