All I've Never Wanted(59)

CHAPTER 15

Surprisingly, the rest of the school week was pretty uneventful, and the next thing I knew, it was Friday. Since my grandmother’s flight was at night, my mom and I were supposed to drive her to the airport together. My dad was at work—at least, I sincerely hoped he was at work and not with that bimbo Lexi.

My mom’s car just so happened to be in the shop for maintenance that day, so Parker had taken his family’s Escalade to drive us instead.

“Thanks for driving us,” I said, standing to the side as my grandmother and mother dealt with checking the luggage.

“No problem, how can I miss saying bye to dear old grandma?” Parker smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement as my grandmother harassed the poor lady behind the counter.

Apparently, she wanted a seat upgrade, and there was no way in hell she was going to leave until she got one.

“She must be the most entertaining old lady I’ve ever met,” Parker chuckled.

“Only if she’s not your grandma,” I said dryly.

“What you mean I no get first-class?” my grandmother shrieked, waving her boarding pass angrily in the air. “You think I no look like I belong in first-class? These pearls real! Come from South Sea!” She pointed to her necklace, which my mom had gotten her for her birthday.

“That’s not what I meant, ma’am,” the lady said with a pained look on her face. “But you must—“

“No call me ma’am! I speak to manager! Now!” My grandmother balled her hands up into tiny wrinkled fists. “Or you regret!”

I could feel Parker shaking with laughter beside me; I just felt sorry for the poor woman. My mom, who knew better than to try and intervene, shot an apologetic glance at the increasingly annoyed people in line.

“Oh, man, I’m going to miss her,” Parker snickered. “I can see where you get your feistiness from.”

“Thanks,” I said wryly.

A wail rose above the other noises in the airport, and I saw a young Hispanic couple rush to calm their crying baby. The guy reminded me a bit of Carlo.

I frowned. I actually haven’t seen him much since Wednesday, and when I did, he’d been oddly quiet and distracted.

“Hey, do you know what’s up with Carlo lately?” I asked.

Parker shot me quick glance. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, he’s just been acting a bit weird…”


He shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable. “I think he’s fine.”

“You sure? Is he in trouble or something? Because—“

“I think your grandmother’s ready to go,” Parker interrupted me.

“Come on, let’s walk her to the gate.”

I frowned. It was so obvious he was trying to change the subject, but I was going to let it slide. For now.

Parker, my mom, and I trailed after my grandmother as she somehow managed to intimidate her way to the head of the security line, a first-class seat ticket and a day pass for the airline’s lounge in hand.

I swear that woman could take over the world if she wanted to.

“Bye, grandma, have a safe flight,” I said, hugging her. “Good luck with your mah-jongg tournament.”

“Oh, I no need luck. Loser Weed going down this year,” my grandmother cackled. Then she narrowed her eyes and wagged her fingers at me and Parker. “You and Pee Wee, no do kinky stuff while I gone, you hear?”

I giggled at the horrified look on Parker’s face. I’m definitely calling him that from now on.

“I promise, grandma.”

With a satisfied nod, she added, “Next time I see you, I hope you thinner.”

With that, she headed towards the security line, but not before she warned me to never work for the TSA because apparently “only perverts like job that feel others up all day. Bring shame to family, no one like perverts.”

As I watched her put her shoes back on at the other side, no doubt grumbling about being patted down by a stranger, I was surprised to realize I was a bit sad to see her go. She could be annoying sometimes, but she sure spiced things up a bit.

Although my life definitely didn’t need any extra spices lately.

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, I should’ve known it wasn’t going to be a good day. The angry gray sky, pouring rain, and ominous thunder should’ve clued me in.

But no, I had to be in relatively high spirits, mainly because I managed to avoid my dad all morning and because my mom had made my favorite eggs-and-bacon breakfast combo. Of course, once I received the call, my mood did a total one-eighty.

I got the call during an otherwise perfect moment, curled up in my bed, eating cookies and cream ice cream and watching my Gossip Girl DVD.

It was just getting to one of my favorite parts, the scene where Blair told Chuck she loved him, when my phone rang.

“Hello?” I said, my voice muffled by a mouthful of Ben & Jerry’s sugary sweetness.

“Hey, Maya, it’s me.”

I sat up a bit straighter, worried by her tone of voice. “Adri? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Zack?”

“No, he’s just as big a pain in the butt as he usually is—“

“Don’t speak ill of the...ill! I’m a sick man, Adri! A very, very sick man!” I heard Zack shout in the background, before he let out a series of very unconvincing coughs.