The Way to Game the Walk of Shame(65)
“What do you mean? He’s sweet. Fun. And you have to admit, he’s pretty easy on the eyes.”
My brow wrinkled. “Yeah, but … we don’t have anything in common. At all. I’m just surprised that you’re so supportive of us dating, that’s all.”
“I suppose he is one of those boys I should be warning you about. Or hiring a chaperone to follow you two everywhere.” Mom pursed her lips together in thought as she continued peeling the rest of the eggs. “I guess I’m just glad that you’re finally acting like a normal teenager. Dating and having fun. I was fully prepared for all the angst and fighting that comes with a teenage daughter, but you were never like that. You got terrific grades. You’re driven, and you know exactly what you want to do with your life. And nothing gets in the way of that. You barely go out, so you don’t break your curfew. And you always help out around the house and do what you are supposed to do.”
“I’m … sorry?”
She laughed. “I’m not complaining. It’s just … you became an adult by the time you were eleven, and sometimes I wonder if that’s because of your dad. The real one. And our fighting all the time. You never got to be a kid like Kimmy.”
I traced the flower designs on the countertop. “Some people are just different.”
“Yeah.” Mom let out a sigh and walked over to the sink to wash her hands. “I just don’t want you to miss out on anything because of me.”
Guilt swept over me. Mom was always so happy and cheerful—even flaky at times. Now I felt bad for being annoyed whenever she would try to get me to go shopping or get manicures. I’d never understood why she seemed so obsessed with that sort of stuff.
“I’m making tuna because of Brian,” I finally said, throwing her a bone. “And Evan.”
Her eyes got so bright and round that I wouldn’t have been surprised if she started jumping up and down with joy. Her straighter-than-a-ruler daughter finally acting like a real teenager with boy problems and faking sick to skip school? Not to mention, two boys were vying for the hand of that uptight, driven daughter? Cue the newspapers. This was a dream come true.
Luckily, she tried to play cool about it. “So they both like you? That’s interesting. But not surprising, of course,” she quickly added.
“Well, Brian told me he does. For a while now. But Evan … I don’t think we’ll last much longer.” I chewed on my lower lip. “Especially since there’s this other girl that likes him, and they have a history.” Mom didn’t need to know the specifics of Lauren and Evan’s history. I definitely didn’t want to think about it.
“Oh. Well, Brian is quite nice, too.”
“He’s great. He’s perfect for me. Like Dad is for you. And it makes sense for us to be together. I always figured we’d end up together, anyway.” I shrugged. “But I don’t know why I’m hesitating now.”
She reached out and swept my bangs out of my face before tilting up my chin with her index finger. “Usually, that means you don’t actually want it. No matter how much you thought you did. For once, go with your heart and not your head. Even if it’s crazy.”
“But that’s really hard.”
“Life is hard. Give yourself some time to figure things out, then. And if someone bothers you about that, you can tell them to go to hell.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Thanks, Mom. That’s great advice.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” A wide smile crossed her face. “Do you want to go shopping after school tomorrow?”
I shuddered inside, but I nodded. “Sure, that’d be fun.”
*
Mom did say I needed to take some time for myself, so I took that as having parental permission to stay home the next day. Hopefully, an extra day would help me figure out things.
I didn’t count on Brian coming to visit.
“You look pretty healthy for someone who’s supposed to be on her sickbed. And to think I cut first period to come all this way to check up on you.”
My head popped up from the pillow I had propped against the wall. I was in my usual spot in the living room, curled in the armchair by the bay window with a romance novel in my hand. Evan’s otter plush was on my yellow-and-white-striped lap. “Brian! How—how did you get in?”
His thumb jabbed over his shoulder. “Your mom let me in before she left for work.”
Ah, that traitor in Vera Wang pumps and Ralph Lauren Romance perfume.
He handed me a large pink daisy. “Here. I remembered you liked daisies.”
I think I had only mentioned that once, but of course, Brian would remember. “Thanks.” I touched the soft petals for a few seconds before putting it on the tiny table next to me. Damn, this was hard.
“So are you ever coming back to school, or are you planning to hide out at home until the end of the year?” Brian leaned against the white doorframe. His ankles crossed in the opposite corner. He was so tall that his lanky frame seemed to fill up the entire doorway, making any thoughts of escape impossible. “Even though you’re smart, I doubt the school will let you graduate from home. And it’ll be a shame to be a high school dropout just because some idiot confessed his feelings for you.”
My heart wrenched at his forced-playful tone. He told me he liked me, and how did I respond? By running away and hiding until he had to come look for me himself. When had I turned into a six-year-old kid again? And most importantly, why couldn’t I be sick for real? Dante’s hell was too good for me. “I’m sorry, Brian. I just didn’t—”