minute then blurted out, “I don’t want to live with Mom.”
“She’s not messed up anymore.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want to look at her face. I never want to see her again.”
Shocked by Tawny’s admission, I didn’t reply right away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just don’t want to pretend.”
“I know and you shouldn’t have to,” I said, feeling guilty for not reassuring her more quickly. “If you come here, I’ll find us a place. Just you and me.”
“The place you’re in is big, right? You’d be giving up all the space to live with me.”
“Nothing I give up would compare to having you here. I miss you so much and I feel lost without you around.”
“Me too,” Tawny said, bursting into tears.
For the next few minutes, I reassured her while she sobbed. I could picture her twirling her golden hair in a tight knot around her fingers the way she did when the tension became too much. Finally, she calmed down and put her best face forward.
“I’ll be eighteen soon then I can live anywhere.”
“I’ll send money. I’d send it now, but Dad or Mom might make a stink if you’re a minor. I never know what they’ll do.”
“Soon then.”
“Mere months away.”
When Tawny sighed sadly, my heart hurt imagining her waiting in some dump for Dad to return. Then, I forced myself to picture her getting off the bus at the same station I arrived at weeks earlier. We would be together and no one could tear us apart again.
“Enjoy that friend,” Tawny said. “Life isn’t easy and you have to take what you can get sometimes. If she’s just pretending, let her pretend. There’s nothing to lose. Even if it hurts your feelings, it’s still better than being alone.”
“Soon, I’ll never be alone.”
“We’ll die old maids together,” Tawny teased.
“You and me living together with our cats.”
“I’ll learn to quilt.”
“I’ll pickle things we’ll never eat.”
Laughing, we pretended hundreds of miles didn’t separate us.
“You better save the minutes on your phone,” Tawny said.
“I’ll call you soon. You call me if you need anything. Call me and I’ll call you right back.”
“Okay. Go enjoy your rich lying friend.”
Smiling, I said goodbye then returned to where Bailey rested on Skye’s bed.
“Where did Skye go?” I asked.
“Tyler works out at the gym right now so she ran over there to drool.”
“She really likes him.”
“I don’t see why. He doesn’t really like her.”
Remembering what Cooper said about Bailey needing to be the center of attention, I shrugged. “Settling for one guy so early in the year might be a mistake.”
“Exactly!” Bailey cried, sitting up. “I’m dating lots of guys because I don’t need a husband. I need some manmeat. I need fun. I’m eighteen, not eighty. Skye’s a loser to settle for the first guy who looks her way.”
“She’s not used to living here. This was always your home so you’re more confident.”
Bailey smiled at this. “I am confident. Sometimes, guys want me to be all meek and shy and shit. That’s not me. I don’t need their approval. I’m Bailey Fucking Johansson. I run the show, not some dick.”
Nodding, I wasn’t sure if I should leave now that Skye was gone.
“Are you passing Algebra?” Bailey asked, standing up.
“I guess. We haven’t had any tests yet, so I don’t know.”
“I’ve been skipping classes because it’s lame. I need to do this assignment though. Can you help me with it?”
Excited to show my worth as a friend, I assumed the work was in her bag, but Bailey headed for the door.
“I ditched school so my stuff is at home.”
Part of me wanted to walk back my offer, but Bailey’s expression left me little choice. I followed her out of the room and to the parking lot where her SUV waited.
Driving out to the Johansson house, I reminded myself that I’d seen Cooper in Spanish on Thursday. He played with my ponytail and told me my handwriting
“She’s not messed up anymore.”
“I don’t care. I don’t want to look at her face. I never want to see her again.”
Shocked by Tawny’s admission, I didn’t reply right away.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just don’t want to pretend.”
“I know and you shouldn’t have to,” I said, feeling guilty for not reassuring her more quickly. “If you come here, I’ll find us a place. Just you and me.”
“The place you’re in is big, right? You’d be giving up all the space to live with me.”
“Nothing I give up would compare to having you here. I miss you so much and I feel lost without you around.”
“Me too,” Tawny said, bursting into tears.
For the next few minutes, I reassured her while she sobbed. I could picture her twirling her golden hair in a tight knot around her fingers the way she did when the tension became too much. Finally, she calmed down and put her best face forward.
“I’ll be eighteen soon then I can live anywhere.”
“I’ll send money. I’d send it now, but Dad or Mom might make a stink if you’re a minor. I never know what they’ll do.”
“Soon then.”
“Mere months away.”
When Tawny sighed sadly, my heart hurt imagining her waiting in some dump for Dad to return. Then, I forced myself to picture her getting off the bus at the same station I arrived at weeks earlier. We would be together and no one could tear us apart again.
“Enjoy that friend,” Tawny said. “Life isn’t easy and you have to take what you can get sometimes. If she’s just pretending, let her pretend. There’s nothing to lose. Even if it hurts your feelings, it’s still better than being alone.”
“Soon, I’ll never be alone.”
“We’ll die old maids together,” Tawny teased.
“You and me living together with our cats.”
“I’ll learn to quilt.”
“I’ll pickle things we’ll never eat.”
Laughing, we pretended hundreds of miles didn’t separate us.
“You better save the minutes on your phone,” Tawny said.
“I’ll call you soon. You call me if you need anything. Call me and I’ll call you right back.”
“Okay. Go enjoy your rich lying friend.”
Smiling, I said goodbye then returned to where Bailey rested on Skye’s bed.
“Where did Skye go?” I asked.
“Tyler works out at the gym right now so she ran over there to drool.”
“She really likes him.”
“I don’t see why. He doesn’t really like her.”
Remembering what Cooper said about Bailey needing to be the center of attention, I shrugged. “Settling for one guy so early in the year might be a mistake.”
“Exactly!” Bailey cried, sitting up. “I’m dating lots of guys because I don’t need a husband. I need some manmeat. I need fun. I’m eighteen, not eighty. Skye’s a loser to settle for the first guy who looks her way.”
“She’s not used to living here. This was always your home so you’re more confident.”
Bailey smiled at this. “I am confident. Sometimes, guys want me to be all meek and shy and shit. That’s not me. I don’t need their approval. I’m Bailey Fucking Johansson. I run the show, not some dick.”
Nodding, I wasn’t sure if I should leave now that Skye was gone.
“Are you passing Algebra?” Bailey asked, standing up.
“I guess. We haven’t had any tests yet, so I don’t know.”
“I’ve been skipping classes because it’s lame. I need to do this assignment though. Can you help me with it?”
Excited to show my worth as a friend, I assumed the work was in her bag, but Bailey headed for the door.
“I ditched school so my stuff is at home.”
Part of me wanted to walk back my offer, but Bailey’s expression left me little choice. I followed her out of the room and to the parking lot where her SUV waited.
Driving out to the Johansson house, I reminded myself that I’d seen Cooper in Spanish on Thursday. He played with my ponytail and told me my handwriting
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