place. He looks around and whistles. “Jesus, your mom still deck the halls or what?”
I roll my eyes. “Tell me about it. Did you see the newest shit she bought?”
Bryce eyes the gingerbread carpet under his feet and lining the staircase. “Wow. I didn’t know they made this. You have to tell me—does she go to a special Christmas store where they sell the ugliest shit imaginable?”
“Probably. She said she wanted to have an ugly-Christmas-sweater party. I swear, if she tries to dress me up as an elf, I’m outta here.”
He shakes his head and takes a seat in the empty chair. “Dude, you really weren’t kidding about laundry.”
“Nope. Sure wasn’t.”
He snaps a picture of me. “Sorry, man. Madison wouldn’t believe me if I said this.”
“Both of you can kiss my ass,” I laugh. Okay, before I went to college, Bryce was right. Not about having my mom wipe my ass. I can do that. But she did do a lot for me. Hell, there have been times I was up in my room completely stoned, playing video games, and yelled out at her to send me up some sandwiches. She always did. Don’t ask me why. But she did, and now that I think about it I really am surprised she didn’t slap the hell out of me.
However, all this changed when I went off to college and met my roommate. Jim was way dirtier than I could ever be. This dude would call his mom and have her come pick up his laundry. Like she was a personal maid. To top it off, she’d clean our entire room. I thought she was the housekeeper or some crap. Then Jim introduced her to me as his mom. I think my eyes bulged. Especially after he made a grocery list and requested she prepare certain meals for him for the week.
Let’s just say it changed my whole outlook on growing up. My first week home, I think my mom thought I’d gone insane. She kept asking if I was coming down with something or feeling okay. I guess it’s because I actually did my own laundry, ran the vacuum, and cleaned the bathrooms.
I continue folding the mountain of towels beside me. “So when do you have to go back?”
“I leave Sunday. What are you doing Friday?”
“You’re looking at it. Probably a load of laundry, cleaning, who the hell knows. My life is not what it used to be.”
Bryce nods. “I know. How long do you have?”
“February. I’m a prisoner of this goddamn place until February.”
“Sucks. Look on the bright side of things, though. Could be worse. You could be in jail. You could be on house arrest, which would mean you’d never leave not only this town, but the creepy fucking elf décor.”
I laugh, but it’s bitter. “Yeah.”
“Madison and I planned on going ice skating tomorrow, wanna come?”
“And be a third wheel while you two practically hump each other? No. I’ll pass.”
He shrugs. “We’re not that bad.” His grin says otherwise. “Speaking of third wheels, what’s up with you and Sarah?”
“Nothing. I’m not gonna lie and say I can’t stand her. Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever be over the girl. But it’s not going to happen.”
Bryce grabs a towel and starts to fold. “Well, don’t let Mads know you have any feelings for Sarah. She’ll give you a lecture on how you can’t toy with Sarah’s emotions and all that jazz.”
I’m not really worried about Madison’s lecture on how I feel about Sarah. I’m more worried that she’ll dig for the reason I’m here.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You know she’s dying to ask why you’re here and not in school.”
I figured as much. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her I loved her but it wasn’t my story to tell. So, what is the whole story?”
I groan and start placing the folded towels back into the basket. “I really don’t remember. One minute I was drinking and playing beer pong during rush week. Next thing I know, I wake up in a holding cell, cops telling me I’m not allowed to leave until the trial. There was a video. Fuck, Bryce, I’m telling you I
I roll my eyes. “Tell me about it. Did you see the newest shit she bought?”
Bryce eyes the gingerbread carpet under his feet and lining the staircase. “Wow. I didn’t know they made this. You have to tell me—does she go to a special Christmas store where they sell the ugliest shit imaginable?”
“Probably. She said she wanted to have an ugly-Christmas-sweater party. I swear, if she tries to dress me up as an elf, I’m outta here.”
He shakes his head and takes a seat in the empty chair. “Dude, you really weren’t kidding about laundry.”
“Nope. Sure wasn’t.”
He snaps a picture of me. “Sorry, man. Madison wouldn’t believe me if I said this.”
“Both of you can kiss my ass,” I laugh. Okay, before I went to college, Bryce was right. Not about having my mom wipe my ass. I can do that. But she did do a lot for me. Hell, there have been times I was up in my room completely stoned, playing video games, and yelled out at her to send me up some sandwiches. She always did. Don’t ask me why. But she did, and now that I think about it I really am surprised she didn’t slap the hell out of me.
However, all this changed when I went off to college and met my roommate. Jim was way dirtier than I could ever be. This dude would call his mom and have her come pick up his laundry. Like she was a personal maid. To top it off, she’d clean our entire room. I thought she was the housekeeper or some crap. Then Jim introduced her to me as his mom. I think my eyes bulged. Especially after he made a grocery list and requested she prepare certain meals for him for the week.
Let’s just say it changed my whole outlook on growing up. My first week home, I think my mom thought I’d gone insane. She kept asking if I was coming down with something or feeling okay. I guess it’s because I actually did my own laundry, ran the vacuum, and cleaned the bathrooms.
I continue folding the mountain of towels beside me. “So when do you have to go back?”
“I leave Sunday. What are you doing Friday?”
“You’re looking at it. Probably a load of laundry, cleaning, who the hell knows. My life is not what it used to be.”
Bryce nods. “I know. How long do you have?”
“February. I’m a prisoner of this goddamn place until February.”
“Sucks. Look on the bright side of things, though. Could be worse. You could be in jail. You could be on house arrest, which would mean you’d never leave not only this town, but the creepy fucking elf décor.”
I laugh, but it’s bitter. “Yeah.”
“Madison and I planned on going ice skating tomorrow, wanna come?”
“And be a third wheel while you two practically hump each other? No. I’ll pass.”
He shrugs. “We’re not that bad.” His grin says otherwise. “Speaking of third wheels, what’s up with you and Sarah?”
“Nothing. I’m not gonna lie and say I can’t stand her. Fuck, I don’t think I’ll ever be over the girl. But it’s not going to happen.”
Bryce grabs a towel and starts to fold. “Well, don’t let Mads know you have any feelings for Sarah. She’ll give you a lecture on how you can’t toy with Sarah’s emotions and all that jazz.”
I’m not really worried about Madison’s lecture on how I feel about Sarah. I’m more worried that she’ll dig for the reason I’m here.
“Thanks for the warning.”
“You know she’s dying to ask why you’re here and not in school.”
I figured as much. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her I loved her but it wasn’t my story to tell. So, what is the whole story?”
I groan and start placing the folded towels back into the basket. “I really don’t remember. One minute I was drinking and playing beer pong during rush week. Next thing I know, I wake up in a holding cell, cops telling me I’m not allowed to leave until the trial. There was a video. Fuck, Bryce, I’m telling you I
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