Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach Page B

I’m just smashed on a plane, Aleah. (You should see how I’m typing—like a hobbit with arthritis, all bent up in a tiny hobbit-sized space.)
    Also reminds me of being smashed in Gus’s smoky car for like a thousand hours. Gus and I didn’t get along very well on our trip. It started bad and got worse.
    The start?
    On Friday morning when we were supposed to leave, he was totally late to pick me up. He was supposed to get me right after he finished the freaking paper route. “Oh yeah, about six, man. I’ll be there.”
    Jerri and I waited in the living room, my big bag filled with false football stuff and lying on the floor. And I felt horrible and guilty and sweaty and afraid. It got later and later. I called Gus at 6:40 to see what was the matter. He didn’t answer. Why wouldn’t he answer? Because he didn’t want to.
    Freaking anxiety! There were many, many lies afloat in the Bluffton air, Aleah.
    As it got lighter and brighter and later, Jerri sat there in that same gross robe she’d worn all last summer when she was getting more and more depressed until she didn’t get out of bed and didn’t shower and just wore that ugly robe day in and day out, looking like a dead lady wearing a robe. I hate that robe.
    I didn’t say anything about her robe.
    Jerri didn’t say anything about anything for that whole hour we waited. Together, we stared out the window at the empty main road. Together we sat in silence waiting for the great, late douche Gus.
    Then, after it became 7 a.m. and not the six o’clock hour at all, probably to break the tension she could tell was totally exploding inside of me, Jerri said, “Talked to Andrew late last night. He’s having a great time. Really loves that Tovi girl.”
    â€œOh-ho-ho,” I said.
    â€œTovi is an interesting name,” Jerri said. “I’ve never heard it except your dad’s sister named her kid Tovi. Do you remember Evith, your aunt?”
    â€œ No! ” I shouted.
    â€œWhat?” Jerri asked.
    â€œI don’t remember her,” I said.
    â€œIt’s funny, you know? Evith and I got along really well back in the day. Why do people treat each other so poorly? I lost my husband too. They didn’t just lose their son and brother.”
    â€œWow,” I said.
    â€œIt’s been over eleven years now. I can’t believe it.”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œYeah, we’ve never talked much about your dad’s family…”
    â€œNever!” I said.
    â€œIt’s high time. I don’t know why I hid things. When Andrew gets back from camp, we should really sit down and try to collect all these bits and pieces and…Do you know Ronald and Aleah specifically sit down once a week to discuss her feelings about her mom?”
    â€œJesus!” I said.
    â€œFelton?” Jerri asked,
    â€œWow!” I said. I could feel sweat beading up on my forehead. I jumped off the couch and started pacing around. Did Jerri know what was going on? What was this about you and your dad? Why was she bringing this family business up now? Did Jerri know something more? Had Andrew told her what was going on? Did Andrew talk to you and you talk to Ronald and Ronald talk to Jerri? “Whoa,” I said.
    â€œUh,” Jerri looked up at me, one eyebrow raised. “Are you okay, Felton?”
    â€œNo.”
    Just then, just in time—as I was just about to blow this whole wicked sham out into the open, drop the bomb, drop everything—an hour and fourteen minutes later than Gus was supposed to be, his Toyota rolled down the main road toward our house. The windows were down and smoke billowed out. Have you ever seen a Cheech and Chong movie? They’re on cable sometimes. Billowing smoke.
    â€œAh, crap,” I said. There were two people in the car. “Freaking Maddie.”
    â€œThat Gus is such a two-bit sack of B.S.,” Jerri shouted, standing up.