you?”
“My life coach said I can be whomever I like. I can dress in a poetic mood, but I need to be adaptable and work within the world’s boundaries. No one wants to hire me if my looks scare them, but the truth is, I was only dressing that way for Ryan Embers, and he never noticed me. It turns out I’m not very good at dark poetry either. I’m too happy.”
“I think it’s hard to be dark when you drive a convertible Mustang and have a life coach at seventeen. What the heck is a life coach anyway?”
“My mom hired her. She’s amazing. She said I could act like I didn’t care about all those kids at school, but then if I did care, I wasn’t being honest with myself. It’s better to be honest and deal with the pain. If it hurts, deal with it. Otherwise you start doing crap like cutting or drinking to deal with the pain.” She shrugs.
“Your mom is afraid you’re going to cut?”
“I think my goth phase started that fear.”
“Claire, I think your parents need to spend less time on vacation and more time with you.”
She stops at the stop sign. “My parents aren’t on vacation.”
“They’re home?”
“No, my dad’s in New York on business and my mom is in Hawaii at a spa.”
“But you said—”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“My dad’s left us.”
I actually laugh. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking,” she says.
“You kept this secret from me? Claire, I could forgive the nose piercing, but this—you don’t just handle this stuff yourself.” I allow her words to sink in, and I feel the pain she’s avoiding. My head throbs. “Is that why you’re so ticked at my dad today?”
“No, I’m ticked at your dad because he treats you like a toddler. I’m ticked at my dad because he’s avoiding me. Keeps giving me these excuses, how I don’t understand. That it’s between him and my mom, but how is that true? She’s not home! He left me!”
“He hasn’t, Claire. He gives you everything to make your life perfect. Remember at the club when we bought everyone at the pool a round of Cokes, and he just laughed it off and paid the bill?”
“How many times have you been around my dad? In all the years you’ve been my best friend, have you ever spent the night when he was home?”
I’m awestruck at the obvious. “No. He travels a lot, though. Some men have to do that.”
“My parents don’t care what I do, Daisy. We may be invisible at school, but at least you’re not invisible at home too.”
“So that’s what the circus-tent shorts are about. Claire, your dad’s your dad. If your parents are splitting up, he’s not going to abandon you financially—”
“He told her we were holding him back. We. He’s not leaving my mother. He’s leaving us. And I don’t want his money!”
“It sucks to work. Haven’t I mentioned that? It’s not cute to answer to a boss when you have no choice. It’s not fun to work overtime because the company is in need of your skills.” I slam her glove compartment shut. “Did the life coach say that was a good way to deal with the pain? Just go shopping like a normal rich girl!”
Claire’s face changes, and it dawns on me that maybe my friend isn’t as tough as I thought. “Shopping doesn’t work anymore.”
“Why is your mom in Hawaii?”
“She doesn’t know Marisa quit.”
“Marisa quit? Claire, you’ve been staying totally alone?”
“They’re arguing over the house.”
“ Who is arguing over the house? Marisa?”
“No, my parents. Marisa doesn’t want to be stuck in the battles anymore, so she quit. My dad would call her and tell her one thing, then my mother would call back and say the opposite.” Claire half laughs. “It’s cool that she can do that, just quit. I’m stuck.”
“You have to tell your mother she’s gone.”
“She wouldn’t believe it because that would interfere with her life. Right now the only thing that would concern her is if her wine glass was empty.”
My mouth is
“My life coach said I can be whomever I like. I can dress in a poetic mood, but I need to be adaptable and work within the world’s boundaries. No one wants to hire me if my looks scare them, but the truth is, I was only dressing that way for Ryan Embers, and he never noticed me. It turns out I’m not very good at dark poetry either. I’m too happy.”
“I think it’s hard to be dark when you drive a convertible Mustang and have a life coach at seventeen. What the heck is a life coach anyway?”
“My mom hired her. She’s amazing. She said I could act like I didn’t care about all those kids at school, but then if I did care, I wasn’t being honest with myself. It’s better to be honest and deal with the pain. If it hurts, deal with it. Otherwise you start doing crap like cutting or drinking to deal with the pain.” She shrugs.
“Your mom is afraid you’re going to cut?”
“I think my goth phase started that fear.”
“Claire, I think your parents need to spend less time on vacation and more time with you.”
She stops at the stop sign. “My parents aren’t on vacation.”
“They’re home?”
“No, my dad’s in New York on business and my mom is in Hawaii at a spa.”
“But you said—”
“I lied.”
“Why?”
“My dad’s left us.”
I actually laugh. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking,” she says.
“You kept this secret from me? Claire, I could forgive the nose piercing, but this—you don’t just handle this stuff yourself.” I allow her words to sink in, and I feel the pain she’s avoiding. My head throbs. “Is that why you’re so ticked at my dad today?”
“No, I’m ticked at your dad because he treats you like a toddler. I’m ticked at my dad because he’s avoiding me. Keeps giving me these excuses, how I don’t understand. That it’s between him and my mom, but how is that true? She’s not home! He left me!”
“He hasn’t, Claire. He gives you everything to make your life perfect. Remember at the club when we bought everyone at the pool a round of Cokes, and he just laughed it off and paid the bill?”
“How many times have you been around my dad? In all the years you’ve been my best friend, have you ever spent the night when he was home?”
I’m awestruck at the obvious. “No. He travels a lot, though. Some men have to do that.”
“My parents don’t care what I do, Daisy. We may be invisible at school, but at least you’re not invisible at home too.”
“So that’s what the circus-tent shorts are about. Claire, your dad’s your dad. If your parents are splitting up, he’s not going to abandon you financially—”
“He told her we were holding him back. We. He’s not leaving my mother. He’s leaving us. And I don’t want his money!”
“It sucks to work. Haven’t I mentioned that? It’s not cute to answer to a boss when you have no choice. It’s not fun to work overtime because the company is in need of your skills.” I slam her glove compartment shut. “Did the life coach say that was a good way to deal with the pain? Just go shopping like a normal rich girl!”
Claire’s face changes, and it dawns on me that maybe my friend isn’t as tough as I thought. “Shopping doesn’t work anymore.”
“Why is your mom in Hawaii?”
“She doesn’t know Marisa quit.”
“Marisa quit? Claire, you’ve been staying totally alone?”
“They’re arguing over the house.”
“ Who is arguing over the house? Marisa?”
“No, my parents. Marisa doesn’t want to be stuck in the battles anymore, so she quit. My dad would call her and tell her one thing, then my mother would call back and say the opposite.” Claire half laughs. “It’s cool that she can do that, just quit. I’m stuck.”
“You have to tell your mother she’s gone.”
“She wouldn’t believe it because that would interfere with her life. Right now the only thing that would concern her is if her wine glass was empty.”
My mouth is
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