Storky by D. L. Garfinkle Page A

told him all that, he said, “Can I tell you something about your so-called friend Gina, without you running off again?” I go, “So-called?” He crossed his flabby arms and frowned at me until I said, “I won’t run off again, just tell me.” So he said, “She’s not worth it.” He told me how inconsiderate she was for sulking all night and making the rest of us leave early. I said, “She was miserable, remember? Remember I told you she cried in the bathroom?” He goes, still frowning, “I don’t like her.”
    Then he said she must have me totally distracted if I’d use my z for a little word like zoo and leave it open for him. He put zirconia over a triple word score for 107 points.
    If he could meet Gina and see her bright dark eyes and her little wrists and shoulders, he’d realize how sweet she really is. Not that she’d ever set foot in Golden Village.

Wednesday, December 29
    It sucks when you like someone more than they like you. Gina called to make sure I had no hard feelings about the Snowball. To make sure I understood. That’s what she said. She wasn’t trying to ruin my night, she said.
    Even though I’ve been mad at her all week, I told her I understood. I asked her if she was feeling better. Even while I pictured Duke shaking his head in disgust, I asked about her Christmas.
    To make it even worse, I invited her over to play Scrabble and she turned me down. Now I’m not only mad at Gina, I’m mad at myself too. What a loser. Though I bet I would have beaten her.

Thursday, December 30
    Dr. Vermin’s over all the time now. Ever since Mom started winter break from law school, she just hangs with Verm every day. He had dinner here again tonight.
    Just when I’m thinking he’s not such a bad dude, I hear them arguing in Mom’s bedroom. He complained how he never gets to sleep over and how he’s not driving home on New Year’s Eve with all the drunks on the road, and then Mom brought me into it. The whole fight turned out to be because of me. She doesn’t want to set a bad example. She goes, “Even if Amanda could handle it, Mike’s always been so sensitive.” I hate that. She says I still have issues from the Divorce. I hate that too. Pulling out all the psychological crap and fighting about me behind my back.
    It’s not psychological. I just don’t want him sleeping over. I don’t want him seeing me in my bathrobe. I don’t want to have to eat breakfast with him. I don’t want to share the Sports section with him. I don’t want any more people in this house using up the hot water before I can take my shower. I don’t want him having sex with Mom in the bed Dad used to sleep in.

Saturday, January 1
    I love TV! I zoned in front of it today for like 12 straight hours. Rose Bowl! Sugar Bowl! Fiesta Bowl! And tomorrow the national championship game! Life is good!
    Even last night worked out okay. Weird, but okay. It was just me and Mom at first, both of us pretty bummed. Nate was out with Heather Kvaas and those condoms. Amanda went to another popular-seniors-only party. Mom sat on the couch, biting her nails and leafing through this stack of Good Housekeeping magazines Grandma gave her. Verm wouldn’t come over because he didn’t want to drive home on New Year’s Eve.
    I got Mom to go bowling with me. I figured if anyone at school saw me out with her on New Year’s Eve, they’d be just as embarrassed because they’d be at the bowling alley too. We picked up Aunt Marsha on the way. We were like this lonely losers gang. I felt so crappy I only bowled a 133 the first game.
    I was trolling the place for other pathetic teenagers when about 8 lanes down I saw Verm. He looked even more pitiful than us, being all by himself.
    At first I thought it was a setup, like when Dad used to pretend to accidentally bump into his girlfriends when he was out with me. But then Mom got all nervous when I pointed him out, and she didn’t want to go over there.
    Aunt Marsha said it was karma. I