see how it is.” She winked and closed the door behind her.
I
flopped against my pillow again, telling myself I’d get out of bed after this
snooze, or maybe the one after that. The truth was I’d been awake for the past
hour rehashing the argument Adrian and I had the night before. He’d driven
Caleb and Jasmine to the reservation a few days ago to pick up a rental truck full
of their belongings, with plans to return yesterday afternoon—early enough for
us to go out to dinner. The trouble was, he didn’t get home until well after dark.
By then it was too late, and I was starving and irritable.
“I’m
sorry,” he had said. “We got busy.”
“Busy
doing what?”
Silence,
and then: “Just busy.”
“Busy
with Jasmine?” I said unfairly, instantly regretting it. Jasmine was like a
scab I couldn’t stop picking at.
Adrian
was silent before he said in a clipped tone, “I’ll pick you up for school in
the morning.” He hung up before I could even apologize.
I
dressed and made my way to the dining room where David was scanning the funnies
and shoving oversized bites of pancake into his mouth. A bead of golden maple syrup
dripped lazily from his chin, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. I
made a face and moved my own plate two spaces down.
“Honestly,
David. It’s no wonder you don’t have a girlfriend.”
He
looked up, his eyes blank. “Huh?”
I shook
my head and reached for the bottle of syrup. “Never mind.”
“So,
it’s your last year,” Meg said, sliding into the seat across the table. “Before
long you’ll be off to college.”
I
swirled a piece of bacon in the syrup and bit off the end, the salty-sweet
taste suddenly unpleasant. “Let’s not rush things, okay?”
“Not
rush things? Sarah, you’re a senior. You’re running out of time. Have you at
least given any thought where you want to go?”
I
shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “Not really.”
“Do you
at least have an idea about what you want to with your life?”
I sighed
impatiently and then leveled my gaze at my aunt. “Can’t I just get through breakfast
first?” Meg was entering into full freak-out mode. I had to put the brakes on
this one fast.
David
snorted. “I guess someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”
Meg
shot him a look that clearly warned he’d better be quiet if he knew what was
good for him. She turned to me. “Okay. What’s up?”
“Boy
problems,” David said. “Isn’t that what it always is with girls her age?”
“Shut
up, David.” I got up and dumped my dishes in the kitchen sink, my appetite
ruined.
After
dressing, I brushed my teeth, gathered my bag, and then sat on the sofa in stony
silence waiting for Adrian. Ten minutes later he pulled into the driveway and
honked.
“Since
when does Adrian not come to the door?” David said as I rose. “You shouldn’t
let him do that.”
“We’re
just running late is all,” I said. “And besides, he doesn’t need to come to the
door. That’s so old fashioned anyway.”
David
raised his brow. “It’s not old fashioned, Sarah. It’s polite.”
I hoisted
my bag over my shoulder and gave him what I was sure was an unconvincing smile.
“See you later.”
Adrian
was alone in his car; for that much, I was thankful. I didn’t relish the idea
of apologizing for last night’s argument in front of an audience. “Where is
everyone?”
Adrian’s
hands tightened on the wheel, but he didn’t look at me. “I didn’t think you’d
want them here.”
“Adrian,
I—”
“Besides,
my car isn’t big enough for five people. Caleb’s catching a ride with Shyla.”
“What
about Jasmine?”
“She
took the bus.”
I
laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Wow. She must really hate me to
voluntarily subject herself to the bus.”
“No
more than you hate her.”
His
words stung and I fell quiet. Finally, I said in a quieter voice, “I don’t hate
her, Adrian. I just don’t like her
Anna Carey
Arabella Abbing
K. J. Parker
Allyson Young
J.D. Hollyfield, Skeleton Key
P. F. Chisholm
Diana Palmer
Bobbie Pyron
G. Willow Wilson
M. R. Everette