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"That’s just great," Will o, Will," I say as I stand up and walk to my backpack "If she asks me about it, I'll just tell her you were upset because I said asshole And jackass And dickhead And bastar-"

"I get your point!" he snaps

My hand is on the doorknob when he calls ain I pause

"I also want to say I'ht," he says

I turn toward him as I speak "Are you sorry you let it happen? Or sorry about the way you stopped it?"

He cocks his head and shrugs his shoulders as if he doesn't understand my question "All of it It never should have happened"

"Bastard," I finish

The engine of my jeep purrs its' familiar sound when I crank it, and that pissesso s I wish I never would have met Will the first week I was here It would have been so much easier if I'd have met him in class first Or better yet, I e never would have even moved to Ypsilanti I wish ue about her errands I wish Caulder wasn't at our house every day Seeing him just makes me think of Will I wish Will would never have fixed s like that It would make it so s I called hiod, I can't believe I called hirets

I pick the boys up from school and drive ho at theI’ at the

"We'll be at Caulder's," Kel yells as they slam the jeep door

Good

When I walk inside, I hearto someone in her bedroom I pause outside her door It's a one-sided conversation so she must be on the phone Normally, I would never eavesdrop on one of her conversations However, her behavior lately warrants a little nosiness Or maybe my behavior warrants a little rebellion Either way, I cup my ear to the door

"I know I know I'll tell theo over better if I tell them alone…"

"Of course I will I love you too, Babe"

She's signing off I quietly tiptoe to my bedroom and slip inside I shut the door behind me and slide to the floor

Seven months now It took her all of sevensomeone else already, but her words on the phone couldn't have been ain: Denial

How could she? And whoever he is, he already wants her to introduce us to him? I already don't like him And her nerve! How could she accost Will like she did, hat she's doing is just as deplorable, if not worse? Stage one is extreer

I decide not to bring it up right away I want to find out more before I confront her about it I want the upper hand in this situation, and it's going to take so on et out of the hen she opens it She sees me stand and her eyebrows raise as she watches ?" she asks

"Stretching My back hurts"

She doesn't buy it, so I claspforward

"Take some aspirin," she says

"Okay"

"I'ht, but I have a lot of sleep to catch up on I didn't get any at all today so I'ets a bath before he goes to bed tonight?"

"Sure"

We both start down the hallway "Wait, Mo over her bloodshot eyes

"I'ht Is that okay?"

She eyes me suspiciously "With who?"

"Eddie, Gavin and Nick"

"Three guys? You aren't going anywhere with three guys"

"No Eddie's a girl She'sI'hten a little "Oh Well, good" She smiles as she opens the door to her bedroom "Wait," she says "I work Thursday What about Kel?"

"Will has a sitter on Thursdays He already said Kel could stay there"

She looks pleased, but only for a second "Will agreed to pay a sitter? To watch Kel? So you could go on a date?"

Crap I didn't realize how this would look "Mom, it's been weeks We went on one date, we're over it"

She eyes me curiously "Hmm" She returns to her roosabout so Noe're even

"I' to third period," I say to Eddie as we exit history

"Why not?"

"I just don't feel like it Headache I think I'll go sit in the courtyard and get sos as we start to part ways in the hallway

"Layken" She grabsto do hat happened at lunch? With Mr Cooper? Is everything okay?"

I sly "No, it's fine Mr Cooper just wants me to refrain from my colorful choice of words in his class"

She purses her lips together and walks aith the saht

The courtyard is euess none of the other students need a breather from the teacher they're secretly in love with I sit at a bench and pullI've only spoken to Kerris once since I moved She was the one friend in Texas I was closest to, but she was actually best friends with another girl It's odd when your best friend has an even better best friend I chalked it up to the fact that I was too busy for best friends, but ood listener Maybe I'ood sharer