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I’d love to hear her definition of a tough weekend Did they run out of beer or smokes? Maybe her boyfriend flirted with another wo week--it would be Drew Callahan

Oh yeah, and me

"It’s only Saturday," I point out "Don’t you have a bar to hang out at or so?"

She snorts "Since when did you beco her Instead, I head to the tiny kitchen and crack open the fridge, peering inside It’s depressing as hell in there Leftover Chinese takeout froo and rape jelly line the door There’s a gallon of milk inside but maybe a sip of it is left and by the expiration date printed on there, it’s also many days too old

There are two sodas and a crumpled, half empty twelve-pack box inside too Of course Heaven forbid Mo to with the , so we’ll have real food in the house I knoen’s not done growing He needs to eat and properly, not a bunch of junk shit and fast food We’ll have one last night of cheesy pepperoni pizza, but coht

"I heard you lost your job," I call to her as I grab a soda and crack it open The cold surge of caffeine and sugar slides easily down erator door to find ainst the kitchen counter, her near eertips

"Owen told you, huh?" She shakes her head "It’s such bullshit, what they said"

"What did they say?" Great Sounds like it’s her fault she lost her job

"A customer supposedly complained that when I helped him, my breath ss the rest of beer back Ironic,with Larry, so I figure it was a leftover buzz, you knoasn’t really drunk I was fine"

I just look at her, sipping from my soda can My life kinda sucks,on Drew

Nothing

"Where’s Larry?" When she looks at ht?"

"I don’t know" She shrugs "We got in a huge fight and he dropped o out tonight"

God, I really don’t want her here I wish she would go out and leave hts Oould co out with him "Maybe you should call Larry and tell him you’re sorry"

"Why do you think it’s my fault?"

Because it always is? "Maybe you should take the initiative and apologize even if it’s not your fault" Now it’s er, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket "Not a bad idea I’ him"

She walks back into her bedroom, her phone to her ear "Hey, baby It’s me," I hear her say as she slowly closes the door

I re of Drew Where is he, what is he doing? Is he okay? I’ this way I wish he hadn’t shut me out I wish he would let me in

But wishes are for fools

Drew

After I drop Fable off at her place, I drive around town for an hour, taking in the fahts This small tohere I’ve spent the last three years feels far rew up ever will

Of course, my hometown is tainted mostly with bad memories, save those few days with Fable

I drive past the campus, the stadium where I spend the majority of h don, past the shops, the corner cafes and the Starbucks, slowing so it’s not even six o’clock, that’s no surprise Plus the students aren’t really back in town yet That’ll all happen tomorrow

The rain stills falls steadily and when I realize I’ve been driving for well over an hour with no destination inIt’s on the opposite side of town from Fable’s, I live in the newer part, the better part Where the neighborhoods are quiet and the yards are perfect Not like the crowded, older neighborhoods that are overrun with young, loud college students since the rent rates are so cheap I bet my apartment is twice the size of hers and I only have one bedroo there while she has hertheir best to keep it together…

I hanoring the pain that radiates across hto fk up er ain, andby the third punch

But the pain feels good Raw and real, re me of who I a I’ve ever wanted has been handed to me on a silver platter I’ the life Bragging to e apartirl under each arm because I’m the one they call the hero, who’s saved our football team these last two seasons

My world…is a world of shit What Adele confessed has leftshock I drove prettya word Neither did Fable I feel like shit for acting like that, but what could I do? Make small talk with her, chat about the weather and our favorite music and oh, the fact that my stepmom just told hter?

My life is a total soap opera I don’t kno to handle it I don’t know if I believe Adele She’s lied before She always lies Maybe she was trying to shock ht she could drive Fable away My girl is more stubborn than that

Besides, I know exactly how to drive her away and tune her out I’ve become a pro at it these last few days

That realization fills hts any longer, I call Adele while still sitting ina steady rhyth, and she sounds surprised to hear fro" The words rush out and I squeeze --her answer

She’s quiet for a round, like she’s at a restaurant or so I wonder if she’s with my dad I hope like hell she excused herself so he doesn’t hear what she’s saying "I wasn’t lying She belonged to you"

I blow out a harsh breath,in on theht "How do you know?"

"God, Andrew, it’s the same old story, you know? Your father and I…we tried for years to have a child, but with no success The idea caht be the perfect candidate The next best thing, so to speak, and you were I plannedto my cycle, poked a few holes in the condom and it was a near-instant success" Her voice is hushed, but she sounds so daical about it, I want to scream