Page 44 of Race to Me

“You sure?” Foster asks, finishing his fries. When I nod, he takes my plate and finishes it for me.

I smile. “I don’t know how you do that.” He quirks his brow, and I add, “Like, eat so much.”

He leans back in his chair, and the golden hue that was around his face from the sunset is gone as night creeps in. “Sky, I know you won’t understand this, but have you ever been hungry before?”

“Of course,” I reply, a little confused by the question.

He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Hungry, Sky. Not just from you skipping lunch. I’m talking starving. Like it’s Friday night and you won’t get your free school meal until Monday at lunch kind of hungry.”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Okay. Well, that’s why.”

My phone rings and I feel guilty about answering it but it’s Mom. “Hey,” I say quietly. Screams immediately start.

Foster luckily can’t hear her cruel words. “Warren stopped by, but you were too busy to notice while you allowed that fucking misfit to drive your Range Rover—that we spent a hundred thousand dollars on, mind you, and you—” I discreetly tap the volume button down a little further, just in case.

She keeps rambling, not taking a moment to breathe. I cut her off; I hate the way she speaks about Foster. “Mom, listen. I wasn’t trying to be rude. I didn’t even know.” I try to speak quietly, but Foster perks up. I hate that my parents think I’m just going to live happily ever after with some dude just because he’s rich. Don’t they care, even the slightest bit, about love?

“You are forbidden! Do you hear me, Skyler?Forbiddenfrom ever seeing that boy again! And when we get home, you’re going back to your old school!” she screams.

“No, wait!” I try to stop her. “That wasn’t a part of the agreement.”

She scoffs into the phone. “Agreement? You don’t have a say.”

I’m about to cry, scream—anything to make her stop, but then she crosses the line. “You are better than him, Skyler. I don’t know why you want to entertain trash. You’re from a nice, prestigious family, and I will not allow you to mess up my life by whoring yourself out to the closest degenerate just because you want to get your rocks off. What if you get pregnant?” she cries. It feels like I’m breathing in pure, boiling fire. Even a sip of the cold milkshake can’t cool me down. “It’s not like he would take care of you! Do you get that? He just wants you for your money, Skyler. You ignorant—”

“Fuck you, Mom.”

The moment the words leave my trembling lips, I cup my hand over my mouth. Foster looks so disappointed, shaking his head. I’ve never stood up for myself before, and it feels empowering.

I hang up just as she continues her screaming rampage. Foster pushes himself away from the table, walking back to the car without me.

I chase after him, noticing his agitation when we reach the Rover. “What’s wrong?” I ask cautiously, keeping my voice low.

“It’s just,” He shakes his head. I’ve said something wrong. “I don’t understand you.”

“What do you mean?” I wonder, on the verge of tears for how angry she’s just made me.

“Is there anything you’ve ever done without?” Foster asks.

‘Love’ is what I want to say, but I refrain. He’s been through worse. Much worse. I don’t know the full extent yet, but my life is roses compared to everyone’s around me.

I shake my head, “No,” I lie. “I have everything I could ever dream of.”

My eyes glisten when I lie, I hope he can’t tell.

He places his hand on the hood. “And the way you spoke to your Mom on the phone?”

“Yes?”

With a shake of his head, he leans against the car. “Is that how you normally speak to her?” No, not at all but you give me confidence. I stay silent. He scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “Do you have any idea how lucky you are?”

“Enlighten me, Foster.” I challenge, trying to keep my voice level. I want to scream, but I don’t.

His jaw tightens, a tell-tale sign that he’s holding in what he truly wants to say, but as his black eyes cut to me, they tell me everything he thinks.

Then, the dam breaks. “You’re nothing but a spoiled brat, Skyler.” He says my full name, but it doesn’t have its’ usual velvet ring. He’s disgusted.

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