Page 21 of Taking Care of You
There’s a beep behind us and the front door opens. Ethan doesn’t leap back from me, but he does spin me across the room, pulling another laugh from me that I don’t expect.
We turn around and see his parents making their way into the living room. His father grabs his mother’s hand and spins her as well, making her mirror my laugh. Ethan’s father brings Grace back to his body and gives her a soft kiss. “Why are we dancing?” he asks when he steps back.
“Teaching the creep. He doesn’t know how, and Homecoming is next weekend.” I eye Ethan for calling me ‘creep’ in front of his dad, but he doesn’t seem to care. He has an easy smile on his face, like it’s my actual name.
His father sticks his hand out to me. “Nice to finally meet you. I’m Franklin. Our son has told us a lot about you.” I look over at Ethan, who winks at me.
I shake my head and grab the hand that’s offered to me. “I’m Jakoby. Great to meet you, sir.”
“Now,” Franklin says, pulling Grace closer to his side, “Ethan isn’t the expert on dancing. I am. Ask my wife how we met.” She blushes and glances at him, her eyes full of adoration.
Ethan pretends to vomit, and Grace swats at him playfully. “Oh, please. I’m sure you’ve heard worse,” she chides him playfully.
We all sit in the living room after Ethan grabs us a few bottles of water. He asks them about the conference, which they’re both excited to talk about. Grace goes on and on about the new vitamins that have shown to cause less nausea in expectant mothers that she’s eager to take to her small nonprofit clinic on the other side of town. She says the biggest complaint the expectant mothers have is they can’t keep anything down after taking their prenatals in the morning, no matter how far they are into their pregnancy. Since most of her low-income parents can’t afford over-the-counter alternatives, Grace is pleased she found something she can give them instead.
It warms my heart that someone is willing to help low-income families. Coming from that community myself, it’s nice that she likes to help the mothers that can’t afford to get more expensive treatment. What’s even better is Grace doesn’t do any of it for attention or accolades. It took a while before anyone even knew who she was because she tried to keep her deeds under wraps.
After about thirty minutes of conversation—Ethan talking to his parents and me listening—they take their leave, saying they’re tired from their travels. That leaves Ethan and me sitting on the couch alone. It’s awkward for me, knowing how close wejust were and what I think was his erection against my belly, but Ethan doesn’t seem to feel as antsy about it.
He stands and stretches, then holds his hand out for me. I grab it automatically. “Come on, creep. It’s late. You look like you’re about to fall over.”
I am pretty beat. After the suit fitting, crying in his car, dancing and talking to his parents, I’m both physically and mentally drained.
Walking me into the room, he folds the blanket back but doesn’t stick around like he did last time. “Sleep well, creep. Text me when you wake up.”
I sit on the bed and watch him leave the room, feeling the insane urge to call him back to lie down with me.
8
The school week passes by quickly. Every day when Crystal and I walk into the cafeteria and don’t head in the direction of his table, Ethan accosts us, guiding us over to where he’s sitting. By Thursday, he doesn’t have to ambush me. I just walk over and sit down across from him. His smug smile almost makes me want to grab my tray and leave, but I don’t. This damn boy has some kind of spell on me. Crystal is out sick today, so it’s just me and Ethan.
While we’re having lunch, Ethan gets a note from a student aide that he has a visitor at the front office. “My dad,” he explains. “I left my cleats at home.” He rolls his eyes as he gets up. Before he leaves, he bends down and looks me in the eyes. “Don’t walk to class without me.” Instead of questioning it, I simply nod and watch him walk away.
No sooner than he exits the cafeteria, Dawn walks over from God knows where, with half the cheerleading squad in tow. She stands in front of the table in the space Ethan just vacated.
She sizes me up, eyes lingering on my tattered jacket and the loose collar of my shirt. She scoffs and turns her nose up. “You’re Ethan’s charity case. He’s always been so good at helping the lessfortunate.” Her cronies laugh behind her, the malicious sound driving into my skull.
My cheeks burn and I duck my head. She’s never spoken directly to me, and her first words are a cutting insult. I know I’m poor. I know that I can’t afford nice things like she has. I know I probablyama charity case to Ethan since I really can’t offer him anything. She doesn’t need to point it out.
“Back off, Dawn.” I look up to see Elle stepping through the crowd of cheerleaders to sit across from me, directly in front of where Dawn is standing. Dawn stumbles back when Elle settles on the bench. “Go…I don’t know, kick a puppy or something.” I gape at her until I realize she’s joking. But Dawn would be the type to kick a puppy.
Dawn scoffs and walks off, most of the squad following her, but a few sit down beside Elle. I guess the factions have split.
Elle looks at Dawn’s retreating back, then faces me with a serious look on her face. “I’m sorry about her,” she says with a shake of her head. “She gets more and more bitchy as the days go by. I’m Elle.” She sticks her hand out and I shake it, half in a daze.
“I know,” I tell her when I release her hand. “I’m Jakoby.”
“I know,” she quips back. “We’ve just never spoken. Figured I’d make it formal. We’ve had some classes together and I’ve seen you around at parties and what not.” She smiles warmly at me. “So what’s up? Why are you and Ethan so close all of a sudden?” I raise an eyebrow and she continues to smile. “I’ll admit, I’m super nosey, but I’m more curious than anything.”
Chuckling at her honesty, I look over at her friends and see they’re talking amongst themselves. I’m not sure why, but I like her. Probably because I’ve been watching her at parties too. Not weirdly, even though that does sound weird.
“We’re working on a project together for English,” I answer after a long pause.
I may like her, but I’m still not used to talking to people other than Ethan and Crystal, so she has to lean forward so she can hear me. “Yeah? What about?”
Giving her the short version, I explain what we came up with for our project. She looks intrigued. “We have to find actors if we want extra credit, but I’m not sure if it’s even necessary,” I say. “We might not find any. And there’s a kissing scene. For that reason alone, there may not be any takers.”
She flicks her gaze quickly over to Mitch, almost imperceptibly, but I catch it. When she looks back at me, she says, “I’m sure Ethan can find some people. He knows everybody.”
