Page 21 of One Little Kiss
I’m guessing mostof the players on my team have some kind of pre-game ritual. Me? Not so much.
“You’re having dinner early, aren’t you?” my mom asks as she walks into the kitchen to find me and Leah devouring a frozen pizza.
My mom doesn’t wait for a response before answering her ringing phone, so no one informs her that the reason we’re eating early is because I have to leave for a playoff game in twenty minutes and I kinda need some food in my stomach before, you know…a really big game.
Leah gives me a look that I can’t stand. It’s pity, plain and simple.
Is it pathetic that my parents don’t know or care that my football team made the playoffs?
Probably. But it could be worse. Our wide receiver, Mason, has a dad that’s so involved, he shows up at every practice and gets all red-faced and angry when Mason fumbles the ball.
So. There you go. It could be worse. I could be Mason.
Instead…
“Hey kids,” my dad calls as he zips through the kitchen. He seems to be on the same path as my mother, and my guess is they’re getting ready to go out for some function. “Don’t party too hard while we’re away, all right?”
He adds a wink for Leah’s benefit, and she kindly rewards him with a sweet smile. “We won’t, Uncle Jake.”
See? Again. They’re not all bad. They took my cousin in when they didn’t have to. They’re not cruel. Just…absent.
“How long are you gone for?” I ask.
“Depends how long it takes to close this deal,” my dad says as he grabs a club soda from the fridge. “Hopefully we’ll be back mid-week. Are you kids gonna be all right on your own?” He fixes us with a meaningful stare as my mother zips through again, this time in full sales mode as she gives the person on the other end what appears to be a rehearsed spiel about the evolving landscape of lifestyle centers.
My parents are in retail real estate. That’s about all I know on the topic, and I’m happy to keep it that way.
“Of course,” I say, belatedly answering my dad’s question so we don’t interrupt my mom’s monologue.
“We’ll be great,” Leah adds.
My mom and dad ask that basically every week before they take off. Like they honestly think one of these times I’m gonna have a different answer.
Actually, Dad, I don’t think I’m gonna be able to be alone with only your credit card and an endless parade of friends this week. Won’t you please stick around so we can toss a football around instead?
Uh, yeah. I don’t think so. I’ve got a sweet deal going here and we all know it.
My mom comes back into the room right as I shove the last bite of pizza in my mouth. “Honey,” she says with an exasperated sigh. “I stock this refrigerator full of healthy food too, you know.”
I mumble, “I know,” but with my mouth full it comes out garbled and Leah snickers.
“Now I hear we have big news to discuss when we get back,” she continues.
I straighten, my gaze flicking to Leah’s surprised expression. Had they heard about the football playoffs or—
“Your guidance counselor emailed to say that we need to schedule a meeting to discuss your college applications.”
“Oh.” I sink back in my seat, avoiding both of my parents’ searching gazes. “Right.”
“You have been giving some thought to your future plans, haven’t you?” my dad asks.
“Of course.” When there’s still silence, I add, “Noelle and I are hitting up the college fair this week too, so…”
That’s it. I don’t finish. I don’t know how to finish. Truth is, I really don’t care where I go to college. I know it’s expected, but I’m not excited about it the way most of my friends are.
Actually, their eagerness to leave this town—to leave us, our crew—it kinda depresses the hell out of me.
I know high school can’t last forever. And I know there’s probably bigger and better out there. But my friends, our parties, the life I have here…it’s all I know.
