Page 11 of Begin Again
He shakes his head, “Probably not. Plus, everyone’s at the farm today. Amelia and Jodi wanted to go see what Dad does all day so Mom made a day trip out of it.”
“And you didn’t want to go?” I ask.
“Nah, farming is not really my thing. This though,” he holds up his iPod. “This could be my thing.”
“You’re totally going to travel someday.” I grin at him, relaxing a bit even though we’re alone in the house. He feels like a giant teddy bear that would never hurt a fly, and I can already feel my heart rate slowing from being so nervous at home. I can’t quite put a finger on why Mom’s boyfriend gives me the creeps, but I know I need to trust my gut—and it is telling me not to spend another day alone in the house with him.
“I can see it now, Sam Holland, world traveler.” I put out my hands as if there’s a banner in front of me with the words.
“That would be cool,” he laughs. “Though I might have to come up with a different YouTube channel name because world traveler doesn’t seem that exciting.”
I shrug. “I didn’t say I was any good at coming up with creative things.”
“Unless it’s food.” His eyes seem to sparkle as they meet mine.
“Unless it’s food,” I agree. “And speaking of food.” I pull out the two cookbooks that I brought to flip through. “I’ve been learning about Italian food lately. I think I’m going to try and make my own pasta sometime soon.”
“Very cool,” he says, and then he puts one of his earbuds in and looks down at his iPod Touch. We fall into a comfortable silence.
I read one of the cookbooks, studying the recipes that sound interesting and trying to soak in all the techniques I can without actually doing them. It’s quiet and I feel content as I sit beside him on the bed. And it’s better than wondering if Mom’s boyfriend is going to try and talk to me or watch me like he always does which makes my skin crawl.
I head home about fifteen minutes before Noah gets home from work, and when he asks me about my day, I tell him I spent most of the afternoon reading, which isn’t a lie. But it feels like I’m keeping a secret.
Me
Mom’s new boyfriend makes me uncomfortable.
I slide my phone back into my pocket before Mom or her creepy boyfriend notices I have it out at the dinner table.
“You should get a job, Anne.” The boyfriend grunts in my direction. I refuse to call him by his name, even in my head. He’s been bugging me all summer to get a job and I don’t know how many more times I can have this conversation.
“It’s Annie,” I say through clenched teeth as I take a bite of the pizza mom ordered for dinner. Noah is at work—he works as a clerk at the grocery store to help Mom pay the rent because she never has money or a job. “I’m only fifteen, and school starts in two weeks.”
I am counting down the days until school starts again. Mom and her boyfriend don’t seem to do much except stay home and do who knows what all day long. Noah has been working more, which tells me he doesn’t like this boyfriend either, and I’ve been hanging out with Sam.
My phone vibrates in my pocket but neither of the adults notices. Thankfully. If they did, it would probably be another thing to yell at me about. Instead, they are busy glaring at me about not wanting to get a job. I wish I’d had a part-time job over the summer, to at least get me out of the house. But I don’t want all of my money to go to Mom and her boyfriend’s drinking habits.
“You need to help your mom out with some of the things around the house now,” Mom’s boyfriend says and I suppress a shiver as his dark, dim eyes bore into mine. He’s some sort of slimy salesman and while I don’t like him, he must be a good salesperson, if Mom is dating him. He also must have some sort of money since that’s the only type of man she seems to go for these days. Then she’ll complain to them about how hard it is to work and how she wishes her teenage children would do more while she sits around and does nothing. It makes me wonder why he wants Noah and I to take care of Mom, and if he’s gotmoney, why do they even hang out here? But for reasons I’ll never understand, Mom always dates men like this, and they always seem to stick around.
Longer than I would if I was dating someone like my mom.
I barely hold in an eye roll as I look away. Minus tonight, I’ve made dinner for myself and the two of them every night this summer while Mom sits on the couch and does nothing. The only reason I do it is so I can learn how to be a better cook. I want to be a chef when I get out of here. I can’t devour the cookbooks they have at the library fast enough. I want to learn everything I can about food and cooking helps with that. Someday, I’ll be a chef and I’ll never have to come back to this house again.
“Just think about it, sweetie,” Mom says in her soft, over-motherly voice she uses when she has a newer boyfriend. This one has only been around for two months and is already acting like he runs the place.
He also tried to get into my room last night. I was up reading so I wasn’t asleep yet and I heard him swear after he found my door locked. I have a feeling that he’ll try again tonight, and he could easily get through my lock. But I’m not taking any chances. I’m not sleeping at home. Emily is out of town—again, her family has been traveling so much this summer—but I have another plan.
I ask to be excused and Mom says yes while her boyfriend tells her I have no manners. I put my dishes in the sink and head down the hall into my room. Locking the door behind me, I quietly shift my dresser to block the door. Now all I have to do is wait until Mom and the creepy idiot she picked go to bed or get drunk enough that they won’t notice when I open my window to sneak out.
There’s a reply from Sam when I pull out my phone.
Sam
Do you want me to come over?
No. But I can’t stay here tonight. It’s a big ask, but could I stay with you?
My window will be open. Just tap once and I’ll let you in.
