Page 85 of It's in the Contract
“You humiliated me,” Mom says. “You made us look bad. How could you do this, Cal? How could you do this to our family, to me? I don’t understand what is going on with you lately.”
My fingernails dig into my palms. “After everything I just said, you still only care about you.” The words are soft, but they feel deafening. The car goes silent.
Mom’s hands grip the steering wheel until they turn white. “I’ve only ever wanted to be involved in your life. I’ve only ever wanted for you to be happy, for you to never, ever, experience what I went through as a teenager. So excuse me for trying to help you. All you’ve done is push me away! I want to be there for you, to help you in your campaign, but you won’t let me.” She whirls toward me, her face red. “How dare you lecture me about not caring about you when all I’ve done is show you how much I care!”
The anger simmers in my stomach, a hot coal in my insides. I don’t even grace her with a response, I just get out of the car and head to the house.
“Don’t walk away from me, Callie!” Mom cries, and I hear the car door open.
I don’t look back. I open the door and head upstairs to my room. Mom’s anger burns hot, but it burns fast. So I doubt she’ll follow me up the stairs to continue the argument. Tomorrow we’ll probably go on as we are and pretend like this never happened.
Butter’s laying on my bed, and her head lifts when I enter the room and close the door behind me.
“Butter.” I sit on the bed and pull her into my lap. I bury my face in her fur. “I love you, girl. You’re perfect, did you know that? You’re enough, just the way you are.”
My eyes fill with stinging tears, and I don’t bother to hold them back. I let out a tiny sob, and Butter looks up. She whines and licks the tears from my cheeks.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to two texts.
One’s from Zeke, asking if I’m okay.
The other’s from Suzy, in all caps.
COME OVER NOW. BABIES COMING.
Thirty-Two
I’m coming!
Group text message including Suzy Jeong, Callie Carter, and Zeke Harris.
I startup a group chat that includes Zeke and Suzy and text that I’m on my way. I head down the stairs from my room and grab my car keys. Mom isn’t in the living room or the kitchen. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s in her workout studio burning off some frustration. I don’t ask permission; I just leave.
I hurry to Suzy’s as fast as I can while still being careful driving in the drizzling rain.
I park in Suzy’s driveway and sprint up the walkway, and I notice Zeke’s Oldsmobile already parked on the street. I pound on Suzy’s door, and it opens almost immediately. The sharp smell of kimchi and fried rice meets my nose, a pungent mix that makes my mouth water.
Was it really only today that I helped out with the fundraiser? It feels like forever ago.
“Hurry, hurry!” Suzy grabs my arm and pulls me inside. “It’s happening!”
We dash up the stairs to her room, waving to her parents who sit on the couch in the living room with a bowl of popcorn between them and a K-drama playing on the TV. I recognize the characters from the show—a drama that Suzy and I watched together last year. I sobbed at the end while she shrugged her shoulders and used the remote to flick on the next one.
Suzy pushes open the door to her room, and I hurry to follow after her. Suzy’s bed is unmade, and her Homecoming dress—a gorgeous floor-length, ice blue gown—is draped across her desk chair. Mr. Mochi is lying on her side in the fluffy hay that lines the bottom of her cage, her pregnant stomach distended. Zeke is on his knees on the carpet, watching intently.
He looks up when we enter the room. “Is she going to be okay?”
“I think so.” Suzy frowns.
Suzy and I sit on the bed, and Zeke gets off the floor to join us. We stare at the guinea pig wheezing in her cage. Not much we can do, I guess.
“Callie, are you all right?” Zeke turns to me, his large brown eyes wide with concern. His thoughtfulness makes my eyes sting, and I hurry to blink the tears away.
“I’m okay,” I say.
Mr. Mochi lets out a tiny guinea pig groan.
“C’mon, girl,” Suzy says. “You can do it.”
