Page 25 of His Best Friend's Baby

“Why are you talking to Clara and Rita about this?”

“Everybody is talking about it. Uncle Jesse coming back is, like, the biggest thing since the football team won conference.”

“What else is everyone saying?”

“That Jesse killed Mitch and three other guys.”

“It was an accident.”

“I also heard that he went to jail for beating a kid up to get his tennis shoes in high school. I heard he beat the kid so bad he had to have total reconstructive surgery. “

“That’s completely exaggerated.”

“I heard he got three girls pregnant.”

Dad finally turned to her, furious. “That’s not true!”

“I’m just telling you what I hear.” Amanda held up her hands like the innocent messenger she was.

“Jesse was a tough kid in high school and he did some things that I’m sure he regrets. But he’s not half as bad as what—”

“Then why can’t I meet him?”

Her father swallowed. She knew what he would say. Something lame about her being too young and Jesse being too unpredictable and how he’d hurt Mom for years and how Dad didn’t want Amanda’s feelings to get hurt.

“He will meet you when he’s ready. When he’s…better. Okay?”

Amanda didn’t want to wait until Jesse was better. She wanted to know him now. She wanted to find out if he really did all those things. If he was as bad as people said he was.

Well, that was part of it.

The other part of it had to do with knowing exactly how it felt to be tired, cold and flea-bitten.

“Amanda?” They were stopped at a light and Dad was staring at her in that old way of his. It had been four years since she ran away, four years since she finally told the truth and Dad still sometimes looked at her as though he didn’t know what she was going to do next.

“I’m serious. Leave Jesse alone until your mom or I say it’s okay. Don’t go over there by yourself.”

“Fine.” She huffed like she was angry with this decision of his.

But Thursday after school, she’d skip cross-country practice and do some investigative journalism.

She turned her head so Dad couldn’t see her grin. What if Jesse did pull a gun on her? She felt giddy with possibility.

This story was going to be awesome!

CHAPTER SIX

THURSDAY MORNING, the college application papers were propped up against the plate sitting in what had quickly become “her spot.”

Julia was happy to have a spot. Any spot. At anyone’s table. But those application forms sent a jittery blast of anxiety right through her. She didn’t want to have to disappoint Agnes so soon, but college wasn’t in the cards for her.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Agnes said, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “I just thought—” She shrugged. “I just want to help.”

She looked so nervous, so unsure of herself, standing there in the sunlight, that Julia smiled to put her at ease. Agnes took that as the invitation she needed.

“You can get your degree in just about anything. Dental hygienist, legal secretary, teacher’s aide. Anything.”

All of those things sounded terrible. Dental hygienist? Julia would rather go back to waiting tables.

“Look, Agnes, I’m not sure—”

“You don’t have to pick your courses right now. Just fill out the early application form and then you can take your time looking at the pamphlet. That way you can get acceptance out of the way and later talk to some counselors to help you make a decision.”

“But—” This wasn’t what she wanted. Her future was a murky at best, but she knew it didn’t include school. “I know Mitch told you I wanted to get a degree, but I am a terrible student—”

“Well, who isn’t as a kid? Mitch was such a poor student, if it hadn’t been for sports I don’t know that he would have even graduated.”

“Up!” Instinctively Julia bent in answer to her son’s cry, but he wasn’t standing in front of her with his arms up demanding to be held. He stood in front of Agnes.

“Up, Nana.”

“Well, good morning, little boy,” Agnes cooed and lifted the heavy baby into her arms. “Are you hungry?” she asked and when Ben nodded, she smiled. “Of course you are. Let’s go see what Nana’s got to eat.” Ben patted Agnes’s face.

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