Page 32 of I Hear You

“Oh ya know, all the basic top 40 is good with me. But… and don’t any of you dare laugh, 50s music is kinda my favorite.”

“No freaking way,” Jesse screeches from the back seat.

“Way.” I say flatly.

“That’s pretty interesting, actually,” Emmett says. “We always catch our boy Henry listening to shit like Elvis and Patsy Cline. Says he has it on his playlist for when his mom and him are together, but he gets all bitchy if you try to skip the songs. Plus, he knows every word and sings them under his breath.”

“Actually,” Taylor says, “Madison and Henry already met. She’s who he gave a ride to campus move-in weekend. Small world right, or I guess small town.”

“So you’rethatMadison? Nice.” Emmett says.

That Madison? Why does everyone seem to know about Henry giving me a ride and why the heck is it such a big freaking deal? It’s as if everyone in the car knows the punchline to an inside joke except me. Great.

“Well sorry Madison, no 50s tonight. I need my party hype music to get me in the mood. Emmett, put it on the Pop station please,” Taylor begs from the backseat.

I expect Emmett to protest, but he touches a few buttons and an Ariana Grande song is coming through the speakers now. Taylor starts dancing in her seat.

“Thank you!” she squeals.

Apparently, the party is on the other side of town in the more rural area so we’ve got about a twenty minute drive. Taylor, Jesse, and Emmett are all chatting over the music about how their finals went and the upcoming football season. Emmett asks me about my major and what classes I’m taking in the fall, where I moved from and all the usual first meeting get-to-know-you quick questions. I give the same repetitive answers I always give and ask him the same questions.

The conversation has died down a little when a Justin Bieber song comes on and Emmett and Jesse start singing along at the top of their lungs while Taylor loses it in a fit of laughter. Taylor and Jesse really are a match. They both have permanent smiles and infectious personalities. I never stop laughing around them.

Emmett, on the other hand, is nice enough but has that brooding, bad-boy vibe. I’ve already heard from Taylor and Jesse that he’s a bit of a player. The fact that he’s looked at my boobs and my exposed legs numerous times didn’t go unnoticed. I know to keep my distance. Plus, he’s best friends with Henry and I would never. A reputation that I date my way through friends isn’t a reputation I need. Not that I even think Henry would care, because he doesn’t seem to care about me in general.

My phone chimes in the small crossbody bag I borrowed from Taylor and I dig it out to see who is texting me. I hope it’s not Joy wanting me to come into work tomorrow. I was already looking forward to a lazy Sunday. Now that I have no clue what time we’ll be at this party until, I want the opportunity to sleep in tomorrow even more.

But the text isn’t from Joy, it’s from my mom. I stare at the screen for I don’t know how long before I even open it. When I open it, my heart sinks. It’s not just one text but several she clearly fired off back to back.

Mom: Hey Baby. It’s Mom. Can you come by the house?

Mom: I’ve got some of your favorite ice cream in the freezer we can share

Mom: You can meet my new boyfriend, Gary, you’ll really love him

Mom: Oh, and I could use $20 if you could spare it I promise I’ll pay you back

Holy hell. Should I be more heartbroken by the fact she doesn’t know I’m not even in the same state as her or that she clearly only reached out because she needs money? The text messages continue to stare at me from my phone screen. My fingers don't move to type a single letter in reply. When will I stop being surprised at my mother’s lack of concern for me? Or her lack of interest in me? Sometime between losing my father and losing herself, I lost her too. Fuck that, I shouldn’t be heartbroken, I should be pissed.

I hit the side button on my phone to turn the screen black and shove it back into my purse. Apparently, I shoved it in there a little too aggressively because Taylor leans forward and asks if I’m okay.

“Yeah, totally,” I brush her off and change the subject. “So who's gonna tell me why it seems to be such a big deal that Henry gave me a ride to campus?”

Silence. No one is responding, but they’re all looking at each other. Even Emmett seems to tighten his grip on the steering wheel. Okay, now I’m really interested in what the heck is going on.

“Seriously, you guys. Spill,” I demand.

Taylor sighs.

“Okay, it’s really notthatbig of a deal. It’s just, objectively Henry is–”

“Yummy,” Jesse says.

“Sex on a stick,” Emmett adds.

“Hot,” Taylor continues. “And well, he’s never dated. Scratch that. He dated once, but it was Jackie, so it doesn’t actually count.”

“It was just a ride, you guys! But why doesn’t Jackie count?” No one in this car knows about our walk home from town, our adventure to the meadow, or our kiss in the library. But I’m curious why they’re all so invested in his love life and who the hell is Jackie? Is that jealousy I’m feeling? Yup, I’m feeling jealous of a girl I’ve never met over a boy I scarcely know. Who kissed me–and ran away.

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