I'll fuck you. My eyes whip up to look at everyone, to see who's about to laugh at me first. Oh wait. I didn't say that, just thought it. But then... who did? We all start laughing at Deanna. Except I'm laughing with relief that I didn't say it. Even though I would, maybe. I don't know.
Chris, my drug-dealer prom date, smirks at Deanna. Thanks, but I'll pass. A penguin would be better than you. Whoa. And that's why you should never proposition your ex-boyfriend's best friend after you cheated on him with the guy he hates more than everyone else. Because he will diss you in a crowd of seniors, and everyone will laugh.
Everyone waits for me to finish work, and we walk out, going nowhere. I am next to this girl Mayra, who is telling me about applying to colleges. She tells me where she's going next fall, and I promptly forget, instead focusing on Chris. I can't hear what he's saying, but the two seniors he's saying it to turn around and look at me.
I realize if I leave now, they'll all talk about me. But this is my train. We hang out talking at the top of the stairs, getting dirty looks from commuters rushing home. Chris asks if I want to come over to hang out. YESSSSS. Alex can make Aunt Elaine quiz her in the commercials.
Chris unlocks the door and then steps back for me to go in first. I walk across the hall to where jackets are hung on hooks and dump my bookbag on the floor, kicking off my shoes. Grabbing the back of my shirt, Chris pulls me towards the kitchen. His mother is sitting on the counter talking on the phone. She waves at me so I smile and wave back. I hate mothers.
Chills go through my body from the open freezer door while Chris is looking for something to eat. Even though we just came from the diner. The mom pushes Chris aside and hands him a carton of ice cream from the corner of the freezer. He kisses her head, and gestures to me to follow as he walks out of the kitchen. I hear fingers snap behind me and turn around. The mom is holding out two spoons to me and smiling while she listens to her phone. I mouth thank you and take them. She is so nice.
As we walk down the hall to his bedroom, Chris stops short so I bump into him, and then keeps walking, laughing. I put the spoons down on the desk, on top of forms from St. Johns. Chris turns me around. I got a basketball scholarship. I congratulate him and ask how tall he is. 5'11". Lighting the tall Jesus candles lining his windowsill, Chris tells me about his college.
4 comments:
After my Mom died, I was working in a residential treatment center for messed up kids. Every other Saturday, I had to drive one of the girls an hour each way to visit her psychotic mother. It started to make me really angry--that she had a mom and I didn't. I finally had to ask my supervisor to get someone else to do the trip.
Your line, "I hate mothers" reminded me of that.
That was a well written piece. And wow, Congrats to Chris for the scholarship!
So I know you don't normally like to write so "intentionally", but I really liked this. I think you have a good sense of style and of telling a story so the reader wants to keep reading.
Congrats to Chris on the scholarship.
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