Landry in Like by Krysten Lindsay Hager Page A

kept looking for something in Grand Rapids, but so far he hadn’t found a position in the same pay range.
    â€œYou’re right. Your father won’t be receptive to this. He’ll just see you as his precious baby girl, and he doesn’t know Vladi at all. Dad will see him as this teenager trying to kidnap his angel,” she said. “I will think about it and we’ll see. I’m not saying no, but I’m not on board with this just yet.”
    I texted Vladi that my mom was thinking about it.
    Vladi: : Cool. If she’s not okay with the movie thing, maybe we could meet at the library or something. Just so we could see each other since we don’t get to at games anymore.
    I asked him when the high school was doing their next movie night, and he said he didn’t know. Then he wrote he had to go because Steve was annoyed he was texting me and not watching the movie.
    Did Vladi not want to go to movie night at the high school with me for some reason? Did he have another girlfriend and us going to movie night would mean running into her? Was he embarrassed of me? I got up and went to search the high school’s activity schedule and didn’t see movie night listed so I went on their forum page and searched for it. I saw the school hadn’t scheduled any more film nights for the school year, but they hoped to show one this spring. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t lying about that to hide his secret girlfriend. Whew!
    I came back into the room where I had my movie on pause. Mom was now reading on the couch.
    â€œDo you want a soda or anything while I’m up?” I asked.
    â€œYeah, an iced tea would be great,” she said.
    I went to the fridge and there was one bottle left, so I grabbed a mango juice for myself.
    â€œHere. This is the last tea. I was saving it for myself, but you deserve it,” I said.
    She burst out laughing. “Wow, your generosity makes me feel you’re mature enough to go out with Vladi.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Whatevs.”
    â€œKid, you crack me up.”
    â€œGrandma Albright sent me an email saying she thought I handled myself well in the interview. She said her gentleman friend thought so, too,” I said.
    My mother spat out her ice tea.
    â€œMom! Gross,” I said, getting a paper towel.
    â€œI’m sorry, but repeat what she wrote word-for-word,” Mom said, blotting her shirt.
    I repeated it and Mom grabbed her phone and starting texting.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” I asked.
    â€œI’m asking if your father knew his mother is now dating.”
    â€œWhat? What are you talking about? Grandma said he was a friend.”
    â€œThat’s your grandma’s way of saying, ‘boyfriend,’” she said as her phone buzzed. “Your dad is in shock. He said she mentioned going to the movies with a friend from the club, and he just assumed she meant a female one.”
    â€œGrandma goes to clubs?”
    â€œCountry clubs, not the kind you’re thinking of with music and dancing,” Mom said. “I cannot believe this. Your grandmother is seeing someone. Your dad says you have to ask her about him. She’ll never tell your father and me a thing.”
    No way. If Grandma hadn’t told my parents then she had a reason. Yeah, I was sorta thrown by the idea of her with someone other than my grandpa, but he had passed away when I was a kid, so why shouldn’t she have someone new in her life?
    â€œNope, you do your own dirty work,” I said, crossing my arms.
    â€œLandry, we’re concerned about her. She hasn’t dated in a long time, and we want to make sure everything is okay.”
    â€œWhen she wants you to know something, she will tell you herself,” I said.
    I knew what it was like to have people interfere with a relationship — like Vladi’s friends did when they started telling him I was too young for him. Sure, he was fifteen and I was fourteen, but