Nothing Matters (Family Matters Book 1) by Liana Key

narrow my eyes again, "Then don't be an asshole about him."
    Jakey leans back, suddenly acts like he's bored with the conversation.  "White trash Magdala," he sneers and laughs arrogantly.  Though I wonder how he can be so high and mighty about it.  Jakey and Raff's father, who they never see and who he never talks about, had been a high school dropout and I think he'd worked as a builder or something like that.  Jakey gets up and kicks his empty can up in the air like its a soccer ball and then catches it.  We go in for dinner, but he doesn't talk to me until Aunt Kate tells him to take me home.
    "I can get Dad to come and get me," I say.
    "Don't be silly, Jakey will take you," she insists.
    "I've got quite a bit of homework," Jakey says and I get a sinking feeling in my chest.  But he grabs his keys and says, "Come on."
    I follow him out to his car, but before I open the door I say, "Why are you acting like this?"  He ignores me, gets in and starts the engine so I have no choice but to jump in.
    "Jakey?" I ask, "why are you so mad with me?"  It's so not like us to fight or to get into a bad mood with each other.  I prod again, "Jakey?"  Yet I should be the one who's mad because he called Nathan trash.  "Jakey, just talk!" I demand, "I am your best friend."
    "Well you might be losing that status if you don't shut up," he yells.  "Okay, I think you spend too much time with him.  I don't think he's good for you.  I think you deserve better than him.  Okay?"
    I start to laugh, just as he pulls up to my house.  "So you're just looking out for me then?" I say.
    "Yes," he admits.
    "Friends again?" I say.
    He nods. "Magdala, you know I worry about you."
    "I love that you do," I say and lean over to hug him.
    "Go on, get out of here," he says.
    "Thanks for the ride," I say, waving as he reverses.  I skip up the driveway, know that I'm lucky, that I have the best Dad, best brother, best boyfriend and best best friend.  Later I text Jakey:  I want you and Nathan to be friends. 
    He texts back: will never happen.
    I text:  let's all go out on Friday
    Him: busy.
    But I know things are all good and I figure I'll get him to like Nathan eventually.
     
    NATHAN
    Mom starts to hound me about meeting Magdala, this girl I'm so madly in love with, she jokes to me.  She seems miffed that she was working the night Magdala had dinner with us, and she doesn't think meeting her early mornings when I'm sneaking her out is appropriate.  So she wants me to officially invite her for dinner.  I make up excuses at first, like Magdala has family stuff, Magdala's babysitting, but it comes to the point where I cave, and agree to a Sunday evening. Magdala doesn't think it's a big deal and her only issue is what to wear.  I tell her jeans is fine, but she wears a short sundress, which shows off her tanned legs.  She drives herself over, maybe so she can have a getaway if she needs it.  She brings my Mom a bag of fresh mangoes, saying her stepmother was given a whole bunch, and Mom says thank you, but I don't think she has a clue about what to do with so many.  Magdala says they make good smoothies.  Mom has never made a smoothie in her life.
    My Nan is here too, and she chats away to Magdala, interested in her piano playing.  Seems Nan played the piano as a kid, but had to give it up when her father died; the piano was sold to pay for the funeral.  Something I never knew.  She says she learnt to play Home on the Range, and Magdala laughs politely.
    As feared, Mom gets into interrogation mode, sucking as much information as she can from Magdala.  By the end of dinner Mom knows Magdala's parents' job positions, descriptions and virtually their incomes, what cars they drive and where they went to school.  And that includes her step parents as well.  I try not to look embarrassed, but Magdala answers willingly, not fazed at all.  It seems too easy to love her.
    Later I walk her out to her car.  She's holding four chocolate