Alice.”
“Oh, hi,” he said. “How’s school?”
“It’s fine,” I lied, remembering Amanda and Ashley. “Are you okay?”
“My mom hasn’t come home, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said.
“Oh,” I returned, breathing a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“I’m worried about her,” Kai told me.
“What?” I asked, shocked. “Why would you worry about her after what she…”
“She’s my mother,” Kai interjected. “She left drunk and driving. So yeah, I’m worried about her.”
I immediately felt terrible for questioning him.
“I’m sorry, Kai. You’re right. You should be worried about your mother. I hope she’s okay.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I… I miss you.”
My heart fluttered, and I gushed, “I miss you, too!”
“Can I see you tonight?” he asked.
“Can you come to my house?” I wanted to know. “I think I have homework tonight, and I have no idea how long it will take.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “What time do you want me to come over?”
“About four?” I asked.
“I’ll be there,” he said.
I smiled. He paused as if he wanted to say more, but he just said goodbye and we ended the call. I was so glad his mother hadn’t come home, but now I was also worried that something had happened to her. Kai really seemed to love her even with all her faults, and he was in enough pain without dealing with something happening to her.
I got home late and my mother was nowhere to be found, so I didn’t have a chance to ask her more about what had happened with my father at Kai’s house. I was disappointed, because I was obviously dying to know. I thought it might help me understand Kai better, too.
I was famished. Kai and I hadn’t been able to eat anything when his mother came home, and I got home so late I barely had time to shower and throw my clothes on before Will had to drive me to school. I hadn’t even eaten much at lunch the day before, and I hadn’t had blood in days. I was sleepy and hungry, and it was making me very grouchy.
I grabbed a tray of food and scanned the room. I spotted Jamie and went to sit with her. As I had the day before, I asked if I could sit with her. She sighed. I got the feeling she wanted to sit alone, but she nodded.
I sat down and began to scarf down everything on my tray in record time. Even Jamie looked horrified at how fast I shoveled everything down. I wolfed down a slice of pizza, a whole serving of tater tots, corn, and a brownie in about three minutes. I was shocked at myself, but I was too tired to care much.
“Is it true?” Jamie asked shyly.
“Is what true?” I asked.
“What Amanda and Ashley are spreading around school about you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What did they say?”
“They’re saying that Van said you spent the night with his cousin last night.”
“Oh, that.”
“So it’s true?”
“I did stay at his house, but nothing happened.”
“That’s not what Van said.”
“Van wasn’t even there,” I explained. “How would he know? Everyone left before we got back.”
“Back? From where?”
“We went for a drive,” I said. “When we got back sometime after eleven, everyone had left.”
“Well, they’re calling you a slut and saying you did something with him. I thought you should know.”
“I don’t really care what they say.”
“I wish I didn’t care what people said about me,” Jamie said, staring at her food sadly.
Like the day before, Jamie only picked at her food. She was obviously far too embarrassed to eat in front of people. I saw her look around before she stole a secretive bite of her brownie. Amanda and Ashley were all over it. They started in with their snorting noises, and they cackled with glee. Jamie’s face was turning bright red, and I could clearly see tears forming in her eyes.
I wanted to say something, but I certainly didn’t need Amanda and Ashley on my case more than they already were. For some reason,
“Oh, hi,” he said. “How’s school?”
“It’s fine,” I lied, remembering Amanda and Ashley. “Are you okay?”
“My mom hasn’t come home, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said.
“Oh,” I returned, breathing a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”
“I’m worried about her,” Kai told me.
“What?” I asked, shocked. “Why would you worry about her after what she…”
“She’s my mother,” Kai interjected. “She left drunk and driving. So yeah, I’m worried about her.”
I immediately felt terrible for questioning him.
“I’m sorry, Kai. You’re right. You should be worried about your mother. I hope she’s okay.”
“Thank you,” he said. “I… I miss you.”
My heart fluttered, and I gushed, “I miss you, too!”
“Can I see you tonight?” he asked.
“Can you come to my house?” I wanted to know. “I think I have homework tonight, and I have no idea how long it will take.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “What time do you want me to come over?”
“About four?” I asked.
“I’ll be there,” he said.
I smiled. He paused as if he wanted to say more, but he just said goodbye and we ended the call. I was so glad his mother hadn’t come home, but now I was also worried that something had happened to her. Kai really seemed to love her even with all her faults, and he was in enough pain without dealing with something happening to her.
I got home late and my mother was nowhere to be found, so I didn’t have a chance to ask her more about what had happened with my father at Kai’s house. I was disappointed, because I was obviously dying to know. I thought it might help me understand Kai better, too.
I was famished. Kai and I hadn’t been able to eat anything when his mother came home, and I got home so late I barely had time to shower and throw my clothes on before Will had to drive me to school. I hadn’t even eaten much at lunch the day before, and I hadn’t had blood in days. I was sleepy and hungry, and it was making me very grouchy.
I grabbed a tray of food and scanned the room. I spotted Jamie and went to sit with her. As I had the day before, I asked if I could sit with her. She sighed. I got the feeling she wanted to sit alone, but she nodded.
I sat down and began to scarf down everything on my tray in record time. Even Jamie looked horrified at how fast I shoveled everything down. I wolfed down a slice of pizza, a whole serving of tater tots, corn, and a brownie in about three minutes. I was shocked at myself, but I was too tired to care much.
“Is it true?” Jamie asked shyly.
“Is what true?” I asked.
“What Amanda and Ashley are spreading around school about you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What did they say?”
“They’re saying that Van said you spent the night with his cousin last night.”
“Oh, that.”
“So it’s true?”
“I did stay at his house, but nothing happened.”
“That’s not what Van said.”
“Van wasn’t even there,” I explained. “How would he know? Everyone left before we got back.”
“Back? From where?”
“We went for a drive,” I said. “When we got back sometime after eleven, everyone had left.”
“Well, they’re calling you a slut and saying you did something with him. I thought you should know.”
“I don’t really care what they say.”
“I wish I didn’t care what people said about me,” Jamie said, staring at her food sadly.
Like the day before, Jamie only picked at her food. She was obviously far too embarrassed to eat in front of people. I saw her look around before she stole a secretive bite of her brownie. Amanda and Ashley were all over it. They started in with their snorting noises, and they cackled with glee. Jamie’s face was turning bright red, and I could clearly see tears forming in her eyes.
I wanted to say something, but I certainly didn’t need Amanda and Ashley on my case more than they already were. For some reason,
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