meaning your dad?”
“One meaning her student Ricky.”
Jason frowns. “Who’s Ricky?”
I fiddle with the side of his collar, not meeting his eyes. “Her massage therapy student. He’s always at our house.”
“Your mom teaches massage therapy?”
I nod. “She coaches a senior from the college in Glennville every year. And she teaches yoga and prescribes herbal remedies. Stuff like that.”
“We had a lot of that in New Mexico.”
“I’m sure.” I glance up at Jason’s hair. It really is a pretty color, and for a moment, I imagine sliding my fingers through it. Just to see how it feels, of course.
“So you think this Ricky guy’s after your mom?”
“Yes.” I answer without hesitation. Then I pause. I’ve never told anyone how I feel about Ricky and my mom. I can’t believe I’m telling my fake boyfriend.
“That’s weird. What does your dad think?”
“Nothing,” I shake my head. “I mean, nothing’s going on. Ricky’s just her student.”
We’re quiet a second.
“It just gets old sometimes,” I say softly.
“I bet. It’s like he’s threatening your family or something.”
“But he’s not. Mom would never do anything like that.”
Jason studies my face and our eyes meet. I didn’t expect him to understand how I felt, or that it might matter to me. But I realize the song’s over, and I lead us off the dance floor.
“She wouldn’t,” I say again. But for a moment all I can think of is Shelly’s seemingly perfect parents, and how shocked we all were when it came out her dad had been sleeping with his secretary for three years. How it devastated her mom, turning her into a self-help addict. I notice Jason’s still holding my hand. Our fingers are laced, and it feels really comforting. Just then Shelly runs up and pulls me away.
“Come with me,” she orders.
She drags me to the bathroom, and as we go in, I notice Trent walking up to Jason. I wonder what they’ll say to each other. I’m sure Jason’ll help me with my plan, but for a split-second, I’m not sure how I feel about that.
“First, assertiveness training—pass! I am so becoming a life coach.”
“What?” I’m confused.
“All that between you and super hottie.” She looks at me, smiling. “Nice work.”
“Oh.” I cross my arms and lean against the sink. “That wasn’t anything. I mean, he’s my date, but that’s all.”
“You are so lying.” She looks in the mirror and starts pinching her cheeks. “You two were totally into each other on the dance floor just now.”
“We were not,” I say, feeling embarrassed. “We were just talking.”
“About what? It looked way intense.”
“My mom?”
“Oh, shit! That’s the other thing!” Her eyes are shining. “What’s all this about your mom and half-naked Ricky? I heard Mom talking to Ms. Jackson after their divorce survivors support group. Sounds like somebody got an eye-full.”
“Oh my god! Did she also mention I was there? And that Ricky wasn’t naked? He had this mole on his butt, and he thought it was skin cancer.” I cringe internally at how stupid that sounds.
Shelly giggles and smoothes my arm. “Calm down. You know Mom wouldn’t believe anything bad about your mom. Even if he is crazy-hot. Did you get to see his thing? Is it… you know.” Her eyebrows go up, and I think I might barf.
“I don’t know! And I couldn’t know because he wasn’t naked. He had on a towel.”
She does a little shiver and turns to the mirror again. “You are so lucky. It’s so unfair.”
“Nothing happened,” I say. “Some women are just stupid.”
She slants her eyes at me and then pulls out her lip gloss. “Well, Trent’s about as fun as a pet rock.”
My eyes fly to hers. “What happened?”
“Not a thing,” she sighs. “I’ve been working so hard to get him to talk about anything, I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“Define anything.” I study her face. “Kool-aid stripes verses feather extensions? Is fringe too
“One meaning her student Ricky.”
Jason frowns. “Who’s Ricky?”
I fiddle with the side of his collar, not meeting his eyes. “Her massage therapy student. He’s always at our house.”
“Your mom teaches massage therapy?”
I nod. “She coaches a senior from the college in Glennville every year. And she teaches yoga and prescribes herbal remedies. Stuff like that.”
“We had a lot of that in New Mexico.”
“I’m sure.” I glance up at Jason’s hair. It really is a pretty color, and for a moment, I imagine sliding my fingers through it. Just to see how it feels, of course.
“So you think this Ricky guy’s after your mom?”
“Yes.” I answer without hesitation. Then I pause. I’ve never told anyone how I feel about Ricky and my mom. I can’t believe I’m telling my fake boyfriend.
“That’s weird. What does your dad think?”
“Nothing,” I shake my head. “I mean, nothing’s going on. Ricky’s just her student.”
We’re quiet a second.
“It just gets old sometimes,” I say softly.
“I bet. It’s like he’s threatening your family or something.”
“But he’s not. Mom would never do anything like that.”
Jason studies my face and our eyes meet. I didn’t expect him to understand how I felt, or that it might matter to me. But I realize the song’s over, and I lead us off the dance floor.
“She wouldn’t,” I say again. But for a moment all I can think of is Shelly’s seemingly perfect parents, and how shocked we all were when it came out her dad had been sleeping with his secretary for three years. How it devastated her mom, turning her into a self-help addict. I notice Jason’s still holding my hand. Our fingers are laced, and it feels really comforting. Just then Shelly runs up and pulls me away.
“Come with me,” she orders.
She drags me to the bathroom, and as we go in, I notice Trent walking up to Jason. I wonder what they’ll say to each other. I’m sure Jason’ll help me with my plan, but for a split-second, I’m not sure how I feel about that.
“First, assertiveness training—pass! I am so becoming a life coach.”
“What?” I’m confused.
“All that between you and super hottie.” She looks at me, smiling. “Nice work.”
“Oh.” I cross my arms and lean against the sink. “That wasn’t anything. I mean, he’s my date, but that’s all.”
“You are so lying.” She looks in the mirror and starts pinching her cheeks. “You two were totally into each other on the dance floor just now.”
“We were not,” I say, feeling embarrassed. “We were just talking.”
“About what? It looked way intense.”
“My mom?”
“Oh, shit! That’s the other thing!” Her eyes are shining. “What’s all this about your mom and half-naked Ricky? I heard Mom talking to Ms. Jackson after their divorce survivors support group. Sounds like somebody got an eye-full.”
“Oh my god! Did she also mention I was there? And that Ricky wasn’t naked? He had this mole on his butt, and he thought it was skin cancer.” I cringe internally at how stupid that sounds.
Shelly giggles and smoothes my arm. “Calm down. You know Mom wouldn’t believe anything bad about your mom. Even if he is crazy-hot. Did you get to see his thing? Is it… you know.” Her eyebrows go up, and I think I might barf.
“I don’t know! And I couldn’t know because he wasn’t naked. He had on a towel.”
She does a little shiver and turns to the mirror again. “You are so lucky. It’s so unfair.”
“Nothing happened,” I say. “Some women are just stupid.”
She slants her eyes at me and then pulls out her lip gloss. “Well, Trent’s about as fun as a pet rock.”
My eyes fly to hers. “What happened?”
“Not a thing,” she sighs. “I’ve been working so hard to get him to talk about anything, I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“Define anything.” I study her face. “Kool-aid stripes verses feather extensions? Is fringe too
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