“Number one: we could lock you in the apartment all summer and pretend you’ve been kidnapped. Number two: we could wait until my exams are done and get the hell out of here. Just you and me.”
That made him think. Intrigued, he straightened up and asked, “And escape to where?”
“I don’t know. Your lake house, maybe. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, we could go overseas. I’ve never even been out of the country. I’m sure you find that hilarious, but whatever, there’s a first time for everything.”
“That could be nice,” he admitted. “Traveling, I mean, not the lake house. I’d like to put a little more distance between this place and me, and obviously, I need to get away from my parents.”
“We could go to my parents’!” I joked.
“Yeah, they’re probably dying to have me show up there.”
“I doubt that, but I am kind of dying to see the look on their faces if we did do it.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with the sweet, innocent Jen I used to know?” he asked sarcastically.
“My sweet and innocent days are over.”
He laughed and hugged me, smiling mischievously. “Tell you what.Make a list of places you want to go. We’ve got a whole summer to start checking them off.”
“And then the little shit goes and throws up all over me!” my sister complained. I rolled my eyes. I’d had one hell of a day: running back and forth, cramming between classes, and as soon as I made it home, with just five minutes before I had to leave again Shannon called. I was trying to hold my phone to my ear with my shoulder while I adjusted the strap on my bag, which was in danger of spilling all my stuff out onto the floor.
“What do you expect?” I asked her. “He’s a child, he’s not old enough to control himself.”
“Whatever. It’s not my kid, he’s just some friend of Owen’s, I agreed to play chauffeur, I didn’t sign up for some little snotnose to puke on me five minutes into the drive.”
“You did, though, Shannon. You did it as soon as you joined the Mommies and Daddies Facebook group I warned you about.”
“Don’t remind me.”
Her talking about Owen made me think of Spot, the little stuffed horse he had given me, and I looked over to find him wedged between my pillows. I straightened him up and interrupted her: “Listen, all this sounds very dramatic, and I’m sorry to cut you off, but I need to go. We’re going to pick Jack up from the clinic. He’s finally coming home!”
“Oh, and I guess that’s more important than someone vomiting in my car? I’m kidding. I hope everything goes great, Jenny. And if you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”
I hung up and tucked my phone into the pocket of my green shorts. I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered if they clashed with my mustard yellow T-shirt. I don’t know why I was so worried, it’s not like I hadto impress Jack, and clothing had never mattered much to him anyway. Plus, I was sure he’d have other things on his mind.
“Jenna!” Will shouted. It was time to go. I almost skipped out of the bedroom, I was so excited. I found my roommates sitting there nervously, playing with their phones or watching TV. Will and I were going to pick Jack up, and that was for the best, I thought: I wasn’t up for an hour and a half of him and Naya together. They’d barely spoken since their anniversary, and when they did, they argued. It was bad, and I didn’t have the time or the energy to act as mediator. In my mind, I was already off on vacation, traveling the world with Jack, leaving all the drama behind us.
There was just one problem: Mary had shown up, too. That explained why Will didn’t even have his shoes on, and why it got tense as soon as I walked into the room. Standing near the kitchen, she said a nervous hello, and I greeted her back. I was so shocked, all I could do was look around and hope someone had an explanation. But everyone there was as surprised as I was.
“I heard Jack was getting out today,” she said bashfully. “And I thought it would be a good idea if you and I went and got him together.”
That sounded like the exact opposite of a good idea to me, but I didn’t feel comfortable telling her so. She continued: “I know things have been difficult. Bad, maybe I should say. But I need to talk to him, and I can’t think of another way.”
“You could call him,” Will recommended.
“He won’t answer me. This way, even if I make him mad, he won’t be able to wriggle out of it,” Mary said.
I hesitated, looking hopefully at Will, who was always the voice of reason. But he was as helpless as the rest of us.I can’t do this, I thought, and I told Mary it might be better for her to go alone. “It’ll give you guys the space to talk without anyone else being in the middle…”
“No,” she responded. “Jack will feel more comfortable if someone he knows is there. I really think it should be you. If you’re willing, I mean.”
No, I wanted to tell her.
And I almost managed to say it.
But then I saw the pleading expression in her eyes. And Will noticed the resignation on my face and sighed, and thirty minutes later, I found myself in her passenger seat on the highway, asking myself just how bad an idea this was. Mary’s luxurious car was racing through the suburbs, air blasting, upholstery soft as butter, and…she wouldn’t speak a word to me. Was there anything to say? I wasn’t sure, but if not, couldn’t she at least put on some music? Something, anything, would be better than hearing her clear her throat, grunt, nibble the nail of her pinkie finger.
Things went on like that for about an hour, and then out of the blue, she asked how I was.There’s the million-dollar question, I thought. “Fine,” I replied.
