“I’m so glad you were able to get off work,” she said enthusiastically. “We need your design expertise bad!”
The other two moms shot me looks from across the room. I didn’t really know either of them, just that one had a son Max never played with and the other had twins, a girl and a boy. They looked like all the other women in town though—highlighted hair, studded blue jeans, plaid shirts. They were a walking, talking ad for Miss Sixty jeans.
“You’re the creative genius,” I told her. “I’m just following your lead.”
She waved me off. “Help me set up the games,” Jamie coaxed. “Do you know Brianna and Leslie?”
“Hi,” I said. “I don’t think we’ve had a chance to meet yet. I’m Max’s mom.”
Their shared look was unmistakable. I watched it happen in slow motion, like a fender-bender I couldn’t stop.
This was a moment I was familiar with. When I was a child it said, “This is the daughter of that stripper,” or “That’s the girl from the trailer park.” As an adult it said those things too, but so much more—She doesn’t know who her child’s father is.
Poor.
Sad.
Pathetic.
Slut.
They didn’t need to call me the names out loud for me to feel the judgment hitting me like it was a physical thing. I had always been looked at with pity.
I had always been treated as less than.
But I refused to let their thoughts define me. They could mistreat me, but I would never be their victim. So, I let it happen. They didn’t know anything about me. And judging me said more about them than it ever would about me.
“Didn’t I see you at Levi’s homecoming party?” the one named Leslie asked.
I took a step back, surprised by her reference. Except for when I was at work or in a situation like this, I was invisible to these people. Other than Ajax and Levi, I didn’t expect anyone at Pug’s to have noticed me.
“I stopped by Pug’s for an hour or so,” I told her honestly. “But I was there with friends, not for Levi.”
“Not what I heard,” Brianna murmured out of the side of her mouth.
In any other circumstance, I would have confronted the situation head on and let her know I could hear her and that her comments were inappropriate and rude. At least, that was what I liked to tell myself in my head.
But for the sake of the party and the room full of first-graders that would be here any moment, I kept my mouth shut.
Besides, I didn’t want to perpetuate the drama.
Whatever they thought happened, did not happen.
If there was a fight, it had nothing to do with me.
Even though I danced with Ajax and made out with Levi. I was positive the events of Saturday evening had nothing to do with each other.
“Do you guys know Levi?” I asked instead.
They straightened simultaneously, stiffening their backs at being called out. “I knew Logan,” Brianna sniffed. “Kind of.”
“Levi and I go way back,” I told them. “But we’ve never really been friends. It was nice of y’all to throw him a party. I’m sure everyone had a great time.”
“We sure did,” Leslie snickered. Brianna dissolved into giggles.
Jamie clapped her hands together, pulling everyone’s attention to her. “Okaaaaaay.” She drew the word out slowly. “Let’s do less talking and more decorating. The kids will be here soon.”
By the time Max and the rest of his class flooded in the classroom, we’d done an excellent job of covering every surface with some kind of Halloween decoration. I couldn’t say it looked like a Pottery Barn ad or anything, but it was sufficiently festive.
