“I don’t really have any skills to take to college. I don’t know if college is for me. Oh! But I can do some cool model expressions,” I said eagerly.
“Let me see some,” Elijah said as he leaned back in his chair and smiled.
“Yeah?”
“Yes, I’d love to see. Show me.”
“Okay, this is my ‘I know I’m not your boyfriend, but I know you want me’ look,” I prefaced and then quickly went into a serious look and quirked one side of my mouth up into a partial smile. “Okay, this is my ‘confused seduction’ look,” I explained. While he laughed at my description, I parted my lips a little and raised my eyebrows.”
“Confused seduction, huh?”
“Yes,” I said and nodded.
“It looks good on you. What do you know about seduction, anyhow?”
“Nothing really.” I laughed. “The modeling people said that look will get me just about anything I want in life.”
“Yes, I believe it.” Elijah smiled and shook his head at me.
“Prom is coming up, and I will use my confused seduction look if I have to,” I admitted.
Elijah leaned forward and put his forearms on the table and looked me in the eyes and said, “Brandon, promise me you won’t rush into anything.”
“I won’t.”
“You’re still a virgin, yes?”
I nodded.
“Don’t rush. Go to your dance and enjoy yourself, but don’t mess your life up, okay?”
“Okay, I promise.”
That night when I got home, my mom’s car was in the garage and one of her guest’s cars was parked in front of the house. Typical. When I went inside, I could hear her and her agent laughing in the living room. Whenever her agent was here, she would put on a nice show for him and make it look like she gives a fuck.
“Brandon, sweetheart, how was the race?”
“It was fine. Glad to see you made it back from your thing so early,” I said, trying not to let my tone show how pissed off I was.
“Yeah, we decided not to go,” she admitted.
“What?”
“It’s such beautiful spring weather so we decided to relax by the pool this evening. We’re getting ready to go to Spago for dinner. I’ll leave you some money for dinner, sweetheart.”
“Don’t bother. I already ate,” I said as I let the fridge door shut hard so that the bottles inside clanged. I unscrewed the lid to my water bottle and chugged some while standing by the sink, hoping she’d start a fight.
“What did you eat?”
“Pizza.”
“Brandon! That shit will ruin your skin. You’ll never get another modeling job.”
“Guess what, Mom, I don’t care! I’m not a model, and I don’t want to be.”
“God, you are wasting your good looks.”
“Whatever, Mom. Have a good time at dinner,” I said and started to walk out of the room.
