I yank away from Eve. "We're dating. We're not getting married, at least not anytime soon."
My phone dings. Chad's name is on the screen.
"The boyfriend checking in?" Danny asks.
"Yes," I say, texting him back.
"Miss you?" Eve says, looking over my shoulder. "That's it? That's all he said?"
"Why are you reading my texts?" I cover my phone screen so she can't see.
"That's the only one he sent all day?"
I look at her. "No. He sends me stuff all the time."
She grabs the phone from me. "That's the only one today."
Yanking the phone back, I turn and walk off.
Eve races to catch up to me. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I just don't get a good feeling about this guy."
"You don't even know him!" I say, raising my voice. I stop at the door to my class. "Eve, I know you're one of those people who says whatever they think, but that's not me. And I don't think people like us can get along."
"Didn't you just say you wanted me to be real with you?"
"Yeah, but I don't think we can be friends if you put down my boyfriend and embarrass me in front of people."
"What are you saying?" She folds her arms over her chest. "You're ditching me as your friend?"
"I'm not ditching you. We're not even really friends. We just met."
Her eyes move over my face, like she's trying to see if I'm kidding.
"Whatever." She turns and walks off.
I go in the classroom and take my seat, an uneasy feeling coming over me. The feeling that I just made a huge mistake.
Why did I do that? I just told the one and only person who's been nice to me to leave me alone.
Is it because she's so different than what I'm used to? The friends I grew up with were more like me, or the old me. They had rich families, designer clothes, spent their summers at the country club. They used their words carefully so they didn't offend anyone. They wouldn't dare say the types of things Eve says, like commenting about my sex life? Or saying my boyfriend looks more like a kid than a man? Who just comes out and says that stuff? It's offensive. And rude.
And truthful.
Dammit. She's right. Sex with Chad is really bad. I don't feel anything. I fake it every time. And hedoeslook like a boy. I never really thought about it until she said it. Or maybe I was just used to it, seeing him every day and going to school with guys that looked just like him. Now I'm surrounded by guys like Dean and Danny with their thick necks and huge shoulders and hard-edged jawlines covered in scruff. They make Chad look like a little kid.
As class starts, I notice another text pop up from Chad.Talk tonight? 8?
Okay,I text back.
I haven't talked to him in days. I should be excited he wants to talk tonight, but I'm not because I know it'll just be him droning on about the debate team and how he got the best grade on whatever test he just took and then he'll give me updates about what colleges he's going to apply to. He won't even ask about me, or if he does, it'll be right before he says he has to go so he doesn't have to listen for too long.
He's like my dad that way. My dad would get home from work and tell us all about his day but then when it came time for my mom or me and my sister to talk, he'd say he needed to get work done and go spend the rest of the night in his office.
Does that mean I'm dating a guy who's like my dad? I shudder at the thought. That's kind of disgusting.
"Brook, what are your thoughts?" the teacher asks.
I look up at her, wondering what I just missed. I never space out in class. I always pay attention so I can avoid awkward moments like this.
