"I kinda like her," he says, leaning against the kitchen counter. "And I like that she's hot. Makes it easier to learn."
"You think she's hot?" I ask, opening a bag of chips and popping a few in my mouth.
"Not like porn star hot, but she's still hot." He pauses to think. "She's like cheerleader hot, but without the big boobs."
I roll my eyes. "Don't ever try to compliment a girl. You suck at it."
"Doyouthink she's hot?"
"She's okay. I haven't really thought about it." I put the bag of chips away. "Go get ready for bed. I'll see you in the morning."
When he's gone, my mind wanders to Brook and what Jacob said about her. I lied when I told him I hadn't thought about her. I've thought about her more than I should. And yeah, she's definitely hot. I wouldn't say she looks like a cheerleader, like Jacob said. She doesn't have an athletic look. She's more refined. She has the kind of look I'd associate with rich girls, with a small build, delicate features, and smooth porcelain skin.
I've never been with a girl like Brook and I never will. She's the type of girl who wants a relationship. She wants the husband and kids and the big fancy house in the suburbs. Hell, she's already talking about it with that asshole she's dating.
I'm not even close to thinking that way. I'll never get married and never have kids. I'll never fall in love. I wouldn't let myself. I wouldn't ruin someone's life like that. I'm not repeating that cycle. It ended with my dad.
Chapter Eleven
Brook
"How was school?" my mom asks as we sit at the kitchen counter. It's late and I was going to go to bed but she wanted to talk. We don't see each other much with her new job.
"School was okay. I'm getting used to it."
"That's great!" She sips her tea. "Have you made any new friends?"
"Not really. I've just been hanging out with Eve."
"You should have her introduce you to some other girls. It's good to have more than one friend. Think of how many you had at your old school."
They weren't really friends. They were just girls I hung out with because I had to if I wanted to fit in. They weren't the type of friends I could count on. I thought I could count on Jane but she won't even come to see me or give me a ride to the football game.
“Do you have plans with Jane this weekend?” my mom asks.
“No. She's busy."
"I'm sure she's not too busy for her best friend," my mom says with a tired smile. Her whole face looks tired. She's had that look since Dad walked out. I don't think she sleeps anymore. And now she has this job making her even more tired.
"I think my friendship with Jane is over."
"Oh, honey, don't say that. You two have been friends forever."
"Yeah, but then she moved away and now that she's back, I never see her."
"Invite her over this weekend. She could spend the night."
There's no way Jane would spend the night in this crappy apartment. She's too snobby. But I don't want to tell my mom that. This apartment was the best we could afford and I don't want my mom feeling bad about it. She already feels bad enough we ended up here. She won't admit it but I know she thinks the divorce was her fault, like she wasn't a good enough wife. The truth is my dad's just a selfish jerk who didn't care about my mom.
"She can't. She already has plans for this weekend."
"Couldn't you tag along? I'm sure she'd love to see you."
"I can't get there. I don't have a car."
"I could drive you. I'd just have to work around my schedule. I told Laney I'd work Saturday morning but only for a few hours."
My mom's an administrative assistant at a law firm. Her boss, Laney, is a woman my mom knew from their work on charity events. My mom started getting involved in charity stuff when my sister and I were old enough to go to school. She's planned entire events, from hiring caterers to making the ads. It's a good thing she did that because it gave her skills to put on a resume. It also connected her with a lot of people in the Chicago area. Before she even started applying for jobs, Laney contacted her and asked if she wanted to work at the law firm. My mom took the job and started a week later but she didn't think she'd be working so many hours. Laney works nights and weekends and expects my mom to do that too.
