"Of course I do, but I don't know how you could be happy living the way we've been forced to live the past few months. Don't you miss having a nice house? A car? Money for clothes?"
"Yes, but I'd rather have friends. Real friends, not just people who are pretending. Did you know that not a single one of my so-called friends has called me since we moved?"
"Jane called you."
"Only a few times. I gave up calling her because she doesn't pick up. And she rarely returns my texts."
"Because she doesn't see you anymore. If you go back to Haverhill, I'm sure your friendship will go back to how it was."
"But it wasn't even a friendship. We just went shopping and talked about clothes. I couldn't talk to her about stuff that actually matters because she wouldn't listen. That's not a friendship."
"I have to go or I'm going to be late." She frowns. "You're really not going?"
"Just tell them I'm sick."
She leaves, closing the door behind her. I can't believe she's doing this, betraying her own daughter just so she can get back into that world. It means more to her than I do, or that's how it feels.
When she's gone, I call up Eve.
"Let me guess," she says. "You need a ride to the hospital."
"Yeah, but that wasn't why I was calling. I can take the bus to the hospital."
"I can take you. I have to pick something up at my dad's house and it's on the way."
"That'd be great! What time?"
"I could be there in a half hour."
"Okay, I'll be ready. So the other reason I was calling is to ask if you'd be willing to help clean up Dean's house this afternoon. The football team's going to be there and we're all going to pitch in and get the place ready for when he comes home."
"I thought he didn't want people going in his house."
She's right. I didn't think about that. Is Dean going to be mad at me for doing this? Even if he is, I'm still doing it. He can't go home to that mess, and I can't do all the work myself.
"We're doing it anyways," I say. "His dad trashed the place and there's no way Dean can clean it himself while he's still recovering. Everyone's meeting at the house around two. It'll probably take a few hours but you don't have to stay that long."
"Sure, I'll do it. Should I bring anything?"
She's really agreeing to this? I shouldn't be surprised. Since I've known her, Eve has always helped me when I needed it. I'm still not used to that. Jane would tell me no and think I'm crazy for even asking. I wish my mom could understand that, but maybe she's never had a friend like Eve.
"You might want to bring cleaning gloves," I tell her.
"How about supplies? My mom buys way too much cleaning stuff whenever it's on sale. She wouldn't care if I took some of it."
"Yeah, go ahead and bring it."
"Okay, see ya soon."
I take a shower and get ready, then go to the kitchen to find something to eat.
My phone rings just as I'm about to bite into my toast.
"Hello?"
"Brook, it's Dad."
"Hey, Dad. I'm leaving soon. I don't have much time to talk."
