“Don’t you have another cousin?”
“Oh, Braden. Haven’t met him yet. He’s at football practice.”
“He plays football? I’d definitely hate him.”
Axl can’t stand athletes, especially high school athletes. He thinks they’re all assholes and bullies because they picked on him when he was younger. Axl would rather go see a band than play sports. He never got along with the jocks.
“Trystan plays soccer,” I say. “He’s kind of okay but he can also be a jerk. I haven’t decided how I feel about him.”
“What about your uncle? How’d lunch go?”
“It sucked. He spent the whole time on his phone. We weren’t even there an hour and he had to leave.”
“Will you see him tonight?”
“Probably not. Sounds like he usually stays at his place in LA.”
“So it’s just you and your cousins living there?”
“I guess, which means I could’ve just stayed in New York. I’m only here because some judge thinks I need adult supervision until I turn eighteen but now I’m living here without an adult.” I pause. “I told Brock I wanted to go back to New York.”
“What’d he say?”
“That I need to be with family. I told him he’s not my family. I barely know him. Oh, and I found out he never told his kids about me.”
“No shit? Why didn’t he tell them?”
“I don’t know. For some reason he kept it a secret. Brock seems like someone who keeps secrets.”
“What do you mean?”
“He just doesn’t seem truthful. I guess that makes sense for an actor. They lie for a living. But Brock is just . . . strange. When he was talking at lunch, he got all angry when I asked about my dad.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“Apparently, but he wouldn’t tell me what. He told me not to talk about him.”
“Maybe they had a fight.”
“Maybe, but even so, I have a right to ask about my dad.”
“Are you gonna go see him?”
“I haven’t decided. I don’t know if he can have visitors. And I don’t know how I’d get there.”
“Shit, that’s right. You don’t have a license.”
“Or a car. Brock said he’d get me one, but I don’t need one if I can’t drive.”
“Babe, I gotta go.”
“Already? Why?”
“I forgot I had to be somewhere.”
“Where?”
“A meeting at work. I’m already late. Talk to you later. Love you.”
