His eyes narrow. “A couple. We used to have more, but they cancelled the fall and winter formals.”
“Why? Did the class do something to get in trouble?” Ours did junior year. One girl snuck her boyfriend into her dorm room and got caught, so they cancelled our spring formal. Winnie was so mad at how stupid that girl was getting caught. To be fair it was pretty easy because our dorm attendant was half blind and mostly deaf and slept like a log. She was also going on eighty and should have retired decades ago. But you don’t force school icons like that to retire. She’d cared for girls in that school since my grandmother went there.
“No. There wasn’t much parental support for it…or it was too expensive. I don’t remember what the stupid excuse was that the administration gave us. Why?”
Hmmm. It might be time to change all that. In a big way. “Thanks, Creed.”
“Those were definitely weird questions. Will you be coming over for breakfast tomorrow?”
Absolutely not! Never again. “Nope. But I was thinking of making french toast sticks.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you in the morning.” He waves because I’m already halfway back to my door.
“See you then.” And hopefully not your father.
Ideas are playing through my mind…They won’t fit within Bram’s budget, but with a little donation from my foundation…
Not A Car Service
Havoc
I need a vacation. Or to hide from work for a while. Maybe I should take Creed snowboarding for a weekend. Just get away from it all.
Today has been long, way too long. There was no way I was spending an hour chopping vegetables for the stir-fry I had planned this morning—which was probably only the plan because of that woman next door. Weekends are for fancier meals.
Mr. Timmons gave me a knowing look as I picked up two steaks and a bagged salad for dinner. Without a doubt, he thinks it’s for Greer and me.
Like I’d ever go out with that woman.
A twinge of guilt runs through me at how I treated her earlier.
“Creed!” I shout as I walk in.
“Kitchen.” He’s sitting at the island with a pile of books scattered around him, studying. It’s a habit I started when he was younger to ensure his homework got done, and it stuck.
“How was school?”
“Boring.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider going to that special school? At least it might challenge you a little bit.”
“There’s no way I want to be a freak. Next year, I can start taking college classes. That will help.” He sets down his pen. “Dad?”
The tone change in his voice grabs all my attention. “Yeah?”
“There’s something up with Greer.”
Not again. I’m not dealing with that woman again today. “She’s a adult. They take care of their own problems.” Or let their boyfriends take care of them…except she just broke up with him. Is he bothering her?
My fist flexes, crinkling the paper bag.
That’s none of my business.
“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s just, she walked out in this ratty sweatsuit with her hair all messy. It was so odd. Even when she walks out in her robe in the mornings, she looks put together.”
Was it because of me? Did she spend her day crying because I hurt her feelings this morning?
“Oh, about that—I almost forgot—she asked me to give you this.” Creed pulls an envelope out of his pocket. “She said it was the money she borrowed from you today.”
