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“Just someone from school.”
“Looked like a boy.”
I shove the flour back on the shelf before the container explodes on the floor.
“Kikki?” Mom presses.
I clear my throat and turn from the pantry. “You remember Parker Kelly, don’t you?”
“Oh, sure,” Mom says with a happy smile. “I haven’t seen him since you were in middle school.”
“Yeah, well, it was him.”
“Why was he driving you home?” Mom asks with a mixture of intrigue and giddiness. “Do you two hang out often?”
I shake my head. “No. He was just at the café. He’s at the café a lot because he’s friends with Jamie.”
“Uh-huh,” Mom drags it out, waiting for me to draw the dots.
I shrug. “He offered to drive me home.”
Mom chuckles. “Well, that’s adorable.”
I turn away before I blurt out something I’m not supposed to. I pull the flour and sugar containers from the pantry and set them on the countertop.
“You’re baking?” Mom asks.
“Yeah, for Parker,” I say, wishing the heat in my cheeks would dissolve. “He drove me home for cookie dough cups.”
Mom sits on a counter stool, resting her chin in her hand. “Oh, really?”
I busy myself with getting the vanilla extract and baking soda. “We were talking in chemistry, and then kinda kept talking during my café shift.”
“Well, I remember him being a nice boy. You’ve just never talked about him before.”
“Haven’t I?” I say coyly. “Well, he and Lewis are always around. It feels like I know him.”
Well, I know Lewis, but I have to pretend I’m interested in Parker.
Before Mom can ask another probing question, the front door opens.
“Hello, hello,” Dad’s voice calls out.
“In here,” Mom calls, and I continue gathering ingredients.
Dad walks into the kitchen and lets out a whistle. He puts his briefcase down on the stool by Mom, kisses her cheek, and then smiles at the array of ingredients. “Are you baking, Kikki?”
“For a boy,” Mom says with a giggle.
“Mom,” I groan.
There’s nothing more humiliating than talking about boys with your dad in the room.
“A boy?” Dad asks, shook.
“Parker Kelly,” Mom blurts.
I click my tongue, looking up at the ceiling. “Mom.”
