“Mom took my phone,” I said, calm as a cuke. “Still don’t have it back.”
“And landlines don’t work?” she asked, still riding my ass like only she could, a practice she’d perfect over the next decade.
“Land what?” I stupidly asked, before understanding I was in 2013 again. Mom still had one too. I think she dropped it when I was in college. “I forgot,” I stated.
“How convenient, Michael.”
God, I hated hearing my full name roll off of her tongue.This was going to be tough.
“I’m sorry, Jen.”That sounded familiar.
Old feelings about my ex-wife were unfairly ripping through my mind. I was angry and full of contempt for how self-absorbed this woman had been. The problem, however, was that this seventeen-year-old Jennifer was not the focused, unrelenting woman I would divorce ten years from now.
“You should be,” she said. “I could’ve needed you Saturday night. Maybe I could’ve died or something.”
I pulled her in for a hug.Remember this is high school Jennifer, Mike.“That’s a bit dramatic, Jen, but you know my mom and her rules,” I reminded her. “Mom is disciplining for two now that Dad’s gone.”
“That was almost a year ago, Michael. Can’t she read one of her quack books and just move on?”
Her comment did not sit well with me. My eyes narrowed and she jumped back like I was about to strike her. I grabbed her shoulders. “Do not speak about my mother like that again. You hear me?” I hissed.
Her face turned red and she quickly looked around in case a witness hadseen my overreaction. After composing herself and letting out a huff she responded. “How dare you speak to me like that, Michael,” she whispered. “I . . . well, I . . .,” she stammered. “I just will not be spoken to like that,” she concluded.
I was raging inside and couldn’t stop myself. “Do not call me Michael and don’t ever speak about my mother unless you have some good shit to say for once,” I insisted.
“Don’t call me then. I don’t care,” she huffed. “You’re being mean to me, Michael, and you know I have an assembly later. How can I look my best if you’re being so mean?”
She was definitely the seventeen year old princess I remembered. I needed to calm down. “You look amazing, Jen. You’re the hottest girl in school,” I added, shifting gears after remembering how fragile Jennifer could be back then. Funny thing I never felt that way about her the first time around. In fact, no one at our school had.
She smiled seductively, a trick that used to kill me with desire. “I do, don’t I?” she half asked, half declared. “Okay, then,” she began, kissing my cheek. “Gotta run.” And with that, she flounced away, heading for the row of lockers that all the cheerleaders claimed every year. Locker numbers one through eight. Number 1 was assigned to the head cheerleader who was queen of everything, and every student knew that it belonged to Jennifer James.
I watched as she sashayed through the hall toward her squad like nothing had just happened between us. Like a fart in a skillet, she couldn’t be contained. She had the memory of a goldfish. For Jennifer, being on top was her priority. I knew she hadn’t heard a thing I’d said about Mom, but she had heard that she looked amazing and that’s what counted in her world.
I reminded myself that it would be horribly unfair to judge Jen for things she hadn’t done yet or ever because I didn’t know how this journey would turn out. I had an unfair advantage over her now and truly didn’t want to capitalize on that fact. Were there times when we were married that I would have killed for this opportunity? Of course, but this was entirely different.
But I knew one thing for certain, I wouldn’t be able to fake my way through a relationship with her.
This universe was going to test me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Cooper
Jennifer was going on and on about how mean Mikey had been before first period. Apparently he’d crossed a line when he hadn’t even walked her to class like she’d expected. “He’s acting totally weird,” she noted, opening the tiny compact mirror that was permanently attached to her hand and checking her painted lips. “Do you like this shade of pink, Cooper?” she asked, turning back to me and puckering up. “Michael refuses to give his opinion of course, but I know you will. We’re practically the same person.”
That woke me up. “How’s that, Jennifer?”
“We both like pretty things, is all I meant,” she replied, leaning closer. “Yougetus girls. Unlike thenormalboys.”
I knew exactly what she meant. “Thanks for the compliment,” I stated, trying to remain friendly.
I really wanted to like Mikey’s girlfriend, but she tested my limits; and I saw myself as a fairly patient person. Jennifer James was born beautiful. She started kindergarten beautiful. And middle school, yep, still beautiful, but high school? Holy smokes. That was when she blossomed into a goddess. Lush blonde hair that cascaded in perfect waves of shine down her back. She had perfect teeth. She possessed an impossibly tiny waist that popped into a round bubble butt. Her soft, flawless skin glowed like God had personally touched her and pronounced her his successful creation. All that perfection and I still didn’t really like her that much. I tolerated her. For Mikey.
I watched the cafeteria door open and close, anticipating Mikey and Hastings coming through at any moment. I needed someone to rescue me from Jennifer’s endless babbling. Hastings and Mikey shared chemistryclass just before lunch period, so they often walked to lunch together. I sensed that Hastings liked Mikey more than Mikey liked him, but overall they were buddies even after Mikey’s recent confusion about Hastings’ gay status.
I noticed Hastings walk in alone and look toward the table reserved for the cool crowd. Even though I sat here, I never felt comfortable. In fact I was an imposter; slipping through geek-prevention security measures because of Mikey.
Hastings slid onto the bench next to me, ogling God’s gift to the universe, Jennifer James. “Hey,” he said to me while still eyeing her.
You’re gay right?I wanted to ask out loud.
