Page 17 of Hilarina and the Ogre

Annette tried to get Trenton to stay over again. “We can get a trundle that fits under Hilary’s bed,” she said. “Your legs dangle over the end of the couch, don’t they?”

But Trenton did go home, though not before announcing they’d be doing math again the next day. A hundred and three, apparently, was no reason to be caught slacking.

“Such a good boy,” Annette said, waving to Trenton long after he’d pedaled away on his bicycle. “You sure you don’t want to date him?”

“I think I’m good.”

“Maybe your father will nab him. I can hardly blame the fellow after all my infidelity with the mailman.”

Hilary could only glare through the door, unsure why he was watching the empty space along with everyone else. “This is why that stupid joke won’t die, Mom. Because you encourage him.”

“I’ve never encouraged him for a moment in all my life. Isn’t that right, dear?”

“Not for a minute,” Albert confirmed. “So long as you don’t count the first twenty or so years of our marriage.”

“But darling, we’ve only been married for twenty years.”

Albert pretended to be stumped. “You may be right. I’ll have to corroborate that with my son, the math genius. Forgive me—the mailman’s son, the math genius.”

Varda was sitting on the front steps when Hilary came out of the house the next morning—something that would have been alarming if his father hadn’t given him the heads up as he was heading out the door.

“I hope you’re not expecting a ride to school,” Hilary said to her. “I’ve only just gotten the smell out.”

Actually, the smell still lingered. The upholstery on the car seats was cracked, and smoke had permeated whatever cheap stuffing they contained.

She followed him to the car. “What can I do to make you reconsider?”

Reconsider what? It was more strange than flattering that she was pursuing him like this. He wasn’t stupid enough to think she was regretting her actions.

“You’re still fucking him, aren’t you?”

She ignored that. “I can pay you for the time you spend with me. You can think of it like a job.”

It was that rich girl’s entitlement that gave him the anger to finally ask. “Why do you even want this? You can’t stand me.”

“That’s not true.”

“You obviously don’t—”

“You’re better than any of the others. They all want to touch me, and I have to pretend with them. But you don’t make me pretend.”

Hilary was too baffled to be annoyed. “But why are you pretending at all? Just date the guy you’re fucking.”

“I can’t.”

“Not popular enough? Wait—does he not know your angles?”

“Dad hates him.” It was the way she said it that made Hilary pause. For maybe the first time, she was attempting to be honest with him. “He’s forbidden me from seeing him.”

It was all she had to say. The rest of the story fell into place easily enough. “So you used me to make him think you’d moved on from him while secretly continuing to date him.”

She reached for his hand. He jerked away from it.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “About the necklace.”

“Only the necklace?”

“I won’t apologize for Axel.” Her eyes were fierce. “I love him.”