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“Yep.”
They both stood as loud screeches and a stampede of footsteps sounded outside. Time for the day to begin.
It was after four thirty when Bronte finally left school and headed home to change into some workout gear, barely making it to the gym in time for the dance cardio class she took with Rachel. After an hour of sweating and swearing at her friend for making fun of her clumsiness, she met her mom and sister for dinner.
Shelley pointed at Bronte’s sweat-slicked hair. “Looking good, Bean.”
In turn, she pointed at Shelley’s pregnant belly. “You too. Where’s Mom?”
“She was at a doctor’s appointment with Dad. Should be here soon, though.” Right then, Shelley’s phone rang. “Speak of the devil. Hey, Mom,” she said into the phone. “Oh, okay… Well, how did it go?” Bronte leaned across the table, trying to listen in, as her sister replied, “That’s because he eats all that garbage. And you know he sneaks cigarettes when he’s at school.”
Bronte mouthed questions to her sister, but Shelley waved her off.
“Okay, I guess we’ll see you this weekend, then. Bye.”
“What did she say?”
Shelley dropped her phone into her purse. “They’re sending Dad for an EKG.”
Bronte shook her head and grabbed her own cell phone to text Gem, Laney, and Sam a quick message about her dad’s test. She’d need their positive energy. “Between the smoking and his diet, I’m surprised he hasn’t had problems earlier.”
“I know. And he doesn’t get any exercise. He needs to get out, start taking walks.” Shelley stood up to go to the counter to order. “Mom said she’s making dinner Saturday night.”
Almost immediately, the girls responded to Bronte’s text with good luck emojis, and she put her phone away to follow Shelley. They ordered then stopped for drinks and napkins before returning to their seats with their trays of burritos. Shelley popped a tortilla chip into her mouth. “Are you going to bring Hunter along?”
“I’ll see if he can come,” Bronte answered, and Shelley made a face. That face. “What?”
“I think…I…”
“What?”
Shelley lifted one shrewd eyebrow. “What’s the point of being together if you aren’t together? He’s over there, you’re here, and it’s weird—”
“Stop.”
“You guys fall into this same pattern over and over again.”
Bronte opened the aluminum foil of her burrito with an annoyed flick of her wrist. “We’re working it out, okay?”
“Fine,” she relented. “But I’ll be shocked if he shows up on Saturday, that’s all.”
Bronte eyed her sister, who made another face then took a gigantic bite of her burrito.
