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“That’s cool. Do you ever go visit?”
“Not very often. I don’t have time.” He fidgets with his beer bottle, tearing at the label.
“What about your parents?” Nina asks. “Are they in California?”
“Sacramento. My dad sells insurance.” His tone is curt. He’s annoyed by her questions and starting to get angry. I don’t know why it bothers him so much to talk about himself, but since it does, I’m wishing Nina would back off a little. I wanted her to get information from him, but not if he’s going to get this upset.
“And your mom?” Nina asks.
I try to intervene. “Nina, why don’t—”
“Passed away,” he says, looking her in the eye. “A few years ago.”
“Oh,” Nina says, biting her lip.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him. “We didn’t know.”
“Done with the questioning now?” he asks Nina before taking a long swig of his beer.
She gets up. “I’m gonna get another drink.”
While she’s gone I turn to Kyle. “I’m really sorry about that. Nina tends to go a little overboard sometimes. She’s just trying to get to know you.”
“I thought you told her I hate talking about myself.”
“I did, but…I mean, her questions are pretty basic. Most anyone would ask about your family. Obviously if she knew about your mom, she wouldn’t have asked but—”
“That’s why she shouldn’t be asking. You never know what kind of answer you’ll get when you ask about someone’s personal life. And you don’t know if asking the question will affect someone in ways you didn’t expect. People will tell you what they want you to know. And if they don’t, it’s because they don’t want you knowing.”
So is he saying he doesn’t want me knowing anything about him other than where he’s from and what he does for a living? Because that’s basically all he’s told me about himself. If that’s all I’m allowed to know about him, we won’t have much of a relationship. Or even much of a friendship.
“Why don’t we get some food?” Kyle stands up. “We can eat and then go.”
“Go?”I get up from the bench. “We just got here.”
“And I’m already feeling uncomfortable. Everyone’s staring at me and I’m not in the mood to answer their questions.”
“Then don’t answer them. But no one’s going to ask. You heard Nina. She told them to leave you alone.”
“Then what do you want to do?” he asks, sounding annoyed.
“For one, I think you need another drink to loosen up. You’re too tense.”
“I don’t need another drink.”
“Well,Ido.” I hold up my empty beer. “A stronger one this time.”
“I didn’t know you drank that much.”
“I don’t usually, but these town events tend to make me drink.”
“Because you hate being here as much as I do, which is why we should just leave. Look around. Nobody wants us here.”
Glancing around, I see a few people glaring at us and whispering to each other, but that’s nothing new. I’m used to that.
“If we go, we’re just giving them what they want. They don’t own this town. We have just as much right to be here as they do.”
“Then let’s just go somewhere private for a minute.” He takes my hand. “I need a break from these people.”
