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I shake my head. “Nope.”
“We should get inside before all the seats are taken,” Mark grumbles as he looks at his watch. He tosses his cigarette onto the pavement and boots it out with his dirty black boot.
“Honey,” Mom says sweetly, “don’t you want to meet Seth’s friends? This is—”
“No.” Mark brushes past us towards the stadium. Mom watches him, her expression pained, looking as if he slapped her. She sighs, her shoulders slumping forward. I watch her rub her lower back again while trudging after him, wishing things could be different for her, for my brothers and sisters.
“Well, I suppose we should get our seats,” Rachel says brightly, trying to diffuse the situation the best she can.
“Wait!” Alex’s mom shouts. “One more picture. The both of you this time.”
“Oh, look at that,” I say while pointing toward something in the distance, trying to make my getaway.
Unfortunately, Alex’s mom is a viper and she snatches my arm before I can even take a step toward the stadium. She positions me next to Alex, his knuckles brushing against mine. My breath hitches, my eyes widening briefly.
“Say cheese,” Alex’s dad says, his overly cheerful tone grating.
I don’t know if I smile. I probably look stressed, or terrified. These feelings need to go away. The camera snaps several times, and with each flash, I feel Alex’s fingers stroking mine tenderly, shield by our robes.
“We should get going,” I say, wincing at the quiver in my voice. Alex’s parents are busy looking at their camera’s screen. “Don’t want to be late and all.” I turn toward Alex, catching his flared nostrils, the quirk in his lips, and I know this isn’t something I can just shive down. Not anymore.
What the hell am I going to do?
Chapter 26
LUCAS
Well,AlexandSethhave officially graduated. Unfortunately, I cannot partake in the festivities. I’m back to wasting my life away, working at The Cafe while the others go get lunch. There should be parties tonight, after the families leave. At least this place isn’t open until midnight. I should be able to have a congratulatory drink with Alex and Seth. That is, if they don’t have better things to do. I swear, they’ve been acting quite weird for the past month. I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe they’re more friendly now that they see their rivalry as more of a good thing. Part of me feels a bit jealous. Seth has a new best friend. I always thought I filled that role, but I suppose it’s nice to have something to go running with. Maybe I should try to butt my way in on their morning and evening runs.
Why do they have to go running twice a day anyway?
“I love you more,” says Jason, leaning against the counter two feet away from me, his nose brushing the girl across from him.
“No, I love you more,” says the girl with a high-pitched giggle.
Ugh. Kill me now. I scrub the mug in my hands harder, taking out all my frustrations on the ceramic. Rachel and I have never been that disgusting. Jason never seemed the type to say sweet nothings—never seemed the type to go, ‘no you hang up,’ but I suppose I never saw Jason in a relationship before. I wonder if she hates Jason’s cigarette smoking as much as I do.
As I dry the mug, I wonder if that’s the chick Jason has been so obsessed with this semester. She’s been coming around more and more. I guess she’s not as busy as Jason thought since she’s able to make time to come here. The semester has officially ended, though. There are not many people. Only an elderly couple sitting in the corner and a girl reading a book by the window. I guess, now the school year is over, not many people need their coffee fix. Maybe I will be able to close early. Fanciful thinking, but hey, I gotta have hope.
The bell dings and I glance over my shoulder, watching a group of girls come inside, still wearing their cap and gown. Jason’s eyes remain on his girlfriend, not bothering to welcome the new customers into the cafe. This is the third time it’s happened since I came to my shift, and it’s getting ridiculous. Either come in to work or don’t come in at all.
“Jason,” I say, throwing down my towel and setting the mug next to the others on the shelf.
“You know, we could take a road trip up North this summer,” Jason murmurs. “Just think of it. You, me—”
“Jason,” I say, louder this time, watching him flinch.
He whirls around, a dark scowl marring his features. “What, Brent?”
“Customers. In front of you.”
Jason rolls his eyes and turns back to his girlfriend. He’s not going to make me handle another order. Again. I’m starting to think I should be made manager around here, because Jason isn’t cutting it these days. Or I should quit and make Jason see the errors of his ways. I should, but I won’t. A sigh of frustration leaves me as I trudge toward the counter, but before I can slap on a smile and ask the girls what they would like to drink, my phone buzzes in my back pocket, saving me from having to make another coffee.
“Gotta take this,” I say with a cruel smile, holding up my phone.
Jason whips around, his eyes wide. “But the customers!”
“You’ve got two hands. Besides, we’re not that busy.”
