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“Right. Of course.”
Fortunately, Uncle Randy and Aunt Lily arrive to end that uncomfortable conversation. I can’t tell Lainey the truth.
By midafternoon, all of the parents are gathered on the back deck. My dad wanted to shock the pool, but my mom told him to hold off until right before they leave. He did, however, clean the hot tub. He was not impressed by the condom wrappers he found nearby.
Lance and Poppy, Quinn’s parents, are the last to arrive, and they bring his younger sisters along. Heather is fifteen, and Celeste is thirteen, and I adore them. We jump in the pool while we wait for the guys to get home.
Just as my dad and Rook head to campus to pick up the boys, Gigi and Gram-pot show up.
“I have a special present for you!” Gigi hands me a small, wrapped box. Upon closer inspection, I realize the design on the paper is cartoon penises with faces. Thankfully, the presence of Heather and Celeste means I can put off opening it, and I run it up to my room.
My dad and Rook pick up takeout on the way home from getting the boys, and when they return, we all sit outside on the back deck, stuffing our faces while our parents figure out how to deal with the situation.
Kodiak sits on the far side of the deck, beside his mom. His knee bounces a mile a minute, a sure sign he’s anxious. Not that I blame him. The kitchen in their house is destroyed.
“I talked to a contractor friend on the way over, and he’s saying it’ll take at least a few weeks for the house to air out and the kitchen renovations to be done,” Uncle Randy says.
“Yeah, I made a few calls too, and everyone I talked to said the same thing,” Rook adds.
“Should we look at renting the boys a place?”
“I can stay at a friend’s place for a while,” Quinn says.
His dad gives him a look. “What kind of friend are we talking about?”
“Just someone from class.”
His mom gives him a look. “A female someone?”
He shakes his head. “Just a buddy, don’t worry, Ma.”
“BJ can stay with us,” Liam suggests, and Lane nods his agreement.
“You have an extra bedroom?” Uncle Randy asks.
“There’s a game room in the basement with a murphy bed,” BJ replies. “It’ll be fine for a few weeks.”
“Well, that’s two out of three sorted,” Uncle Randy says.
“What about the spare room here? Kody could stay with us. There’s already a bed and a dresser in there,” Maverick suggests.
My dad and Rook exchange a look. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” my dad says.
“It’s perfect, right, K?” Maverick’s eyes are alight with excitement over the idea of having his best friend in the room down the hall. “Then everyone has somewhere to stay, and you don’t have to deal with a rental. Besides, it’s only for a few weeks.”
A few weeks of Kodiak in the bedroom under mine. A few weeks of potentially running into him in the hall, or the kitchen, or anywhere really. A few weeks of his constant awfulness. What if he brings girls home? What if I have to listen to him banging them through the vents?
“Lavender, honey?” My mom squeezes my knee.
“Huh?” I glance around to find everyone looking at me. Including Kodiak. His expression is flat, but his knee bounces a few times before he spreads his hand over his thigh to stop it.
“Are you okay with that?”
I shrug, going for apathetic. “It’s only a few weeks.”
How bad could it be?
But based on how things have been so far, I know it has the potential to be really, really bad.
