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“Yeah, to the baseball game with Scarlett, Penelope, and Topher.”
Mom’s smile broadened. “That’s wonderful. I’m so glad you met them last semester. Such nice kids.”
For some reason, this irked me. “I didn’tjustmeet them,” I said. “Technically, I’ve known them for a long time, but they started talking to me when Thorne showed up.”
“Well, regardless, it’s a good thing, right?”
“Yeah.” I paused, then started again, “Listen, I just wanted to see . . .” I glanced over at Bat Man to the ever-present condescension in his eyes and hesitated, hating that I had to do this with him here. “I mean, I’ve obviously never gone to a school ball game before.” I squinted my eyes, focusing back on my mother and willing the burn of embarrassment in my cheeks to fade. “So I wanted to see if I’m dressed okay.” I bit the inside of my cheek in an effort to restrain my humiliation while I waited for her answer.
Don’t look at him. Don’t look,I told myself. My ego was already paper-thin as it was. The last thing I needed was Mr. Machismo’s unsolicited advice.
Her gaze traveled my body. “Don’t you have any khakis or jeans?”
“None that fit.”
“How is that possible?” she mumbled under her breath.
Probably because it’s been years since I cared about my appearance? I never went shopping, and fashion wasn’t exactly high on my radar.
She scrunched her nose, and I could practically see her trying to come up with a nice way to tell me my outfit sucked.
“Is it that bad?”
“Well,” she drawled, “if you have to wear joggers, I’d just pair it with a t-shirt.”
“Really?” I asked as the weight of disappointment sank in my chest. I’d wanted to look nice for a change—different.
Mom opened her mouth when her phone rang on the counter beside her, and she glanced at the screen, holding up a finger for me to wait. “Sorry. It’s work.” Then she pressed it to her ear and answered, using her professional voice.
She drifted past me and into the other room, while I stood there, waiting like an idiot and cursing the fact that she left me alone with the enemy in my time of need. Didn’t she recognize a social crisis when she saw one?
“So . . .” Bat Man said from his perch by the stove. He leaned back against the counter, feet crossed at the ankles. “Going to the baseball game, huh?”
I stared at him, because Bat Man was never genuinely curious about me or my life, so there had to be a catch for his sudden interest. “Yep.”
“I think the look is great, kid. Much better than your normal nerd attire. Might want to take some sunscreen though. Wouldn’t want you to get burnt with all that pale, virgin skin.”
I clenched my jaw at the dig, about the same time Mom breezed back into the kitchen. “Okay, sorry about that. What did I miss?” she asked, glancing between us, her smile in place. “Barry, we were talking. About your outfit, right?”
I shook my head and backed away, cheeks hot as the flames from hell. “Nah. Never mind. Forget it.”
Her expression fell, and a part of me felt bad at disappointing her, but my frustration with her for entertaining a relationship with a douche like Bat Man trumped my guilt.
“You sure?” she asked, looking more than crestfallen.
“Yeah, sure. No big deal.”
“But–”
“Let him go, Flora,” Bat Man interrupted, placing a hand on her arm.
My mouth flattened into a tight line as I stared him down. “Yeah, all’s good, Mom. Dan gave me all the input I needed. I’ll see you later.” I backed away from them, then turned, and by the time I reached the door and glanced back, Mom faced Bat Man with a smile, my plight already forgotten.
I snatched my keys off the console table beside me and left while I still had the courage to go.
When I arrived at the field, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the bleachers were already packed. The scent of freshly mowed lawn hit me the moment I stepped out of my car, along with the smell of popcorn from the nearby concession stand.
I shot a longing look back at my car as I picked my way from the parking lot, across the perfectly manicured lawn toward the baseball field, and closed in on the stands filled with students and parents wearing green and gold, Lakeview colors. After standing awkwardly beside the bleachers for what felt like forever, I spotted Scarlett, Penelope, and Topher sitting together a few rows down.
