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I stepped out of my car and headed past his pest removal van with the giant bats on the side of it—the one that proudly proclaimed,Have a pest? We’re the best! Call us for all your extermination needs—hence, the nickname I dubbed him, Bat Man. Pausing at Mom’s SUV, I popped the trunk and began stacking her boxes of equipment in my arms like I always did. Mom was a pretty successful photographer in the area, and like clockwork, every morning before school and every day after, I helped her load and unload. Perks of being a single child to a single mother. Not that I minded. Like today, I juggled everything carefully so I only had to make one trip and made my way to the door. I only hoped as I stepped inside that Bat Man’s son wasn’t with him, though it wasn’t likely. He was probably off with his friends, smashing balls into a field with a stick while others ran around like rats trying to catch them.
I managed to turn the doorknob and kicked it open with my foot, then turned and set my mother’s things on the floor inside the foyer. After a little while, I’d take them the rest of the way to the studio, since already, my mother’s voice called out. “Barry, is that you? We’re in the kitchen. Come say hi.”
I hung my head, debating whether or not I should try to sneak past and make a beeline to my room, but I knew better because Mom would come and get me anyway and force me to be polite. Sometimes having a parent that insisted on good manners sucked.
I adjusted my backpack over my shoulder and made my way through the foyer and into the kitchen where Bat Man stood across from Mom, eating a blueberry muffin.Myblueberry muffin, to be exact. It was the last one, and I’d been saving it.
My stomach gave a low rumble as I smothered my annoyance, forcing my gaze away from him to my mother again. “How was school?” she asked.
“Eh.” I shrugged. “Okay, I guess.”
“Good.” Mom nodded, blonde hair bobbing, a smile plastered on her face despite the way she fidgeted with her hands that told me she thought my answer was anything but good. For the last six years, all she’d done was worry about my lack of a social life.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the slight smirk on Bat Man’s face, like he knew how boring my life was, and without thinking, I blurted, “This girl joined our chem class late, and we’re partnered up. She’s pretty cool.”
Mom’s face lit up like fireworks. “Oh, yeah? Is she new to Lakeview?”
“No. I’ve known her for a while. I mean, not well or anything, but . . .” Flustered, my gaze darted to Bat Man, and his smirk spread. “This is just the first time I’ve really talked to her, but she’s really nice.”
Wow, Bare, way to sound like an idiot.
“Is she cute?” Mom asked, her voice conspiratorially low as she leaned toward me from across the kitchen island. And now I really wanted to die. This entire conversation was reminiscent of ones I had with her when I was five. “I bet she’s cute.”
I nudged my wire frames up my nose and shrugged.
“She is!” Mom crowed. “Well, I’m glad, Barry. Just be yourself, and she’ll melt in the palm of your hand. You deserve to meet a girl every bit as amazing as you are.”
Beside me, Bat Man snorted under his breath, and as usual, Mom didn’t notice.How does she not notice?
Ignoring him, I reached for an apple from the wooden fruit bowl on the counter, wiped it on my t-shirt, then took a big bite, mostly in the hopes of annoying him.
“You should eat some protein, get some meat on your bones,” Bat Man said. “You’ll never build muscle if all you eat is bunny food.”
Heat rose to my cheeks.
“Dan,” my mother scolded him.
“What?” He shrugged. “I’m just trying to help the boy out. Give him a few pointers.”
“Well, don’t,” she said softly, looking embarrassed on his behalf. “You’re fine just the way you are, honey.” She patted my hand, which I quickly yanked away.
The only thing worse than Bat Man belittling me was Mom babying me in front of him.
“I thought we talked about this?” he said, turning to her.
“What?”
“Treating him like a child. He’s a man, Flora. He’s eighteen and graduating from high school soon. How’s he ever gonna make it on his own if you’re constantly holding his hand?”
They talked about me?I shifted on my feet, uncomfortable with this new piece of information. It’s not like I didn’t suspect it, but somehow having the suspicion confirmed out loud irked me even more.
“Sorry, but I just wanted him to know that he doesn’t need to change to impress anyone.” Mom turned away from him and rolled her eyes so only I could see.
“Okay, well”—I waved my apple in the air in front of me—“this has been fun, but I’m gonna head to my room.” I’d heard enough and had zero desire to continue the conversation further.
“Oh, honey, wait!” Mom hurried around the island to stand directly in front of me, and I knew she remembered the trip to Bake and Batter, which made me feel the tiniest bit better, like she hadn’t forgotten. “Uh, actually, I wanted to talk to you. Remember our Bake and Batter trip?”
I nodded, subtly glancing from her to him and back. Judging by the way her face had turned as red as the abandoned coffee mug on the island in front of her, I guessed at what she wanted to say. “It’s fine, Mom. We can reschedule.”
