AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Cool.” Jasper grins.
My gaze flickers from one guy to the other before sliding back again. No matter what I thought might happen, this wasn’t it.
Not only am I at a loss for words, it feels like I’ve entered a parallel dimension.
One where nothing makes sense.
Jasper’s undergone a total personality transplant, and Mom is having a secret affair with the headmaster of my school.
The only thing I know for certain is that I can’t take any more weirdness.
DELILAH
Mom keeps up a steady flow of chatter as we drive from our house to Jasper’s palatial mansion where the Hawthorne Prep annual charity function is held each year. There’s a mile-long line of expensive cars parked along the street outside the estate.
“It’s such a shame that Jasper didn’t have a good game last night,” Mom says, breaking into the whirl of my thoughts. “I feel bad for the poor guy.”
Much like last week, Jasper made several errors that cost the team both yards and points. The coach yanked him out before halftime, sending Austin in to take his place.
And just like the previous game, the other boy turned things around within the quarter and they won by a field goal. It doesn’t matter if it was by the skin of their teeth. A win is a win in everyone’s book. As soon as Jasper was pulled from the game, I held my breath, waiting for him to lose it on the sidelines.
It never happened.
In fact, he clapped and cheered when Austin threw a touchdown to one of the receivers. It's like an internal switch has been flipped and his behavior is the complete opposite of what it’s always been. And not just with Austin, but me as well. He’sbeen sweet and considerate this entire week. At lunch on Friday, he even joked around with Austin.
It was bizarre.
“He seemed to take it in stride.”
She nods before peering up at the stone mansion that’s lit up like a Christmas tree as we crawl up the weathered brick drive.
“I can’t believe how gorgeous their house is,” she murmurs as if the occupants might overhear her whispered comments. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in such a huge place.” A wistful edge creeps into her voice.
I reach out and settle my hand over hers. “I like ours better. It’s cozy.”
She rips her gaze off the ten thousand plus square foot mansion long enough to meet mine before snorting.
“Come on, honey…you can be honest. It won’t hurt my feelings. Living here would be a dream.”
It’s funny, I used to think the same thing, but not anymore. A lot of these people are self-absorbed jerks. They don’t care about anyone or anything but themselves. It took me a while to realize the kids behave that way because they’ve learned it from their parents. In this instance, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Wanting to lighten the mood, I wave a hand toward the property. “Can you imagine what a nightmare that place is to clean? It probably takes days.”
“Do you honestly think they do it themselves? They probably have an army of help.”
Not that I’ll admit it to her, but she’s right. There’s a housekeeper who lives full-time at the residence and another woman who comes in daily to cook meals.
It takes another ten minutes to finally make it to the front entrance. As soon as we roll to a stop, a valet springs into action and opens Mom’s door. I almost wince when a loud creak fillsthe air. If the younger man notices or doesn’t think we belong, his expression remains impassive.
Another valet in matching black pants and a white shirt opens my door before offering a hand to assist me from the compact vehicle. As soon as they drive away, Mom flashes a bright smile, and we walk arm in arm up the wide stone stairs that lead to the front door.
Mom’s hand flutters before smoothing the front of her dress. “I hope Jasper’s parents remember me. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
I don’t tell her that they entertain almost every weekend and not once has an invitation been issued. It’s probably never occurred to them to offer one or get to know her on a more personal level.
“I’m sure they will.” My gaze sweeps over her length. “You look beautiful. The dress is really pretty, and I like the way you styled your hair.”
She beams before pressing a kiss against the side of my face. “Thanks, sweetie. I watched a tutorial on YouTube. It’s amazing how much you can learn there.” Excitement fills her voice as she drops it to a whisper. “And I didn’t cut the tag off the dress. My plan is to return it tomorrow. It’s just too expensive to keep. I mean, where else am I going to wear something this fancy?”
