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“Back at you. Also, I need to teach you how to hit because you suck at it. I noticed that when you were hitting my bag before.”
I rolled my eyes as I got out. But as I walked up to the house, I couldn’t lie to myself.
I was smiling.
61
RAMSAY
They crept into my room the next morning. Theresa was carrying a cup of coffee and when they saw I was awake, they started grinning.
Theresa put the coffee on my desk as Gem and Alred climbed onto my bed.
“That’s from your mom,” Theresa said.
“Your mom is awesome. She’s making pancakes that look like they have Skittles inside. I don’t think they do, but I’m loving the rainbow theme.” Alred sighed happily from where he lay at the foot of my bed with his head resting against the wall. Gem was on her back next to me, and she yawned. “We need to decide what we’re doing for the day.”
“Yeah.”
Theresa sat on my loveseat, pulling a pillow onto her lap. “Wanna do lunch at Louie’s?”
Gem held up a hand. “I was thinking more along the lines of studying. I worked this weekend, so I got almost no homework done.”
Alred groaned, rolling to face us. “You guys are boring. Homework. Studying. But I’m down for Louie’s.”
“You don’t have work to do for your school?” I asked.
“I get that done during my classes.”
I was still curious about Louie’s.
“What are you thinking? You down for Louie’s?” Theresa asked.
I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Clint.
Me: What are you doing today?
A few seconds later, a new text sounded.
Clint: Waiting for you to come over.
“I think I’m needed at my cousin’s today,” I told them.
Theresa nodded before half jumping on Alred, who shrieked a little as he pushed her off.
I was waiting for one of them to mention my sneaking out last night, but no one brought it up. I was relieved. Not that I wanted to keep Scout a secret, but it was just easier not to answer questions. When my mom called up that breakfast was ready, I slipped into the bathroom and cleaned up for the day. I headed downstairs in leggings and an oversized hoodie, my coffee in hand.
Everyone was seated at the island.
Gem waved her fork in the air. “Yourmom’spancakesareawesome.”
Theresa laughed. “Do I need to translate that?”
I took a stool as my mom put a plate in front of me. Alred was right. The pancakes had Skittles.
My mom had set up the whole island for breakfast. There were bowls of fruit, chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream, candy, Nutella, and bacon bits. Each one had a little tag to label it. She’d gone to the store and gotten balloons as well. They were in one corner of the island, along with four brown goody bags for me and my friends.
“Ramsay.” Alred almost dropped his fork. “What’s wrong?”
I couldn’t look away from the goody bags.
My mom came over, wrapping me in her arms. “It’s always good to keep moving forward,” she whispered. “New friends. New memories. Good things in life.”
I reached up and held on to her hands.
“I love you, sweetie.”
“If I haven’t said it, you are the best mom I could ask for.”
She untangled herself. I turned so I could hug her better.
I motioned to the bags and the island. “My mom used to do this for me back before . . . everything. With my other friends.”
Gem squeezed my hand. “Are you still in touch with them?”
I thought of Traitor 1’s recent texts and shrugged. “They sided with him at the time. It doesn’t matter what they think now.”
“Then they’re assholes,” Theresa declared. “They’re kicking themselves for their stupidity. You’re amazing, and they know it.”
“If they don’t accept you for you, they weren’t knowing in the first place.” Alred’s eyes were distant before he blinked, clearing a flash of emotion away and dug back into his pancakes.
I paused, studying Alred for a second.
I’d heard these things before, but it never took away the truth that when I needed my friends, they weren’t there for me. The other truth? That feeling never left a person.
My mom stayed close until they left, giving each a hug and their goody bag.
Maybe it was the nostalgia, or maybe it was the glimpse I got of my old mom coming back, or maybe it was something deeper inside me, but whatever it was, I turned to her once they left.
“I need to tell you something.”
She only grinned. “You’re going to tell me about the boy I found in your bed the other morning. The one who only wanted mints from the concession stand.”
I—what?
She laughed, patting my hand. “If you think I didn’t know, you’re going to have to do better.” She pretended to drop the mic. “Bomb dropped.”
I didn’t blink.
My throat was burning. “Max wrote an article about how he’s the victim.”
