AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re going out?Really?” My mom’s eyebrows came together, almost like she thought this was some kind of trick.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m going out.”
My dad got up, shuffled to the front window, and peered outside. All he saw was a world of dusk, which was why my mom asked him, “Honey, what are you doing over there?”
My dad’s retort was deadpanned: “I’m just checking the sky to see if any pigs are flying by—”
Rolling her eyes, my mom huffed, “Pay no attention to him. I think it’s great you’re going out. Are you meeting friends somewhere?” My mom always asked about friends; I couldn’t remember when it had started. She didn’t know why Amelia and I had a falling out. She couldn’t, because I refused to tell her.
Telling her and dad the truth… not something I was good at, in more ways than one. When you kept things to yourself, you internalized them. You played an act, a single role in a play, and you got good enough to fool everyone who saw you day to day. Doing that, it became easier and easier to keep lying.
My parents were nice enough, but they didn’t know about any of it.
“Yeah,” I lied. “I’m not sure what time I’ll be home, but I’ll be quiet.”
“Be safe, Charlie,” my mom said as my dad returned to her side, reclining on the couch. “And if you need your father or me to come pick you up—”
I sighed. “Mom, I’m not going to drink. I promise.”
I left the living room before either of them could say anything more mortifying. Be safe. Call them to pick me up if I got drunk. Who did they think I was? A: I was never safe. Not back then and certainly not now, with my stalker. B: I never touched alcohol in my life. I didn’t want to. The things it could make people do, the way it tended to change those who consumed it in spades… I didn’t like it.
Grabbing my keys, I was out the door in the next moment. Once in my car, I let out a sigh and started her up. I backed up to the road and pulled out, driving to where I said I’d pick up Brett.
He was standing on the side of the road, tapping his wrist once my headlights illuminated him, which made me realize I was five minutes late. It was five after nine. Oops.
Brett hurried to get in, and once he was in, he buckled his seatbelt and looked at me. Though he didn’t say a word, I knew what he was implying, and I told him, “I know, I know. I’m five minutes late. I’m sorry.”
“I’d say it’s okay if you were dressed appropriately, but damn it, Charlie, you look like a grandma.”
I glanced at him, then at the road, then down at myself. “A grandma? Come on. No, I don’t.” I wore jeans and a sweater—but not an old person sweater. It might not be flashy for a party, but it was kind of chilly out tonight, and I didn’t want to be cold.
Brett nodded solemnly. “Like a tiny little grandma everyone’s going to avoid at the party because they think you’re someone’s designated driver or some shit. Did you even look in the mirror before you left? I look better than you, and I’m dressed in clothes from Goodwill.”
“Yes, I looked in the mirror,” I hissed out. “And you probably look good in anything, so that doesn’t count.” The words left me before I realized it, and once they were out, I bit the inside of my cheek, hoping he’d drop it but also knowing he wouldn’t.
“Oh, are you even allowed to say that? I thought I was super old.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“Do you even know when Sunglasses at Night came out? I looked it up. Eighty-three. Maybe they’re not teaching math that well anymore in school, but that’s before my time, just so we’re clear.” Brett’s finger tapped against the door. “And, yes, before you ask, I have them. They’re in my pocket. I’ll put them on when we get there.”
“All right,” I relented. “You’re not that old.”
I could feel him smirking. “Thank you. You still look like a grandma, though. But maybe that’s a good thing. You won’t have random guys hitting on you when you look like you just came from your knitting class and are up past your bedtime.”
He was lucky I was driving, because if I wasn’t… if I wasn’t, I’d do something. Smack him. Yell at him. Turn away and storm off to end the conversation. But I was driving, so I was limited in what I could say. I didn’t say anything.
“Did you even wash your hair for tonight? You look greasy—”
I couldn’t be quiet anymore, sadly, so I tossed him a glare. “Okay. You’re being mean on purpose. My hair is not greasy and I do not look like a grandma up past her bedtime! You’re just being stupid!”
Brett smirked. “Nice comeback, Charlie. I felt that one right here.” He tapped his chest, over his heart, as if I’d sent an arrow straight through.
“Like you even have a heart.”
“I do,” he shot back, actually sounding offended. “I have a heart, thank you very much. I have feelings. Maybe not the full spectrum of feelings, but still.”
I didn’t know if I believed him. “Well, so far all I’ve seen from you is anger, annoyance, and… no, that’s pretty much it. I think you saying I hurt you with my words is you just being stupid. You don’t have a heart. You can’t love.” Maybe that was too much to say.
