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She gestured to the field in front of us. “I couldn’t think of another thing with this kind of view and access. We’re trying to show them that your life is together and they’ve been wrong about you for your whole life. Seats this good tell a story of a good life, Liv.”
Jesse lost his mind screaming when the team came running out of the tunnel. “Heck yeah!”
Our mother leaned forward and removed her bright orange ear plugs. “Did he just say the h word?”
Jesse looked back at the woman who was no more familiar than Taylor’s mom. “I didn’t say hell.”
Lydie giggled and shared a secret fist bump with him. “You heard him, Mom. He didn’t say hell.”
“Oh, Lydie. Don’t be crass.” Mom looked at me and then down at Jesse. “Do you correct him when he says things like that?”
Because I’d just caught a glimpse of Caleb moving on the sidelines, I let out a bit of sass. “Only when he says the really bad ones.”
Joanne Oakley didn’t like sarcasm. She didn’t like loud noises, that our mascot was a devil, or me. I could tell that when she arrived with Dad, she’d had hope. She’d clearly thought that since I’d been a victim, maybe every other thing I ever did that she hated wasn’t real, either. Within five minutes, it was clear that she regretted fighting her husband to drive out to see me. Once he was near a football game, however, David Oakley wasn’t going to miss it. It was his one secular pleasure. Not that he’d ever admit it.
I shot another glare at Lydie. “This is torture.”
“Look. It was either this or sitting at your dining table staring at each other.” She shrugged. “Just try to enjoy the game, Liv. Look at how much fun Jesse’s having.”
“What did your sister say, Olive?”
I turned towards Mom and forced a smile. “She said Jesse looks like he’s having a blast.”
Her upper lip curled higher, just the slightest bit. “Does he always jump around like that? In public?”
I was going to lose my mind. “Pretty much. Sometimes he just starts mosh pits and I have to drag him away before he’s arrested for disturbing the peace.”
She clutched her purse tighter on her lap. “Olive, that’s not necessary.”
I shrugged. “And your comments on my son aren’t necessary, either. Just try to enjoy yourself, Mom. This is supposed to be fun.”
“Fun.” She popped her ear plugs back in and faced straight forward, cutting off any conversation with me.
Unfortunately for me, Dad chose to lean over Mom’s lap and start a conversation. “That ex of yours is the quarterback, right?”
I barely resisted the urge to throw myself over the railing. “Nope. He was removed from the team after some allegations came out about him.”
“Don’t pop your letters like that.” Dad narrowed his eyes at me. “You didn’t start the allegations, did you? We’re supposed to turn the other cheek, not seek out revenge, Olive.”
“Nope.” I popped that letter out super hard. “I didn’t start any allegations. I did, however, catch him admitting trying to ruin the life of other people and I sent the pertinent information where it needed to go.”
“That’s not turning the other cheek.”
I was about to show him turning the other cheek. I was also going to murder Lydie for bringing me somewhere I would be forced to watch the guys play while listening to our parents disapprove of me at every turn. I don’t claim to be perfect, Dad. I don’t want to be. When people hurt the people I care about, I’d rather be vengeful than a coward.”
“Oh, my god!” Sequins flashed in the corner of my eye and I looked up to see Kitty, Jerry, the Trashed Twins, and Helen all scooting into the seats directly behind us. “I thought we were going to be late!”
I gaped up at them even as my dad lectured me. His words were bouncing off my other cheek while I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.
Kitty glanced down and her eyes widened. “Little Kitty! What are you doing here?”
Lydie snorted. “Little Kitty?”
“What am I doing here? What areyoudoing here?” I shook my head to clear it of the fog seeing them outside of Jolly Pines caused. “Um. This is my sister, Lydie, and my son, Jesse. Guys, these are my friends from work. Kitty, Jerry, Barb, Brenda, and Helen.”
Helen leaned forward. “I’m the one who doesn’t look like a circus freak.”
Lydie threw her head back and laughed. “This is the best day ever.”
