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He stuck his tongue out at her.
Mom cleared her throat. “I got a letter from Emerson Academy today, Diego,” she said.
I raised my eyebrows. “Did they say I get to skip college counseling? Because that would be great.”
Mom shook her head. “They said this year they’re giving seniors the option to volunteer at the school on Fridays or take a class from Emerson Technical College. You could be a CNA or study cosmetology or even train to get a CDL since you’re eighteen. You could work as a truck driver while you figure out your next steps.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “I barely got my license last year and you want me to drive a semi?”
Dad said, “I don’t see you with any other plans after graduation other than hanging out on that surfboard. Teaching lessons on the weekends isn’t exactly a viable full-time job, Diego.”
My muscles tensed up. Here wasthe talkagain.
The lecture where I got reminded that graduation was coming and I needed to figure out a career if I didn’t want to go to college.
But my problem? I didn’t really have dreams, and I wasn’t good enough at school to like the thought of spending years at college to figure it out. Surfing was fun, but I didn’t want to compete. I loved teaching lessons, but it didn’t make enough money to move out or pay for much of anything in the “real world” my parents were preparing me for.
This constant pressure was making me miserable. “If I take one of those classes, can we stop talking about my plans for next year?” I asked.
The entire table seemed to go quiet, waiting for my parents’ response. Mom and Dad exchanged a glance, having one of those silent conversations between themselves. Finally, Dad looked at me and nodded. “Just pick one.”
“I’ll be a CNA,” I said, digging back into my burrito.
Des seemed surprised. “You picked just like that?”
“Yeah,” Mom agreed. “Don’t you want to see the program details?”
I shook my head. “I’m not driving a semi, and going to the salon with Mom gives me a headache.”
“Great,” Mom said with a smile. “I’ll fill out that paperwork tonight.”
I nodded, finishing up my breakfast. “Is it okay if I go back out? I have a lesson coming at ten.”
They nodded, and I went outside, ready to be back in my happy place again.
Three
April
The next morningdidn’t start off too badly—Heidi had stayed on her leash for our walk and I hadn’t run into Mr. Thinks-He-Owns-the-Beach. But the day was still young, and my nerves were going wild for my first day at Emerson Academy.
I walked in the back door and hung my jacket on the hooks before walking into the kitchen, freezing in the doorway. Dad sat at the table, eating a slice of toast and drinking coffee across from Mom, who had her laptop out and was doing work.
She looked up at me, her smile bigger than I’d seen it in a long time. “How was your walk?”
“Good,” I said, cautiously stepping into the kitchen. Dad hadn’t been awake this early in months. Much less in a good enough mood to sit with us and eat breakfast.
He smiled up at me. “Morning, monkey.”
The nickname nearly brought tears to my eyes. Since my name was April, they’d shortened it to Ape, and that led to the monkey nickname. He hadn’t called me that in so long. “Morning, Dad. How are you doing?” I asked tentatively, hoping I didn’t say the wrong thing.
“Good,” he replied. The shadows coming through the kitchen windows made the scars on the left side of his face seem deeper. But there was a familiar look in his eyes too, like he was my dad again. “Ready for your first day with all those rich kids?” he teased.
I snorted, feeling lighter than air. My dad was joking with me again? Maybe this doctor was already helping him! “I think so. Other than the uniform. What kinds of kids wear blazers to school?”
He stiffened, and I froze. What had I said wrong?
Uniform. Such a big part of his career.
