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Walking from Brandley where my last class of the week—bio genetics lab—is held, my phone starts playing the007ringtone, specifically the part where the trumpets are at their most aggressive. I reach in and pull it out of my pocket to see it’s a FaceTime request and hitaccept.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Happy end of week two!”
“Dang, Mom.” I cringe.
“How many times have I told you, don’t take my call until you take those things out of your ears?”
“I have these things in my ears all the time. Can you just not—”
“Feel excitement? Joy? Happiness? Pride in the fact that my only daughter is brilliant?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, please, be miserable and start shunning me.”
We both start laughing at that.
“How exciting was last weekend with your girls?”
“A little less exciting as it was when I told you all about it Sunday night, since it’s now been a few days.”
Now she rolls her eyes at me. “I have ten minutes between surgeries, and I chose to spend them with you, and this is what I get?”
I nearly jump out of my slides when Theo pops out of nowhere and is at my side. “Skip breakfast this morning to avoid me?”
Yes.“No.” I force a laugh as I hitend calland shove the phone in my pocket.
“No? Not because tonight’s the big date, and you were thinking seeing me today would make it impossible to—”
I slap my hand over his mouth when I hear Mom ask, “Who is that, and what date?”
Theo’s brows are nearly at his hairline as I pull the earbuds out of my ears.
“Shh… it’s my mom.”
As I pull my hand away, I hear Mom again, but now from my pocket and clearly the earbuds disconnected, so yep, Theo hears her, too.
“Riley, who is that young man? Are you okay?”
Before I have a chance to tell him she’s a master manipulator and knows I’m okay, he says, “My name is Theo Rivera, Mrs. Park. Riley is perfectly safe.”
I draw my finger across my throat and glare at him, to which he laughs.
I pull my phone from my pocket and hold it facing up, just below my chin so she knows I am far from enthusiastic about this … ambush.
“Hold the phone up so I’m not looking up your nose, Riley.”
I glare down at her. “My arms are sore.”
The phone is snatched from my hands. “Let me help you out.” Theo steps in front of me and holds the phone up.
“You’re both ridiculous,” I grumble.
“How come I can’t see your friend?” Mom asks, leaning closer to the screen as if that’ll make him more visible.
“Because he’s not in the frame,” I answer, feeling my chest and neck begin to burn.
“Theo Rivera, move into the frame so I can see you.”
