Life, Love, & Lemons

by Vernon, Magan

  “Bent, we’re just fine; you didn’t have to worry about that. I’m still getting unemployment and how could you even sign the title over without my permission?” He leaned in further, he was now staring right at me.

  I looked up. “When I was in middle school you taught me to forge your signature for packages that came in, so I’ve been using it for everything from report cards to, well, signing the title over on my car.”

  Dad and I sat in silence for what seemed like forever before he finally spoke. “I don’t even know what to say, Bent. You’ve been so great through everything, and I’m just so proud of you for keeping it together.”

  He put his hand on mine as he smiled. “If you need to start taking my car to school or to work that’s fine with me, and I promise as soon as I’m working again or my book gets published, I’ll buy you a brand new car, anything that you like.”

  “Even a Lamborghini?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

  “If this self-publishing things turns out okay, then maybe.”

  “Wait, so you are going to self-publish?” I played with an ad on the table, thumbing it with my fingers.

  “Well, basically I tried to see if I could get an agent, but that was a no-go, so I talked to some of my buddies from college and lined up an editor and graphic artist for the cover. I’m hoping to have it up and on all the internet retailers by next week.” He smiled, sitting up a little taller.

  “Dad, that’s awesome! Does Mom know?” I knew the answer to that before I even asked it and when he winced I knew that I shouldn’t have asked.

  “She’s been pretty busy, so we haven’t gotten too much time to talk.” He looked away, the spark fading from his eyes into a low glow. I wondered if he knew and if he did, what he planned on doing about it?

  I almost jumped out of my seat when I heard a loud banging at our patio door. But at least it broke up the tension that was wafting in the air between Dad and me.

  “Who would be knocking on our patio door?” Dad picked up another newspaper ad, looking toward the door.

  I shrugged and got up, pushing back the curtains. Standing there, on my patio, in his work uniform, was Kai with a big cheesy grin on his face.

  Dad looked up at the clock. “Isn’t it a little early for him to be visiting?”

  “Dad.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Okay, fine. I’ll go into the other room. I need to see if I can get the upstairs neighbor’s Wi-Fi from the bedroom anyway.”

  He pushed away from the table and one by one, stacked up the papers and placed them into a neat pile. Then he reached around to scratch at his back end. The clock ticked loudly across the room.

  “Oh my God, Dad!”

  “What?” He asked.

  “You move slower than a snail!”

  “All right, all right.” He picked up the last of his papers and finally headed back toward the bedroom.

  I opened the door and when the air hit my chest and my nipples hardened, I immediately crossed my arms over the thin tank top that I wore to bed. I made a mental note to try and wear something a little less revealing in the morning. Kai’s cheeks flushed and his gaze went from my chest, to my face, and back again.

  “Are you doing better this morning?” He shut the door behind him and walked into the kitchen an edge of concern to his voice.

  “I’m actually surprised that you still want to see me after my whole outburst last night” I shifted from one foot to the other.

  He shrugged. “Sometimes you just have to let it all out. And I wanted you to know that though everything might suck right now, it definitely has to get better, and truly everything can’t suck. You still have me, right?”

  Like a wave it crashed into me. During my own pity party I never talked about any of the good things that came from all of this. Okay, basically the one good thing, Kai.

  “Kai, when I said all those bad things I wasn’t referring to you at all.” I waved my hands in front of me, hoping it was warm enough that I wasn’t giving him a show anymore. “I mean you’re great, almost too great to put up with me.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, you’re the only girl I’ve dated who’s actually met Mom.” He thrusted his hands in his pockets as he sort of swayed to the left.

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you date Brynne for like a long time though?”

  “Yeah, but if Mom freaked out about us kissing, what do you think she would think of Brynne?” He chewed on his bottom lip, making the urge to kiss him almost unbearable.

  “Probably the same thing that I thought about her,” I muttered.

  “And what was that?” He stood a little closer to me, so that we were practically touching.

  “That you could do way better.” I smiled up at him as he put his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. He smelled like he just got out of the shower, surrounding my body with his boyish soap scent.

  “Like a girl who answers her door half-naked and leaves her boyfriend looking stunned since her Dad is right there?” He smiled and planted a small kiss on my lips.

  “Exactly.”

  Chapter 23

  Short Shorts and George Michael

  All week I had just wanted to scream and ask Gabby if Brett was gay. It shouldn’t have mattered so much, but when the guy I’d known since nursery school was gay, I thought I should know about it. Especially when I considered him one of my best friends. So I decided to come up with a plan to figure out if he was gay or not, without outright asking her.

  “What are you and Brett doing tonight?” I whispered while we were supposed to be discussing a worksheet for English. No one was actually working on it but the two of us, so I guess I really didn’t need to whisper.

  “Well, it’s Thursday, so I don’t have a game or anything. Why what’s up?” She fluttered her long lashes. I always wondered if they were fake but never actually wanted to ask.

  “I thought that maybe you two could come and watch a movie with Kai and me. I mean nothing fancy, just hanging out.” I twirled my pencil.

  “Oh yeah, that’d be great.” Her eyes lit up. “I’ll just text Brett, but I’m sure it’ll be no problem. He loves double dates, and I mean, I’m pretty bored of going out with Taylor and Jake all the time.”

  I winced. “Ugh, they’re actually still together?”

  “Yeah, but honestly I don’t think he’s over you. Whenever Taylor’s not around he totally asks about you.” She smiled as if it was some sort of a great thing.

  “Yeah, well, I have absolutely no interest in him. Not only does Kai treat me a million times better, but what Jake did to me was unforgiveable.” I tossed my hair back. I wanted to pretend like I didn’t care, but the truth was, it stung. My supposed best friend and my ex-boyfriend were together. The ex-boyfriend who she knew made my life a living hell. He could pretend he cared about me all he wanted, but the only person he ever really cared for was himself.

  “I still don’t understand why you guys even broke up. He’s so aloof when it’s even brought up.” She rested her chin on her palm and leaned in. “What really did happen?”

  “Well” Something cold and wet hit the back of my head before I could finish my thought.

  “UGH.”

  I turned around. A group of girls with neon-colored hair giggled from across the room. A giant straw dangled from one of the girl’s mouth. Weren’t spit wads a little immature? I looked back up to the front. Miss Winter was still staring down at her desk. Probably reading a book and didn’t notice a thing. After the first week, she gave up on trying to teach the class and just kept assigning worksheets.

  Thwap. Another spit wad hit the back of my head.

  “Hey, I think Barbie likes spit in her hair. Maybe her and Kai are into some kinky stuff,” One girl with pink hair and a really deep voice snorted.

  “Yeah or maybe her laid off daddy just couldn’t afford for her to get anything else but a spit bath,” Another girl with short spiky green hair said with a laugh.

  Okay, enough was e
nough. I threw myself out of my chair and stormed over to the group of girls. Their ringleader, the one with bleached-blonde hair and the straw in her mouth, stared up at me with her big green eyes widening and her multi-pierced brows reaching the top of her head.

  “First off, I don’t know where you get the gall to talk about me and my boyfriend, but for the record, only trashy little girls like you spit.” I looked behind me to make sure that Miss Winter wasn’t listening before I leaned back over to the group of girls.

  “And another thing. You don’t know jack about my family and next time you even think about talking about them, I will make sure that every single employee of Perkins knows your face. So that when you go in there for your late night coffee, they’ll be sure to add a little extra…” I took an inhale and make a gurgling noise like I was going to spit. “Savvy?”

  Before the girls could even respond, and that’s if they would have wiped the shocked look off of their face, the bell rang.

  “Look at you go, Bee.” Gabby giggled while we headed out into the hallway.

  “What did Miss Bentley do now?” Kai appeared out of nowhere and almost made me jump when he fell into stride next to Gabby and me.

  “Besides being the awesome friend who invited Brett and me over for a double date; she told some scene kids off in class.” Gabby pulled out her phone and immediately started texting away.

  “Um, we’re going on a double date?” Kai asked as soon as Gabby walked away and we headed toward his car. His eyes were wider than I’d ever seen him. I was trying to think of a way to spring it on him gently, but it was now or never.

  “Well, kind of. They’re just coming over to my apartment to watch a movie with the two of us, so I guess you can call it that.” I bit my bottom lip and slid into the passenger seat, waiting to hear his reaction. He didn’t seem to dislike Gabby, but he also never really tried to hang out with her. And he didn’t have too good of an impression of Brett after the shake incident.

  “I get to spend my Thursday with a pom girl and a private school volleyball boy, oh joy!” Kai said with added sarcasm and started the car.

  “Please do this for me. I’m just trying to figure out something,” I yelled over his stereo before turning it down.

  “And what are you trying to figure out?” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye.

  “If Brett’s gay.”

  Kai hit the brakes so hard I thought that I thought I was going to fly through the windshield.

  “I really like you, Bentley, but I don’t like you that much.” His gaze shifted nervously to mine and back to the front again.

  I shoved Kai’s shoulder. “I don’t mean that I want to use you as bait!”

  “Oh, thank God!” He let out a deep breath. “Because I really do like you that much and you could have probably convinced me to do it.”

  “No, I just you know want to see how they act as a couple, since I’ve never really paid attention. ”I reached over and intertwined my fingers with Kai’s. “But you really like me that much?”

  “Bentley, let me put it this way…” He rubbed his thumb down the side of my hand. “I was about ready to bust out the short shorts and some George Michael. Nothing says I like you more than that.”

  Chapter 24

  Because Of These

  “Remember what I said about the whole girl answering the door half-naked and leaving her boyfriend stunned thing?” It was the first thing Kai said when I answered the patio door, his new favorite place to come in.

  “Remember what I said about using the front door?” I put my hand on my hip.

  I found the most revealing thing I could in my closet: A pink tank top that was so low I didn’t know how I kept my girls inside of it and a very short jean skirt that definitely broke St. Christopher’s fingertip rule.

  “Are you sure you really want Brett and Gabby to come over when you’re dressed like that?” He shut the door behind him as he stepped into the kitchen.

  “You don’t like it?” I did a little twirl and was pretty sure that Kai could see my underwear when I moved.

  “Um…” He blushed. “I think I may like it too much.”

  “So…” I put my arms around his neck and pressed myself against him. “Are you saying that as a straight man this is appealing?”

  He pulled me closer and kissed my forehead. “I think I’m saying that you should try and inspect more people’s gayness if you’re going to dress like that.”

  I stood on my tippy toes and kissed him. He was all too happy to reciprocate, his tongue sliding into my mouth and dancing behind my lips.

  But of course it only lasted about thirty seconds before Gabby and Brett started knocking at the door. I broke our kiss and took Kai’s hand, leading him with me to the front door.

  I opened the door to see Brett and Gabby standing there, big smiles on their faces.

  “Oh em gee, Brett, I haven’t seen you in like forever!” I squealed as I jumped up and gave Brett a big hug.

  Obviously everyone was pretty confused by this, as they stared at me, especially Brett who could barely hug me back.

  “Uh, yeah I guess it has been awhile,” He said as he ran his fingers through his hair and kept his head down while he walked into my apartment.

  “Yeah, sorry we’re late, Brett had trouble finding the place since he says, and I quote, ‘there are no brooks and no ridges in Brooke Ridge Apartments’.”

  “Whatever, Gabby, you know you agreed with me.” He smiled and put an arm around her shoulders.

  I was really hoping he would give me some kind of hint as if he were gay or straight, but so far nothing. He was dressed pretty straight—I guess—in his usual plaid shirt and jeans. Maybe if he was wearing a v neck and a scarf that would have given it away.

  “Um, this is my boyfriend, Kai. I think you may have seen him around.” I pointed to Kai as he extended his hand toward Brett. Maybe a loose handshake would give it away or something.

  Nope, nope their handshake looked pretty straight. If there is a straight handshake.

  “So this is the new place, ey, Bee?” Brett looked around the small living room, his eyes trailing a little too long at the water spots in the ceiling and chipped paint.

  “Yeah, I guess this is where I’ll be calling home, at least for now.”

  Kai slumped down on the coach and patted the seat next to him for me. “So, what’s the plan for tonight?”

  “Well…” I sat down next to him, making sure that I leaned over for an especially long time when I spoke. “I was thinking of scary movie night.”

  I watched Brett’s eyes to see if he even glanced down my shirt. Nothing yet.

  “I’m not a real big fan of scary movies.” Gabby grimaced and sat down on the love seat with Brett.

  “That’s why you have Brett to hold you during the scary parts!” I beamed.

  “Yes, because I’m sure that I can fight off the monsters in the TV,” Brett said, shaking his head. “I think the city smog has messed with your head a bit Bee.”

  “Uh, speaking of the city…” Gabby smiled, trying to break the tension. “Are you guys going to Homecoming? St. Christopher’s is this weekend, and East’s is only a couple of weeks away.”

  Kai tried to stifle a laugh. “Aren’t school dances kind of lame?”

  I turned back toward Kai, crossing my arms over my chest. For a comment like that he didn’t get to see down my shirt. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Yeah, Kai, have you ever actually gone to a school dance?” Gabby asked.

  “Whoa, whoa what is this, gang up on Kai time?” He threw his hands up in the air.

  “Dude, you can’t really fight it. Bee’s the kind of girl that likes to go to dances, and they really aren’t all that lame.” Brett shrugged. “They’re kind of fun.”

  Was that a gay or straight comment?

  “I don’t know. Dances just really aren’t my thing.” Kai shrugged and put his arm around me.

  “So, you wouldn
’t take me to Homecoming?” I batted my eyelashes giving him the puppy dog eyes.

  “Well…I don’t know…” He looked down at the coffee table instead of at me.

  “What if Bentley made Homecoming court?” Gabby asked.

  I snorted and leaned back into Kai, so that I could see Gabby and Brett. “Yeah, like that will ever happen.”

  “If Bentley got on Homecoming court then I guess I would have to go with her.”

  This meant that he would never go and that kind of brought the conversation to a halt. To break the silence I sprung from the couch and headed over to the entertainment center.

  “I have all the classic 80’s horror films here just waiting to be watched.”

  “Oh boy,” Gabby rolled her eyes while I put in the first random slasher movie in.

  I crept back over to cuddle up with Kai on the couch. I had to admit that even though the whole night was about seeing if Brett was gay, it was kind of nice to be able to just sit with Kai and not worry about what else was going on in the world.

  Gabby and Brett were a little more awkward in their positioning. Oh sure they were sitting together, but with his arm around her and the few inches of space between them, one would think they were at an eighth grade dance or something.

  The longer that the movie went on the closer Kai’s body got to mine, but it seemed like that was the opposite for Brett and Gabby. One would think that my over-emphasis of every scream or jump when something scary would come on the screen would have done something, but I think it just made me look like a crazy person.

  By the time the killer stabbed the fiftieth person, the front door opened, and I think we all jumped a little bit.

  “Hi kids.” Dad came into the living room, smiling away like he didn’t have a care in the world. I wished he would have dressed a little better. Not that I was embarrassed of Dad, okay maybe I was a little bit embarrassed. But I didn’t want Brett to go back to St. Christopher’s and tell everyone that Dad goes out in public wearing sweat pants and Star Trek t shirts.