My head whips towards Patrick to see his reaction to this. A million questions go through my head, but the humiliated expression on Patrick’s face shows it’s not the best time to ask any of them.
I laugh my way back down to my own room. What an awful, awkward conversation. I pick up my guitar and flip it over. My fingers tap in rhythm against the smooth surface helping me think.
Robin.
Everything we did physically was discussed and consensual. My love for her is real, no doubt in my mind on that one. I just got caught up in it all. It was like she said, the love was overpowered by the lust and I missed the signs we were crashing. The mistakes run over and over in my mind. Now she’s with someone else, but I still question…can I get her back?
Patrick’s door is still open and I walk in. “Hey, you got a sec?”
“Are you here to here to ask me about sex? ’Cause you know we can go to each other,” Patrick chuckles at his own joke.
“Never mind.” This is ridiculous I turn back around. Why am I going to my little brother? I can figure it out on my own.
“Wait, are you being serious? Do you really need to ask me something?” Patrick stops what he’s doing at his desk and faces me.
I’m not sure what I really want to ask yet so I start off with, “Remember the first time Mom gave us the sex talk?”
“The unicorn t-shirt,” Patrick smiles. He remembers.
“The unicorn t-shirt.” I dip my head down with a smile of my own. I can’t help but smile thinking about the unicorn t-shirt.
“I’ll never forget the day Robin came over wearing that unicorn t-shirt. Where did those things come from? It was like one day she had nothing and the next day, bam, she was filling out that unicorn t-shirt like nobody’s business.”
“Hey, this is my girl we’re talking about. Or at least she was. But yeah, that unicorn t-shirt made me start seeing girls in a whole different way. I stared at her chest all through dinner and then after Mom had the talk with us that night. I guess it was all my fault.”
“I think I was guilty of a few glances myself.” Patrick starts laughing.
“I remember I asked her to wear it again and Mom heard me.” Now I’m laughing.
“Please tell me you’re joking.” Patrick’s laugh gets louder and so does mine.
“Hey, what’s so funny? I can hear you in my room.” Mom’s back standing in the doorway.
“Nothing, we were just talking about the first time you gave us ‘the talk,’ ” I admit, my laughter calming down.
“Oh, the unicorn t-shirt,” Mom says. “I remember that day.” She rolls her eyes and sighs.
I look over at Patrick, we’re not sure if we should keep laughing. Will Mom give us another talk if we do? I mean she just caught us laughing about boobs.
Dad walks by and sticks his head in the room. “What’s everybody doing in here?” He steps in.
Mom waves her hand at him and says,” Oh nothing me and the boys were just talking about some silly unicorn shirt.”
“Oh, you’re talking about Robin.” He gives me and Patrick a perceptive nod of the head and smiles.
Mom’s face goes rigid and she pushes him back out into the hallway and they disappear.
“Okay, so it looks like we all remember the shirt and Dad’s a pervert,” Patrick says raising his eyebrows. “Anything else you want to ask me?”
There is. “How do I get back with Robin?”
“You don’t,” Patrick says, very straightforward.
I know Patrick and Robin see each other almost every day on their way to and from school. Does he know something?
“What is she saying to you? I need to know. Is she telling you how I messed everything up?”
“She’s not saying anything to me. Truthfully, I don’t think it was all your fault and I don’t think she does either. Both of you were guilty of rushing things. I just think your relationship opened her up, brought her out of her shell,” he pauses. “Remember after her mom died, you were the only person she would talk to. I mean it. She barely talked to the rest of us. I feel like this past year I’ve heard her talk more than I ever did all the rest of the years I’ve known her combined. I think she has a little bit of life to catch up on.”
“So, you’re saying I should just leave her alone?”
“Yeah, for now.”
This isn’t the answer I’d hoped for. “What if I don’t want to?”
“That’s up to you.” Patrick picks up a pen up and returns to his work.
I know what he’s saying is right. “This sucks.”
“I know it does.”
So, leave her alone. Guess that’s what I need to do. Maybe it’s time for me to do some stuff on my own, too.
“Thanks, man.” My eyes land on the book on his dresser on my way out. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Go ahead.” Patrick doesn’t look up.
“Why did Mom take away your ties?” I’m still extremely curious.
Patrick slams the pen down on his desk. “Get out.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The day we met…
“Your dad is dead. I’m so sorry,” I said genuinely. She said I would feel bad and I did. Real bad. This poor little girl’s dad died and the reason I was sad did seem stupid now.
“He didn’t die, but he may as well have. He just left and he’s never coming back,” she sniffed angrily.
I was relieved, her father didn’t die. He just went somewhere. “He’ll be back. Your dad wouldn’t just leave and never come back.”
“He did. He told me. He came to my room and he said ‘I’ve gotta go, your mom’s gonna take care of you, but you don’t have to worry she has money.’ Like because she has money it was okay for him to leave. I said ‘Please don’t go’.” And he said ‘you don’t need me.’ I was crying and I kept saying ‘I do need you, I do need you. Please don’t leave me.’ I was begging him.”
The tears started to pour from her eyes. All I could do was stare at her in horror. I wanted to help her so bad. I wished I knew how to do that.
“I asked him if he was coming back and he said no. Then I asked him if he loved me and he just left, he didn’t even answer me, he just left me all alone in my room.”
Her entire body was shaking in full blown sobs. I felt my own eyes start to fill. This was the most awful thing I had ever seen or heard in my entire young life. Even though she had pushed me away the first time, I tried once again to comfort her. I knelt down and put both arms around her in a hug. This time she didn’t push me away. The sad, pretty girl, I just met, soaked my shirt with her tears.
If only there was a way I could help her.
Kent
I stare at Ashley in disbelief. “You want me to what?” I ask her again. Maybe I didn’t hear her right over all the noise in the cafeteria.
“I know, it sounds crazy, but she doesn’t have a date and you don’t have a date. So…” Ashley gives me a big toothy grin, trying to butter me up.
“I don’t get it, I thought you hated Tessa?”
“I did, but we talked and I think she’s just as crazy and screwed up as I am.”
“Oh sweet, crazy and screwed up. Where do I sign up?” I still can’t believe what she’s asking me to do. I don’t even want to go to the prom, let alone with Tessa.
Ashley is relentless. “Kent, she’s really not that bad. Plus, you have to go to the prom. And you owe me.”
“I owe you? Why do I owe you?”
“Um, hello, the beginning of the year nonsense, you used me to make Robin jealous.”
Unbelievable, she was going to guilt me into this. I apologized a thousand times for that and didn’t it all work out for her anyway? Isn’t that part of her big romantic story she’s always yammering about? “Fine, whatever. When do you want me to ask her?”
Ashley jumps up from her seat and grabs my arm trying to tug me up. “Right now, let’s go.”
“What the f…” I refuse to get up. “No way. You think I�
��m gonna march over there and ask her to the prom in front of everyone. You’re ridiculous.”
Ashley sinks back down in her seat. “Alright, but can you at least do it today?”
“If I do, we’re even. You can never tell me I owe you again for what I did. I also want to remind you that it worked out pretty well for you if I’m not mistaken.”
Ashley giggles; she knew what she was doing. “So, you’ll do it today?”
“Yes,” I groan. I look over at Tessa’s table. This is laughable.
I wait until the very end of the day to approach Tessa with the big question. I find her standing by the trophy case in the main hall talking with her friend Holly.
Did Ashley even tell Tessa I’m going to ask her? Imagine if she says no, I’ll kill Ashley.
“Hey Tessa, can I talk you for a second?”
Tessa and Holly stop talking and look at me. Having Holly there makes it even harder to get the absurd question I’m about to ask out. My mouth opens, but I can’t do it. They’re staring at me, waiting for me to say something. The only thing that would make this more uncomfortable was if my mom were here giving me the sex talk in front of them.
“So,” I lick my bottom lip looking at the glass case behind the two girls. “Any of these trophies yours?”
The girls look at the trophy case then at each other. I go from looking like an idiot to a complete moron. I officially hate Ashley for making me do this.
“We don’t play sports or anything.” Tessa shakes her head slowly. “So, no.”
She looks confused. I don’t blame her.
“Alright, well, I’ll see ya around.” I put my hands in my pockets and hang my head as I walk away. That was a disaster.
“Kent, wait.” Tessa runs up after me. She’s alone. Her friend Holly has walked off somewhere. “Did Ashley talk to you?”
I close my eyes and nod.
“She asked you to ask me to the prom?”
I nod again.
“And that back there, that was your way of asking me?”
“I guess so,” I actually feel like my skin is on fire. This is so embarrassing.
Tessa looks down and laughs. “Ashley is a pain in the ass. I can’t believe she’s making you ask me to the prom.”
“She’s not making me.” I gulp and try to smile.
She narrows her eyes. “You’re a bad liar.”
“Alright, fine, Ashley is a pain in the ass and she asked me to ask you.” I can’t help but feel bad when Tessa looks uneasy. “But it might be fun, it’s prom and I think we should go.”
“Really?” she scrunches up her nose.
“Yes, really. I’ll get your number from Ashley and give you a call.”
“Okay.” She gives me a smile. It’s very weird to see Tessa smiling at me. We’ve never really said anything nice to each other. Yet, somehow it looks like I’m going to the prom. With Tessa.
Ha!
Patrick
“I got a car,” Robin announces proudly to me on our way to school. “Well, I’m getting one. I pick it up on Saturday.”
“Congratulations. Does this mean I don’t get to drive you to school these last few weeks? I don’t think I could handle the morning commute without you.” I look over and she smiles.
“I could always drive you,” she offers.
“You could, unless it’s one of those small cars like Ashley’s.”
“Oh believe me it’s nothing like Ashley’s. It’s small, not that small, but I guess it is kind of small.”
“Okay, it’s settled. I’ll still drive.” No more small cars. I did that once, it was enough.
Robin heaves a big sigh. “Ashley helped me pick out a prom dress. She’s good with stuff like that. Wait till you see hers, it’s beautiful.”
Prom dresses, that’s all I’ve heard about lately. More than I ever thought I would. It was all Ashley and Mom talked about the last few weeks. Actually it’s been a good distraction, the counseling Ashley started brings her to some dark places and talking about the dress always cheers her up.
“You should hear the way Ashley talks about you. Like you’re perfect,” she laughs.
“What are you trying to say Robin? You don’t think I’m perfect?”
“Not as perfect as Ashley thinks you are.” Robin takes out her cell phone and reads a text from Ashley out loud. “I love having dinner at Patrick’s, he is such a gentleman, and it’s so cute.”
“What?” I grin. “You don’t think I was a gentleman at the table all those years?”
“No, I don’t, but I’m guessing your table manners have changed. I guess I just got the pleasure of seeing you when you were not quite as mature as you are now. I saw little kid Patrick.”
“You saw little kid Kent, too,” I say, and then wish I hadn’t. Kent’s a subject we don’t talk about.
“Yeah, but it was different. I guess when you feel a certain way about someone you see them as… I don’t know,” she trails off not finishing the thought and starting a new one. “Ashley told me that Kent is taking Tessa to the prom. That’s completely wacko.”
I cock my head to the side. “Eh, I think it was more of a he doesn’t have a date, she doesn’t have a date…oh hey you guys should go together kind of thing.”
But Robin’s right, it’s completely wacko. Leave it to my girlfriend to set something like that up. I still can’t believe she was able to get Kent to agree to it. She can be persuasive.
“I’m going to the prom with Billy, but…” She shrugs. “We’re not really together anymore.”
“What happened? You want to talk about it?”
“There’s nothing to really talk about. He’s great, the feelings I had for him just weren’t that strong. I guess he had a lot to live up to.” Robin looks over. “But keep that between us, okay?”
“Of course. I always do.” I have a strange feeling there’s something more coming.
“I know and thank you. You’ve been really good through the whole break up thing with me and Kent. You never picked a side and I know it was probably hard for you.”
“Yes, it is hard when your brother dates your sister and they break up.” I smirk and lean over to lower the radio.
“Ew, don’t say it like that,” she swats my arm laughing. “You’re sick.”
“Oh, little sis, what would I ever do without you?”
Robin’s laugh fades. “Things change Patrick. Who knows where everybody will be next year?”
I’m not sure what she’s trying to say. Her college plans are the same as Kent and Ashley’s. They’re all staying local as far as I know. “Are you going somewhere I don’t know about?”
Robin nods solemnly and looks at me. “Yeah. But, please, let me be the one to tell Kent.”
Kent
As per Ashley’s insistence, I agree to give Tessa a call to discuss the details of our prom date. Groaning, I draw in a deep breath and dial Tessa’s number. We discuss time, transportation, gown color and tux style. Details discussed. I’m ready to hang up.
“Kent, I just want to say thank you for taking me. I know Ashley pressured you into asking me and I know at school I have the reputation as…” She stops.
“The biggest bitch,” I finish for her. So what, I say it. She is.
“Yeah, amongst other things,” she laughs into the phone.
Now I feel a little bad. Still, I can’t help but smile. “Isn’t it usually the biggest bitch who wins Prom Queen?”
“Not this one,” she sighs. “I made a lot of mistakes in high school. I’ll be glad when it’s over.”
“We all made mistakes, I think that’s what high school is for.”
“I did things so wrong and wasted so much time chasing after some loser who I practically went mental over. It was such a messed up relationship and I acted like such an idiot.”
A relationship that got all messed up and acting like an idiot, I can relate. “I guess you’ve got to take it and learn what you can from it.”
“A
greed. My next relationship will be a normal one.”
“So where are you going to school next year?” I surprise myself when I keep the conversation going.
Comfortable conversation follows and an hour later we agree to meet out for a quick bite.
Tessa walks into the restaurant. She waves and giggles as she walks over to the table. Both of us squirm in the booth, not sure where to really look. We both know this is an odd turn of events. We place our orders with the waitress, a girl we both know from school. She gives us a strange look and I guarantee people will be talking about this tomorrow. No surprise there, I can’t imagine a less likely pairing than me and Tessa.
“So, a white dress, I guess I can pick any color flower out for your corsage,” I say hoping to move pass the initial awkwardness.
“Yeah, whatever color is fine. I mean, I like pink, but it’s totally up to you.”
I place my cell phone on the table. “Okay, got it, totally up to me.” I’m teasing her and give her a quick smile.
She looks away and blushes. The blush surprises me. I’ve never pegged Tessa as a blusher. She’s wearing less make-up than usual and her hair’s pulled back in a ponytail. It bounces when she talks with loose blonde strands surrounding her face. She’s a very pretty girl.
The waitress places our plates down in front of us. She piles a stack of napkins in the center of the table and takes off. Probably to text her friends about who Tessa is here with.
“Okay, I just have to say it. This is so weird.” Tessa blots the grease off her pizza with one of the napkins.
“It is, first the prom and now a date. Or I don’t know,” I backpedal. “Is this a date? We don’t have to call it a date. We can just call it more prom planning.”
Why am I suddenly nervous? Why did I just call it a date?
Tessa chokes on a bite of pizza, coughing out a laugh.
“What’s so funny?” I ask. Why did I call this a date?
“I think it is a date. You are on a date with the biggest bitch and I am on a date with…” She bites down on her lip to stop talking.
Fast (The Fast Series) Page 19
