Chapter 18
Nathan slammed the book shut and rubbed at his eyes. If he stared at that page of equations any longer he was probably going to go cross-eyed. Why the hell hadn’t he paid more attention in class last week when Ms. Winston was reviewing?
Oh right. Because he’d thought Haley’d be around to explain it to him. He sighed in frustration as he leaned back in his desk chair, balling up the sheet of paper he’d been scribbling practice problems on and aiming for the trash can. He missed it.
“Damn it,” he muttered, reaching for another sheet of paper as a knock sounded on his door.
“Nathan?” His mother opened the door and stuck her head inside. “How are you doing?”
He dropped the chair back to the floor with a thud and picked up his pencil. “Fine, Mom.”
Deb walked in and stood next to his desk, a concerned look on her face. “Are you sure? You’ve either been at school with Coach Durham, holed up in your room, or working out with your dad for the last week; I’ve barely seen you. Is everything alright?”
He nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
She reached out, laying a hand gently on his shoulder for just a moment. “Nathan, I know that things have been a little tense lately around here. Your father and I . . . we’re just trying to work through some things.”
She sighed as he stiffened and moved her hand away. “That doesn’t mean that you and I can’t talk though. Since your dad’s going to be out of town for the next few days, I thought it would be nice if you could come by the Café and we could have dinner tonight. That way you won’t have to eat alone.”
He concentrated on his textbook. “I need to study, Mom. I have my last exam tomorrow.”
“Well, Haley’s supposed to work until eight tonight; maybe she could help you if you come by?” Deb suggested hopefully.
Yeah, like that wouldn’t be a whole lot of awkward. He’d pass.
“I’m just going to make a sandwich later. Maybe some other time, okay?” he replied.
She smiled sadly and nodded. “Alright, Nathan. I’ve got to get going, call if you want me to bring you anything when I come home.”
She walked back out and shut the door and Nathan tossed his pencil down with a sigh. He needed a break. He was so sick of studying and practicing and just everything. He planted himself in front of the television and cut on his Playstation, flicking the controller buttons on autopilot as he set up the game and started to play.
His mom had actually looked disappointed and kind of sad when he’d turned her down, but he was never sure if that was just because she thought that was how she was supposed to react or if it was real.
She hadn’t always been like that. Fake. When he was a kid, he remembered her being around most of the time, acting mom-like, yelling at him when he tracked in dirt from playing outside with Tim, taking him to pee-wee basketball games, and cheering on the sidelines no matter how well he did. Just normal stuff.
And then everything seemed to change right before he started middle school. The dealership had begun making serious money and they’d moved into this big house. He’d thought it was pretty cool, with the pool, and the yard, and the hoop his dad had put up. But his mom hadn’t seemed happy, and when his Granddad Lee had donated a bunch of money to some big foundation in Charlotte and they’d offered his mom a job, she’d announced she was taking it.
He’d started Junior Leagues that year, shooting up a few more inches practically overnight, and his dad’s interest in his game had suddenly hit a whole other level. So while his dad was suddenly preoccupied with everything about him, from how much he ate and slept, to the new training workouts he’d scheduled, his mom had started to fade out of the picture, traveling most of the time. She’d breeze in to the house after one of her trips, ask a few token questions about how he was, and then flit off again. Like she had a whole other life that was more important than them.
And that’s when he’d started noticing it, how good she was at faking being who she was supposed to be at the moment. When she was home, at the few games she made, or in front of his friends, she acted like she was some kind of super-mom, all sweet and concerned and caring. But when she was gone? Barely a phone call. Out of sight, out of mind. It was like she only noticed him if he was right in front of her.
The worst had been the summer before eighth grade, when she’d stayed gone for nearly three months. He’d been at basketball camp when she left. By the time he got back, his dad had been almost impossible to live with and he’d finally caught a clue that nobody’s mom stayed gone on business that long.
Every passing day had been hell, so he’d called her again and again, begging her to come home. She’d promised him it was all going to be fine, but it had been three more long weeks before she finally walked through the door the weekend before school started, full of apologizes and promises that things were going to be better. Different.
And he’d wanted to believe her so badly.
She’d insisted they go to the parent’s open house that Friday before classes started, just the two of them. She’d tucked an arm around him as they’d gone from class to class, laughing with his teachers about how much he’d grown over the summer and teasing that he was still her little boy, even though he already towered over her. He’d been too old for that kind of thing, but he’d let her anyway, he was so glad she was back.
They’d gone to the mall afterwards, gotten ice cream and sat by the carousel, watching it go round as they talked about his summer, and he’d tried to explain to her what it had been like with her gone. She’d looked so sympathetic, so understanding as they watched the twinkling lights on the brightly colored ponies twirl by in time to the tinny music, and she’d promised that things would change.
She’d taken him shopping after, and by the time they’d walked out, he’d been loaded down with notebooks and pens and new shorts and t-shirts and the most awesome pair of Air Jordans he’d ever owned, and most importantly, the knowledge that things were going to be better.
He snorted as he jabbed at the controller. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen for that. It was no wonder his mom had been so good at fundraising, she could be just that convincing when she wanted to; the problem was, it was all just a big pack of lies.
When they’d walked in the door that day after shopping, she’d gotten a phone call, something urgent she’d told him, foundation business, one last thing she had to take care of and then she’d cut back her hours. She’d left for the dealership to talk to his dad, and when they’d shown back up together hours later, still screaming at each other, she’d been gone again in a matter of hours.
She’d come back sooner, walking through the door a few days later, still polished and professional in her black suit and pearls, wearily asking how his first week had been with barely a second glance at the Junior League trophy he’d just won that his dad had set on the counter. And he’d realized at that moment that his mom wasn’t someone he could ever count on. He’d been right too, she’d still been gone most of the time after that, even if she never stayed away for quite as long as she had that summer.
Since she’d taken over the Café for Luke’s mom, she’d been around more, making speeches about being there for him now, but he knew he wasn’t really the reason. It was probably just more drama between her and Dad, some way one of them was trying to screw the other over. She’d get tired of them both soon and be gone again.
He glanced over at the clock and cursed under his breath. It was already after nine; he had to get back to it. He flipped the math book back open and pulled out the crumpled review sheet, trying to smooth out the edges as he stared at it without comprehension. He glanced at his phone. Back at the review sheet. Back at the phone.
Okay, he’d been all high and mighty and thanks but no thanks for your help with Haley last weekend, but maybe he could ask her one question? Didn’t she at least owe him that after what she did?
He drummed his fingers then picked up the phone, flipping it open. He might have erased Haley from the phone, but he punched in the number from memory without a second thought, took a deep breath and hit send.
The phone rang, once, twice, three times, then he heard her cheerful voice on the other end. “Hey, you’ve reached Haley. Leave me a message after the beep!”
He opened his mouth to speak, then slammed the phone shut instead. That had been a stupid idea. He could do this on his own. He pulled the book back over and started working the review problems again.
____________________________________
Haley settled back at the big desk in the corner of the tutor center, propped her feet up in another chair, and blew out a breath as she watched the clock drag along. It had been a long week and she was suddenly very tired, the adrenaline that had kept her going through her last exam now vanished.
She was ready to go home, kick back, make some Christmas cookies with her mom, help her dad wrap gifts, and pack her bags for their trip to her grandparents for the holidays. Just get back to normal and stop thinking so much about stupid guys and their stupid pouting and their stupid games.
She glanced at the clock again. Speaking of, where was Luke anyway?
“Hales, you ready?” Luke’s head popped in the door as though she’d managed to conjure him from thin air and she jumped up, locking the filing cabinet and the door to the center behind her.
“So ready.” She linked arms with him. “I thought you were never coming. Did Mrs. Gillikin’s test really take you that long?”
“Well, we can’t all be geniuses and fly right through like some people,” he grinned. “And then I had to stop by Coach’s office for a minute; he’s got a few voluntary practices scheduled next week so we’ll be sharp for the tournament.”
“Voluntary?” Haley arched an eyebrow.
Luke laughed. “Not so much, but technically we can’t have practices when school’s out, so yeah, they’re ‘if you want to get any minutes you’ll come’ voluntary practices.”
“Ah, well, let’s not think about that now,” Haley insisted. “Ixnay on the basketball. No more tests, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks,” she chanted as she skipped along, trying to pull Luke with her.
“Been mainlining the caffeine again?” Luke chuckled as they reached the parking lot.
“Maybe a wee bit too much coffee,” she admitted. “I’d thought I’d started to crash, but I think I’m just getting my second wind. I’m so glad to be done, and next week I get to see Quinn and Joey’s new baby, and it’s Christmas, and we’re free!” She twirled around down the pathway towards the parking lot, tossing her hat into the air.
“Alright, crazy girl.” Luke grabbed her hat off the ground and returned it to her. “Since you’re suddenly so hyper, how about doing me a big favor?”
She stopped and stared at him, cocking her head to the side. “Why do those words frighten me? Alright, what do you need? My kidney? I have a spare.”
“Will you go to Bevin’s party with me tonight? Please, Hales?”
She frowned. “Luke, you know that’s not really my scene. Sure you don’t just want my kidney?”
“No, I want my best friend to come hang out with me tonight,” he replied.
“And be a buffer between me and my two girlfriends,” Haley finished for him.
“Haley, it’s not . . . okay, maybe I kind of do need a little help there.”
“Luke, what have you done now?” Haley asked.
“I haven’t done anything,” he insisted. “Why do people always blame the guy?”
“Because you’re usually the guilty party?” Haley ventured a guess. “Okay, fine, what’s up?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, Brooke’s just been getting a little clingy lately, and I, well, Peyton and I have been talking more and I don’t want Brooke to get the wrong idea, you know? That there’s something serious going on with us? But she’s going to be at Bevin’s and she tends to kind of be really, um, affectionate at parties when she’s drinking, and I don’t want Peyton to get the wrong idea either and back off again.”
“So you want me to be your chaperone and keep Brooke from molesting you?” Haley asked.
“Well, kind of, I guess you could say that.”
Haley cracked up. “Seriously, Luke? That’s the funniest thing you’ve said in, like, ever. That’s priceless. I’m in; I just can’t wait to see Brooke’s face when she figures out you have a guard dog.” She sobered back up and stopped him as they reached the truck. “Luke, I’ll go tonight, but please, don’t keep doing this. If you’re not into Brooke, just tell her, and move on, okay?”
“I’m working on it, Haley, I promise. And thank you, you’re the best.”
“Yeah, whatever. You owe me.” she replied. “And one of these days I’m going to call in those markers, buddy boy.”
____________________________________
“Hey mommy,” Haley said, as she wandered into the kitchen where her mother was mixing the ingredients for another batch of sugar cookies. “Need some help?”
“Absolutely. You want to bake or decorate?” he mom asked.
“Decorate,” Haley replied.
“The cooled ones are over there, but I haven’t started getting out the icing and sugar crystals yet.”
“Okay.” Haley busied herself pulling things from the cabinets and checking the specifications for the icing recipe. “So what time are we leaving tomorrow?”
“Early; your dad wants to be on the road by 6:00 AM.”
Haley laughed. “Is Taylor coming with us?”
Lydia nodded. “Assuming she comes in tonight, which she said she was when I talked to her this morning. So that means we’ll probably just have to throw her into the back of the car with the luggage if we’re actually going to leave that early.”
“I fully support that plan,” Haley replied, as she licked red sugar crystals off the tip of her finger and pulled out a plate of cookies. “You don’t mind if I go to a party with Luke tonight, do you?” she asked casually, as she worked on the cookies.
Her mother’s head shot up from the bowl she was stirring. “Haley wants to go to a party? Is this one of those high school parties where there will be boys and dancing and making out?”
“Mom!” Haley replied. “I just said I was going with Luke, so of course there will be guys there. I’m not in elementary school.”
“And the dancing and making out?”
Haley rolled her eyes as her mother laughed.
“You know I’m teasing you, Haley-bop. Of course you can go. We’ll just toss you in the back with Taylor in the morning.”
“I won’t be out that late, Mom,” Haley insisted. “I think I’m done with this batch.”
“The others need to cool some more before you can work on them,” Lydia replied. “Are you all packed?”
Haley wiped her hands off. “I need to do another load of laundry; I should go put that in.”
“Can you fold the things that are in the dryer, honey? Oh, and I laid your cell phone by the washer, you left it in a pair of jeans that I washed yesterday.”
Haley smacked her head. “That’s where I left it. I couldn’t find it anywhere today. Thanks, Mom.”
She grabbed a cookie and headed upstairs, gathering up the load she needed to wash and tossing it into the machine. Her phone was completely dead, she noticed, and she plugged it into the charger before starting to fold the clothes from the dryer, humming to herself.
She’d made a list while she was waiting after her exam, checked it twice and all of that, and she’d be packed and ready to go in plenty of time before Luke showed up to pick her up for the party. She laid the t-shirt she was folding on the bed and precisely flipped the sleeves, lining each side up before folding it neatly in half. She’d have to make him promise to bring her home early.
She folded another t-shirt, eyeing it critically as she did. Maybe Taylor was right. Maybe she did need to liven up her wardrobe a little bit. She turned and stared into her closet. It was kind of ho-hum. And this was a party, right? Did she really want to go dressed like she did every day for school? Who knew who might show up tonight? Maybe she should see if Taylor had left anything behind . . .
She shook her head at herself. What was she doing? Reality check. Yes, Nathan would probably be there tonight. And he’d probably wouldn’t be alone. And even if he was, he’d probably be ignoring her. And wearing something low-cut wouldn’t change any of that.
She flipped through her closet and pulled out her fuzzy red v-necked sweater and a pair of blue jeans. There. A holiday appropriate color. Not entirely boring, but she wouldn’t freeze her butt off. And she didn’t really care what anyone else thought about it.
She glanced in the mirror and turned her head from side to side. Now if she could only decide if she should curl her hair.
____________________________________
“Haley, Luke’s here.”
“Coming, Mom.” Haley grabbed her jacket and her charged cell phone, tucking it into her pocket as she ran down the stairs to the living room where her dad was working on presents while Luke lounged on the couch.
“You look very pretty, sweetheart,” her dad said. “Now, Luke, don’t let any of those boys get too fresh with our Haley-bop.”
“Dad, please,” Haley moaned as she slipped on her jacket. “Enough. Besides, I think my job tonight is to keep the ladies from getting fresh with Lukey here, isn’t that right?”
Luke shot her a dirty look. “Don’t worry, Mr. James, I’ll take good care of her.”
Haley clapped her hands, “Let’s get this show on the road, Lucas. Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mom,” she called back towards the kitchen.
“Bye, pumpkin. Be good.”
They walked out to the car and Luke continued to stare at her. “Why is your hair all bouncy like that?”
“Hmmm, maybe because I curled it? I do that every now and then.”
“Uh-huh,” Luke replied. “Well, it looks nice. Just . . . weird. Kind of girly.”
“Well since I’m a girl, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
She opened the door and slid into the tow truck just as Luke’s cell started to ring.
“Hello?” he answered. “Keith? You’re kidding? No, no, I can do it. Where’s it at?” He pulled a notepad off the seat and scribbled on it. “Got it. Talk to you later, Keith.”
“Problem?” Haley asked.
“Some guy broke down way out on 421 and Keith’s the only garage he’s been able to find that was still open. And since I’ve got the tow truck-”
“You need to go get the guy.” Haley shrugged. “Not a problem, I’ll come along.”
“You sure?”
“Yep,” Haley nodded. “We’ll just be fashionably late to the party.”
Luke fiddled with the dial and found the college radio station for them to listen to as they drove out the nearly deserted stretch of highway. After several minutes, they approached the mile marker the driver had given Keith.
“I don’t see a car. Do you see a car?” Haley asked.
Luke shook his head. “Nope. Would you call Keith and see if I wrote that down right?”
“Sure thing.” Haley fished her phone out of her pocket and powered it back up, noticing the missed calls screen flashing. She flipped past it to dial Keith’s number and waited until it connected.
“Hey Keith, it’s Haley, I’m with Luke. Yeah, we’re here at mile marker 97 and there’s no car. What’s that? Okay.”
She hung up the phone and shook her head. “The guy called back and he’s fuming that no one’s shown up yet. And apparently he can’t read numbers. He’s actually at 79; Keith was just about to call us.”
Luke sighed as he glanced at the clock. “He’s even further out? This totally sucks.”
Haley shrugged and flipped back through her phone log to find the missed calls. Just one, last night, right after nine. Her breath caught as she saw the number. Nathan. He’d called her. She double-checked. No message, but still, he’d called. That meant he’d wanted to talk, right? She couldn’t stop the slightly giddy smile that graced her face as they finally approached the broken down car ahead of them on the road.