Chapter TWELVE

"How was your weekend?" Tab asked me, Monday morning. She had grabbed my arm as I walked past her locker. She smelled like vanilla and something fruity.

   "Oh, uh, fine," I said, surprised by her reaction to seeing me.

   "Just fine?" she asked, now starting to walk along side me.

   "Great?" I said instead.

   She laughed. "Mine too. My sister finally broke up with her terrible boyfriend."

   "That's why your weekend was great?" I asked, confused.

   "Yes. He was really annoying." She laughed, then saw Franky down the hall. "Hey!"

   "Yo," he called back, stopping to wait for us. "Stupid Sam is really gone, huh?"

   "Finally. Christy actually liked him, which was the worst part," Tab went on.

   I felt strange in the middle of this conversation, having no idea what this meant. But I kept walking with them until we were close to my first class.

   "Dinner at Momma Jane's tonight?" Tab said, mostly to Franky, as I was ready to separate from them.

   "Can't. I have debate then wrestling," Franky shook his head.

   "Right. How about you, Kels?" she asked me, now stopped by my classroom door.

   "Oh, um, sure... where's that?" I asked back, looking down at my shoes.

   Franky waved and his hair fell into his eyes as he spun around to leave.

   Tab laughed. "It's my house. Sorry, I should explain. My mom, we call her Momma Jane. I live there during the week and I spend some weekends at my dad's. Momma Lee, that's Frnaky's mom. But he doesn't live with her, he lives with his older brother."

   "Oh." I didn't know what else to say.

   "Anyway, it's pasta night, you're more than welcome." Her smile was sincere, as she adjusted her glasses. The first bell rang.

   "Okay, great, I'd love to," I said quickly, anxious to get to class.

   "I'll text you the address. See you in second?"

   I nodded but she was already walking away.

After school, I didn't see Tab or Franky anywhere, so I went right to the parking lot. My car - though, it was weird to think of it as mine - was a two year old Mazda 3, pretty fancy and still shiny. It had been sitting in my mom's garage since she got her new SUV.

   Down the lot a bit, I saw Darwin Atwood, leaning on his car. I kept walking and as I neared my car, I pressed the button on my key ring to unlock it, then got in the driver's seat without stopping. I did the usual - seat belt, adjust the heat, turn up the music - and then just as I was starting the engine there was a tap on my window.

   I rolled it down. "Hi?"

   "Hey, Kelsey, right? You're new?" It was Darwin, this tall, thick, jock who was reasonably attractive. Talking to me.

   "Uh, yeah. And yes," I said, not looking right at him.

   "You're in my Bio Lab, right? I like your car," he went on, unaware that I was uncomfortable in this conversation.

   "Oh, yeah, thanks. It's my mom's-"

   "Cool. Anyway, I just wanted to say hey." He flashed this smile that showed his teeth and I forced a smile back.

   "Oh, okay," I managed to say.

   "See you tomorrow," he called out as he turned and walked back towards his car.

"You're going out?" my mom asked, surprised, as I crossed the kitchen a couple hours later.

   "My friend invited me over for dinner. Pasta night," I said, smiling at her.

   "Friend?" she asked, then added, "that's great."

   "Her name is Tab. Tabitha," I told her. "I didn't think you'd mind."

   "I was going to order us pizza, but we can do that tomorrow?" She forced a smile that didn't cover her disappointment.

   "Okay."

   "Okay," she repeated.

   I felt guilty the entire drive to Tab's house, but tried to shove it away. Actually, it was an apartment. Tab buzzed me up when I got to the cosy, but small, two bedroom apartment. It was furnished beautiful and immaculately clean. The entire place smelled amazing and Momma Jane was really nice and welcoming. I ate two plates of cheese-stuffed pasta with garlic bread, sitting next to Tab at the kitchen table.

   After dinner, Tab and I loaded the dishwasher and then she led me out to the balcony, where there were two chairs with bright orange cushions. It was a warm evening, but I was glad I had my sweater on.

   "Thanks for coming," she said, sitting first.

   I sat in the other chair. "I should thank you for having me."

   "My mom gets lonely. She likes when Frank and I are here for dinner."

   "What about your sister?" I asked, remembering the conversation about her sister's terrible boyfriend.

   "She lives on her own, not too far from here. She's twenty two. She's a photographer and... oh, I envy her so much." Tab looked sad, for a second.

   "Why?" I wanted to know.

   "She's just... grown up. She doesn't have to worry about high school or parents. She definitely doesn't have to think about our stupid parents separation."

   I swallowed hard. "My brother is fourteen. He's back in Chicago, with my dad."

   "Oh, you must miss him."

   I nodded. "I really do."

   "When did your parents break up?" She asked like as if it was something that happened to everyone.

   "My mom left when I was twelve. They were legally divorced less than two years later."

   "Ouch. My dad cheated on my mom a year ago. They tried to get past it, but... they are still separated. Now my dad's business is really taking off... he's really busy -"

   "I'm sorry," I told her, because what else could I say?

   "Yeah, me too," she finished.

   We were quiet, for a while. I heard some birds chirping, cars driving by. I liked being there, with her, even if we were mostly sitting in silence. It felt calm and good, like I belonged there.

   I wanted to tell her about Anderson, and about how Darwin had talked to me after school, in the parking lot. I wanted to get it all of my chest. But I didn't, not yet. Because it just didn't feel like the right time.