On the way to school Mom gets a message and has Nix read it aloud to her while she drives.
Maria was fired. You want her shift tonight? -Paula
"What do you boys think?" Mom asks.
"If you want it, go for it," Nix says, closing her phone and dropping it on top of her purse.
"Will you be able to find a ride home from school?" She asks, pulling into Sultana 's drop off zone. My shoulders sag. I hate it when this happens.
"I don 't have a game today, so I can take the bus," Nix says, grabbing his notebook from the floor in front of him. I don 't have it so easy, I still have work after school.
"Liam, what about you?" Mom asks looking at me through the rear view mirror. Her eyes wrinkle sadly when she sees me.
"Sure," I say, before she can decide …show more content…
I blink in surprise. I thought he worked here in town running his own engineering firm. My dad even worked with him for a while.
"Oklahoma? That 's pretty far away. Do you get to see him very often?" Ben asks.
"He comes home sometimes on weekends. But we don 't usually see him for a month at a time," she says.
"Wait, are your parents divorced?" I ask. I realize a lot might have changed since I knew Kenna last. Her eyes soften.
"No. He just can 't have his family on site out there, so we stayed behind," She says.
"That must be hard," Ben says.
"I guess he thought it 'd be easier than making us move," she says. Everyone falls quiet, even Alex doesn 't really know what to say. Finally Ben turns toward me, as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way, I saw Nix. He said you need a ride after school. I 'll be done with practice by five if that works for you," he says.
"Nix told you I needed a ride?" I ask. Does he think I 'm not capable of getting home on my own? I realize I 'm scowling and Ben is taking it personally.
"Thanks. A ride would be great," I say, looking down at my desk. There 's an uncomfortable pause.
"Whoa. Where 'd all the sunshine go?" Alex says looking back and forth between us.
"Sorry, I 'm just tired," I say, scribbling on my homework some …show more content…
Kenna loiters behind with me. Ben looks at me, searching for a clue if I want him to stay so I 'm not alone with Kenna. Alex however, practically tows Ben out the door, obviously trying to give me and Kenna some space. I look helplessly after them.
I don 't try to talk, just quietly gather up my backpack. Maybe if I make her feel awkward enough around me she 'll decide to leave me alone. I pause by the door, letting her go first and thinking for a second that I 'll be able to part ways as soon as I step outside. But before I can even take another step, she whirls on me, stopping abruptly.
"Liam, I know the last couple days have been... kind of awkward. We just haven 't been friends for so long. I guess I just need to clear the air between us a little." She is having trouble looking at me. I take a deep breath. Here it comes. Her confession. Maybe now she can go back to Blake and I can get back to normal. She takes a little breath, then looks me squarely in the
Maria was fired. You want her shift tonight? -Paula
"What do you boys think?" Mom asks.
"If you want it, go for it," Nix says, closing her phone and dropping it on top of her purse.
"Will you be able to find a ride home from school?" She asks, pulling into Sultana 's drop off zone. My shoulders sag. I hate it when this happens.
"I don 't have a game today, so I can take the bus," Nix says, grabbing his notebook from the floor in front of him. I don 't have it so easy, I still have work after school.
"Liam, what about you?" Mom asks looking at me through the rear view mirror. Her eyes wrinkle sadly when she sees me.
"Sure," I say, before she can decide …show more content…
I blink in surprise. I thought he worked here in town running his own engineering firm. My dad even worked with him for a while.
"Oklahoma? That 's pretty far away. Do you get to see him very often?" Ben asks.
"He comes home sometimes on weekends. But we don 't usually see him for a month at a time," she says.
"Wait, are your parents divorced?" I ask. I realize a lot might have changed since I knew Kenna last. Her eyes soften.
"No. He just can 't have his family on site out there, so we stayed behind," She says.
"That must be hard," Ben says.
"I guess he thought it 'd be easier than making us move," she says. Everyone falls quiet, even Alex doesn 't really know what to say. Finally Ben turns toward me, as if remembering something.
"Oh, by the way, I saw Nix. He said you need a ride after school. I 'll be done with practice by five if that works for you," he says.
"Nix told you I needed a ride?" I ask. Does he think I 'm not capable of getting home on my own? I realize I 'm scowling and Ben is taking it personally.
"Thanks. A ride would be great," I say, looking down at my desk. There 's an uncomfortable pause.
"Whoa. Where 'd all the sunshine go?" Alex says looking back and forth between us.
"Sorry, I 'm just tired," I say, scribbling on my homework some …show more content…
Kenna loiters behind with me. Ben looks at me, searching for a clue if I want him to stay so I 'm not alone with Kenna. Alex however, practically tows Ben out the door, obviously trying to give me and Kenna some space. I look helplessly after them.
I don 't try to talk, just quietly gather up my backpack. Maybe if I make her feel awkward enough around me she 'll decide to leave me alone. I pause by the door, letting her go first and thinking for a second that I 'll be able to part ways as soon as I step outside. But before I can even take another step, she whirls on me, stopping abruptly.
"Liam, I know the last couple days have been... kind of awkward. We just haven 't been friends for so long. I guess I just need to clear the air between us a little." She is having trouble looking at me. I take a deep breath. Here it comes. Her confession. Maybe now she can go back to Blake and I can get back to normal. She takes a little breath, then looks me squarely in the