She says, “No. No. What about this one? Watch Zach dribble off the court.” Then we both crack up laughing because that was exactly what he did in the bedroom. Just dribble.
“This is the first time in six years that I’m single, so why am I not sad, just horny?”
She sniggers, “Do you have someone in mind?”
I don’t even know how to tell her. “Colt’s looking hot.”
She chuckles, “Colt was always looking hot. You just never noticed. You were always too busy complaining about him. Daniel’s hotter, but an obvious workaholic. Shit, is he still wearing that suit?”
I sigh as I think about Daniel and how amazing he looks. He’s like a proud eagle. Still the proud, confident, man I knew.
“Yes,” I tell him. “But he looks tired.”
“Shoot, is your mom back home?”
Daniel being tired usually meant that mom was home wearing him down. Trying to take money for her drugs or just generally treating him like shit. Treating him like a dormouse. I never understood why he took her back then, but then maybe she was in and out of his life so many times that he didn’t have a chance to leave. And then she did that for him.
“Not this time.”
“How long has it been?”
“One year.”
“Shit, and not a word?”
“She left her phone and said that she wanted to be left alone. No one should try and find her.”
Then there’s this awkward silence that my mom creates whenever her name is mentioned. It’s as if she doesn’t even need to be around to have people talking about her, and it’s never in a good way.
“Daniel needs money to invest in the business. It’s struggling at the moment. We didn’t even talk figures, and then Colt went into him and started calling him selfish,” I confide to Sandra.
“I could give him a number. Number sixty-nine.” Sandra bursts out laughing; she has a filthy mind, but at the moment she’s not the only one. Maybe it’s the realization that my mom could be dead making me see that life is short. But either Colt’s looking hotter this year or wasting six years of my life over Zach has started to hit home. I noticed that quite a few more girls are posting on Facebook about the issues they’ve had with Zach. I’ve been with him since we were sixteen. Both of us were virgins or at least that’s what he said. I shut down my Mac and decide that Sandra’s right. I need to have some fun and get out of here.
“Right, I’m going to take my plate down. Find Daniel and sort out the money and then head to where the party’s happening.”
“There’s nothing better than partying in the Big A. Get talking, get the money and then get packing. Then again, I could just book a ticket for you, so that you could just get packing?”
I want to tell her that I never unpacked in the first place, but I decide that I’ll leave that conversation for when we’re face to face.
“Nah, I couldn’t take money from you. Besides technically I don’t need it,” I tell her before taking a deep breath. “Sandra, thanks, I really needed this,” I miss her already and we’ve only been apart a day. Maybe she’s right; I’ve always thought of college as a place to work, rather than try and enjoy it. Thinking about being at college and having an issue like this would have sent me to her dorm. I wouldn’t have hesitated, but now she’s miles away and I’m with two men that want to kill each other.
“You should have called me earlier. I don’t know why you find it so difficult to say when you have an issue. That’s what friends are for.”
“I know. Sorry, next time I’ll dial your number first.”
“Good. Now, speak to your hot stepdaddy and tell me when you’re going to be here so I can tidy up before you get here.”
I know that she’s not going to tidy up. We’re both slobs. I’m just happy to hear a friendly voice and to know that I have a friend that cares. Sometimes I feel so alone; I always have, even when I was with Zach. I thought that Rachel was a friend and she ended up betraying me.
“Sure, will do. Catch you later.”
“Bye.”
I grab my plate and decide that no matter how much money Daniel wants he can have it. He wouldn’t be asking unless he was desperate and this house has so many painful memories that staying here is not an option. It makes me sad, and sad is something that I had not planned on being this summer. There’s a party waiting for me in New York. I want to go, Colt and Daniel can fight as many times they like, as long as I’m having a good time far away from here.