“So, don’t you think you should be focusing more on school than boys?”
“My grades are great, so it’s not like I’m neglecting schoolwork just so I can get laid.”
“Jesus, Aleah,” I mutter.
“What?” she asks all innocent, like she didn’t just admit she was sleeping around with guys. She’s seventeen-fucking-years old. “Don’t act all shocked. Women have needs too.”
“But you’re not a woman yet,” Dad grits out, looking about two seconds away from strangling my step-sister.
She shrugs. “I’m a month away from being a legal adult. Sex isn’t that big of a deal. I’m always careful, and that’s what counts the most.”
“Lord fucking save me,” Dad grumbles under his breath, his face a ruddy red.
“Jeez, I’m only joking.” She eyes us both like we’re the one being ridiculous. “I’m still a virgin. You two are too uptight.”
“Who’s throwing the party?” Dad asks after a moment, his annoyed demeanor changing slightly.
“Wendi.”
Aleah’s known Wendi for years. She’s always seemed like a good girl.
“Fine.” Dad chugs back the rest of his beer before getting up from the table with his plate. “But I want to meet this Sean boy before you go out with him. And you can stay out until one but keep your phone on you with the volume up.”
“Sure, whatever, Daddy.” She snorts. “I’ll bring him over so you can intimidate him like you did Dillon.”
“Aleah,” Dad says her name in warning.
“Alright, alright. I’ll bring him inside before we leave.”
I pull the end of Aleah’s ponytail to get her attention. “Come help me with the dishes.”
Mumbling something under her breath, she gets up. I end up forcing Dad away from the sink when he starts rinsing dishes to put in the dishwasher. He leaves us in the kitchen to go catch the last of the baseball game on TV.
Aleah and I are quiet for the first few minutes as we stand side by side while she rinses the dishes and I put them in the dishwasher.
I bump my hip with hers. “What’s up with you lately?”
Her brows pull down. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Come on, Le. You’ve been cranky for weeks. Is it because of Deena?”
She tenses beside me at first, but then relaxes and lifts one of her slender shoulders. “I guess.”
I take the plate she hands me and place it in the bottom rack of the dishwasher. “You guess? Is there something else bothering you?”
It takes her a moment to answer, and she does so hesitantly.
“There’s this… guy I like.”
“I thought you were seeing this Sean kid?”
“I am, but he’s only a distraction because I can’t have the one I really want.”
“You’re almost eighteen, which is still really young to be worrying so much over boys.” I pause while putting the silverware in the rack. “What makes you think you can’t have this boy?”
It feels awkward talking to Aleah about this. This is a conversation two fully-grown people should be having. Not a young woman who’s still in high school. She has her whole life ahead of her. She shouldn’t be stressing over a guy so much at this age.
“It’s just not feasible. Not yet, at least.”