I mumble under her breath that it’s her fault, and Nanette perks up, her blue eyes sharp. “What’d you say?”
I sigh. “Nothing. I’m sorry that this is hard for you, but it’s hard for me, too. I wasn’t expecting it to be so difficult to find a place to stay because honestly, I thought Bernard’s mansion was a sure thing.”
Nanette merely rolls her eyes before sitting up straight and smiling. Oh shit. I can practically see the light bulb going off over her head, and from experience, I know that it’s not a good sign.
“What is it, Mom?” I ask in a weary voice.
She grins, her red lips splitting into two. “Ed Turnbull lives in Coleman. You can stay with him! I’m sure it’s no trouble.”
I squint.
“Yeah, but who is Ed?” I ask. “I’ve never heard of him before.”
My mom trills with laughter.
“He’s my boyfriend from high school, so of course you’ve never heard of him. Goodness, high school was a long time ago, wasn’t it? But he lives in Coleman and I bet he’d be happy to have you live with him until classes start again.”
My jaw drops. “You can’t be serious. I’ve never heard of this person, and you haven’t talked to him in a while from the sound of it. What makes you think he’d put me up for three weeks?”
Nanette merely scoffs.
“You’re always such a worry wart. Leave it to me. He had such a huge crush on me back then, and I bet nothing’s changed.”
Okay, my mom is clearly delusional.
“Mom, it’s been twenty years since you were in high school. Everything’s changed. He could be a father of five living in a two bedroom—”
“Which would be perfect, because I bet one of them is a daughter your age!”
I stare.
“Does he have a daughter my age?”
Nanette tries to think.
“No, I don’t think so. We’re friends on Facebook and I think Ed’s single. But I’ll have to stalk his profile to make sure. Anyways,” Nanette says brightly, “it’s perfect. You and Ed will get along like two peas in a pod.”
I shake my head, a bad feeling rising in my chest.
“Wouldn’t it be easier for me to get a hotel or something? I mean, Bernard has lots of money right? Couldn’t he pay for it? Or give me a loan or something?”
Nanette shakes her head regretfully.
“No, I can’t ask Bernard for money because he doesn’t know you from a bum on the street. You’ve never met,” she says.
I stare.
“Yes, but I’m your daughter. Surely, that gives me a leg up.”
Nanette merely shrugs.
“Bernard has a lot of people asking him for money all the time, and I don’t want my family to be one of those hanger-on types, always with a hand out. No, you should stay with Ed.”
I squint at Nanette.
“Mom, are you really going to have me crash with your ex-boyfriend from high school? For three weeks, even though you barely know him now? I mean, it sounds crazy, right? Especially since he has no idea I’m coming.”
Nanette scoffs again, waving a bejeweled hand.
“No, no it’s fine. Ed will definitely say yes because he’s such a softie, and I was so kind to him in high school. I’m sure he remembers, even if it’s twenty years later. Don’t you worry, it’ll all work out. Just pack your bags and I’ll tell him you’re coming.”
“Mom, wait…”
“I’ll text you the details!”
Then, Nanette hangs up before I can get another word in, and I’m left staring at the wallpaper on my phone screen. Is she fucking serious? I mean, this guy could be a serial killer, and we wouldn’t know.
My stomach turns with a bad feeling. Something isn’t right about all this, but what choice do I have? Between sleeping on the street, staying in a shelter, or taking refuge with my mom’s ex-boyfriend, I guess I’ll have to choose the boyfriend. I just hope we stay out of each other’s way until the three weeks is up, and this nightmare ends.
2
Susie
I finish packing the last of my bags and zip them up angrily. Then I swing a duffel over my shoulder before grabbing my roller board and snap the lock to my dorm room shut. Goddamn. I can’t believe this is happening. The dorm’s already deserted because I’ve put off leaving until the last possible moment, and the halls are eerie as I stride down their quiet lengths.
But beggars can’t be choosers, so I grit my teeth while looking down at my phone. My mom sent me Ed’s address, but it’s not a personal home address. Instead, I guess I’m supposed to meet him at his work because the address is for a company called EarthMatters in downtown Coleman. After some Googling, it was easy to ascertain that actually, Ed Turnbull is EarthMatters’ CEO.
Well, hopefully he’s busy doing CEO things so that we can stay out of each other’s way. I already have a plan: I’m going to go to cafes and libraries every day so that I’m never home. That way, Ed won’t have to look at me, and I won’t have to look at him either. It’ll be a détente until this hellish situation ends.