She makes a face I can’t quite read before saying, “Please come join me at my table. I’d like you to meet my dad.”
“Actually, I feel we’re pretty well acquainted. Thanks, though.”
I start to push a crumb around the table, when she gently touches my elbow. “Please?”
I glance to the table, where I expect to see Mr. Durant shooting daggers at me, but he’s deep in conversation with Jernigan. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“I talked to him. He wants to apologize.”
“Really?”
She nods. I want to believe her, but if he really wanted to apologize, wouldn’t he come over here? It seems weird the apologizee has to go to the apologizer.
“Please?” she asks again with a hard stare, and I realize I have no choice. It was never a question; it was an order.
I stand, grab my tray, and follow her to the round table in the corner.
There’s only one empty chair; it’s next to Jernigan and directly across from Mr. Durant.
Jernigan stiffens when I sit down but doesn’t say anything.
“Mr. Evans,” Paige’s dad says, drawing my attention to him. “My daughter would like me to apologize. Sorry I scared you.”
I almost laugh at his “apology.” I have never heard a less sincere one.
Jernigan angles himself toward me and leans over so his lips are practically touching my ear. “I’m not sorry,” he whispers. “Keep your hands off her from now on.”
I ignore him and take a bite of chili. He doesn’t need to tell me twice. I will never make the same mistake again.
“Dad,” Paige says, “Mr. Evans is my new DQ. He came here from … actually, where are you from? I can’t believe I don’t know.”
“Chesapeake,” I mumble.
“I heard,” Mr. Durant says, his jaw tight.
“From who?” Paige asks, facing her dad.
“Commander Anderson. He told me all about Mr. Evans before assigning him to you.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Her voice is quiet, and her jaw tenses, just like her dad’s. It seems they’re both pissed now. Everyone at the table focuses on their meal, shoveling bite after bite into their mouths to prevent them from having to speak.
All of them except for Jernigan, that is. “Mr. Durant,” he says, like he doesn’t notice the uncomfortable silence, “I’ve submitted my application to the Naval Academy, but I’m wondering if there’s anything else I can do now to start preparing myself for BUD/S?”
“You’ll be on the swim team again this winter, right?”
He nods.
“Keep up with that, your running, and your upper and lower body calisthenics. Physical fitness is going to be most important for making it through the SEAL training.”
“What about the selection process to get into the training? It’s tough competition, right?”
“It is. Usually by senior year at the academy, interest has dwindled to around sixty, but there are only thirty spots. You need to make a name for yourself at the academy … like you’ve been doing here at Wallingford. I’m sure you won’t have a problem becoming a SEAL,” he says with such goddamned pride for Jernigan, I want to puke.
“Excuse me,” I say, standing. “I just remembered I have another commitment. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Durant,” I add without a trace of truth. I’m sure the look on my face makes it clear, but at least I’m saying the words required of me.
I throw my mostly uneaten dinner in the trash, place my tray and dishes on the conveyer belt, then head for my room, ready to forget about the last thirty minutes. I guess I’m lucky Paige found us when she did. Otherwise, I might be a nothing more than a white outline on the hallway floor.
I flop myself on the bed and pull out my phone to catch up on email and texts. There are two texts from my mom, wanting to know how I’m doing. Rather than write her back, I dial her number since I haven’t talked to her once since coming here.
“Hey, Mom,” I say when she picks up.
“Oh, Logan, honey! I’ve been waiting to hear from you. How are you? Are you getting enough to eat? They’re not pushing you too hard, are they?”
“I’m fine,” I say. “It’s exhausting and demanding, but I’ve met a couple nice people. And classes aren’t too bad.”
“Good. So you’re making friends?”
“Yeah, this guy Noah lives across the hall from me and he’s cool. And this girl Paige and I are starting to get along.”
“A girl?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you … Did you and Lora break up?”
“No. Paige and I are just … friends.” Really? Are we friends now? We’re not more, and I guess we’re not less. She has been acting mostly friendish lately. But what about the almost kiss? You don’t kiss a friend. Especially not when you have a girlfriend. I knock my head into the wall behind me. I can’t believe I was so stupid earlier.
My mom’s quiet on the other end of the line. She’s never said anything, but I get the impression she’s not a huge Lora fan.
“What’s Paige like?” she finally asks, trying to sound interested but not too interested.
“She’s a play-strictly-by-the-rules kind of person.”
“Oh.”
“Very no-nonsense. Kind of cold … actually, I take that back. She seemed cold at first, but she’s been pretty nice lately, especially today. She got me permission to leave campus.”
“That was nice of her.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, hopefully I’ll get to meet her sometime. I was thinking about coming up to visit in a few weeks. Would that be okay?”
“Sure.”
“It won’t be embarrassing for you if your mom shows up, will it? I don’t want to make things harder on you.”
“No. Paige’s dad comes up a lot. And I’ve seen other parents here. It’d be … nice to see you,” I say, feeling heat creep up my neck. We don’t really have heart-to-heart discussions.
“Okay, good. I’ve got a big project at work right now, but once that’s over, I’ll plan the trip.”
I nod, though she can’t see it. She’s always got big projects. As soon as one ends, the next one begins, which means it’s unlikely she’ll ever make it up here. I’m used to it, and at home, it never bothered me because the more she worked, the more freedom I had. For some reason, the thought of her not keeping her word now stings. I’ll never tell her, though. She already feels guilty enough for being a single parent.
“Your dad asked me if he could visit, too.”
“No.”
She’s quiet for a moment before saying, “I’ll let him know. Oh, I talked to Mr. Needleham yesterday. He wants you to give him a call.”
“Okay.”
“I love you, honey.”
“Love you, too.”
As soon as I hang up, I press the contact info for my lawyer with shaky fingers. We haven’t spoken since the video game incident. I haven’t gotten into any more trouble with the dean, so hopefully this is just a standard catch-up call. I really can’t handle any more issues today.