“Kind of a big deal, right? And if Brad needed picking up from camp, why didn’t Dad tell me? I could’ve done that,” I complained on the phone.
“Weren’t you working yesterday?”
“That’s not the point, Levi!”
Finally, I paused for breath. I’d shut myself out on the porch to call Levi to catch up, while Brad was packing way too much stuff for just one night.
“Why don’t you ask your dad if you can meet her?”
“I don’t want to meet her,” I snapped, hating how childish it sounded coming out of my mouth. It wasn’t…Okay, fine, it was exactly like that, but so what? Gathering myself, I said, “I just don’t get why she’s looking after Brad and picking him up from camp and doing our grocery shopping when, like, a month ago she didn’t exist.”
“She—”
“Don’t you dare point out she did exist. You know what I mean.”
Levi laughed. “Okay. Well, what did Brad think of her?”
“Oh, he thinks she’s great. Linda this, Linda that. Linda let him pick what he wanted for dinner. Linda let him pick the music in the car. Linda puts honey in his oatmeal. Linda, Linda, Linda.” I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. “I’m sorry, Levi. I didn’t mean to call and steal your break and yell at you.”
“I called you, remember?”
That was true—and made me feel just a little less bad. Although it did remind me I’d monopolized the entire conversation. “Oh yeah. What did you want to talk about?”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said.
I was going to ask if he was sure, because he must have called to talk about something, but I had to get back to Brad. I said as much, and we hung up.
Back inside, Brad had brought his backpack downstairs. It was stuffed full.
“Do you guys have video games or should I bring some?”
“We have video games, Brad. And I think we were planning on Chinese food for dinner. Unless Linda already got you Chinese yesterday.”
“No. We had Mexican.”
“I thought you hated Mexican food? It gives you gas.”
“I liked the way Linda cooked it.”
I was really, really glad Linda wasn’t here right now. I had a feeling I’d snap at her and tell her where to stick her Mexican food and her wrong-brand peanut butter.
* * *
• • •
I was still sore about it later that evening. Lee and Rachel were still out, but neither Noah nor Amanda seemed to mind our surprise visitor. Right now, Noah and Brad were having an epic lightsaber battle in the pool with some sticks, making loud whusch noises. Brad was yelling about how this was the end of the Jedi, so Noah was arguing back about how he would defeat the evil Sith rulers.
It was sweet. And while Noah might not like getting involved with Lee’s and my childish shenanigans, it was cute to watch him get involved with Brad’s.
The leftovers from our Chinese takeout littered the table, and Amanda and I had picked up the video-game controllers Brad had abandoned to go play in the pool with Noah.
Now she threw hers aside with a huff. “Remind me never to play against you again. Maybe you should start a YouTube channel or something. You should get paid for this.”
I managed a laugh, distracted for a second. “I’m not so sure about that, but thanks for the ego boost.”
There was a melodramatically mournful shout from outside and a splash, followed by Brad’s giddy laughter.
“Guess the malevolent Sith Lord won this round,” I said.
“Your brother is adorable,” Amanda gushed. “Kind of makes me wish I wasn’t an only child.”
“I guess he has his moments. Now that he’s shut up about Linda.”
Amanda gave me a sympathetic smile. “If it’s any consolation, a bunch of my friends’ parents are divorced, and my friends all seemed to hate the first person their parents dated after that. I know I’m dreading it!”
“Wait, w-what?” I stopped reaching for a dumpling to gawp at her. “Your parents are getting divorced?”
She shrugged, and even though she was doing a great job of looking indifferent, something felt off about it. Kind of like she was trying super hard to stay so laid-back, like this was the only way she knew how to talk about it. “Probably. Honestly, I think this is their last-ditch effort to make it work. Originally this trip was just supposed to be my mum; then it turned into this whole family thing. They’ve been seeing a couples counselor for a while, but I don’t think it’s really worked out. They think I don’t know how much they’re arguing, but…” She sighed, rolling her eyes, then added with a smirk, “Hey, do you think I’m too old to take advantage of the whole ‘two birthdays, two Christmases’ deal?”
Amanda caught the stricken look on my face, and her own rigid smile faded.
“I’m really sorry,” I told her, not knowing what else I was supposed to say. “I had no idea.”
“Noah didn’t mention it?”
“N-no. Was he supposed to?”
She considered it. “I mean, I never said it was a secret, but I guess I also didn’t tell him to tell you guys. I just sort of figured he would. That’s why I asked him if I could stay here a couple of days. It’s just exhausting to be around them all the time when they’re like this.”
I tried to fix the look on my face, not sure she wanted my sympathy or pity or whatever else she’d find there.
Although, honestly, how she could even sound so peppy about her parents’ looming divorce, I’d never know.
“Well, hey,” I told her, “you can stay here as long as you want.”
Amanda squeezed my hand, and I was shocked to see her lips wobbling and her eyes fill with tears. Her voice was thick when she said, “Thanks, Elle. You’re such a good friend.”
At that moment, the door opened. Amanda sniffed suddenly, blinking and taking a breath to steady herself. A trio of voices chattered, laughing, as people poured in. We both turned to see Lee and Rachel walking into the lounge in fluorescent outfits. Rachel’s hair was teased and back-combed into something huge and springy, and Lee wore a bright pink headband. They were both in leg warmers.
Ashton was just behind them in his own bizarre and brightly colored eighties getup.
A creeping feeling of dread crawled up my spine as their laughter dimmed.