“Thought your band was playing this weekend?” I ask out of curiosity.
“Tomorrow.” He hands me the pizza and Chase tries to pull him into the house.
“Dude, you should totally play Chutes and Ladders with us.”
“Maybe some other time, I’ll tell Khloe-bug that you said hi.” Kai fist bumps with him.
I wave bye at Kai and take the pizza into the kitchen to fix Chase and me a plate.
“How do you know Kai?” I begin my inquisition.
“He is so cool. He’s Khloe’s rock star brother. She goes to my school and he came in one time and sang to us. It was wicked,” Chase exclaims with pizza flying out of his mouth.
“Okay, wild man.” I reach him a napkin to wipe his sauce-covered mouth.
We finish eating and play three games of Chutes & Ladders before his parents come home. I use their home phone to call my mom and get no answer. I hate it when she does this to me. She could have let me drive myself, but she refuses to be without her car. I call one person I know I can count on, Becks.
Mr. Miller pays me, and I have to pry Chase from my legs so I can get out the door. He only lets go because I am watching him again tomorrow night.
Becks is waiting for me by the curb in his grandpa’s Cadillac. The thing is like a boat on wheels, but I’m not going to complain about a free ride.
“Thank you so much for coming to my rescue. I’ll make your grandpa some cookies or something for lending you his car.”
“It’s no big deal Katie, my family loves you. I told you anytime you need a ride just call me.”
When we get to my house, Becks is looking at me weird. “Are you okay?” The face he is making at me, I am afraid he is about to hurl.
He wipes the palm of his hand against the thigh of his corduroy pants. Licking his bottom lip, he suddenly comes across the bench seat of the car and tries to cram his tongue down my throat. I jerk back immediately. “What the hell was that, Becks?” He still appears as though he may puke. “Please, just don’t even say anything. You’re my best friend…I need you to stay that way, okay.” I don’t even give him a chance to say anything. That was awkward and unfortunate. I thought he had a thing for Penny? I scramble out of the car, as he looks shocked and devastated.
I run into the house and throw myself down on my bed feeling so confused.
Chapter 6
My Saturday morning is just peachy, my mother can’t find her long black wig and that is Mr. Saturday Night’s favorite look on her. And I am an ungrateful burden whom she has to drive to her babysitting job. I am going to make her late for her date she says, yelling at me. I know she has been drinking today and you would think her words would hurt me but they don’t. I have grown used to it over the years. With Nancy, you never know what kind of week she is having. If it is a good week, you get overbearing, loves you more than life Nancy, but if it is a bad week, you get raging lunatic Nancy who swears a lot.
We manage to get into the car and make it to the Miller’s house in complete silence. She doesn’t even ask if I need her to pick me up later and the Miller’s live too far out for me to walk back home. I could ask Penny and Aaron to pick me up. They have before, but I really don’t want to go to his party. Hell, he probably wouldn’t leave his party to give me a ride anyway.
Penny sent me a picture of the dress she is going to wear tonight, deciding against the outfit I picked for her, and said she thought tonight was definitely the night they would finally do it. I tried telling her it was a bad idea, but she got defensive.
I wanted to talk to her about Becks, but I don’t get the chance to.
I knock on the door and Mrs. Miller greets me with a sour look on her face. “Katie, I’m so sorry, I meant to call you. Chase has been vomiting nonstop for the past hour. I hate that you came all this way for nothing. Let me get Jason to drive you home.”
I stand awkwardly in the foyer. I really wish they could have called before I made the trip. But I get it, the kid is sick. I really can’t afford the gas money my mom will ask for if I call her to turn around and come back for me since I’m not getting paid now. Yeah, my mom makes me give her gas money for driving me. I have my license, but she won’t let me drive her car ever, unless it benefits her.
Mr. Miller smiles at me. He is a dentist, so of course he has perfect white teeth. “Let me grab my coat then we can head out. Jenny, you need anything from the store while I’m out? Want me to get Chase some juice or crackers?” He shoves his arms through the sleeves of his tweed blazer.
“That’d be great. If I think of anything else, I’ll text you.” She kisses him on his chiseled jaw. The man looks more like he stepped out of a J Crew catalog than a dentist office. Actually, they are the picture-perfect family. Even their dog is good looking. I wrap my scarf tighter around my neck, preparing to be blasted by the cold once more.
Mr. Miller steps around me, opening the door and the chilly air hits the back of my throat as I breathe in. A few snowflakes have started to dance in the wind. His keyless entry clicks, unlocking the doors of the minivan his wife normally drives. He is a true gentleman opening the door for me. I slide into the seat and secure my seatbelt.
Jason opens his door and another blast of blustery cold whips across my cheeks. Blowing his warm breath over his large, masculine hands as he rubs them together, he looks over at me and winks. “Getting nasty out. Looks like we would have been staying in tonight either way.”
The snow has already begun to cover the windshield in a thick wintery blanket. I smile back at him, ready for him to get the van started so it can warm up and I can get home. There is a marathon of Valentine’s Day themed movies coming on the Hallmark channel I was looking forward to watching, even if that channel is fuzzy. Clipping his belt across his shoulder, he finally gets the keys in the ignition and turns the motor over. I guess winter wanted to give us one last show before spring arrives.
“Let’s give it a minute to warm up. Then I’ll get you home before you get stuck here for the weekend.”
“Sounds good.” I dig through my bag for a piece of gum. The windshield wipers are making a grating sound. The snow is covering the glass just as quickly as it is swiped away. We slowly back out of the driveway after what seems like an hour but in reality, it has probably been five minutes.