Three Months Later

 

 

The past three months have gotten better for me because of working at the bookstore. Meeting Violet and Nico has made everything so much more. Violet is hilarious in her subtle way, and Nico is something special. My feelings have grown into something for him, and I want so much to let him know. I’m scared that he may not feel the same way. Sometimes I think he’s flirting, but then I don’t know if that’s just how he is.

“What time am I picking you up tomorrow night for the art exhibit?” Nico has his arms sprawled across the counter top, and he gives me an expecting expression, cocking his head to the side.

I close the book I’m trying to find a price for and look over at Nico’s smiling face. “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t Violet tell you? She said she told you already. She did let me know right before work, even though she has known about it for quite some time.”

Violet walks by at that very moment and stops in front of the desk, narrowing her eyes slightly. “I did tell you guys a couple of weeks ago.”

Pulling back, I look her square in the face and place my hands on my hips. “No, you didn’t. I would have remembered that.”

“Yeah, Violet. At least one of us would have remembered,” Nico pipes in.

Violet shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe I said it to you guys in my head and thought I had told you two. Anyway, it’s tomorrow night at seven.” Then she walks away.

“Your sister can be very odd, Nico.” She’s different, but for the whole three months I’ve been here, I have come to enjoy our conversations.

He nods in agreement. “You try living seventeen years with her.” Nico stands up and leans his hip against the counter. “Back to what I was asking, what time do you want me to pick you up?”

I laugh. “I might give you a time if you tell me what this is.”

He scuffs his feet around the desk, lifts a stack of books off the ground and begins sorting through them. “It’s some student art exhibit her class is doing, and each student is going to have a few of their pieces on display.” He points at me and then back at him. “Our picture is going to be one of the pieces hanging up for everyone to see. Prepare to become an instant celebrity.”

I shake my head. “Right, we’ll have to start avoiding all the paparazzi.”

“Exactly. If I had my sunglasses in here right now, I would put them on,” Nico points at his eyes and smiles.

I laugh and finish going through the last book in my stack and call Juan Mendoza over the intercom to come and get his estimate on the books. The intercom gives off a crackling sound that Violet has asked her parents to fix, but it has made the crackling ever since I have been here. Juan walks up, takes the cash, and walks away.

Nico finishes his stack of books and calls Jenny Martin to the desk. This time the intercom gives off a little less of a crackle and mutes the end of Jenny’s last name. Jenny strolls up with a pile of books in her hands and takes the money Nico hands her. She then walks to the cashier to purchase way more books than she brought in.

I turn back to Nico. “Have you seen the finished drawing, yet? I haven’t thought to ask Violet about it.”

That’s a lie. I haven’t forgotten to ask Violet about the drawing. I have been anxious to see it, but then I changed my mind, not wanting more memories of that day with Nico to surface than they already do.

For the past three months, work has been my haven. I come here and forget about what has been going on at home with my mom and her mood swings. It’s like that part of my brain shuts completely off when I’m at work.

Nico rubs his palm against the back of his neck. “You know I have been bugging her continuously to show me, but she keeps saying her art is top secret. Back to the point of my first question, what time?”

I huff as if the question is getting on my nerves when in fact I’m excited. “You sure you don’t want me to meet you there?”

“What? And give up finding out where you live, so I can drive by your house all the time? In case you really think I may have stalker potential, that’s a joke.”

Leaning my back against the desk, I cross my arms across my chest. “I don’t know, Nico. Sometimes you do give me that vibe,” I joke. “I guess you could pick me up at six?”

“What? Is this a date?” Jessie walks by with a cart of books, catching the last sentence that I said.

“No,” We say at the same time.

“Oh.” Jessie looks intrigued. “Where are we going then?”

I tell her about the art exhibit that Violet is going to be a part of, and the drawing she did of us is going to be displayed there.

She turns to Nico and drops her hands from the cart. “Can you swing by to pick me up after you pick up May?”

I don’t know why I feel disappointed by her question, but I do. It isn’t as if he’s my boyfriend, but it would have been nice with just Nico.

He shrugs his shoulders. “Sure. Just let me know where you guys live.”

Damn. Oh, well. Jessie can talk to me if Nico goes MIA talking to other people because I won’t know anyone else besides Violet. Violet will most likely be occupied showing off her art. I hate going to places if I don’t have someone to talk to because I’m not great at striking up conversations with strangers.

The rest of the shift breezes by, and Nico gets off at the same time I do. His car is parked next to mine. I’m about to sit in my car seat when he pulls me back by my purse strap. “Oh, I forgot to ask you for your number. In case I get lost or something.”

Why do I feel like bouncing up and down? Cool it, May. You can be such a loser sometimes. “Sure,” I tell him my number while trying to hide my enthusiastic smile.

“Great. I sent you a text, so you have mine, too.” My phone beeps at that exact moment.

 

***

When I get home from work, Mom is sitting on the couch already changed into her pajamas. Let’s see what kind of mood she’s in today.

I don’t want to be insensitive, but sometimes she seems okay, and other times it’s the complete end of the world. I get it, I do. I have my days, too, but I understand and am ready for her to get better progressively.

I want to remember the good times with Dad, like when he would take me fishing. Most of the time, I didn’t even catch anything. It was fun because it was something that dad and I got to do alone.

After I set my purse down, I look to find Mom already walking to the kitchen. “Hey, sweetie. Do you want me to make you something to eat?”

This would be one of her better days. “No, but thanks, Mom. I ate a sandwich at work on my lunchbreak. I’m going to grab a snack and get ready for bed.”

“Are you sure? I did all your laundry and hung it up already, so you don’t have to worry about it. In case you have a lot of homework.” She moves to sit down on the couch and resumes her comfortable position.

“Thanks,” I hide my cringe. I prefer to do my laundry. When she goes to hang all my stuff up, she never puts anything in the right spot. Then I can’t find what I need.

 

***

The next day at school flies by quick. At lunch, Jessie talks excitedly about the art show, and she’s more excited about the cute, college guys that may be there.

Jessie turned eighteen two months ago. She’s technically supposed to be a senior, but she was held back in kindergarten by her mom, who thought she needed to mature a little bit. As soon as she hit eighteen, she began complaining about all the high school boys, and how immature they are.

I told her that maybe she should stop trying to date the immature ones. The guys that she picks, you can tell instantly from looking at them they are no good. I have tried to give her tips, but she’s going to do what she wants to do. Not that I have any real experience to hand out.

When I get home from school, Mom is there, already home from work. “Short day today at work?”

She relaxes on a bar stool at the counter sipping a cup of coffee. “Yes. The boss got some news that he’s getting child support from his ex-wife. You don’t hear a lot about the man getting child support, so he decided to let us all leave early with a full day’s pay.”

Setting my backpack on the floor by the door, I take a seat on the barstool next to hers. “Wow. That’s pretty awesome.”

After taking another sip of her coffee, she sets it down and says, “I asked the boss if I could take off next week. I know it’s short notice, but I’m going to be flying out on Sunday and coming back the following Sunday.”

I smack my fingers against the counter. “Flying out? Where?” I don’t want to fly out anywhere. I have work and school.

“Your Uncle Jim called. He’s having trouble dealing with losing his brother. You know he’s all alone.”

“Why doesn’t he fly out here instead?”

“I don’t know, sweetie. He’s older than your dad was and doesn’t have the money.” He’s ten years older than my dad was. It took my grandparents a long time before they were able to have another child.

“Do you want me to go with you?” I don’t want to, but I will if she makes me.

She shakes her head. “No. I don’t want you to have to miss a whole week of school. If you need to come with me, I want you to come.”

I don’t mind staying by myself. Most of my days are going to be spent at work or school. “No, but tell Uncle Jim I said hello.”

Mom shoots me a stern look. “Well, you won’t be staying by yourself, you will be staying with Mrs. Jenkins.”

I groan. “Come on, Mom. You know I love Mrs. Jenkins, but I can’t stay the night there. Her house has an old lady smell, and she only has one bed. The smell will stay with me when I leave if I sleep there.”

Mom gives me a grin. “She offered to let you sleep in her bed while she takes the couch.”

I tug at the end of my shirt and then release it. “Please, Mom. I’m seventeen that’s practically an adult. Most of my days will be at work and school anyway, so I could just stay here. If I need anything I can go next door,” I beg. “I can even go over there and check in with her.”

Mom chews on the side of her bottom lip. “I don’t know.”

“Please.” Her “I don’t know” usually means yes if I say please a second time.

“Okay, I will let Mrs. Jenkins know. You better not let me down. And you’re a hundred percent sure you’re okay with me leaving for a week?” She tilts her head down with her eyes looking straight into mine like she will know if anything happens.

“I won’t. And yes, I’ll be okay. Plus Mrs. Jenkins is right next door if I change my mind.” After that’s settled, I walk to my room and am practically leaping for joy inside that I can sleep in my bed.

The first thing I do is go straight to the closet and look for what to wear tonight, but I don’t want to get overdressed either. It isn’t like I’m going to some big gala or anything. I decide to go with my jeans I already have on, but I put on a nicer shirt.

My phone beeps at five-thirty.

Nico: Hey. I’m headed your way.

Me: Okay.

Nico: See you soon.

I smile to myself and decide to put some makeup on. Right when I finish getting ready, the doorbell rings, and I grab my purse and hurry for the door.

“Oh. You’re going out?” Ugh. I forgot to ask Mom if I could go.

 Slowly, I turn back to Mom with one foot still facing the door ready to jet. “Yes, Mom. I’m going to an art exhibit displaying sketches that a girl from work drew. Remember the one I posed for?”

“Okay, tell Jessie to come in. I haven’t seen her in a while.” Mom sets down the TV remote beside her.

It hasn’t been that long since she has seen Jessie. Mom saw her on Tuesday when she came over to work on her homework with me. “Jessie isn’t here. We’re going to pick her up right now.”

Mom’s eyes widen. “Oh?”

“He’s a friend from work. His name is Nico. He was part of the art project that his sister drew.” Please don’t ask any more questions.

The bell rings again, and Mom’s eyebrows raise. “You didn’t tell me that you posed for a picture with a boy? You aren’t going anywhere until I meet him.”

I roll my eyes. “It wasn’t a nude picture.” And she didn’t ask if there was going to be anyone else posing for the drawing.

She mumbles something as I walk and open the door. Nico is standing outside like he’s lost or something. “I thought maybe you weren’t here.”

“My car is right there.” I point. “So, I can’t leave until my Mom meets you. Can you come in for a second? She doesn’t want me to leave with a ‘stranger’ tonight.”

He rubs his hands together. “I love meeting people’s parents.”