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EMMA
My last day of freedom before school started. I decided to stay in bed a while before heading to the tennis club to meet Helen. I still hadn't told Dad anything. We spoke after Ben's Burger Barn and I pretended that the world was wonderful and everyone was happy. Today I would try to call Jake and if he didn't answer, I'd leave a message that I had to tell Dad something. If he ignored me, I'd come up with some kind of story.
I heard Zach get up. I could have dragged myself out of bed and offered to make breakfast, but I preferred feeling sorry for myself. I heard him talking to someone on the phone before heading back to his room to take a shower. I read for a bit before pulling myself out of bed and just as I was about to leave my room, there was a knock on the front door. I retreated. Whoever it was, I didn't want to see them.
"You're late," Zach said.
The door was ajar and I could hear the conversation perfectly.
"Slept in. Is she here?" The voice was male, and it dropped to nearly a whisper when I came up in conversation.
"She's sleeping."
"Man, you're crazy. Why are you getting mixed up in all this?"
"Because she's a nice girl and didn't deserve what happened to her."
His friend snorted. "Sure. There's only one reason you'd help her. So have you been in her pants yet?"
"Cut it out."
"Of all the chicks to get a hard-on for, you pick her? Every girl at Western will kneel at your dick, and you find a nutter."
"Stop being an ass. Let's go."
The front door opened and shut. Silence. I sat on my bed and tried to absorb what I'd heard. He didn't confirm or deny it. Could someone like Zach really like me? I shook my head. No, not possible. His stupid friend was right, he could have his pick of any litter, so why would he choose me? The simple answer? He wouldn't. Would he?
#
I CALLED HELEN AND apologized for standing her up for our tennis match. More lies spewed from me about a friend being rushed to hospital. She bought the story and we settled for a rematch that afternoon. It gave me the opportunity to blow off some steam and forget about Zach's conversation with his friend and my first day back at school after the Bianca affair.
"I was thinking," Helen said, huffing and puffing after an hour of intense rallying. I felt bad making her run all over the court. "The club is holding a tournament in the New Year. I'm looking for a partner for the ladies’ division. How about you?"
"Me?" I asked. I pulled my duffel bag from my locker and fished for a change of clothes.
"Yes, you. We could practice a few times this week and I'll do all the paperwork. I'll even pay the entry fee."
I sat on the bench and slid off my sneakers. She was going to a lot of trouble to get me to agree and the thought of playing in a tournament again did sound appealing. "Am I eligible?"
"Of course you are," she said, scoffing at the idea. "I already asked the tournament organizers. The prize money for the winners is a thousand dollars. If we win, I'll give it all to you."
Something wasn't adding up, including her complete inability to stand still. She was like a firecracker about to go off. "I'm guessing there's more to this than entering a tournament."
She sat next to me, scooting in close. "I have to beat Sally Carruthers. Every year she kicks my butt. She finds these amazing partners and wins. No one else has won in years. With you on my team, we can beat that bitch!"
I'd never seen her so animated before, in fact, I'd never heard her curse. "How do you know we'll win?"
"Because there is no one better than you. Together we can wipe the court with her."
The money was attractive, although I would insist on splitting it with Helen. The problem I had was that I wasn't as convinced as she was that we'd win. Helen's tennis game was good, but she was far from great. Her serve had no power or speed, her backhand needed hours of work and at five foot nothing, her forehand wouldn't give a woman my height and strength any trouble at all.
"Prepare yourself for the possibility that we'll lose," I said diplomatically.
"Oh, we will win. You'll make up for my lack of talent."
"It does sound fun. It's a weekend?"
"And some qualifiers."
"I'll do it only if we split the money."
"I don't care about the money. I want the trophy."
"Sign me up then."
"You made my day," she said, shaking with giddiness. She hugged me and skipped to the showers.
Helen was added to the friend column.
#
I MADE ONE LAST CALL to Jake. He didn't answer. I left my final message telling him that I would be calling my dad that night and I had to tell him something. Within an hour Jake called me back. Hearing his voice for the first time made my heart blip a few beats, but his tone was flat and unforgiving.
"Hello, Emma."
"Hi, Jake. How are you?"
"Good."
"And Bianca?" My voice went into a phony high pitch. Did he pick up on it?
"She's fine."
"Tell her I'm sorry."
"I will."
I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. I was alone in my new bedroom and glad that Zach wasn't nearby. He'd see how school-girly nervous I was and he'd hate it. "I haven't told my dad anything. I assume you haven't told Ron either."
"No."
"Zach thinks I should tell Dad the truth."
"I'm sure Zach thinks a lot of things," Jake said bitterly.
"I can't keep lying to him."
Jake let out a deep sarcastic sigh. "I don't want you to tell him the truth."
"I don't want to either, but I can't keep doing this."
"It's not like your dad will figure out we aren't living together anymore. It's not like he visits."
"He hasn't, but he might."
A long silence followed. It gave me time to think about what he said. Why didn't he want me to tell Dad the truth? Was it because he may come off as a jerk? That Dad would be so disappointed and disgusted with him? That Ron might get mad?
"I think you should tell Paul that you have a boyfriend and decided to move in with him."
My jaw dropped and I was at a loss for words. I hated how easily that plan would work, but Dad, and more importantly Grandpa, wouldn't be impressed. And this way Jake would have no blood on his hands.
"Okay." I can't believe how quickly I agreed to it. "I won't tell him right away because he won't believe it."
"Fine, do whatever you want."
"Jake, I am so sorry the way things happened. I hope that we can work it out."
"Emma, I have to go."
With that he hung up. I stared at my phone for a while and wanted to cry. Jake severed ties with me and didn't care one bit.
I sat for a few minutes before putting down my phone and finding Zach in the living room watching hockey. I plopped down next to him.
"How'd it go?" he asked.
"Jake talked to me all of three seconds. He doesn't want me to tell Dad the truth. He wants me to tell him that I met a guy and moved in with him. Presumably you. Not sure my dad will fall for that one."
Zach tore his eyes off the game and scowled at me. "You do realize what he's doing, right? This way he comes off like an angel. I've told you before, tell your dad everything."
"He'll be gutted."
"I think he'll be outraged and proud of the fact you stood up for yourself." He shifted his body to face me. "You want to know what I think the real reason is? If you tell your dad, it officially ends whatever it is you think you have with Jake. That's why you're worried. If Jake is half the guy you think he is, if you tell the truth he'll come around and you'll be friends again."
I hated that Zach was right, but telling Dad now would serve no purpose other than starting trouble. "I know you aren't going to believe me, but I want to tell Dad in person. The last thing I need or want is for him to flip out on Ron. They've been friends their entire lives and I think if I tell Dad face to face, I can keep him calm. I'll go down in a few weeks and tell him."
"And until then?"
"I'm going to pretend that everything here is going along smoothly."