Part 2 (2/2)
”Thank you,” I said, truly grateful.
She gave me a ma.s.sive hug. ”Just don't forget you promised me this is only for tonight.”
THORNE.
Lane's idea of his favorite breakfast turned out to be this tiny place in Brooklyn that I had never seen before. It was actually a surprise to know that Lane had been anywhere near there himself but apparently there were things about my seventeen year old brother that I was still learning. ”You didn't tell me we were supposed to come this far,” I complained as we entered the joint. Everyone's eyes were on us. The place looked full at first glance but the waiter found us a nice table to sit by the window. The same breakfast that Lane wanted to have, he was barely touching it once it arrived.
”So,” I tried to make conversation. ”What's going on?”
”Not much.”
”That's all I get?”
”Did you bring me here so you could interrogate me? I told you I'm fine. I know no one believes it but it's true. I'm not about to go crazy any time soon.”
”We're just worried.”
”Can you not be worried for the length of this breakfast?”
”Sure.”
”So, what's going on with you?”
I wanted badly to tell him about Elena. But what would I tell him? That I met someone for one night and so far I haven't seen sight of her and have no idea if she's ever going to talk to me again? It would hardly make for an engaging conversation.
”Lane?”
A young boy of about Lane's age was standing at our table. ”What the h.e.l.l!” he said and Lane did some form of secret handshake with him in response. ”Why haven't you been coming to school? The teachers have been going nuts!” the boy said.
A flush colored Lane's face. The boy looked at me and I smiled at him, and went back to the food. Lane got up. ”I'll be right back,” he said to me and left with the boy to talk outside the breakfast place. I was still waiting for Lane to come back when I saw two women walking past the window and they didn't even look at me but I saw who one of them was-Elena. The other one must have been a friend. It took everything in my power not to go after her right then. I knew I couldn't stand annoying her any more. But at least I could guess that this was where she lived now. Had she moved in with someone or gotten a place of her own? I was curious. But Lane came back before I could think of acting on my impulses. He looked more relaxed than before. His shoulders were no longer hunched and he was even taking interest in the plate of eggs in front of him.
”Will you tell me yourself or do I have to ask?” I said.
Lane looked clueless. ”What?”
”School Lane,” I said, not believing for a second that he had forgotten something so important in the ten minutes it took for him to have the conversation with his friend. ”How long have you been cutting cla.s.ses?”
Lane's smile disappeared. ”Oh.”
”Oh? That's all I get?”
”Are you going to tell them?”
”I guess I'll have to decide that after I hear your side of the story.”
Lane toyed with his food. ”I was going to tell you,” he said.
”I believe you,” I said, trying to appear calmer than I felt inside. ”Just tell me what the h.e.l.l is going on?”
A pause. ”I don't want to go to school anymore.”
The sentence hit me like a ton of bricks. ”What?”
”Don't get mad,” he said. ”Thorne it's just...not my thing.”
”In case you're forgetting,” I said. ”You're still a minor. And that's not your decision to make.”
”Stop talking like her.”
”Excuse me?”
”I hate it when you talk like Mom!”
”Lane, cut the c.r.a.p. Tell me what's going on. Now. Or we're having this discussion in our family home with both our parents present.”
I must have managed to intimidate him because he looked somber, just a tad bit afraid to speak up. I couldn't understand what was going on but I was trying hard to be patient. I was just glad I was having this conversation with him and not Mom or Dad because they would have totally freaked. Finally, he spoke. ”I can't do it,” he said. ”I'm having trouble, and I'm failing cla.s.ses.”
”So we'll get you a tutor.”
”That's not it. I just...I don't want to.”
I set my fork aside. ”Lane,” I said. ”I know with everything that happened, it can't be easy on you, believe me, I get that. But you're talking about throwing away your whole future because of one bad year!”
Lane looked wounded. ”One bad year?” he said. ”That's what it is to you? One bad year? You don't know what the h.e.l.l you're saying!”
”Lane, I'm sorry. That's not what I meant-”
”Can we please go back now?” he said, standing up. ”I think I've had enough.”
In the car, on the way home he did nothing but stare out the car. ”You can give me the silent treatment all you want,” I said. ”But you're staying with me. Sooner or later, you're going to have to talk.”
I couldn't even tell if he heard it or not.
He shoved his earphones in and I could hear the music from where I sat in the driver's seat.
It was going to be a long drive.
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