Part 13 (1/2)

She continued to stare. ”You all right?”

”Fine. Everything's fine.”

She shrugged and turned away.

Marc did look good, and it was true - I missed him. When I was with Marc, I didn't have to wonder every second of the day what he was thinking about or whether he liked me or Farah better.

Still, hadn't Lance followed me, checked up on me after the library disaster? And he'd been early to meet me that night. Now he was talking to me in the hallways and hanging around. Those things meant something, didn't they? Well, didn't they?

I was giddy with relief when my grounding was over. I grabbed my phone and hugged it like it a long-lost pet. It was pathetic. I promised myself I wasn't going to ever lie again - I didn't need the grief. I wanted things to calm down and return to normal.

I sure didn't think the next turmoil was going come from my hard-working, always-gone dad. After school on Wednesday, I walked home like usual. Dad's car was in the driveway, which was major strange. It was never in the driveway when I got home, or any other time for that matter. He was always at work.

I opened the front door, listened, and didn't hear a thing.

”Dad?” I ventured in and clicked the door shut behind me. ”Dad, you here?”

I walked into the living room and there he was, sitting on the couch staring at nothing.

A sudden rush of fear knotted my stomach. Something was horribly wrong. ”Dad, you all right?”

He flinched, turning toward me as if I'd awakened him from a deep sleep. His eyes were wide and oddly blank, like an unused piece of paper. His voice was flat and distant as he asked, ”Do you like Bates Academy?”

”Yeah, both Sarah and I do. Why? What happened? Why are you home?”

”This will be your last month there,” he said, his voice strangely loud. The words exploded like an unexpected landmine.

”What are you talking about?” I hurried over to the couch and sat beside him. ”Our last month? Why?”

”I got laid off.” His voice became subdued and echoed lifelessly through the room.

”From which job? What happened?”

”Convenient Paper. Been losing clients for months. I thought it'd rebound. Always did before, but not this time. One client after another dropped off like dead skin. I kept telling the regional director I could get them back. Turns out, I couldn't. n.o.body's buying extra paper products these days. n.o.body.” My dad had never said so many words to me at once in my whole life.

”Your job at McDafe's. It's safe, right? You can still sell copiers.”

”Oh yes, it's safe. For what it's worth.”

”You do great there. People are always buying from you. Mom says without you, McDafe's would go under.”

Dad glanced at me, his eyes mirrors of sadness. ”Your mother exaggerates.”

I was silent, unsure of what to say. Seeing Dad this way was creeping me out.

I put on a smile. ”It'll be okay, Dad. We'll think of something.”

He patted my leg. ”Of course, it'll be okay. Don't you worry, Emili.”

”And school...”

”Bates will have to go. The only way we've afforded tuition has been because of my two jobs.”

”But, Dad, they have vouchers now to pay for private schools. Can't we get two for Sarah and me?”

”We don't qualify yet, and they don't give them in the middle of the year.”

”Then you'll get another job. Who wouldn't want you?”

He rubbed his hands on his knees. ”We're about to find out.”

Trying to rea.s.sure my dad was not the natural order of things. I was way out of my comfort zone. Finally, I patted him awkwardly on the back and stood up.

”Emili, sorry I dumped on you. It was highly inappropriate, even though true. Tuition will have to go.”

”It's okay. We'll be fine.”

I walked to my bedroom. Leave Bates? Go to public school where I didn't know anyone and no one knew me? The year wasn't even half over. Wouldn't Bates let me keep coming for free until Dad got another job? At least for a while? I'd been a faithful student for years. Didn't my loyalty count for something? Maybe if Dad explained it all to Mr. Ramos, it'd be okay. My dad could be pretty convincing.

I shoved my stuffed animals aside and sat on my bed. I pulled my phone from my pocket and texted Lance. Call pls. Lance would make me feel better.

I sat there and waited. I carefully lined up my animals again by size - big bear, stuffed ducks, small bear. I studied my phone. Nothing. Didn't Lance have his phone on? I texted Farah the same message and waited. Still nothing. Where was everyone? I cringed to think about Sarah finding out. She'd freak. With all her talk about never seeing Dad, she'd come unglued when she found out he was laid off. There would go her dream of taking dance lessons, too.

Everything was in the toilet.

I stood up and started pacing, staring at my phone. Why didn't they call me? This would totally change my life, and no one cared. I started to chew on my thumbnail then stopped. I didn't chew my fingernails anymore. I quit last year after painting each fingernail with this disgusting dirt-colored liquid that tasted like sucking on a gas can. For three weeks, I had painted it on. Three weeks! I'd broken the habit and wasn't about to start again now.

I could work on a new perfume recipe. I walked to my dresser and inspected my essential oils. There was enough jojoba oil to base two or three more batches, so I only needed to decide how I wanted to mix the scents. I got out my log book to record a new blend. I picked up my favorite pen and then laid it back down.

My mind wasn't on it.

Someone had to be paying attention to their phone. Why was no one texting? Without thinking, I texted Marc. Big chge. Upset. I pushed send before I could stop myself. I knew Marc would answer me. Some people paid attention to their messages.

My phone dinged. Marc. What's happening?

I sat on the edge of my bed. A surge of relief jangled in my heart as I flopped down on my blankets. Marc was there for me. He still cared. As I typed in a return text, the reality of the situation returned. Dad lost job.

Oh! Sorry!

Chge school.

I waited for his next response and jumped when my phone rang.

Chapter Eleven.

”Marc.”