judgemental mom.
I should’ve known better. After all, I’m the one who kept tellin’ her to shut up ‘cause she’s beautiful, and fun, funny, and… awesomesauce.
A smile breaks through, and I’m suddenly laughin’ at myself. Laughin’ so hard I think I’m scaring Quynn.
“What is so funny?”
I shake my head as more chuckles come out. “I’m an idiot.”
She laughs with me now. “Well, that’s what love does to you.”
In the words of Hayles… cheeseball. But a cheeseball who’s right.
I tuck her into a big hug, smotherin’ her face in my chest like I used to and wiggle her hair back and forth. “Thanks for bein’ so cool.”
“Thanks for being honest, Bro.” She ducks out from underneath me. “Now will you please go get your girl before I beat you to it.”
I give her a pervy cock of the head. “Really? I’d like to see that.”
She punches me in the arm. “I mean it. Go!” Then she pushes me. I stumble to my feet.
“Thanks, Quynn. And I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Really… I didn’t ever want to hurt you. And I’m sorry if I did.”
Half her mouth pulls up. “You couldn’t hurt me even if you tried.” She waves me off. “Please don’t let me get in the way of what I can tell, is head over heels lovey dovey stuff.”
I chuckle, study her face once more before takin’ off down the road, finally feelin’ guilt free about leavin’ Quynn behind me.
Reason 27: You are THE girl
I knock on the door quick, then shove my hands in my jeans. She makes me nervous. Real nervous. The good kind of nervous. The kind that makes me want to jump and not care about what happens.
That was real sappy. I’ve become a love-crazed sonnet spewin’ sucker. Just like everyone else who figures out what they want.
The handle turns and I’m about to do a one-knee-er ‘cause I’m that big of a sap now, but it’s judgmental mom.
“May I help you?”
She acts as if she doesn’t know who I am. I know she does. She’s given me those pissy stares since I first locked eyes with her.
“Is Hayley home?”
Her hand moves to the back of the door. The ready position to slam it in my face. I tuck my foot in the doorway. “She’s busy. You can see her at school.”
“Please, I need to talk to her. It’s important.”
She lets out a dismissive laugh that sounds like a grunt in her Cruella voice. “What is so important you have to distract her from her exercises?”
I lied. Quynn wasn’t the hardest one to tell. It’s Hayles’ mother. I scratch the back of my neck and gulp.
“I love her.”
If she had been drinking anythin’, it would’ve been sprayed all over my face. I get a little spit anyway when her mouth pops open, and she ‘gah’s’ at me.
“Excuse me? Who do you think you are?”
“My name’s Brody Grant.”
“I know who you are. But are you blind? Maybe a little slow in the head? Or just looking for someone to roll around with till you leave for college?”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What kind of parent talks like this?
“Why would you ask that?” I say through my teeth.
“You’re taking advantage of my daughter. I don’t know what you’re using her for, but I won’t allow it. No one with your…” She gestures to my body and lets the thought drop. I cross my arms. “Would spend time with my Hayley without an agenda.”
Heat is crawlin’ through my chest, beggin’ to be unleashed. I choke back the insult I’ve got for her, and try to come up with somethin’ that doesn’t have the word ‘bitch’ in it.
“You must not know me that well, then.” Bitch. “I’m in love with your daughter because she’s the best thing that’s happened to me. She’s smart, funny, and has a kickass body. And I’m not goin’ to hide her till I find her ‘acceptable’. She’s already perfect. And I don’t care what you think. I’m tellin’ her that.”
I shove past her, ignorin’ the protests and the threats to call the cops if I’m not outta there in five minutes. I go straight to Hayles’ room. She’s lying on the floor, headphones in her ears, eyes closed and tears goin’ down the sides of her face and landin’ in her hair. She’s singin’. Soft and beautiful, and I’m amazed I know the song. It’s from a musical. Judge me all you want, but I know Les Miserables.
I close the door behind me. Judgmental