The Backup Girlfriend (Grove Valley High #2) - Emma Doherty Page 0,42
The more I think about it, the more I think it’s not for me, especially recently, but what would I do instead? “Maybe, I don’t know. I guess.”
“Wow. Glad to see you’ve got it all figured out.”
I scowl. “Well we can’t all go to Harvard.”
“You can if you put your mind to something.”
“Harvard’s hardly the easiest place to go.”
He shrugs. “I decided when I was a freshmen that I wanted to go to Harvard, and everything I’ve done since then has gotten me to here.”
I gape at him. “You’ve been working toward college since freshman year?”
“Yes. You have to decide what you want then do what it takes to get there.”
Well I guess that makes sense.
“Have you never tried to get something and worked at it?”
I scoff. Popularity—that’s the only thing I cared about when I was a freshman, and I guess I did work at it. “I think we have different goals.”
He shrugs. “Maybe.”
Maybe? We want completely different things.
When I have nothing to say to that, he nods toward my textbook. “Come on, let’s go through it one last time.”
I glance at the clock on the library wall. “We have class in ten minutes. Let’s just be done.”
“No, you paid for an hour.”
I roll my eyes. Money again? “Don’t worry about it. I’ll let you off.”
“And you have ten weeks to try to graduate.”
When he puts it like that… “Don’t remind me!”
“You’re doing this now.” He pushes my textbook back in front of me. “You think I can’t tell that you asking me about college was a ploy to kill time?” Yeah, he can see straight through me. “I want you to study this tonight, and I’m going to test you tomorrow.”
Well…isn’t that just fan-freaking-tastic.
12
“Dad’s home,” Ellie tells me quietly the second I step into the kitchen on Thursday after school, and the smile from the surprise of seeing her and Eric Jr. at the house is immediately wiped off my face.
I look around like I’m expecting him to pop up, but he’s not anywhere to be seen.
“He’s playing golf, and Mom’s at the spa. We’re supposed to meet them for dinner at seven. I have a sitter for the baby, and Eric’s coming.”
I nod, grateful that I’ve got a little bit of time to prepare myself for him being here. I wasn’t expecting him to get back until tomorrow. “Why’s he here early?”
She shrugs. “Who knows? He seems okay though. He was in a nice mood.”
That doesn’t make me feel any better. His moods are so unpredictable; they can change in a second. Just because he’s in a good mood now doesn’t mean he will be later.
“Eric’s coming to dinner?”
She nods, her eyes communicating with me what we both know. If her husband is there, Dad will be fine. He’ll be interesting and charming and charismatic. It’s only when it’s just the four of us that he can turn nasty. Actually, scrap that—there’s no can turn nasty; he is nasty.
“Okay, good.”
“Mom told me to tell you not to eat anything when you get home.”
She’s so unnecessary.
“Why would she ask me to tell you that?”
“Because I’ve put on weight.”
My sister looks appalled. “You haven’t gained weight.”
“I have, a few pounds. I just need to be careful over the next couple of weeks and I should be back to normal.”
She scowls. “You do not need to lose any weight—you’re perfect the way you are. I don’t get why she would tell you that.”
Probably because she’s never had to tell Ellie that. Ellie has the body of a supermodel and doesn’t have to do a single thing to maintain it. I’m just Mom’s shitty backup daughter who she’s always having to critique—not that Ellie’s ever made me feel like that. Ellie always has my back.
“I’m being serious, Abs. You’re beautiful. Do not let Mom get into your head.”
Like she did with her. I’ve watched Ellie pick at her meals for as long as I can remember. She was always conscious about how much she was eating. “Thanks, Abs.”
“Did you get your hair done?”
I nod. I finally found time to get my roots done yesterday, and I’m now back to looking as close to a natural blonde as I can.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about this, and I think you should go dark.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“But I’ve always been blonde.”
“No you haven’t. When you were younger, it was much, much darker. Then you got highlights at the start of high school to brighten it up, and then you went that bright blonde you are