Sequel: Running With Scissors ›
Those Worse Off Than You
Part 75
“Jayde- can you pass the peas,” my mother asked with a smile across the table.
I lifted the bowl over the table to her without looking up from my plate.
“So how has your new house been coming along,” my mother asked David’s mother.
“Oh. It’s coming along alright, wouldn’t you say Mark,” she insisted and nudged her husband.
He looked up from his plate, “Yea, it’s coming along great. You guys should come by and check it out some time. Catch a game or something,” he offered to my father, who was a football fan.
He only nodded and gave a polite smirk, concealing the food in his mouth. I knew my father was almost as uncomfortable with this as I was. He knew that it wasn’t nornal to maintain a friendship like this one.
“So Jayden,” Mrs. White looked at me with a friendly smile. “How has school been going.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I replied. “I haven’t been there in almost two weeks.”
“Why is that?”
My mother changed the subject, “Jane, would you like some more coffee, you’re cup looks empty.”
She nodded and turned back to me.
“Um. I had an accident. I didn’t return to school afterwards.”
“I see. And who is your friend?”
Ace looked up from his plate from under his matted dark hair, as if he were from a horror film. He hadn’t smiled- his expression was still straight, but he answered her. “Ace Rivers.”
Jane White reached across the table to shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mrs. White, but you can just call me Jane.”
Ace put on a fake smile. “I’ve heard all about you. I’m sorry for your loss.” Then he quickly frowned again. I’m guessing he realized what he had said really didn’t go with his facial expression.
“Well, I’m sad to report I havn’t heard a thing about you. Why don’t you tell us about yourself.”
“Well,” Ace started, putting his fork beside his plate. “I go to Jayde’s school. We have a couple classes together.”
“That’s interesting.”
“And... I draw. I guess.”
“You do?”
“Yea.... I’m not that good though.”
“That’s not true,” I argued. “You’re great. You need more self-esteem.”
“Thank’s Jayde- that’s nice to know,” he remarked through gritted teeth that no one but me could see.
I lifted the bowl over the table to her without looking up from my plate.
“So how has your new house been coming along,” my mother asked David’s mother.
“Oh. It’s coming along alright, wouldn’t you say Mark,” she insisted and nudged her husband.
He looked up from his plate, “Yea, it’s coming along great. You guys should come by and check it out some time. Catch a game or something,” he offered to my father, who was a football fan.
He only nodded and gave a polite smirk, concealing the food in his mouth. I knew my father was almost as uncomfortable with this as I was. He knew that it wasn’t nornal to maintain a friendship like this one.
“So Jayden,” Mrs. White looked at me with a friendly smile. “How has school been going.”
“I wouldn’t know,” I replied. “I haven’t been there in almost two weeks.”
“Why is that?”
My mother changed the subject, “Jane, would you like some more coffee, you’re cup looks empty.”
She nodded and turned back to me.
“Um. I had an accident. I didn’t return to school afterwards.”
“I see. And who is your friend?”
Ace looked up from his plate from under his matted dark hair, as if he were from a horror film. He hadn’t smiled- his expression was still straight, but he answered her. “Ace Rivers.”
Jane White reached across the table to shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mrs. White, but you can just call me Jane.”
Ace put on a fake smile. “I’ve heard all about you. I’m sorry for your loss.” Then he quickly frowned again. I’m guessing he realized what he had said really didn’t go with his facial expression.
“Well, I’m sad to report I havn’t heard a thing about you. Why don’t you tell us about yourself.”
“Well,” Ace started, putting his fork beside his plate. “I go to Jayde’s school. We have a couple classes together.”
“That’s interesting.”
“And... I draw. I guess.”
“You do?”
“Yea.... I’m not that good though.”
“That’s not true,” I argued. “You’re great. You need more self-esteem.”
“Thank’s Jayde- that’s nice to know,” he remarked through gritted teeth that no one but me could see.