Status: On hold , help me?
Smile for Me
35
“I’m hungry.” Johnny whined from the floor of Matt’s basement, playing video games with Zacky.
Matt groaned. “You’re always hungry.”
“So?” Johnny huffed. “I’m hungry.”
Val smiled at her boyfriend. “Babe, can we order pizza?”
Matt rolled his eyes and gave her the phone.
“Are you staying at my place tonight?” Brian asked.
I nodded and smiled down at him. He was lying across the couch with his head in my lap and I was playing with his hair, which made Jimmy laugh. Apparently, no one was allowed to touch his hair. I, apparently, was the exception to the rule.
I had been staying at Brian’s every other night, sometimes more than that, for the past two months. Half of the contents in my closet were at my house, and the other half at his. He kept telling me to just move in, considering I was there ninety-five percent of the time anyway, and then I would be away from my dad, but I felt awkward just moving in. We hadn’t done it yet, and I had a feeling that if I left my dad would drink himself to death on purpose. I may hate him, but I didn’t want him to die.
“Hey, Emma.” Everyone greeted and I looked up to see her coming down the stairs slowly. She leaned down to kiss Zacky, then started on her way to sit with me. Her face was downcast as she lifted Brian’s feet off the couch and sat down their place, letting them fall back down into her lap. She crossed her arms over her stomach, put her head against the couch, and never said a word.
Brian, Zacky and I exchanged looks before I reached over to touch her arm.
“You okay, Em?”
She sighed heavily and nodded before practically shouted, “I’m failing physics.”
I gaped at her. “You’re failing physics.”
She nodded.
“So what’s the big deal?” Johnny asked without taking his eyes away from the game. “You’re not going to college, right?”
“No, but I still want to graduate, dummy.”
“Emma, why didn’t you tell me you were failing? I could have helped you.” I said, looking at her like she was crazy.
“I know, but I hate asking you for things.” She whined, sinking down in her seat.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. That’s what best friends are for, you idiot. Do you have your stuff here?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I have an exam on Friday.”
“Well, go get it.”
She dumped Brian’s legs off her and ran up the stairs, making me chuckle. Brian sat up and stretched his legs out, propping them on the coffee table as he put his arm around my shoulders.
“You must be good at physics, Katie.” Zacky said, obviously having given p on the game for the moment.
I shrugged. “I’m passing, and that’s good enough for me.”
“Passing? Passing?” Emma mocked, coming back down with her books. “This coming from the girl who rarely studies, aces every assignment and exam, and is in the running to graduate Valedictorian this year?”
I covered my face in embarrassment as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me in absolute and utter shock.
“Valedictorian? Are you kidding me?” Brian was grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow. That’s…that’s…wow.” Matt was speechless.
“Good for you, girl.” Val grinned at me.
Jimmy was shaking his head in astonishment and Johnny started laughing and chorusing, “Nerd!”
Brian picked up one of the pillows from the floor and threw it at Johnny, hitting him in the head.
“Baby, I’m proud of you.” He said, kissing my temple.
“Thanks.” I muttered, forcing a smile as my cheeks burned about twenty different shades of red.
Turning to Emma, I saw her smirking at me and rolled my eyes.
“Get your shit out and we’ll see what we need to do.” I ordered, moving to sit on the other side of Brian as she sat beside me and put her books on the coffee table.
Matt groaned. “You’re always hungry.”
“So?” Johnny huffed. “I’m hungry.”
Val smiled at her boyfriend. “Babe, can we order pizza?”
Matt rolled his eyes and gave her the phone.
“Are you staying at my place tonight?” Brian asked.
I nodded and smiled down at him. He was lying across the couch with his head in my lap and I was playing with his hair, which made Jimmy laugh. Apparently, no one was allowed to touch his hair. I, apparently, was the exception to the rule.
I had been staying at Brian’s every other night, sometimes more than that, for the past two months. Half of the contents in my closet were at my house, and the other half at his. He kept telling me to just move in, considering I was there ninety-five percent of the time anyway, and then I would be away from my dad, but I felt awkward just moving in. We hadn’t done it yet, and I had a feeling that if I left my dad would drink himself to death on purpose. I may hate him, but I didn’t want him to die.
“Hey, Emma.” Everyone greeted and I looked up to see her coming down the stairs slowly. She leaned down to kiss Zacky, then started on her way to sit with me. Her face was downcast as she lifted Brian’s feet off the couch and sat down their place, letting them fall back down into her lap. She crossed her arms over her stomach, put her head against the couch, and never said a word.
Brian, Zacky and I exchanged looks before I reached over to touch her arm.
“You okay, Em?”
She sighed heavily and nodded before practically shouted, “I’m failing physics.”
I gaped at her. “You’re failing physics.”
She nodded.
“So what’s the big deal?” Johnny asked without taking his eyes away from the game. “You’re not going to college, right?”
“No, but I still want to graduate, dummy.”
“Emma, why didn’t you tell me you were failing? I could have helped you.” I said, looking at her like she was crazy.
“I know, but I hate asking you for things.” She whined, sinking down in her seat.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. That’s what best friends are for, you idiot. Do you have your stuff here?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I have an exam on Friday.”
“Well, go get it.”
She dumped Brian’s legs off her and ran up the stairs, making me chuckle. Brian sat up and stretched his legs out, propping them on the coffee table as he put his arm around my shoulders.
“You must be good at physics, Katie.” Zacky said, obviously having given p on the game for the moment.
I shrugged. “I’m passing, and that’s good enough for me.”
“Passing? Passing?” Emma mocked, coming back down with her books. “This coming from the girl who rarely studies, aces every assignment and exam, and is in the running to graduate Valedictorian this year?”
I covered my face in embarrassment as everyone stopped what they were doing to look at me in absolute and utter shock.
“Valedictorian? Are you kidding me?” Brian was grinning from ear to ear.
“Wow. That’s…that’s…wow.” Matt was speechless.
“Good for you, girl.” Val grinned at me.
Jimmy was shaking his head in astonishment and Johnny started laughing and chorusing, “Nerd!”
Brian picked up one of the pillows from the floor and threw it at Johnny, hitting him in the head.
“Baby, I’m proud of you.” He said, kissing my temple.
“Thanks.” I muttered, forcing a smile as my cheeks burned about twenty different shades of red.
Turning to Emma, I saw her smirking at me and rolled my eyes.
“Get your shit out and we’ll see what we need to do.” I ordered, moving to sit on the other side of Brian as she sat beside me and put her books on the coffee table.