Rough Patch by Nicole Markotic

Author:Nicole Markotic
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781551526829
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press
Published: 2017-07-03T04:00:00+00:00

IDJIT ALERT: SHE FINALLY CONFESSES HER DEEP, SECRET SELF TO HER BEST FRIEND, AND THEN BLOWS THE LANDING.

CHAPTER TWELVE

What I’d heard Sita say was, “Do you want to kiss me?” but maybe she said, “Do you want to kiss me?” I don’t know what I was thinking, telling my boy-crazy best friend that I (sometimes) like girls.

The closet may be cramped, but it’s not like anyone else is scrunched in here with me. At nearly sixteen, I haven’t done more than kiss, so I can last a few more years without confession, yes? Once Sita reaches university, she’ll hang out with loads of gay drama boys and funky lez-chique girls, and my problems will seem laughable. Then, when I’m legal, I’ll head to some big, bad lezzie bar downtown. By telling Sita now, I’ve forced myself into a very lonely high school box. No lunch buddy (yeah, like Amanda or Joline will stay loyal to a freak), no in-between-classes waves, no Friday afternoon dates. Uh-oh, maybe the fact that I call them “dates” is also freaking Sita out. Maybe she thinks that I think ...

No phone call from Sita during dinner, which she knows drives my mom batty, but which she also knows is the best time to catch me in a semi-static state. For once, I don’t scarf down everything in sight, but Mom doesn’t notice my uneaten food at the end of the meal. Even Sammie’s distracted by the Explorer Passport she made in art class, with a page for every campground we’ll visit next summer. I start to clear the table without being asked, in case I need to deke out for a quick meet-n-greet with Sita before bedtime. Nada. And no text messages on Saturday. Or Sunday.

I absolutely, truly, ridiculously miss texting with Sita. Back in the summer, she may not have wanted to hear much news about a herd of bison that broke through a containment fence, or the highest fire hazard warning in eleven years, but she was excellent at sending me juicy zingers: “True story: Talia Sitkins went on a date with a cop and she’s only fifteen! Her parents grounded her and his boss grounded him!” And: “Sliced my index finger helping my dad cook elaborate lamb and chickpea meal. Hospital and seven stitches. Here’s a pic of the wound before repair. Here’s an after pic.” Loved the news and was très grateful that my phone couldn’t handle photos! And: “When, when, when r u back? Calgary is dull. I am dull. Save me before I befriend Talia Sitkins! that is how desperate I am ...” You gotta love a friend who lets you know you’re missed!

Goes without saying that my phone’s on permanent silent mode, so it never rings, beeps, or in any way tells me I’ve got mail. Doesn’t matter: I check my messages every 4.6 seconds at home. All I need is a buffer like a sweater or a dinner napkin or the couch, and the parents don’t notice me punch in the letters.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.