Who I'm Not by Ted Staunton

Author:Ted Staunton
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: JUV013050, JUV013000, JUV021000
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2013-09-30T16:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

I wanted to take off for the beach right then and just think it all through, but everything went wrong. Mr. Hunter at Open Book wanted to talk about my “learning plan.” When I got back to Shan’s, Roy made me and Matt wash his pickup truck, because his back was hurting. Then Shan wanted me to help with dinner. While I was spreading fish sticks and frozen fries on a baking sheet, she asked me to take Matt to the movies after supper because Brooklynne was at a birthday-party sleepover and she and Roy wanted a little “down time.” I knew what that meant. When I told her I was already going to a movie with Gillian and her sister, she said, “That’s perfect! Janelle’s in Matt’s class. Ma-att!” and then it was done. What could I say?

The Dewitts picked us up at eight in a white Jeep Liberty that smelled like dog inside. Gillian’s mom had sharp eyes in a soft, tired face. She wore pricey-looking preppy clothes—tan jacket, designer jeans, boat shoes— and her long coppery hair was held back with a velvet headband. I sat in front with her. She was a fast driver, and she talked a lot about not much, which was fine with me. I gave her my nice-boy-in-the-shopping-mall routine. The only time we got close to saying anything real was when she said, “It must be nice for you to be home.”

“Yes, ma’am, and a little strange too.” I knew she must have heard my story. I guessed that meant Gillian knew some of it now too. In the back, the little sister, Janelle, was yakking away. Gillian was quiet, and Matt seemed to be tongue-tied.

The movie was at the same mall as the store where I’d boosted the clothes. When Roy wasn’t looking, Shan had given me money for me and Matt, which was good. I’d forgotten how expensive movies and snacks are. If I’d had to do it on my Garden Fairy money, I would have been screwed.

Janelle got Matt talking after a bit. Gillian and I didn’t talk much. It was better in the theater, where I could sit beside her and just be there. I didn’t want to say, “Your mom knows about me,” so I just said, “It’s been a long time since Danny’s been at a movie.” I’d been to one about a week before Harley died.

Gillian smirked. “Did he go to the beach today?”

“He didn’t have time,” I said. “But I’ll go for him tomorrow.” I didn’t say it, but her joking like that made me like her a lot. I wasn’t going to ask about her. She wasn’t going to ask about me. We were just going to be whoever we were right now.

After the show, we had to wait for Mrs. Dewitt to pick us up. “Everything’s closed,” Janelle complained.

“Green Leaf isn’t,” Matt said. He turned to me. “Let’s see if Grandma is working. Last time, she gave us free candy.”

“Huh?” I hadn’t known the store where Carleen worked was in the same mall.

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