Say Never by Thomas Janis

Author:Thomas, Janis [Thomas, Janis]
Language: fra
Format: epub
Publisher: Wedlock Publishing
Published: 2014-10-26T07:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Barry: So, Meg, how was your weekend?

Meg: I really don’t want to talk about it, Barry. Let’s just say that I went to the Met to relax and meditate and there was an elementary school field trip happening. Hundreds of little cretins running around screaming about Michelangelo’s ‘nads.

* * *

Since Tebow missed his morning nap, he is sound asleep by the time we pick McKenna up from school. I leave him in Cera’s unsmiling care and casually saunter up to the gate where the rest of the parents wait for their children. I’m feeling smug because I’m not just on time, I’m early.

My mood quickly deteriorates when I catch the supercilious looks from the other mothers around me. One, a blonde with her hair pulled into an Angels cap, surreptitiously tips her head in my direction on the pretense of stretching her neck. Then she turns and says something to three other women who proceed to whisper and nod.

Another little clique of half a dozen moms stands by the parking lot, all of the women glancing in my direction. It’s ironic. Even though these women are wearing sweats and sneakers and freaking baseball caps, and I’m wearing a BCBGMAXAZRIA Dolman Poncho and 7 For All Mankind jeans and Tory Burch t-strapped jeweled wedges, I feel like I’m the beggar at the ball. They all seem to know who I am—probably Miss Livingston sent out a PTA email blast about me and my irresponsible ways—Stay away from the b-i-t-c-h from New York—and they’ve all formed opinions without having met me. Not that meeting me in person would raise their opinions very much.

Their scrutiny reminds of the cliques in high school, how I was ridiculed and whispered about and gestured to back then. I realize how little has changed. Despite my worldly success, my show, my amazing metropolitan life, and my wardrobe, I’m still an outcast, different, an object of disdain. I try to ignore the stifled laughter which I’m sure is at my expense.

To hell with them, I think, and comfort myself with the likelihood that they all have stretch marks and I don’t have a single one. I restrain myself from pulling up my poncho to show off my spectacular abs.

When Miss Livingston emerges from the building with the kids following her in single-file line, the awaiting parents abandon their conversations mid-word and swoop towards the gate. McKenna sees me and raises her hand. Her teacher glances in my direction but doesn’t meet my eyes. She pats McKenna and sends her on her way.

McKenna passes me without a word and heads for the Camaro. I open the back door and she drops her backpack onto the pavement and climbs into her car seat.

“How was your day?” I ask her as I strap her in. She shrugs and glances at her brother whose pacifier dangles between his lips. Cera is slumped over in the front seat with her ear buds in and doesn’t acknowledge her little sister at all.

“Did you make your turkey?” I ask, trying to sound interested.

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.