School Squad by Eileen Moskowitz-Palma

School Squad by Eileen Moskowitz-Palma

Author:Eileen Moskowitz-Palma [MOSKOWITZ-PALMA, EILEEN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Running Press
Published: 2020-10-06T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER FIFTEEN

BEA

MONICA’S FAVORITE NINETIES HIP-HOP MUSIC BLASTED FROM THE minivan’s speakers and she rapped along while Vivi filmed for the @morethanmomjeans story. I thought about all the times Mom and Dad fought over the car radio station. Dad knows the words to every rap song that came out between 1985 and 2000, while Mom calls herself an old soul because she loves Fleetwood Mac and the Grateful Dead. I was glad Dad had found someone who had more in common with him, but I felt weird rooting for him and Monica, like I was somehow betraying Mom.

Peyton held up her phone. “Look! I’m on the Posh Petticoats Instagram.”

Vivi grabbed her phone. “You look sooo pretty.”

Monica pulled into a parking spot on Sugar Maple Boulevard. “Let me see,” she said.

Vivi unclicked her seat belt and climbed up front with Peyton’s phone.

Monica sighed and put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, Pey. You look gorgeous.”

There had to be an ugly stepsister in every story; in this story it was clearly me.

As soon as Monica put the car in park, we heard a sharp knock on her window.

She opened her car door and screeched at the top of her lungs. “Jimmy! You scared me! What are you doing here?”

I watched through the window as Dad swept Monica up in his arms and said, “I missed my girls too much to stay away. Plus, you know how much I love eating at Bento.”

I knew I wasn’t a part of “the girls” Dad couldn’t be away from for a few hours because I hadn’t seen him since before I left for camp.

Monica hit the car remote and the van door opened. Vivi literally jumped out of the car and into Dad’s arms like she hadn’t seen him in months, screaming, “Jim-Dad!”

Maisy raised her eyebrow and mouthed, “Jim-Dad?”

Peyton hopped out next and gave Dad a high five. “Hey, Jim-Dad.”

Maisy and I looked at each other without blinking. I was glad she was there with me. Otherwise, I don’t know if I would’ve been able to get out of the car and face “Jim-Dad.”

Dad poked his face into the minivan and asked, “Where’s my girl?”

I couldn’t move. It felt like I was glued to the leather seat. Then I felt Maisy’s hand on my back giving me a gentle nudge.

I pulled myself up off the seat and climbed out of the car and forced myself to sound cheery. “Hey, Dad.”

Turns out I wasn’t the only one who had gone through a makeover. Dad was wearing dark-rinse cuffed and fitted jeans, a lumberjack-style flannel, and slip-on sneakers like the boys at school wore. This only solidified my feeling that you can’t be a member of his new family unit without looking fabulous. He was going to be mortified when I stood next to his perfect new family at the wedding.

“Love your hair,” Dad said, while leaning in to kiss me.

His new beard felt scratchy across my face, and he smelled like hair pomade and cologne, which made me feel like a stranger was kissing my cheek.



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