Teach Me to Forget by Erica M. Chapman

Author:Erica M. Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

25

13 Days

Janie and I decide to watch Better Off Dead after school before the football game. She’s been talking about this movie non-stop since we went to see the Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club double feature.

“I didn’t even think about streaming it, that was stupid,” she says, holding up the DVD.

“If it makes you feel better,” I say, shoving a handful of popcorn in my mouth, “I didn’t see it available to stream.”

She hops onto my bed. “That does make me feel better.” She pops the DVD in the player and we settle to watch.

There’s a knock on the door, then my mom peeks in. “You girls need anything else? I don’t see chocolate anywhere.”

I wave Mom in and she plops onto my bed, setting a huge Hershey bar beside the popcorn bowl. She grabs a handful of popcorn. “Is this Better Off Dead?”

Janie laughs. “You wanna watch with us?”

Mom looks at me like she’s asking permission.

I nod and smile at her.

She settles into a spot by the wall and hoards the popcorn while Janie and I snarf the chocolate.

“So what are the kids up to these days?” Mom asks.

“Not a lot. What are the moms up to these days?” I ask.

“Touché.”

Janie laughs. “You guys are hilarious.”

“We’re available on days that end with a Y,” Mom says, laughing.

“It’s not as cool when you laugh at your own jokes.”

“Says the girl who taught me how to do it,” she says, slapping an unsuspecting Janie in a spontaneous high-five.

Janie smiles at my mom and I know that look. The where did you find this one expression.

“All right, you win this rib-off, but only ’cause I want to actually hear what John Cusack is saying.”

“Owned,” Mom says, in her continuing attempt at being the cool mom.

Janie’s right. The movie ends up being pretty funny and although I don’t really identify with Lane, I still like watching him try to kill himself. The fact that Janie wanted to show me this proves she’s more than just a shopping trip in heels, more than just a wavering piece of fabric, more than just a girl. She’s my friend and she cares. Even worse. I care about her.

Shit.

Mom sits up with a groan. “That’s just about enough for me. I’m getting too old to sit like this for too long. I need a nice comfortable recliner and a book.” She scoots down the bed and heads to the door. “Don’t you have a football game tonight?”

Janie glances at her phone. “In an hour.”

“Oh, how I wish I could go to a football game instead of my shift,” she says and closes the door behind her.

I run out the door and find Mom in the hallway. “Hey.”

She turns around. “Yeah, sweetie?”

“Thanks for watching the movie with us.”

She leans over and hugs me tight. “Thanks for letting me. It was a nice trip back to the eighties. I was a little girl when I first saw it, but I remember that movie.” She lets me go and nudges her head toward my door.

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