Tear: A Seaside Novel

Chapter Five

I had officially turned into "that girl". The one who watches the clock as the hand goes around and around. It was eight, and he still wasn't here. He was going to be late. By one minute. And I, being the boring, paranoid, oh so socially-sheltered girl that I was, allowed myself to sweat over that simple fact.

Maybe he found another girl to help him?

Or guy, it didn't always have to be about girls.

I tore my gaze from the clock and went to the fridge to grab a soda. If he wasn't coming it was fine. I would be fine. It's not like I didn't have stuff to do.

Like watch Wheel of Fortune, or scream at The Bachelor. How depressing.

I looked at the clock again.

One minute? It had only been one minute?

I banged my head against the counter loud enough to make a noise.

"Rough night, beautiful?" The voice crooned from across the hall.

My head jerked up to see Demetri walking toward me from my mom's office. What the—?

"What are you doing here?"

My mom walked out of the office, Alec followed her.

It was like all my nightmares come true.

"Oh, hi, Honey!" Mom adjusted her glasses and walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "My next client should be here in about ten, so I'll be up late tonight. Have fun studying!"

She walked back into her office and shut the door.

"Explain. Now." I directed my voice toward both of them, since they were both guilty, and looking anywhere but at my face.

Alec was the first to open his mouth. "I have..." He looked down at his feet and cursed.

Demetri laughed. "He has a little problem." He offered Alec a shrug and walked over to where I sat. "It's why we're here."

"Aren't their psychiatrists in L.A.? Canada? I mean, why my mom? Why here?"

Alec mumbled something under his breath and walked out of the house slamming the door behind him.

"Sorry." Demetri put his arm around my shoulder in a side hug then released me. "It's kind of a secret, though I don't think it's going to stay that way for long."

I clenched my teeth and backed away. "Mind filling me in?"

"If you are the math genius I'm hoping you are then yes, I promise I'll fill you in. After homework."

"That sounds an awful lot like bribery." I glared.

Demetri shrugged. "It is. Hey you got any food? I'm starving!"

It was like having Evan in the house. If Evan happened to be so good looking it hurt your eyes to stare at him, and had a body of a god. Yeah, it was practically the same thing.

I walked to the fridge and searched out the leftover pot roast. "This is pot roast. Those," I pointed, "Are potatoes, and these are carrots." I grabbed his hand and led him to the plates. "This is a plate."

He glared.

"You put the food on the plate, and then you come over here." I opened the microwave and put the food inside. "Think you can handle it from here, Rock Star?"

His glare should have frightened me. Instead it made me even angrier than before. Both of the boys just barged into my life without any explanation, and now they're seeing my mom? Neither of them will answer any questions, and Demetri thinks he's some sort of god!