Since 2004

seven

My dad's a person I try to keep my mind off of. Me and everyone else. My mom and I hardly ever speak of him and even though Dave and Sandra know everything about the situation, he is never mentioned by them either. The whole situation is a long story, probably for another time.

"You don't speak to us for months and all of a sudden you want Sophia to come to your house the weekend? I think not."

I pull my shoes on and listen to the conversation. I can't hear what my dad is saying but I can hear my mom's constant sighs and tongue clicks. She finally hangs up a minute before I need to walk out the door.

"Sophia, do you want to go to your dad's house this weekend?" my mom asks. "I would really rather you not but he is your dad..."

"No, mom. I'm not going to his house."

I swear my mom smiles at this. There's no way in hell I'm going to my dad's house, especially for a whole weekend. He hasn't bothered to reach out in months so it's clear he's up to something.

Aiden honks the horn loudly. My mom laughs at this.

"Glad to see you two are getting along well. That will make our camping trip a whole lot more enjoyable."

I forgot about the camping trip. "Getting along is a generous term for it. He just offered to give me rides because my car broke and I took him up on it. That's really all that's going on."

"I would call that getting along," my mom replies, thoughtfully.

"Whatever you say, mom," I reply. "Bye!" Aiden honks the horn one more time as I'm opening the front door.

I hurry down the front steps and into the car.

"Do you need a review of how to read the time on the clock?" Aidan asks me. "I don't think you've been on time once."

"My makeup wasn't makeuping this morning," I reply. "Neither was my hair, or anything for that matter."

"How does makeup not makeup?" Aidan asks. He shifts the car into drive and pulls away from the curb.

"Well, you know, when it's extra cakey in some places and your eyelashes don't look even or you get mascara all over your eyelid."

Aidan turns his head to look at me slightly and shrugs. "Looks okay to me."

"Just okay?" I ask.

"Remember who you're talking to, honey," Aidan replies. He turns on his blinker.

I roll my eyes. "You're annoying as hell, you know that?"

"You've told me," Aidan replies, humor evident in his voice again.

We pull into the school parking lot and roll into a parking spot.

"Oh, by the way, after school today I have to go to the grocery store. My mom asked if I would go because she and my dad are both working tonight. So if you want a ride home we're going to have to stop by there first."

"You want me to go to the grocery store with you? I'm flattered," I reply.

"Well I was sort of praying you didn't come but..."

"Okay, buddy. Rude. I'll come. We'll be done two times faster if I'm there."

"Great! I'm so excited!" Aiden replies, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"You're lucky I don't beat you up," I snap.

"You couldn't get anything through these motherfuckers." Aiden holds his arm up and slaps his bicep.

I reach over and punch him as hard as I can. As hard as I can from this awkward angle, anyway.

"Okay, ow, Jesus," Aiden mutters.

"You couldn't get anything through these motherfuckers," I repeat in a mocking voice.

"I'm dropping you off in a ditch after school," Aidan says brightly. With that, he opens the car door and hops out.