Unthinkable

August***Part 3

Jake has called three times today. I have been "indisposed" every time. Mom's getting suspicious.

***

"Hey, Bob O! Is Shiv home?" Shiv's dad, in a rare phone answer. Not one for chit-chat. He doesn't respond, but I hear him walk across the room to hand over the phone. He's hilarious. I love him.

"Hey, whassuuuuup?" Shiv, out of breath.

"Penny and I are hanging out by the pool today if you want to come over. Why are you out of breath?"

"I was downstairs, I can't find my black tank top. I've got a doctor's appointment, then I have to run some errands with my mother, but I'll call you later."

"Okay, cool. Talk to you later. Tell Doctor Charlie I said 'Hi there.'" We have the same doctor. And he is gorgeous. No wonder she's freaking out about her outfit.

"Oh hey, did you know that Jake's front lawn is messed up? Allison was talking about it last night, and Rucci said he saw it when they dropped him off."

"Um, yeah, I did. So, the other night, after Allison's, after he got out of the car, he hurled his backpack at the light. Shattered it."

"Oh. That all?"

I'm not convinced that's all.

Shiv continues, "I got the impression it was more than that. But he didn't go into details. Is this all because you made him get out at Pen's?"

"Well, I think that was part of it... but I think the bigger part is that he thinks he saw something going on between me and Rucci while we were at Allison's. That's what we were fighting about at the lake."

"Seriously, Rucci strikes again!"

"I know." Broken record.

Her mom calls for her in the background. "Talk to you later."

***

"Ahhh, now it all makes sense," Penny proclaims.

"What do you mean?"

"They were in the booth behind me last night, Jake and Allison, and I didn't mean to listen, but well, I'm nosy. They kept talking about something that had happened, I just couldn't figure out what it was. And she just kept telling him he shouldn't have broken it no matter how upset he was. It all just didn't make sense."

"Did you see anything when you left this morning?"

"No, but I wasn't looking for it. I'll check it out on my way home."

Oh great, now he's talking to Allison about our problems.

Penny continues reading her Cosmo in the pool. Curled up in the built-in seat in the deep end. I am "tanning," mostly grateful she's distracted, so I can just lay here, staring at the pool house.

I've always wondered about those scenes in movies where the main character sits all pensive and stares out into the world. I never understood those scenes. But here I am. Lying in my pool float. Just staring. I just can't move.

Extra grateful for the heat today; the tears can blend in with the sweat. No one the wiser.

"Hello my bathing beauties." Mom is somewhere nearby but I refuse to open my eyes in the sun. I am just on the edge of awake.

"Hello."

"Hi, Mrs. Andrews."

"I've got to take your brother to get his physical for soccer. But your comforter is at the laundromat down by the lake. It's got another hour, but I need you girls to go get it so no one steals it."

"Why is my comforter at the laundromat?" It was on my bed this morning, I'm positive.

"The dog peed on it again. I got it through the wash, but I ran out of time. Will you just go get it please?"

"Yeah, fine. Bye."

Back to staring.

***

I must have dozed off in the heat. Summer sun naps are the best. Penny is shaking me awake.

"We fell asleep. Don't we have to go get something, do something?"

"Oh, shit. Yeah." I look around for my watch. "Crap, we gotta go like now."

***