The Pal List

Chapter 17

Sunday, November 25th

I wake up to my alarm clock blaring one of the worst noises in existence. I shoot straight up in bed making my head spin, and I turn towards the clock that reads 9:30 a.m. Frustrated and not wanting to get up, I reach for a pillow to pull over my head, but the alarm clock stops screaming.

"Don't worry, I've got it." Jude says. I shut my eyes again, but they're forced back open when I realize that Jude is in my bed.

"You stayed all night?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he says, clicking off the alarm clock and sitting back down on the still made bed that we both must have slept on.

"Shit. Five missed calls from my mom."

I jolt up in bed making my head spin again, and then I lay back down. My mom's voice forces my eyes to shoot wide open. We're in for it.

"Don't worry," she says. "I called her and told her you were here. I don't know how much that's going to help your case, but hopefully a little." She's smiling in the doorway with her cellphone in her hand. Jude and I are both frozen.

"You're not mad?" I ask. I expect the sight of Jude and me on my bed together to trigger a psychotic rage from inside her but instead the smile remains on her face.

"It's been a while since you two got to see each other so your dad convinced me to allow it." she says. Jude's face turns red. His ears too. I didn't realize how much I missed those little details about him. Even the fact that my dad had to convince my mom to let this happen won't stop my heart from warming.

"Halle?" my mom says. I look in her direction. "Do you?"

"What?"

"She asked if you feel good enough to go to the bakery," Jude says. He places his palm on my forehead and his hand feels ice cold. "Yeah, it's probably not a good idea."

"I feel better," I say, lying. "I just need to take some medicine and I'll be good to go. I can't leave Ben and Kaisey short two days in a row." I get up out of bed and fight my dizziness. My mom's phone rings and she leaves the doorway to talk in her bedroom.

"Ben and Kaisey work at the bakery?" Jude asks.

"Oh, yeah," I say. He looks confused. "They started last year."

"Oh. That's- that's great!" he says. "I can drive you if you want?"

"Sure," I say.

We pull up to the bakery at 9:58, and Kaisey and Ben are both outside still waiting for Uncle Troy. I get out of Jude's car and he waves to Ben and Kaisey. Kaisey says "hey," and Ben just waves. Jude pulls away and, for a second, everything feels normal. It feels like just yesterday that Jude would come to the bakery with the three of us. Ben breaks the feeling of normality with the weird look he gives me. He realizes that I notice and turns away.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing." A fake smile appears on his face. I look at Kaisey. She doesn't seem to know what that was about either.

"Do you feel any better?" Kaisey asks. "You look better!"

"Thanks," I say. "Yeah, better."

Just then, Uncle Troy pulls in the parking lot with speed and purpose. He opens his door, fumbles for the keys in his pocket and greets us all with hugs.

"Hugs?" Ben says. Uncle Troy unlocks the back door to the diner and pushes it open. It slams against the wall with a thud, and the three of us walk inside.