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*
Fourteen years earlier…
I hadn’t seen or spoken to Luke in two days. He wasn’t in homeroom or at the cafeteria after first period. I finally found him at his locker before lunch. “Hey! What’s going on?” I asked when I reached him.
He ignored me.
“Luke, why aren’t you talking to me? I really need to speak to you. The other night—”
“Let me guess,” he interrupted. “You had an art project to finish or a math test to study for or something else more important than my silly baseball game. Because your stuff is always more important than me.”
“What? What are you talking about? That’s not why I didn’t come to your game. And my school work isn’t more important than you.” He shook his head and shoved books into his bag, not listening to anything I was saying. “Luke!”
He slammed his locker shut and walked away.
“Are you seriously sulking right now?” I couldn’t believe him. After I received the worst possible news about my mother, all he cared about was some stupid baseball game.
“Yeah, I’m serious. This is me walking away from you, Grace. I don’t need another flake in my life. See you around.”
Spoiled, selfish, jerk. I didn’t need friends like Luke Crawford. I didn’t need anybody.
*
On my way home from work, I drove along the side streets. I needed to clear my head from all the memories that kept roaring back. I hadn’t thought of Luke Crawford in so long—except for ways to cause him bodily harm. The memories gave me a headache. I couldn’t reconcile the young boy who played with me and brought me ice whenever I hurt myself with the guy that turned his back on me. I guess people change, and sometimes for the worse.
“Mom, I’m home!”
My mother sat on the couch with a pink knit blanket over her lap. “Hi, sweetie. How was your day?”
“It was great, Mom. How are you feeling?”
“Really good. I think we should go out for dinner tonight. How about that Thai restaurant you like? We haven’t been there in years.”
Despite her smile, creases formed on my mother’s forehead and around her mouth. I guessed she was in a lot of pain and probably wouldn’t make it on the couch for much longer, let alone a restaurant.
“That’s a great idea, Mom. But I’m a little tired from work. How about we order in?”
She huffed. “Fine, if that’s what you prefer.” She turned back to face the TV but then whipped her head back to me. “Why don’t you invite your friend Omar?”
My lips twitched. “Sure, Mom. Omar would love it.”
As I removed my blouse, I dialed Omar’s number from my bedroom.
“Hey, Grace! What’s up, darling?”
“Do you have plans tonight?”
“Um, Richard and I were going to grab some dinner. Do you want to join us?”
“Actually, I was hoping you would come by here for dinner?”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Definitely sure. And please bring Richard. I’d love to spend some time with him and my mother needs a dose of reality so she can finally get the idea of you and me together out of her mind.”
“Ah, well. If you weren’t my best friend, Grace, there may have been a chance for us.”
“Richard is a much better partner than I am. I work too much.”
