Friday

"Where's Mom?" I ask my father as I sit down on the couch beside him after school. For the first time in what seems like forever my father is actually home at a decent time. Something must be going on.

"She's getting some groceries for dinner tonight." He answers and turns on the television.

"What's tonight?" I ask foolishly.

"Martha and her family are coming over for dinner." He explains as a news forecast pops onto the screen. I totally forgot about them coming over tonight! Maybe that's why Cameron looked cheerful today.

We sit on the couch in silence until I dismiss myself to work on some homework. I start on my Statistics set of problems but as soon as I write down the first equation, my phone buzzes with a text.

From: Harry
Are you doing anything tonight?

An idea pops into my head and I smile as I type a reply.

To: Harry
Are you asking me on a date?

From: Harry
I bet you would like that, Jess. But no, I'm asking because there's a party and people want you to come.

I roll my eyes at Harry's smug behavior. He is nothing if not consistent.

To: Harry
I'm having dinner with Cameron and his family.

After five minutes of silence from him, I turn back to my homework. Almost immediately, my phone buzzes, not with a text, but with a call.

"Hello?"

"Why the hell are you having dinner with Cameron?" Harry's voice rings over the other end and I laugh.

"My mother invited his family over for dinner." I lay back on my bed, my hair sprawling out across the comfortable mattress.

"Ditch them." He says flatly.

"I can't just ditch them, Harry."

"Why the hell not? I'm sure Cameron can get off some other way than looking at you."

"Harry!" I scold, trying to keep in my laughs.

"Can't you just sneak out of the window?" He presses.

"It would be rude to leave them. I'm sorry but I can't." I can't ditch them, can I?

"How about I come over there, then?" As great as it sounds, I can't drop a bomb on my mom that Harry's coming over.

"I'm not sure that's a great idea."

"Why?"

"Because-" I struggle to find the words.

"Because I won't fit in with your family?" He guesses.

"Harry,"

"Should I wear a cardigan or loafers?" He asks playfully.

"Neither-"

"Jessica? Come help me with dinner!" My mother yells through the door. I quickly scramble to hide my phone as she opens the door.

"Martha will be over here in two hours. I need to get this turkey in the oven and start cooking." She rambles. Normally when we have a formal dinner my mother hires several cooks to do everything for her. She's not used to having to do it herself.

"Let me finish with this homework and then I'll come help you." I motion towards my textbook and graphing paper.

"Hurry, please." she pleads before scrambling downstairs to fix dinner.

Once she's gone, I pick up my phone to hear Harry chuckling.

"Do you lie to your parents a lot?" I can hear the smile in his words.

"I need to go help her. I'll talk to you after dinner." I tell him. He mutters something but I end the call and throw the phone on the bed. I quickly finish my Stats homework before joining my mother downstairs in the kitchen.

Two hours later, the timer on the oven rings and she leans down to take the turkey out of the oven. I stir the rice and corn as she cuts the turkey and puts everything onto nice platters. It looks great but it's too much for a simple dinner.

"I'll get it." I jump off the bar stool when I hear the door bell ring. I'm desperate to see someone my age, hanging out with my mother is giving me a headache.

"Hello, Jessica! How are you?" Martha asks as her, her husband, and Cameron walk in. She hugs me tightly before heading to find my mother, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor as she walks down the hallway.

"Hey." Cameron smiles. I return the favor and we walk down the hallway, following the sound of our mothers talking.

"Wow," Cameron's eyes widen at the dining room table. Crystal glasses, china plates, and sparkling silverware line the mahogany table. My father and his are already seated at the end of the table, talking over some sports news. I sit down in the center of the table with Cameron seated across from me.

Dinner proceeds better than what I would have thought and by the end of the night, I'm actually enjoying myself. Cameron and I talk almost the entire night and it feels like we've known each other our whole lives.

After saying goodnight to each other, I head back upstairs to call Harry. As I'm walking into my room, I hear the doorbell ring. Groaning, I turn around and walk back down the stairs to answer the door.

"Harry?" Shock covers my face as I open the door, revealing the stunning boy dressed in all black.

Notes

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