Amanda Vs The Universe Read online

  His brown eyed-gaze met mine. “No problem. But maybe next time you could ask what I’m doing before you attack.”

  “I didn’t attack you.”

  He lifted a hand like whatever. “Okay, before you threaten me.”

  I was so done here. “Right. Sorry I scared you.” Without waiting for a response, I strode into Cady’s house, the back of my neck prickling.

  When I got to the big country-style kitchen with its pale yellow curtains and lemon yellow accent pieces, Cady was pouring iced tea into tall glasses. She grinned and hugged me. “You and Kyle make up?”

  “Not really,” I said, pulling back. “We didn’t get off to a very good start.”

  “I never realized you were so handy with a broom.”

  That tugged a smile out of me. “I didn’t either.” I sighed and hunched over my elbows on the kitchen island. “I thought he was a tagger.” I told her the whole story, and humor glimmered in her eyes.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “It was an easy mistake to make. Especially in light of recent activity.” She pushed a glass of tea toward me, and I took it. “Let’s go sit by the window.”

  I followed her to the kitchen table with its built-in cushioned bench seats in front of a bay window that looked out over the forest. Cady sat sideways and levered her leg onto the bench. She let out a groan. “That’s better. I’m not supposed to be on my feet so much.”

  I plopped down across from her. “What happened?”

  “Broke a bone in my foot chasing the taggers in the middle of the night.”

  “Yikes. When was this?”

  “Three weeks ago. Thankfully it wasn’t a really bad break—I didn’t need surgery.”

  “I’m so sorry, Cady. Did you see the taggers well enough to ID them?”

  “No. They took off too quickly.”

  “That must have been awful—breaking your foot with no one around to help you.”

  “Oh, Kyle was here.”

  “Your nephew?”

  “Yup. I had to throw some pebbles at his window, but I finally woke him up.” She sipped her tea.

  “He slept through the whole thing?” Judgment leaked out in my voice, and Cady raised an eyebrow. In fact, it made her look amazingly like her nephew with her high cheekbones and strong jaw. I backtracked and took a wild guess. “Well, I mean, he was here to help you, right? It’s not much good if he’s sleeping when you need him.”

  “True, but he fell asleep with his headphones in and didn’t hear anything. Plus, it wasn’t like I was expecting to be chasing graffiti artists. Kyle is here to help around the cabin and to sculpt a few pieces. He’s not on guard duty.”

  I still didn’t think he sounded especially helpful, but hey, what did I know? I’d better change the subject. “So he’s a sculptor?”

  A smile of pride spread across her lined face. “He’s a gifted artist, but it’s only when he visits me that he has free rein to create. My brother-in-law discourages him every chance he gets.” She ran a hand down her braid. “But anyway, enough about our problems. Tell me how you’ve been.”

  I heaved in a noisy breath. I wasn’t quite ready to talk about myself. But maybe my thoughts would come together as I spoke. “Okay. Not great, but okay.”

  “I’m listening,” she said softly.

  I’d planned to skim over the suckiness that had dominated my sophomore year of high school, but sitting at that table with the room smelling of lavender, old memories flitted through my mind. Cady serving the kids in my pottery class chocolate-chip cookies. Cady laughing uproariously when she pressed too hard on the pot she was throwing on the wheel and the entire thing folded in upon itself. And even last summer, Cady, Haley, and I sharing a quiet lunch of sandwiches on her back porch and talking about nothing in particular.

  I felt safe here. Cady was the least judgmental person I’d ever met. She wouldn’t accuse me of being boy crazy or criticize me for my mistakes. I could tell her anything.

  Still, I hesitated. I hated the thought I’d look like a child in her eyes. Maybe some skimming was better. “My boyfriend dumped me a couple of months ago.” I shrugged. “I’m having trouble getting over it.”

  “As most people would.” She took another sip. “Heartbreak is so incredibly painful.”

  My muscles relaxed. Of course she understood. Cady always understood. “Tell my parents that, why don’t you?”

  She smiled over the top of her glass. “I’m sure they know.”

  “Ha. They think I’m becoming a hermit or something.”

  “Are you?”

  I straightened. “No. I just want to spend time in my room or with Haley when she can come over. I don’t have anywhere else I want to go.” Cady cocked her head. I wrapped both hands around my cold glass of tea and sighed. “That makes me sound like a hermit, doesn’t it?”

  “Just a bit.” She pressed a warm hand to my forearm. “I’m sure—”

  Kyle the Nephew walked into the kitchen, glancing at us before snagging a glass from the cabinet. He poured tea and frowned in our direction. I couldn’t be sure, but he seemed to be staring at Cady’s hand on my arm. “Did I interrupt something?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Cady said, giving her back a long stretch. “But don’t worry about it. Is the wasp nest gone?”

  He took a long swig of his drink. “Yup.”

  “Good.” She motioned with her head. “Come sit down with us. You and Amanda can get better acquainted.”

  My pulse picked up. Um, no offense, but I didn’t want to get to know him better. Besides, he’d ruin my private talk with Cady.

  He studied me like he knew exactly what I was thinking. “No, thanks. I want to get the stuff set up to paint before lunch.”

  “All right,” Cady said. “But remember, this doesn’t have to be done today.”

  He took his empty glass to the sink. “I know.” He headed for the door, but then paused. “I want to get as much done as I can. There’s a chance I might be scared off again.” He smirked and left.

  Heat raced up my neck. Jerk. Way to make fun of me in front of Cady.

  She raised both eyebrows this time. “Something I ought to know?”

  I shook my head. “Like I said, not a great start with your nephew.”

  “You can call him Kyle, you know.”

  I didn’t want to call him anything. Or talk about him. But I also didn’t want to hurt Cady’s feelings. “Okay.”

  She massaged her knee above the walking boot. “I think you two might actually have some things in common.”

  I doubted it. And I sure didn’t want to find out. Time to get Cady off this idea. I pointed at her leg. “Are you in pain?”

  “Not at the moment. It just feels good to work the muscles a little. Plus it takes my mind off the itching.”

  “Ugh. Itching would drive me crazy.”

  Cady let out a half-laugh. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry.”

  “I know you’ve had a hard few months, but let’s refocus. Tell me one good thing that happened this last year.”

  The first thing that popped into my head was the day Alex asked me out at that party in January. Haley knew the girlfriend of the guy who was hosting it for her birthday, so we went, not expecting to stay long. But I met Alex and we talked for two hours. And right before we left, he asked me out. All the fluttering butterflies had hit me at once. I’d walked on air for the next week. But that had turned into a giant fail that carved my heart into little pieces. Better pick something else. “Let’s see, Geoff went off to college.”

  Cady laughed. “And how is your rather boisterous brother?”

  I smiled. “Same as always. Wants to be the center of attention. Tries to boss me around whenever possible.”

  “A brother’s work is never done.”

  Yikes. I hoped Geoff didn’t see it that way. “I wish it would be. He still treats me like I’m twelve.”

  “He’ll figure it out. Probably soon
er than you think.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She fingered her braid. “You’re what? Fifteen?”

  “Sixteen. My birthday was in June.”

  “My bet is that your actions will show him that you’re growing up.”

  What actions? She really thought I could get it through Geoff’s thick head that I wasn’t a little girl anymore? I frowned. “Maybe.”

  “Is he here? I’d like to see him.”

  I suppressed a tinge of frustration. One more person invading my Cady time? No, thanks. “He’ll be here in a couple of days with Molly and his friends.”

  “Great. Let him know I expect a visit.” She gingerly moved her leg off the bench.

  “Sure.” I finished my tea. The conversation was wrapping up before I was ready.

  With a wince, Cady maneuvered her leg away from the table and headed for the refrigerator. She placed the tea pitcher inside before speaking. “I’m sorry. I’m afraid I need to lie down for a while. I left my crutches in the studio, and I’ve been walking on this boot too much.”

  “No problem,” I said, following her. I placed my glass on the counter. “I have to go grocery shopping for my parents.”

  She smiled, her face looking more haggard than it had while she was sitting. “Please come visit again.”

  “I will. Let me know if you need any help with anything. You should probably be resting more. I can clean or straighten up or whatever.”

  “Thank you, dear, but—” She pursed her lips, staring across the room. “I was about to say no, but I’ve changed my mind. I’d love to have your help. Between you and Kyle, it won’t be long before this place is ship-shape again.”

  What did that look on her face mean? She wasn’t trying to matchmake, was she? Well, it didn’t matter if she was. The Nephew could not compete with Alex’s muscles and knee-weakening smile. “Great. When do you need me?”

  “Could you spend a couple of hours here tomorrow? The displays in the showroom need to be dusted and the floor needs sweeping.”

  “Sure. I’ll call in the morning after I check with my parents. My mom keeps threatening to have us clean out the pantry.”

  Cady smiled. “Well, I don’t want to interfere with that.”

  “Please?”

  Her smile turned into a laugh. We strolled toward the front door. “I’ll also check to see if Kyle needs help with anything.”

  What? She was matchmaking. “Uh, I’m not sure if Kyle and I—”

  She gave her head a quick shake, but her blue eyes still twinkled. “I’m not trying to put you two together romantically. But I have a feeling both of you could use a friend.”

  Three

  With the groceries put away, I could head to my room without fear of interruption. Mostly because grocery shopping got me on my mother’s good side—always the right place to be. To make things even better, I didn’t have to help cook dinner. Woot!

  When I got to my room, I thought about changing out of my stupid outfit since my clothes had been washed, but the rebel in me decided to keep them on for the duration. If Mom wanted to steal my dirty clothes, then she deserved to see me in all my weirdness. I shut the door, tucked myself into the bottom bunk, and called Gamma.

  She picked up after only two rings. “Greetings!” she said in a husky voice.

  I laughed. “Hi, Gamma. How’re you feeling today?”

  “Better, but I think I’m losing my voice.”

  “Yeah, you do sound kinda hoarse.”

  “Theresa says I sound like I’ve been smoking all my life.” She broke off coughing.

  Worry needled me. I plucked at the bedspread. “You sure you’re better?”

  She cleared her throat. “I have more energy, at least. How’s everything up there?”

  “Uneventful so far. Other than what happened at Cady’s.” I filled her in on the graffiti story.

  “I’m sorry she’s hurt.” Gamma said. “Is her nephew nice?”

  That smirk Kyle wore as he left Cady’s kitchen flashed through my mind. “Not really. Cady thinks we could be friends but I have my doubts.”

  “Too bad I’m not there. I could’ve sized him up for you. Told you whether you should bother being cordial or not.”

  “It is too bad. I definitely needed your help today.” I related our disastrous meeting, leaving out the part about my horrendous clothes, of course. Gamma had never had patience when I worried about how I looked. She’d always said I was beautiful and it didn’t matter what I wore.

  Gamma chuckled. “First impressions aren’t always right. But in any event, I wouldn’t fret about Cady’s nephew. You probably won’t even have to speak with him much.”

  “I hope not.”

  “Listen, my dear, I must go. Theresa has a meal ready for me. Spaghetti and meat balls. You know how much I love that.”

  I laughed. She’d never been big on Italian food. “Right. Well, do your best.”

  “I will. Talk to you later.”

  “Yup. Lo—” Gamma hung up before I finished talking. I frowned at my dark cellphone screen. Weird. I dropped the phone onto the bed. Uneasiness settled on me and I wished for the hundredth time that I’d stayed home to take care of her. But, oh well. The least I could do was call her every day to make sure she was getting over that cold.

  I stared at the slats of the bunk above me. Haley should be up there, muttering to herself as she surfed YouTube. She always liked to find stupid prank videos where someone ended up sprawled on their butt in a tub of water or hanging upside down from a tree. She’d giggle so hard that it would make me laugh, and then we’d both end up with tears leaking from our eyes.

  Then again, maybe it was better she wasn’t here. I could tell she was sick of hearing me moan about Alex. Now I could moan by myself all I wanted. Or I could fantasize about how I’d act the next time I ran into him, which would be to pretend I didn’t care and I was so happy and see ya. And of course I’d look super hot while doing it. He’d definitely regret letting me go.

  I rubbed my forehead. How had I become so pitiful? Did I really even want him after the way he’d treated me? Dumping me when he realized I meant it when I said I wasn’t ready for sex? He was a complete asshole.

  No, I didn’t want him. But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

  ***

  I slept in the next morning, having stayed up late texting with Haley about Cady and her nephew, and when I got to the kitchen I almost turned around and walked out. My parents leaned against the center island, which was covered in boxes of pasta, cereal, and crackers. My dad had just popped something in my mom’s mouth—please let it be chocolate—and was moving in to kiss her.

  “Um, eww,” I said. “I’m closing my eyes until whatever is happening stops happening.”

  My parents laughed. “It’s okay,” Mom said. “You’re safe.”

  I squinted through one eye at them, and my father grabbed my mother and dipped her. “Da-ad!”

  They giggled like idiots. I grabbed a box of Golden Grahams. “I’m going back to bed,” I said, backing up.

  Dad lifted my mom and dropped a kiss on her nose. “No need.” He gave me one of his famous sardonic looks. “But you ought to remember that not everything is about you.”

  “Seriously? How would you like it if I brought a date home and played touchy-feely with him in a public space?”

  “You have!” they said at the same time.

  Heat traveled up my neck. “Oh,” I said quietly. I couldn’t remember ever having kissed a boy in our kitchen, but apparently I had.

  Mom pulled out her hair tie and fixed the ponytail that my dad’s amorous exertions had messed up. “I wouldn’t eat that if I were you.”

  I frowned at the box of cereal in my hand. “Why not?”

  “It expired last summer.” She gestured to the old food on top of the island. “This is all stuff we’re throwing out.”

  Good. They’d started the pantry cleanup without me. “Okay. What else is there t
o eat?”

  “We saved you some scrambled eggs,” Dad said. “You can microwave them.”

  I put the cereal back and plopped down at the table. “Won’t that make them all gross?”

  “Only one way to find out,” he said, and Mom chuckled.

  What was it with vacations that made my parents so giddy? It was like living with a couple of kids. I sighed dramatically, not awake enough to muster any other response, and then got up. “Where are they?”

  My dad pulled a plastic-wrap covered plate of eggs from the refrigerator. “Voilà.”

  “Thanks, I think.” I took the plate and stuck it in the microwave.

  “After you eat, we need your help with some chores,” Mom said.

  Here we go. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be spending all day working. And as strange as it sounded, I preferred to work at Cady’s. There was something to be said for getting away from parental hovering. “How many chores? I told Cady I’d help with a little cleaning today. She needs to stay off her foot.” I’d already told them the story of her accident, and they were totally sympathetic.

  “That was nice of you,” Mom said. “We’ve almost finished the pantry. There wasn’t as much to get rid of as I thought.”

  Dad started dropping the boxes of old food into a huge black trash bag.

  “But I’d still like your help wiping down the shelves,” she continued.

  Yuck. That didn’t sound fun. “What else?” I took my now warm eggs and a glass of orange juice to the table.

  “I’ll need some help hauling tree branches,” Dad said. “The storm they had here last week did a number on the maple tree. There are pine branches on the lawn too.”

  I shoveled a forkful of eggs in my mouth. Huh. Not so bad.

  “Why don’t you wait until Geoff gets here to do that?” Mom asked.

  “Amanda is every bit as strong as he is.”

  Mom and I laughed. “Way to be encouraging, Dad, but you know that’s not true.”

  He shrugged, a half smile touching his lips. “Couldn’t hurt to try.”

  Mom swung away from the refrigerator. “Oh, Amanda. I forgot. Geoff called, and the plans have changed. He and Molly are now coming in the morning, and the other four will be here by dinnertime tomorrow.”