22. Langdon
Twenty Two
Langdon
D elia looks rough this morning. Her eyes are rimmed red and I don’t think she bothered to brush her hair. She doesn’t even look at me when she sits down. I want to ask her what’s wrong but I don’t. She has an air of don’t-fuck-with-me about her today.
At lunch, I scour the cafeteria for her but she’s nowhere to be found. Hailie and Hannah and Campbell and Niko are blabbering on but I can hardly pay attention to them. Where the hell is Delia? I catch Danny at the end of lunch.
“Seen Delia today?” I ask, falling in step next to him.
He shakes his head.
At the end of the day, I stop Miles at his locker.
“Hey. Where’s Delia? ”
Miles blinks up at me. “You’re really fucking hot you know that?”
I groan. “Miles, seriously. Have you seen her today?”
“Yeah, had second period with her. She looked awful and didn’t say a damn word. I tried to cheer her up but she just ignored me.” My brow furrows. “Think somethings wrong?”
I shrug.
“Did you do something, Langdon?” Miles asks, his voice rising.
“What? No. Why would ask that?”
He puts a finger to his temple. “Hmm, I don’t know. She comes in looking like a tornado victim, and you’re walking around school asking about her.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Ugh. It’s not like that. I’m just worried. She seemed really fucked up this morning and then she wasn’t at lunch. I’m just worried.”
“I think you forfeited your right to be worried about her at the party.”
“Christ. Would you guys please all just let that go?”
He tilts his head at me. “Performance anxiety? It happens, bro.”
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re useless. Seriously useless.”
“Your girlfriend doesn’t think so.” He winks at me. I stab him with a glare. “Alright, alright. Sorry. She wouldn’t date you anyway. You’re too pretty and aloof.”
I stifle a sigh. “You’re probably right. If you see her, will you just let me know she’s okay?”
“Uh yeah. But I mean, it’s not like we’ve exchanged numbers or anything.”
“Right. Cause she has no cell phone.” But I have Heath’s number. I can call the house. Check up on her. “You’re a genius Miles.” I tussle his hair.
“I am?” he asks as I head toward the parking lot.
***
Delia’s not at work either.
“It’s a good thing you’re not sick, too,” Viv says.
“Oh, she’s sick?” I ask.
“If Heath says she’s sick I assume she’s sick.” She pulls her mass of silver hair over one shoulder. “Poor kid. Crappy way to start the school year. Now come on. Let’s get goin’.”
Work, although only three hours, feels like an eternity. By the time I get home, Mom’s already got dinner cooking. I drop my bag and kick off my shoes in the mudroom before heading to my room. I dial Heath’s number and wait for him to answer. It rings five times before he picks up.
“Hello?”
“Hey Heath, it’s Langdon.”
“Hey kiddo, what can I do ya for?”
I rake my free hand through my hair. “Um, I was just worried about Delia. Checking in. She wasn’t at work today.”
Heath grunts. “Wasn’t feeling well. Probably won’t be in tomorrow either.”
“Oh. Okay,” I say. A wave of relief hits me. She’s just sick . “Well, um, ok, if she needs anything just holler, I guess. Mom makes good chicken soup.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Night.” Heath hangs up. Which is only slightly weird. He’s not exactly chatty but also isn’t usually so short either. Anderson pops his head into my room.
“Hey. Dinner.”
“Alright.”
“How was everyone’s day?” Mom asks. She asks this every single night at dinner.
Anderson launches into a diatribe about his day and every minute detail of it. I use the time to eat my burger and green beans.
“Lang? How bout you?” Dad asks.
“Well, it was day two. Nothing inspiring happened. But Delia looked horrible this morning in Dwyer’s class and then I think she left. She wasn’t at work either. Viv said she was sick.” I glance around the table. Mom won’t meet my eyes and worries the inside of her cheek.
“Sick already?” Anderson says. “I get sick in October.”
Dad snorts and nods his head. “Maybe you should check in on her and Jennifer?” He says to mom.
Mom draws in a long slow breath. “Mmhm, sure.”
***
For the next two days, Delia disappears by lunch and doesn’t show up for work. She looks like she hasn’t slept. Her bright eyes, dull and red-rimmed. She doesn’t speak to me or smile, or even notice anyone in the classroom. She comes in sits, takes notes, and leaves. The departed look in her eyes physically hurts me when I look at her .
Lyra confirms that after third period, she’s gone. I’m worried but also, don’t know if it’s cool that I’m worried so I keep my mouth shut and just pay attention to her when I do see her.
On Thursday evening, Mom pulls me aside after dinner. Dad and Anderson are in the backyard practicing pitching and catching. I set the stack of washed dishes on the countertop for her to dry.
“How’s Delia?” she asks.
I shrug. “Still not making it through the whole day and still not at work.”
Mom huffs out a defeated-sounding breath. I turn to face her. “Do you know something? Is she sick sick? Like is something wrong?”
Mom shakes her head and places a hand on my shoulder.
“No. She’s not sick.” A sad smile creeps in, pulling her lips tight. “Maybe heart sick. Would you be willing to go check in on her?”
I cock my head. “We’re not exactly friends, Mom.”
Mom wrings the dishtowel between her hands and nods. “She could use a friend.”
“Mom. That’s not how teenagers work. You know that right? Also, what is going on? What do you know?”
Mom stares out the window over the sink at Dad and Anderson a moment. “Jennifer left.”
I stand stunned. “What?”
“Her mom. Jennifer. Left. While you guys were at school Monday.”
“What?” I repeat. “Like… for good?”
Mom shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. But I’m sure Delia is pretty shocked and upset. ”
“And angry,” I say.
Mom nods. “Sure. And she doesn’t know Heath really or anyone in this town. She needs a friend Lang.”
I nod.