Chapter 35 #2
Just like that, in less than a half hour, that kid beat me at each and every game imaginable. I barely stopped myself from jumping up and down when I finally managed to win a single FIFA game.
“Bam! Check that out! Wait until I practice a few times, and I’ll kick your ass.”
He laughed, putting his hand in front of his mouth.
“Curse words make you laugh, don’t they? You’re a little shit.”
Suddenly, Jordan came to see what we were doing.
“Everything okay?” He sounded skeptical.
“Yeah, is this okay?” I replied.
“Are you really playing together?”
“Yup, and I’m winning big-time,” I lied, just to make Jasper talk or laugh again.
Jasper shook his head, amused.
“It would be a good idea to say that you’re letting me win, otherwise you’re the true king of the little guys.”
My mom poked her head in, too, but Jordan motioned for her to not disturb us, and they went back to the table.
“Can you tell me where the bathroom is?” I asked, feeling a sudden urge to pee that was impossible to ignore.
Jasper snickered and pointed out the staircase leading upstairs. Sure. Why not.
“There has to be another bathroom here, isn’t there?”
He made a no signal, continuing to smirk derisively. Well played, shithead.
My mom and Jordan were so absorbed in their conversation about paintings that they didn’t even notice me walking past them.
I felt my heart rate increase with every step I took.
There were four doors, and only one of them was left ajar.
I inched closer carefully. In the dark I could make out a figure hunched over on the bed, staring into the void with his head down.
He was only wearing a pair of tracksuit pants and was vaping out the window.
“James?”
He didn’t lift his head.
I should’ve minded my own business and not gone in.
I pushed the door lightly, and it opened magically under the spell of my fingers.
“Everything okay?”
“Does it look like everything’s okay? Leave me the fuck alone!” James stood up and slammed the door in my face.
>> <<
“June, are you sure that there’s nothing between you and Edward?” My mom was driving home at a snail’s pace.
“First of all, his name is James, and he’s a world-class asshole. What do you think I could possibly have to do with someone like that? No way.”
“Does the uniform I found at home belong to him?” Oh no.
“Look, Mom, let’s be honest. You saw what kinda kid Jordan has, how can you date someone like that? He isn’t even capable of raising him!”
“Jordan just took custody of his kids. He lived in New York before.”
“What?”
“He lived in New York. I told you a million times, June! He was in charge of setting up exhibits at MoMA, he worked at—”
“Hold on. Wait a minute. Go back. Where did they live before?”
“With their mom. She and Jordan had two kids, but they were never married. She was with another man.”
“What happened to her?”
I saw her grimace with her typical disappointment when she was about to gossip about someone. “When her last husband left her, she had a nervous breakdown. Poor thing only recovered a year and a half ago,” she whispered, with a stirring of pity.
“And the guy who was with her couldn’t take care of them?”
“Their stepfather?”
“Eh.”
“I don’t think he was a great guy. In fact, I think that Jordan came back specifically so they wouldn’t be around him.”
“What happened to the guy?”
My mom seemed to think about it, but then she glared at me. “Why does it matter to you, June? It’s not because—”
“Mom! It’s not what what you think!”
“Mom! It’s not what you think!” she mocked me. “I have eyes, sweetheart. I saw him. He’s the typical bad boy who makes girls’ panties drop.” I stared at her, horrified. How dare she?
“First of all, I’m not a child, and second of all, my panties wouldn’t drop for someone like him.”
“Jokes aside.” The wine had been flowing a little too much during dinner, and she was happier than usual, but then she quickly composed himself. “Jordan’s son is bad news, not to mention dangerous. He’s already been in juvie, and he beat his classmate to a pulp, June.”
“Brian. Who knows why he did it?”
She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Do you think anything justifies something like that?”
“No, I’m just saying he must’ve had his reasons.”
“No. It’s none of your business. It’s better for you to stay away from him.”
I sighed, looking out the window. I was planning on it, and the feeling was mutual.
“Jasper is so adorable.”
“He’s creepy, Mom.”
“I was talking with Jordan, Jasper needs help with his English class.”
“Yeah, sure. And I should care because?” I froze. “Mom, why doesn’t Jasper talk?”
But she ignored me and continued her monologue. “He has trouble following his special needs teachers, but he seemed comfortable with you. You have great grades in English.”
“Don’t even think about it. I’m not setting foot in that house again. Not even if we were broke, and you wanted to burn my Christmas pajamas to keep us warm during the winter nights!”
“Watch it,” she exclaimed, amused.
“And now that I think about it, canvasses burn better. If we were penniless, your paintings would finally be useful.”
“Quit being a smart aleck. It’s—”
“What, Mom?”
“Jordan noticed that Jasper got along with you.”
I saw trouble coming from a mile away. “But he didn’t say a word to me!”
“You played together. He trusted you, that’s a big step for him.”
“Why?”
“He has a mild form of autism, but he’s a smart kid. Ever since his mom left him, he’s had selective mutism. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very present in his life.”
Damn it, she’d already gotten to me.
“Think about it, June.”
I would have if his brother and I didn’t hate each other’s guts.