6. Chapter 6 #2
With that, Lark bounded past me over the threshold and into the classroom. The circle parted and made room for her, absorbing her into its circumference. I hesitated at the doorway, sure there was no more room for me in a circle that already looked complete.
A teacher I hadn’t noticed spoke up from the corner. “Lark, is your friend going to be joining us?”
She looked at me from her spot in the circle but didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, he is. Everyone, this is Lennon.”
“Hi, Lennon,” came a chorus of voices. They spoke together like a well-oiled machine. Or like a cult. It was a little disconcerting, if I was being honest. But I also desperately wanted to be a part of it.
“Hi.” I waved like a total dork and considered turning right around and walking back out in that moment.
And yet the circle broke and opened up a spot next to Lark.
For me, I belatedly realized. They were allowing me to be a part of this, no questions asked, which was exactly what I wanted not two minutes ago.
I’d be an absolute moron not to step in.
So I did.
My phone ringing cuts through my reverie.
As if my memories have summoned her, Lark’s picture lights up my phone screen.
It’s a candid shot I snapped of her the last time we were together.
Her head is tipped to the sky and laughter is bubbling up out of her.
It’s one of those pictures you can almost hear.
Warm. Sparkling. Beautiful. Still so easy for her to be happy, even when things are hard.
It’s not a video call, which must mean she doesn’t want to see me after sending that sexy-as-hell audition. That’s fair. I’m not sure I’m ready to see her, either. My face might still give too much away.
I answer the call on speaker. “Hey,” I say a little too brightly. I immediately grimace.
“Oh, great.” She knows. “You listened to it. So that’s weird now.”
“Uh…” I trail off.
“I don’t want to know what you thought,” she says quickly. “That’s not… We’re…” She pauses to find her words. “We’re not going to talk about that right now.”
I laugh softly at her discomfort. Not because I think it’s funny, but because I’m relieved it’s not just me. She laughs, too, and somehow that’s enough to kick us back into our normal rapport.
“What’s going on, Songbird?”
Her laughter is cut short by a sigh. “Listen, I know you have a room at your place opening up, which is why you want me to stay with you. But…um…I was thinking, maybe that’s not a great idea.”
I frown and run my hand through my shaggy hair. I should probably get a haircut before she gets here. “Why not?”
She lets out a low hum. “Because of your…” She trails off again. “I don’t want to cramp your style.”
“What style?” I ask, genuinely confused and a little nervous.
I mean, yes, I need a roommate, but I have been ridiculously excited about the prospect of uninterrupted time with Lark.
Movie nights on the couch with popcorn. Watching the sun set from the balcony.
No worry about traffic or transportation.
Lark makes a noise that can only mean she’s frustrated at having to explain herself. “What if you want to bring someone home?” she asks as if the words have been ripped from her in a whoosh.
I bark out a laugh, mostly because I hadn’t even thought about this—not because I thought it’d be fine to bring women home with me while she’s staying here, but because I’d never do that. It wouldn’t even be a thought.
“I’m not bringing anyone back here this summer, Lark. I can promise you that.”
“I don’t want to be the reason you’re not having any fun,” she insists.
I don’t miss a beat. “You’re the fun.” Then, I consider what that must have sounded like and backtrack quickly. “Not that you and I would be… I just mean that…”
She laughs a big, hearty laugh. It’s so loud through the phone speaker that I wince. “I knew what you meant.”
“What if you want to bring someone back?” I tease. “There are a lot of hot guys out here.”
“So I’ve been told,” she grumbles, but before I can ask what that’s all about, she says, “That’s not a thing I do.”
“Mmm,” I hum. “Never say never .”
“I’m going to go ahead and say never ,” she replies. If I’m not mistaken, I hear a tinge of bitterness in her tone.
My phone beeps with an incoming call before I can explore that topic with her.
I look at the screen, and I’m shocked to see Devin’s name scrolling across the top of it.
She doesn’t call me often, though she knows she always can if she needs something.
If she’s calling, it must be important, and it must also be something she doesn’t want to loop Lark in on.
“Hey, I’m getting another call. Work thing,” I lie. “Can I call you back later?”
“Oh, no need. I’m going to book my flights right now. I’ll text you the info.”
“Awesome,” I say before clicking over to Devin’s call. This one is a video call, so her face fills the screen as soon as I answer. “Hey, kiddo. Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She puts her chin in her hands. A quick glance behind her tells me she’s in her bedroom. It’s still lined with some of the same boy-band posters from her childhood, along with a rack of track medals she’s acquired over the years.
“What’s going on?” I ask, since she doesn’t seem like she’s going to be forthcoming with the reason for her call.
“I just talked to my mom about her staying with you this summer.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, leaning back in my chair. She seems to be working up toward something, and I don’t want to push.
“I think it’s great. She needs something like this. Major props to you for suggesting it.”
A little bubble of pride rises in my chest. There’s something about the approval of a teenager that feels better than any other kind of accolade. But she’s still a teenager, so I have to play it cool. “I’m glad.”
She scratches her head and looks off to the side in uncertainty before pinning her gaze to the screen, resolved. “Take care of her, okay?”
Not resolved. Worried. She’s about to shift into something totally new, but so is her mom. Things are changing fast for both of them. I’m sure she’s worried about herself, too, but she clearly wants to make sure her mom is okay before she steps out on her own.
Devin is the sweetest damn kid to ever exist.
“You know your mom is really precious to me, right?” I ask around a sudden swell of emotion.
She nods cautiously. “I think I do.”
“I’ve known her longer than you’ve been alive,” I remind her. “She met me during a really important time of my life and made me feel like I belonged somewhere. I hadn’t ever felt that before.”
Devin smiles. “Yeah, she does that.”
I grin back. “It’s taken me over twenty years, but I’m going to return the favor. I think…” I stop myself, not wanting to worry her any more than she already is. “Your mom loves you more than anything in the world.”
“I might be tied with you,” she smirks.
I tilt my head back and forth. “Maybe. But if it came down to a death match, she’d be rooting for you.”
“That’s morbid. But I think I get what you’re saying. I don’t want her to be lost without me here.”
I carefully consider my next words. “Your mom is the strongest, most determined woman I’ve ever met. She won’t be lost without you, kiddo. But I think, maybe, she needs a little break to do something for herself. What do you think?”
Devin nods vigorously. “I’m so excited she’s doing this. She needs it.” She chews on her bottom lip. “I just want to make sure someone is watching out for her while I’m gone, you know?”
“I know,” I say gently. “I promise you I’ll take care of her.”
“Thanks, Lennon.” She moves as if she’s getting ready to hang up, then pulls back again to pin me with a look. “Oh, and please don’t tell my mom I called you. She’ll lecture me about staying out of her business or whatever, and I can not .”
I laugh loudly and easily. This kid reminds me so much of her mother at that age—so audacious and unassumingly funny. It’s no wonder she’s so amazing.
“Your secret’s safe with me.”