Chapter 28 Dad Issues Continued
Twenty-Eight
Dad Issues Continued
I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. All I wanted was to go back to my dorm room and bury myself in my bed. Pull the covers over my head until the trial was over. Until my father’s fate was decided.
But of course, driving to my dorm meant having to pass the building where my class would be held.
And I knew I couldn’t afford to miss it.
Not with the current state of my grades.
I was early, but I stopped the Uber, went into the building and kerplunked myself into a desk far away from where I usually sat.
I probably should have pulled out my books and used the extra wait time to get in some studying, but I didn’t. I sat there in a daze, staring straight ahead, shrinking inside myself.
The scrape of metal against vinyl tiles pulled me out of my stupor. A tall body moved the desk with its attached chair closer to me and sat.
“Why are you sitting over here?” It was Jay. He shimmied out of his jacket.
He sat back, and I eyed him. I wondered what it would be like to be him. To have a normal family, one without constant drama.
Better than being me. Way better.
“I’m sitting here because I need a change,” I said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I shrugged because honestly I didn’t know what it meant either.
“Your advice, by the way…” I leaned over and unzipped my backpack. “It was terrible.”
“What advice?”
“The one where you told me to go see my dad.”
His brows furrowed. “That was good advice.”
“No, it wasn’t.” I took out my notebook. “Get this. My dad brought me to meet his lawyer.”
“Interesting.” Jay slid backward.
“And guess what? The lawyer proceeded to ask me to be an exhibit at the trial next week.” I paused and looked Jay in the eye.
“An exhibit?”
“Sit in the audience behind my dad, day in and day out. I’d be a prop in a theatrical performance. I wouldn’t have to say anything, I’d only have to smile and look empathetic.”
“Well, aren’t you going to go to the trial anyway?”
“Nooooo.” I held the vowel for longer than I should. “I’ve never planned on being anywhere close to that courtroom.”
The classroom was filling up. The TA had come in and was taking questions at the front.
Jay reached into his backpack and began pulling out materials. “Here.” He flopped stapled pages onto my desktop. “I found some old tests and printed them for you.”
“Wow.” My body warmed. “What subjects?”
“Calc and physics. I’m having a harder time finding chemistry tests.”
I paged through them. They appeared to hold a wealth of information. “Thanks. This is great.”
Class began, and the teacher went over sample problems on the board. I followed along as best I could, trying to focus.
Afterward, Jay and I walked out together. “You going back to the dorm?” he asked.
I heard him, but I didn’t respond. I couldn’t stop thinking about my dad, imagining him sitting at the defendant’s table in a courtroom.
Ugh. I needed to get that image out of my head.
“Ade,” Jay said, a little more urgently than I thought necessary. “Are you okay?”
“Sorry. Yeah, that’s where I’m going. Back to the dorm.”
“All right.” He waved at me, but it was weak, his eyes all-knowing. “See you later.”
I needed a distraction. Something bigger than class, something that would make me completely forget about Dad.
My phone dinged, and I fished it out.
DALLAS
You busy tonight?
I smiled for the first time that day.
No. Except I need to start getting ready for the chemistry test next week.
DALLAS
Want to study?
Where?
DALLAS
The engineering building again?
The hallway to get there is too cold.
DALLAS
My room?
Ha! I don’t think I can study in there. Too many other things to do.
DALLAS
Agreed
4th floor lounge?
DALLAS
So you really don’t care if anyone sees us, do you?
Right
DALLAS
See you there
And it was settled. A productive night with Dallas was on the menu, and I had a feeling that my angst over my father would disappear. I just had to stop thinking about him and concentrate instead on the hot guy who, for reasons beyond sensibility, was totally into me.