Chapter 6
Six
People always say Victoria Falls is a small town, but it’s sprawling.
Nothing proves its size more than our journey home.
It’s still surprising our neighborhood is considered part of Victoria Falls.
From here, we may as well keep traveling until we reach Logan’s Point.
This weird wave of embarrassment fizzes inside me.
I never enjoy the reminder of where Mom, Maddy, and I come from.
Now the feeling of not being good enough comes from Milo being in the car.
Kai visits our house plenty, and he’s such a part of our family, I never question what’s in his head.
But the other boys never visit. Even Kai’s parents always give excuses not to stop by.
“Oh, it’ll be easier if we gather at our house.
We have more room.” I wonder what they say about our home when we’re not around.
Will Milo judge us because of what his parents have been saying?
Getting those looks at school is one thing, but to have it in our home…
That’s how I know Mr. Stuffy came by our house before I met him. He was way too cool about our tiny, non-flashy home.
When we finally arrive home, I move inside quickly. Not only do I still want out of this ridiculous uniform, but I’ll also avoid the look in Milo’s eyes when he steps inside.
After I get changed into sweats, I move to the kitchen, where Maddy flicks through papers at the kitchen counter and Milo sits at the table.
“Milo, here’s Jamie’s grade report,” Aunt Maddy says, holding out the paper as she approaches Milo.
“Maddy,” I scold.
She hushes me, standing by Milo. “There’s a few classes where she’s at a C plus,” she tells Milo.
“They’re her good classes. I think her first step will be to get her other classes up to a C plus.
At least her grade average will be better.
If she then can work her way into the Bs, she’ll be doing a lot better. ”
Milo nods, looking over my grades. “We can do that. So, we’ll work on math, history, and English first.”
“Great,” I mutter, sitting opposite Milo.
“Are you in any of those classes with her?” Aunt Maddy asks.
“History and English.”
“He’s in the genius-level math class,” I remark dryly.
Aunt Maddy pats Milo on the shoulder and moves back to the counter. “That’s why we’re so lucky he’s here. Thanks again for helping, Milo.”
Milo’s lips press together, and he nods. His face flashes with a pinkish hue. “It’s no problem,” he mumbles.
I tilt my head, watching Milo sit his backpack on his lap and rummage inside. “Do you feel cramped here?” I ask.
He looks up at me. “Huh?”
“It’s not a big house like yours.” I can’t help myself. I need to know if he’s looking down at me. “Our dining table is in the kitchen and our couch is six feet away. Do you think that’s weird?”
His arms rest on his bag and his expression draws blank. “No. Should it?”
My elbows rest on the table as I lean forward. “I was just wondering what was your first impression?”
“I dunno. I don’t remember.”
“What do you mean? You just walked in.”
His eyes narrow in confusion. “But it’s not my first time here.”
I jerk backward. “It isn’t?”
He deadpans me. “No.”
Aunt Maddy laughs. “Oh my gosh, Jamie. You can be such an airhead sometimes. No wonder your schoolwork isn’t sticking in your brain.”
I throw my hands up at Maddy. “When was he ever here?”
“Plenty of times,” she answers.
“Not in ages,” Milo says, brushing it off. “We were a lot younger.”
“Oh,” is all I can manage to say. When Kai and I became friends, all I remember is hanging out with him. Everyone else around us became a blur.
“If anything,” Milo says, looking around, “it seems bigger than I remember. Maybe it’s newer furniture?”
“Yep,” Aunt Maddy says, nodding. “Grams had really bulky old-fashioned furniture. I upgraded them two years ago.”
Milo smiles at her. “It looks nice.”
She smiles back. “Thanks.” She then nods at me. “Where are your books? You have time to study before David gets here with the food.”
“I can’t do homework when I’m thinking about food,” I protest.
Maddy wags her finger at me. “Nuh-uh. No more excuses. You can’t skip your homework anymore. Don’t you want to get off the bench and play in soccer games?”
I slide my chair back and stand with a huff. “Fine.”
I drag myself to my bedroom, pull out my homework from my backpack, and trudge back to the kitchen.
“Did you want to continue on with your math homework?” Milo asks.
I put my extra homework from Mr. Pritchard on the table. “This is my extra math stuff. Do you mind taking a look at it?”
Milo smiles. “Sure thing.”
The extra sets are more complicated than the algebra we worked on before, but Milo has a way of breaking it down where it feels less daunting.
His finger runs under each number or symbol as he talks it out.
There are those perfect fingernails again.
Man, he really doesn’t play sports, or rock climb, or do anything fun with those hands.
But maybe it’d be fun if those uncallused hands ran along my skin. Perhaps my arms, or my thigh.
“Earth to Jamie,” Aunt Maddy’s voice brings me out of my thoughts.
I jolt, the heat of embarrassment sizzling against my skin. “What?”
“Milo asked you a question,” she says.
“Oh… Sorry, what was it?”
Milo gives me a disappointed look, and then re-explains what he’d just said.
This time I’ll use all my willpower to listen to him.
You know, he does have a really nice cadence to his voice.
It’s calm and reassuring. Oh my gosh, he really does care if I get this stuff.
Kai just motormouths his way through conversations, and it never bothers him if everyone else checks out.
Alternatively, the way Milo glances up and pauses, he leaves room for me to voice my concerns.
I use a gap in between two of his sentences to suggest what he might say next.
A happy grin sweeps across his face as he taps against a number. “Yes. That’s exactly it, Jamie.”
“Oh my gosh, baby,” Aunt Maddy cheers, landing behind me and rubbing my shoulders. “Well done. To be honest, I was having trouble following along.”
“Thanks,” I say softly. “It’s the way Milo explains it. Umm, thanks, Milo.”
He chews his lip, nervously holding onto his smile. “No problem.”
Aunt Maddy cheers, moving back to the counter. “Woo. Props to me for setting this up.”
I laugh. “Yes, congratulations for setting up a study date with one of the smartest guys in my grade.”
We keep going with the math sets until the front door swings open. Aunt Maddy left it unlocked so David could walk in. I’ll absolutely die if she ever gives him a key. It’ll literally be over my dead body.
“Ah, more math, I see,” David comments, walking into the kitchen and plonking the takeout food on the table.
“They’ve been hard at it,” Maddy says, opening the bag to hand out the containers.
Thank goodness. With the food out, Maddy is happy for us to press pause on the studying.
Beef and broccoli have never tasted sweeter.
It even drowns out Mr. Stuffy as he drones on about filing paperwork for a corporate merger his boss is working on.
Even Milo seems bored by the story, so that’s saying something.
After David helps Maddy clear the emptied takeout containers from the table, he leans against the kitchen counter, eyeing her as she runs a damp cloth against the countertops.
“What is it, hon?” Aunt Maddy asks him. “You seem nervous.”
“There was something I wanted to talk to you about,” David says. He steals a glance at the table and then returns his attention to Maddy. “But maybe I should ask you privately.”
“Is it serious?” Aunt Maddy asks, tensing.
Aunt Maddy has never spent time with David in her bedroom.
She always makes a point of being with him in the open, even when I escape their barf-inducing antics by going into my bedroom.
The only other place they could talk would be on the living room couch, but we’d still hear every word of their conversation.
David grins. “No, it’s fun. Believe me. I just wanted to gauge how into it you would be before…” he trails off, turning his head in my direction.
“Is it something I’ll have to discuss with Jamie? Then you may as well just say it in front of her. Unless it’s because Milo’s here? Is it something only family should hear? No offense, Milo.”
Before the new wave of embarrassment colors Milo’s face, David grabs a hold of Maddy’s shoulders. “Honey, you’re spiraling.” He smiles, rubbing his hands down her arms and clasping her hands. “Relax. I wanted to know how you’d feel about jet-setting to Hawaii?”
Aunt Maddy’s mouth falls open, but before a word comes out, it puffs out of me. “What?”
“Hawaii?” Maddy questions, her eyebrows slanting as her forehead creases. “What are you talking about?”
“My company is sending me to a conference there,” David explains. “I have a few hours daily in meeting rooms, but the rest of the time is a glorified vacation.”
Aunt Maddy’s hands escape David’s and hover over her lips. “And you want me to go with you? That’s amazing, but there’s no way I can go.”
“Why not? You’d love Hawaii.”
“I can’t shut my business down.”
“You were just telling me about how happy you are that you have reliable staff you can trust to run the place while you’re gone.”
“That was when you and I went out for lunch,” Maddy replies. “Sure, I’ve had a sick day or two where I couldn’t come in. But I haven’t left them for days.”
“Come on,” David coaxes. “I’m sure they can handle it.”
“Maddy,” I splutter. “You’re not seriously considering this?”
Aunt Maddy turns to me and then quickly pans back to David. “You’re inviting me and Jamie?”
David sucks in a breath, his teeth gritting. “Ah no. I kinda thought this could be a good getaway for the two of us.”