Chapter Twenty-Two Prying Jason’s Eyes Open
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Prying Jason’s Eyes Open
At the end of CROP on Thursday, while Noah, Kennedy, Lainey, and I are tidying up the paint supplies, Jason, of all people, walks toward us in Gordon Park.
“Mr. LeClair!” Lainey says, clearly nervous that someone from city hall is here to inspect her work in the park.
Noah quickly moves to the other side of Kennedy instead of standing next to me. I don’t think it’s necessary—we’re not forbidden to speak to each other while we’re here—but I guess he doesn’t want to get me into trouble.
Jason gives us his politician smile. “Lainey, please, call me ‘Jason.’ ” He glances at the bandstand. “You guys have done an amazing job. I don’t even recognize the old stage.”
Lainey grins and shows him what we’ve done so far, pointing out the posts and boards we replaced and the new shingles we nailed on last week.
She sounds super proud of our progress, and I don’t blame her.
The bandstand looks amazing. It went from a graying, falling-down monstrosity that creaked when you stepped onto it, to a bright cream structure with brand-new light gray shingles.
We’ll be starting the sage-green accents tomorrow.
I bet it looks even better than it did in the nineties, when Jason and Noah’s dad used to play here.
I watch Jason as he carefully inspects the bandstand.
I wonder if he’s going to mention to Lainey that he used to sing in a grunge band that played on this stage.
Or mention that it’s so fitting that his stepdaughter and the son of his bandmate were among the kids who did the restoration.
But he doesn’t say anything about his history with this stage.
He barely looks at me, and definitely doesn’t look at Noah.
I roll my eyes at Noah. If I’d known Jason was coming today, I would have told Noah to wear the Crash on Jupiter shirt.
Eventually Jason shakes hands with all the CROP kids here today (even Noah), with his nauseating fake smile. “Are you ready to go, Meera? Your mother is at a meeting at the hospital, so she asked me to bring you home.”
“Yeah, I guess, if it’s okay with Lainey.” Lainey says she’ll finish cleaning and I can leave. I look at Noah, and he nods back.
I don’t say anything at all when I get into the car and Jason starts driving.
Which is pretty normal, since I’ve barely had an actual conversation with him since that first day he drove me to CROP and pointed out all the sights in Cherrybridge.
That seems like so long ago. I can’t believe it’s been only three and a half weeks.
Back then I thought this was a dull little town where I would have nothing to do and make no friends at all.
Now I know that Cherrybridge is both so much better and so much worse than my first impression.
It’s got some amazing, talented, complicated people who are doing the best with what they have.
I would never have imagined that I would meet my favorite person in the world that day when Jason first drove me to Gordon Park.
“You kids have really done an amazing job,” Jason says again. He’s still using his politician voice.
I’m looking out the window, but I still can’t help the edge that creeps into my voice.
“Well, we have been working hard every day for weeks. Did you expect us to slack off or not even show up?” I decide not to mention the fact that our eight-person group has fizzled to five at the most. I’m the only one who hasn’t missed a day.
Noah has only missed that one day when his brother was in the hospital.
“No, I know you’ve been working hard,” Jason says.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen the park look that good.
I’m embarrassed we left it in that state so long.
This glow-up means the park will be ready for events again this summer.
City council has decided to open it up for permits starting August fourth. ”
He’s probably thinking about events that will benefit his political career, but I can’t help myself. I want him to know I know about his true colors. “Are they going to have concerts in the park again?” I ask. “Like they did when you used to sing in a band with Noah’s dad?”
Jason glances at me, quiet for a beat before he looks back to the road.
“Not sure about that,” he says in a neutral tone.
“The other day Rob Stern—he’s another councilor—put forward a motion with measures to preserve the park so it doesn’t fall into disrepair again.
Security cameras, maybe piping classical music to reduce loitering. ”
Why am I not surprised that Jason doesn’t acknowledge my mention of his band? “Seriously? Don’t you want people to loiter in it? Isn’t that what parks are for?”
He nods. “Of course we do. But that’s only possible if the park and the stage are maintained.
And we’ll only be able to sell park permits if the condition of the park stays good.
Now that I think about it, Gordon Park would be a great venue for a campaign event.
I should have my first public rally there. I’ll call Stacey, my campaign manager.”
I roll my eyes. “Figures,” I say.
“Figures what?” he asks.
“Figures you would want to have an event for your mayoral campaign at that park. Right next door to your family’s empire.
” I catch Jason’s politician smile drop a bit.
Good. I’m sick and tired of him pretending that he’s perfect.
I’m not the one with the problems here. “Just say the truth. The city council wants to keep teenagers from loitering there. Specifically, kids like Noah and his friends who live nearby. It’s ironic that you would have literal troubled kids fix up the park, and then pipe in classical music so those very kids won’t feel welcome to use it.
Despite the fact that they’re the ones who need it the most. Those kids don’t have country club memberships or backyards with pools to hang out in.
And when they get into trouble because they have zero support and zero opportunities in their community, how do you punish them?
They have to fix the park that you want to keep them out of. ”
My heart is racing, and my voice is shaking, but this needs to be said. Not that it will make a difference—Jason’s so wrapped up in his own hypocrisy that he’ll probably dismiss me as a “na?ve teen who doesn’t get it.”
Jason’s quiet for a few seconds before speaking. “Meera, that’s not fair. We’re not trying to keep anyone specific out of the park. It’s a public space. I agree with you about the classical music plan. It’s not welcoming. But we’re trying to make sure that the park stays a public space for all.”
“ ‘All’ meaning you and your rich friends.” I finally turn around to look at him.
“You say you want to be the mayor of this town because you love it so much. I’ve only been here a month, but I’ve met a lot of teenagers here.
You know what pretty much all of them have in common?
Both the kids who are members of your country club and play golf or tennis every weekend, and the kids who’ve been writing songs on that broken-down bandstand because there’s nowhere else to go?
Every teen I’ve met can’t wait to get out of Cherrybridge.
Why are you so proud of a place that everyone under the age of eighteen wants to leave?
You stayed, but I know for a fact that you aren’t the same person you were when you were a teen.
If you were, you would have left too. Now?
You’re completely out of touch with the real Cherrybridge. ”
Jason doesn’t say anything to that. Because I’m right. And if Noah wasn’t in Cherrybridge, I’d be at the top of the list of kids who want to get out of this town.
I go back to facing the window, and we sit for the rest of the car ride in silence.
Finally, after turning onto his street, he speaks, and for the first time since I’ve been here, he sounds tired.
“I’m sorry to hear that teens don’t want to stay in town.
” He sighs. “You’re right. We aren’t doing enough for the young people of Cherrybridge.
I want all young people—no matter who they are, or what part of town they live in—to thrive in this town.
To have the support and foundation to have a happy and successful life. ”
“You don’t have to use your politician doublespeak on me,” I say. “If you really wanted every kid to thrive, then your company wouldn’t have pressed trespassing charges against Noah for cutting across the LeClair grounds to get home because his brother was in crisis.”
Jason parks in the garage and turns off the car. He looks at me, and his politician face is gone. He looks confused. “What are you talking about? What trespassing charge?”
I shake my head. “I don’t believe that you didn’t know about it.
You did it as retaliation against his father, right?
For bad-mouthing you ever since you backed out of your record deal?
Noah lost a university scholarship thanks to that trespassing charge.
They canceled his admittance to a music performance program at Toronto Metropolitan because his principal rescinded his letter of recommendation.
Which I guess you’re happy about because it means he’ll have no choice but to stay here, work at LeClair Industries, and be miserable for the rest of his life, like his father, whose life you also ruined. ”
“What?” Jason looks genuinely shocked, so maybe Noah was right and Jason didn’t know. I’m glad I told him. I’m tired of hearing his lip service about how much he cares. If he doesn’t know what’s going on in his own company, then he knows even less about his town.
I open the car door and get out, but there’s one more thing I want to call out.
“I know you didn’t want me to be here this summer,” I say.
Jason’s mouth opens as if to say something, but I keep going.
“I heard you. You were afraid I would negatively affect your precious campaign. I don’t know why you would worry.
You’ll win the damn election. Because LeClairs always get what they want in Cherrybridge. At everyone else’s expense.”
I slam the door shut and go into the house without saying anything else.
I spend that evening in my room with Rosie, waiting for Mom to show up and yell at me for being disrespectful to Jason, but she doesn’t come.
Jason doesn’t bug me either. I wonder if he’s plotting to get me out of his house again?
Probably. Maybe that should have been my strategy the whole time.
Not fake date a bad boy to get me sent home but instead tell off my stepfather.
Mike Jacobs is right. Jason is completely out of touch with the needs of the people in his town, especially young people.
I know that he grew up rich and privileged, but he should have tried to get to know the whole town before deciding he wanted to be the one running it.
He needed to open his eyes a long time ago.
At dinnertime Mom calls me down like normal. She’s made veal parmigiana and salad, and seems normal. Even Jason does.
Maybe he didn’t tell Mom what I said? Maybe he’s going to pretend none of that happened?
“By the way, Meera,” Mom says while we’re eating, “Katherine, the chairperson of the hospital board, is having a cocktail party at her house tomorrow night. Will you be okay on your own again? You can order whatever you want for dinner.”
“Yeah, sure. It’s fine.”
“I’m sorry we keep abandoning you,” Mom says, but I can’t tell if she’s being sincere about it. It’s so hard to read anyone in this damn house. “But we really shouldn’t miss this. Katherine has some very influential friends.”
I’m not sure what she expects me to say to that, but it suddenly comes to me. If they’re going to be gone again tomorrow, maybe Noah and I can finish his college research? Maybe even start sending off some of his applications?
“It’s no problem, Mom,” I say. “I might go for a walk at sunset to take some pictures, though. Just in the neighborhood.”
“That’s fine.” She smiles at me, warm. “I think we can revisit your grounding on the weekend. You only have one more week of CROP, and I don’t want you cooped up in the house every day.
But for now stay in the neighborhood.” Her smile drops, and her eyes get serious. “And don’t meet up with anyone.”
She doesn’t have to say it. I know she means to not meet up with Noah. But what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.