10. Jace #2
“What’s wrong?” I ask, pulling her closer even though I’m confused who we’re hiding from.
“The Delaneys are here,” she whispers, and it takes me a moment to figure out who she’s talking about.
Kieran is standing a few groups ahead of us, currently ordering with two people who look a few years older than my parents.
The man who I’m assuming is his dad is pretty tall, but Kieran looks more like his mom.
She’s very pretty, and they have the same blue eyes with dark brown hair and slight builds.
He turns around, immediately meeting my gaze as if he could feel me staring at him.
Kieran’s as sparkly as ever with purple eyeshadow as he glares at me from the front of the line. Eventually, he turns back to say something to his parents before walking away in the direction of the bathrooms as his parents pay and move down to the pickup counter.
“I don’t think his parents saw us,” I point out because Liv still looks worried.
“Yeah, hopefully not,” she agrees, still hiding behind me.
We’re able to order without incident, but the only route through the restaurant is to the pickup counter where his parents are still standing. Liv tries to hide behind me, but they spot her anyway.
“Olivia! Oh, hi, honey, it’s been so long.
We miss having you around the house,” his mom gushes, rushing to give her a hug.
Liv returns the gesture, but she’s shrinking into herself in a way that makes it obvious she doesn’t know how to respond to her warm greeting.
Kieran’s dad says hello to us both, and I have a feeling Kieran hasn’t mentioned why Liv no longer hangs out at their house based on this interaction.
Kieran probably knows his overreaction to us dating was dramatic, and he’s embarrassed to admit to them how shitty of a friend he was to Liv.
His mom steps closer to Olivia, looking at me curiously before lowering her voice to ask, “What happened? He still won’t tell us. You know how he is. Always trying to be so strong and shoulder everything himself.”
“Oh, um… I don’t know that I should say if he hasn’t—”
“He was upset we started dating,” I interrupt. There’s no use sugarcoating their son’s choices; he should own up to hurting Olivia for basically no reason.
His parents look to each other, faces scrunched in confusion.
“Is he jealous? Did he want to date you?” his mom guesses, and it takes me a moment to realize she’s aiming the question at me, not Liv. She’s definitely looking me in the eyes.
She thinks Kieran wanted to date me?
And she’s cool with the fact Kieran wants to date a man?
I can’t help but laugh through my confusion. “No. Definitely not.”
They look even more confused now, but Kieran must have given up hiding in the bathroom because he walks up from behind his parents and responds before I can explain.
“I wouldn’t be caught dead dating this asshole.
I didn’t realize Liv cared more about popularity than being a good friend, that’s why. ”
“Come on, K, it wasn’t like that at all,” Liv tries to insist, but he’s shaking his head now with his arms crossed in front of his chest, glaring at the two of us.
Finally, the Delaney’s number is called, breaking up the very awkward tension of our group. His parents don’t say anything else, focusing their concerned attention on Kieran, who isn’t answering them either, as they quickly take their food and go.
“Well, that was awkward,” Liv finally says on an exhale, and I pull her in for a quick hug.
“I can’t believe they’re so chill about him being gay,” I comment, thinking over how his mom’s assumption was that he was jealous of Liv for dating me. They seemed totally unfazed that he’s gay, or about the clothes and makeup.
My dad would actually kick my ass. I think that would be his breaking point.
I truly can’t comprehend having that kind of loving and supportive family.
All my dad cares about is baseball, and all my mom cares about is Molly and making sure we come across as some perfect, stereotypical suburban family.
“Yeah, they’ve always been amazing. That’s why I was so worried about seeing them. They used to be like my second parents. I miss them, but I wasn’t sure what he would have told them. I don’t want them to hate me too.”
“I’m sure they don’t hate you. Kieran’s just being a bitch about us dating, that isn’t your fault,” I try to console her, but then my mind jumps to another thought. “Wait, do you think they think I’m gay?”
“Why would they think you’re gay?” she asks.
“Because of that comment about Kieran wanting to date me.”
“No, Jace. You’re literally dating me. I think it was just a question, and she assumed because they know Kieran is into guys.”
“I’m just saying, if he made me out to be, like, gay or something, I swear, I’ll have to say something. I’ll have to—”
“Oh my god,” Olivia cuts in. “Can you go one conversation without making it about him? Please. You are always talking about him! Seriously, Jace. Can we focus on me for once? That question had nothing to do with you.”
That shuts me up because it’s not like I mean to talk about Kieran all the time.
It’s just… he gets under my skin and stays there.
It doesn’t matter if I’m making out with Liv or trying to fall asleep or get through class, he’s always there—annoying the shit out of me.
I just want him to stop; doesn’t she get that?
“I always focus on you. We spend all of our free time together, and I text you constantly,” I say back with a forced smile. I really do like her, but being a boyfriend is way more work than I was expecting.
“Whatever. But if this is going to work—and it has to because I lost my best friend because of you—then I need you to be obsessed with me the same way you are with him. Got it?”
I’m not obsessed with him so that should be easy. “You got it, babe.”
Our number’s called so we grab our food before we find an open table. I talk about the game today and how my dad was such a dick this morning, and she tells me about how Molly asked her to do her makeup for some middle school dance that’s coming up.
Her smile never quite reaches her eyes, though, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s thinking about Sparkles as much as I am despite her requesting my attention be fully on her.