Chapter 24
KAI
“Can you believe it, lad?” Callum grinned as we walked to my car. “I think I’ve pulled.”
“No, I can’t,” I said honestly, glancing back toward the brown-haired boy disappearing into reception with his mum. I didn’t know what I expected her to be like, but definitely not that .
She looked to be mid-forties, but she didn’t dress like it.
She had the same big brown eyes Alex did, only hers were framed with heavy, smudged mascara and bright pink lipstick drawn well past her natural lip line.
And the way she dressed… she looked like someone trying to hold onto a youth they never really had. Or maybe someone who never grew up.
Either way, I’d be fuming if my mum showed up to a meeting with the head dressed like that.
“Do you think she was drunk?” Callum asked as he slid into the passenger seat. “I thought I could smell booze on her.”
“One hundred percent, mate,” I said, getting in on my side. “No one sober would act like that.”
At least… I hoped no one sober would act like that.
My mind kept drifting back to the look on Alex’s face. The mixture of embarrassment and resignation. And I couldn’t blame him. If that were my mum, I’d want the ground to swallow me whole. Flirting with her son’s friends, asking if we ‘party’… it actually made me feel a bit sick.
And why was she drunk?
You’d think she’d lay off the drink for her son’s meeting with the head. Surely.
“I know, can you imagine if either of our mums did that?” Callum said, shaking his head. “I’d be mortified.”
“I think he was,” I said, starting the car and pulling off.
“Nah,” Callum shook his head. “Pretty sure she used to be the same with Ryan. He must be used to it by now.”
Something about the way he said it made my stomach flip. “Would you be?” I questioned, trying to ignore the gnawing feeling in my gut.
Callum shrugged, twisting the lid of his Pepsi Max until it clicked. “Yeah, probably not.”
I shook my head, fingers drumming lightly on the steering wheel. “And he’s got a meeting with the head. How could she turn up like that?” I muttered, almost to myself. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. I actually cared how Alex’s meeting went. I wanted it to go well.
“I dunno, some people are just like that, I guess.” He shrugged again, slumping back in his seat. “But it’s not all bad - at least I get free drugs out of it.” He grinned as he clicked in his seatbelt.
“They’re drug dealers, they’re not going to give anything away for free.” I shot him a look as I pulled out of the car park.
He shrugged again, unbothered. “Well, I dunno, money off then. You heard what she said - ‘I’ll get Connor to sort you out.’”
Yeah, and she also said Connor solves everything with his fists. That part stuck with me more than I liked.
“You’ll have to get her number off Alex for me,” Callum added, nudging my arm.
“What? Why me?” I looked over at him, eyebrows raised.
“Because you study with him. And you’ve spoken to him way more than I have.” He gestured between us. “It’d be weird if I did it.”
“It’d be weird if either of us did it,” I said, turning onto the main road. “You saw the way he looked. He did not want her talking to us.”
“Fine, just get his number then.” He waved a hand lazily. “And then we can ask him to ask his mum to ask his brother for the deals or whatever.”
“I don’t know if I should be feeding your drug habit,” I said, giving him a pointed look.
“It’s not a habit,” he said quickly, sitting up straighter. “It’s just something I like to do at parties sometimes.”
“That sounds like a habit to me.”
“Oh, come on,” he pleaded, leaning toward me with that stupid grin. “Don’t do this for me. Do this for my bank account and the hits it takes every time someone throws a party.”
“Fine,” I huffed, though a smile tugged at my mouth. “I’ll get his number. But I’m keeping it. I’m not having you pestering him for drugs whenever you feel like it.”
“Fine by me,” Callum said, hands up in surrender, grin widening.