24. THE ONE WITHOUT MIDDLE NAMES
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
THE ONE WITHOUT MIDDLE NAMES
WestParkerComedy: Sure, everything might be bigger in Texas, but I prefer s-HEX-y Salem. What team are you? Witch or demon?
Comment: He knows Hex lore?! Oh, he’s in LOVE
Comment: Witch or demon? What is this weird shit u keep posting??? Find God. Unfollow!
My mom calls the second we’re about to pull up to Joey’s. We all know if I ignore her, she’ll just try Enzo and Kell next.
I put her on speaker, and all three of us go, “hiiiii, Mooooommmmm,” in the same tone, at the same time.
“Hiya, boys. What are you up to?” I can hear the smile on her face as she talks.
“We’re getting a tour of Salem,” Enzo tells her, pointing the driver to Joey’s house.
“I’ve always wanted to go there!” she cries, and I know she probably stomped her foot too.
My mom has a big personality, constantly being roped in from her latest crazy idea by my level-headed father.
I take after my mom… Obviously.
“Good thing your future daughter-in-law lives here. I’m sure you’ll be visiting often when West moves in.” Kell snickers and opens the door as soon as the car pulls to a stop, nearly diving out because he knows what’s good for him.
I hear Mom slap her hand against something, picturing her standing in her normal spot in the kitchen, leaning against the counter in the corner by the window. “Are you talking about Hex?” she squeals. “What’s her name again?”
“Jo, but don’t listen to Kell. We’re just friends,” I tell her as I get out of the backseat.
Frankie waves from the front door.
“He’s lying to you!” Enzo booms, making sure the whole fucking neighborhood hears.
“West,” she says in that tone I don’t like to push.
“Let’s talk about this later, okay?” I take her off speaker and flip both Enzo and Kell off, pressing the phone to my ear to find Mom already in the middle of a tangent.
I wander down the sidewalk, still in sight of the front porch where Frankie steps off the last step to give both Enzo and Kell a quick hug. I’m far enough away that I can't make out what they’re saying with my mom yapping in my ear.
“West, honey, she’s gorgeous, and I’m pretty sure she’s a genius. Did you know she graduated from H—”
I cut her off. “I hired her to run my social media for the rest of the tour. She’ll be with us starting tomorrow.”
As if I summoned her, Joey opens the front door and steps out onto the dark wood porch.
Even in the dimming sunlight, she stands out.
She’s wearing a pair of distressed light wash jeans with holes at her knees, what I know is a vintage Ghostface T-shirt, a long sleeve lace top underneath, and black and white checkered Vans.
I watch her say hello to Enzo and Kell without a hug, and then they both turn, gesturing to me a few seconds later. Joey follows their direction, and I know, even from all the way over here, those siren-like eyes are pinned on mine.
She’s wearing light makeup, and her hair’s pulled back in a ponytail, the short strands of her bangs and front layers styled to match the carefree look of tonight’s outfit.
Joey’s so effortlessly cool, and I’m the goofball who would do anything for a glance my way.
“West Parker.” Mom’s serious-voice combined with her use of my middle name gets my attention.
“Sorry, what?” I ask, turning to face away from Joey. I can’t focus when I look at her.
Mom sighs, her light bell-like laugh warming my chest. “Go have fun. Call me tomorrow morning, will ya?”
I smile, footsteps approaching from behind. “I will. I promise.” Spinning around, my eyes land on Joey, followed close behind by a chattering Frankie and Kell.
Enzo falls behind to keep watch like he always does.
“Love you, kid. Please be safe,” Mom says—a reminder I don't need to hear.
“Safe’s my middle name. Love you more,” I reply before hanging up and sliding my phone into my back pocket.
I swallow the rush of guilt that always comes when I cut calls with my parents short. I’m all they’ve got now—I bite the inside of my lip hard enough to taste blood.
“So, there aren’t any Ouija boards involved in order to summon our tour guide for the night, right?” I deflect from my intrusive thoughts with humor—always have, even before my comedy career.
“Why? You scared?” Joey stops in front of me, sticking out her bottom lip in a tiny pout.
Mmm, what I would do to her lips if I could kiss them one more time… I smirk. “Nah, I’ve got the devil herself to protect me.” I wink, getting a big laugh out of Frankie.
Joey gives me a smile, one I know is real by the softness it brings to her face. Her septum ring is down tonight—a piercing I never paid much attention to on anyone until now. I love the way it draws my eyes to the cupid’s bow of her lip.
“Hey, is that donut place open yet?” Frankie asks, eyes wide with excitement when I manage to pull my gaze away from Joey.
“Donuts?” Kell chirps.
“If you want a donut, then we better get going. I told Mara we’d meet her at 7.” Joey flicks her wrists, signaling for us to get moving.
Frankie takes the lead, setting our pace. For someone who’s barely five-foot, the girl can cover some ground.
Enzo, to my full surprise, wanders up front to hear Frankie yap about some of the historical things I would normally care about… But don’t right now. Not when Joey’s this close to me.
She breaks our silence. “Enzo said you were talking to your mom?” Joey asks, crossing her arms over her chest. “Are you close with your parents?”
Kell speeds up to ask Frankie a question about something she said. “Wait, what do you mean it was children who started the witch trials?”
I’m sure we’ll learn all about this on our tour, so my focus stays right where it needs to be. On Joey, who asked you a question about your life, you idiot… Stop staring.
“Yeah, super close, even down the line through my huge extended family. I talk to my mom almost every day and my dad a few times a week.” We always had someone at our house who didn’t live there, whether they were stopping by or staying for dinner.
Our home was full of love and laughter… I like to remember it that way, at least. “What about you?”
Joey told me she had mommy and daddy issues, but that could mean anything.
It’s a warm night for the end of September, and everyone we pass seems to be in a good mood because of it. A gentle breeze off the water mixes with Joey’s sweet perfume, and I take an unintentional step closer to her on the sidewalk.
“My mom was an only child, and she left when I was eight. I don’t know who my dad is.
There were rumors it might have been someone from my hometown, but I never cared to confirm or deny.
” Joey shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, but my heart hurts for her.
“My Grams raised me. She passed away the summer before my senior year.” She’s staring at the back of Frankie’s head, her voice quiet.
“I moved in with Frankie and never heard from my mom again, not even when her own mother died.”
Joey doesn’t want pity. I might not know everything there is to know about her yet, but I’ve learned enough to read the look on her face when I glance over.
She doesn’t like talking about the hard stuff either.
I ask her an easier question next, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Where are you two from? I know it’s not here.
Your accents aren’t strong enough.” And everyone knows when someone’s from Boston.
It’s not only their accent giving them away, but they’re like people from New York City or Chicago—one of the first things they’re going to tell you is they’re from New York City or Chicago.
It’s like a built-in personality trait.
“St. Augustine, Florida,” Joey answers.
I never would have guessed that… Florida has a distinct type of person. I mean, come on. Florida Man?
Frankie stops mid-conversation with Kell and Enzo, turns around, and continues to walk backwards, while saying, “but we’re the ‘with liberty and justice for all means all’ kinda southerners.”
The glare the five-foot-nothing redhead gives me feels like a laser beam, cutting through the layers of my flesh to see if I’m worthy of her best friend’s attention.
Little late for that, dontcha think?
“West got the school board to change the girl’s dress code his senior year because it was a bunch of sexist bullshit,” Kell says with pride while we wait to cross the street.
Enzo’s heard the story, but both Joey and Frankie raise the same brow at the same time. There’s no denying they grew up together.
I shake my head. “You make it sound so much more serious than it was when you say it like that.” It had honestly been so long since I’d even thought of this.
“I had to sit in front of the school board my senior year because they changed the dress code, allowing the boys to wear tank tops, but the girls had to be in something covering their shoulders.” We cross the street, and everyone listens as I tell the tale of West Isakson, North Lake High’s favorite Class Clown.
“So, every day I wore a cutoff T-shirt with a little midriff because there wasn’t a rule that said I couldn’t. ”
Frankie’s smile has been growing wider and wider, and I have a feeling she has something to say after I finish my story… She turns around to walk straight, falling into place next to Joey.
“Eventually, there were at least a hundred dudes walking around in tiny crop tops with spaghetti straps made for their younger sisters and cutoffs that kept getting shorter. The school board told me I had to get everyone to stop or they wouldn’t sign off on the co-op paperwork I needed to play travel hockey that season.
We compromised. I got everyone to stop wearing cropped shirts, they changed the dress code to allow the girls more freedom, and I got to play hockey my senior year.
” When practice started, my coach made me pay for nearly jeopardizing my future in the sport by trying to impress some girls.
“And he hasn’t worn a crop top since,” Kell huffs like a forlorn widow, resting the back of his hand against his forehead for show.