Page 60 of The Rebel
Because we’d been at Snow Park all afternoon, no one stayed too late and Ollie was asleep on the couch as I saw the girls out, the last to leave. Mom had done most of the cleaning up.
“Cup of tea?”
“Sure. Why not?” I said, resting my weary legs by sitting on the high stool. “Feels like it’s been a long day. Poor Ollie was worn out.”
“I should wake him and take him to bed,” Mom said.
“I will,” I said, about to get up.
“No, it can wait,” Mom said, setting two mugs on the counter. “Wow, Lucy knows how to organize a quiz night.”
“Sure does,” I said. “You’d think she was the one who went to London.”
Mom laughed. “She’s fun,” she said. “All the girls are.” I frowned, suspicious of her tone. “Are Sawyer and Leylah together?”
I shrugged. “Apparently? First I knew of it.”
“Hmmm. Hannah’s a special girl, too.”
“Mom.” It was a single word proclamation, direct and blunt.
“I want you to enjoy your senior year,” she said in a silly giggly voice like she’d had a few glasses of wine. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to date. Just once.”
I shook my head. “Lulu and Vic arefriends,” I stated categorically, and because I didn’t want her getting any ideas, “And so is Hannah.”
“Sometimes being friends first is the best prerequisite to dating.”
“Prerequisite?” I scoffed.
“Yes,” Mom said with a wink. “If you’re already friends, it’s...”
I cut her off right there. “I think you’re overtired,” I said. “Why don’t you take your cup of tea and run along to bed?”
Mom teased me by poking out her tongue. “Prom’s not that far away, you know.”
“Geez, Mom,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
Mom’s smile was smug as she poured my tea. “Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Thanks,” I said dryly as I added milk and a spoon of sugar, which is how I’d learned to drink it from my host family.
“Valencia, sweetie.” Mom’s tone suddenly dropped, full of concern. “You didn’t need to stay in your room.”
I spun around on the stool to see Valencia wearing black jeans and a black hoodie, her hair now loose and wavy on her shoulders, holding an empty plate. I realized I’d been so caught up with my friends all night that I hadn’t noticed she hadn’t been around. Well, Lucy tended to be a lot.
“Sit down,” Mom directed, taking her plate to the dishwasher. “I’ll pour you a tea.”
“You should’ve joined us for the quiz,” I said, wondering how much of that conversation she’d heard, the shame of my mother trying to set me up for prom.
She smiled with a shrug. “The food was really delicious.”
“Did you miss out on the Jaffa cakes? You have to try the Jaffa cakes. They’re so good. Mom, are there any left?” I jumped off the stool, suddenly hyped up.
“These are the best,” I said in a ramble. “I ate so many of them over in London, but you can get them at Dymock’s Grocery Store.”
“Only sometimes. I was lucky they had some in stock,” Mom said, heading to the door. “I’m going to check on Oliver.”
“Paris goes to England after his next tournament. Maybe he can bring some back for you?”
