Page 11 of Shining Pearls
“I don’t want to go,” I mumbled, but she was already out the door and heading down the stairs, unwilling to listen to any excuse I could devise for not doing as she wished.
It seemed like I had just closed my eyes when Dean knocked on my bedroom door, even though Aunt Mimi had left it open. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead. I’m here to take you to lunch.”
“Already? I’m not hungry.” I flipped my pillow over my face to hide under it.
“It’s after noon, and you need to eat a real meal.” Dean didn’t back down a bit.
I was stunned that it was already so late, so I glanced at my bedside clock to verify the time. Blinking at the display, I realized that I must have slept much more deeply than I thought. Even though I had absolutely no desire to get up or go to the diner, my body betrayed me.
Chuckling at the loud growls coming from my stomach, Dean said, “It sounds like someone is ready for a cheeseburger and fries, and maybe even a chocolate milkshake.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but it all sounded really good. My stomach gurgled again, saving me from having to admit out loud how hungry I was. Giving Dean a sheepish smile, I said, “Guess I’ll get dressed.”
“I’ll be downstairs.” He gave me an ‘I told you so’ smile, but thankfully didn’t utter the snarky words.
Once he was gone, it was tempting to roll over and go back to sleep, but I knew he would just come back up and get me. Instead, I forced myself to sit up. The room swirled around me from the movement, so I waited a long moment before standing. My stomach threatened to upheave, but there wasn’t anything in there to throw up.
Glancing in the mirror on my dresser, I saw my greasy hair framing my pale face and realized that I really needed a shower. Since it was a weekday, I assumed Dean needed to get back to the school soon. I didn’t want to keep him waiting and make him late. It’s not like there were any other schools in this area for him to apply to, if he burned a bridge with this one. Instead of taking the time to shower, I pulled a hoodie over the tee shirt I’d slept in and changed from my shorts into clean sweatpants.
During my visit to the bathroom, I ran a toothbrush over my fuzzy teeth and swiped extra deodorant under my arms. Deciding that would take care of the worst of my funk, I declared myself to be teetering on the lowest edge of presentable and went downstairs.
If Dean was shocked by my appearance or embarrassed to be seen in public with me, he hid it well. “Ready to go?” he asked, amiably holding his elbow out for me as if we were going out to stroll the promenade.
I knew I didn’t deserve a friend as wonderful and understanding as Dean, but I couldn’t find the words to properly thank him. Instead, I merely accepted his offered arm and headed outside for the first time in days.
The bright sunshine had me blinking like a mole coming out of its hole at high noon. It made me want to run back to the sanctity of my dark bedroom, but I knew it was time for me to emerge from the house and resume living my life. I was starting to feel like a shut-in, and I was tired of wallowing in my own despair.
Although I should have been embarrassed to be seen out in public looking so filthy and depressed, my only concern was running into Alex. I didn’t want him to see me like this––mostly because he would know that I looked so terrible because of him. He was kindhearted, so he would feel awful about causing me so much pain. I didn’t want to make things any worse for him than I already had. I cared about him too much to wish him any ill will.
The diner was bustling with lunch crowd activity when we walked in. My instinct was to scurry back outside, but I grasped onto Dean’s arm and forced myself to stay by his side. The smell of grease nearly overwhelmed me. In a strange new twist, it made me nauseous, but smelled good at the same time.
Dean ushered me to a booth tucked in the back, and it wasn’t long before Aunt Mimi came to take our orders. Even as busy as the restaurant was, the woman was relaxed and friendly. She was truly in her element here. I could fully appreciate her seemingly effortless talent now that I’d tried my hand at waitressing and failed miserably.
I wasn’t in the mood to chat, so once we ordered our burgers and milkshakes, I stared at the table and waited for our food to arrive. Dean tried to start several conversations with me, but I wasn’t able to do much more than respond with one-word answers, so he eventually gave up. It remained silent until a pretty, perky woman stopped at our table on her way to the restroom.
“Dean?” Her gorgeous blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she beamed at him.
Confusion registered in his eyes for a moment before recognition dawned. “Molly?” At the young lady’s nod, he visibly brightened. “You’re all grown up!”
“I am.” she beamed a bright, white smile in his direction before chuckling at his surprise. She chanced a glance in my direction and her expression faltered slightly.
“This is my friend, Jo-Jo.” Dean quickly filled in the awkward lull in the conversation.
Turning to extend her hand in my direction, Molly said, “Hi, Jo-Jo.”
For some reason, the nickname Dean and Aunt Mimi often used for me sounded childish and annoying to my ears when Molly used it. I had to quell the urge to clarify to this woman that Dean and I weren’t simply friends––we werebestfriends. Instead, I limply shook her hand and mumbled the word, “Hello.”
Molly angled back around to focus solely on Dean. Dramatically patting her chest, she said, “The sixteen-year-old inside of me is having heart palpitations from bumping intotheDean Waters. Couldn’t you have acquired a receding hairline, a flat tire growing around your middle, or some type of imperfection in the years since I last saw you?”
I took an instant dislike to the overly-friendly woman. She was fawning over Dean like he was a celebrity, and for his part, Dean was lapping it up like a kitten with a bowl of cream as he grinned up at her. My glare volleyed between the two of them, and I was stunned to see that Dean’s cheeks were flushed with excitement.
“You’ve matured into a beautiful woman,” Dean openly flirted with Molly.
“Oh!” She fanned her face with her hand. “Now, the grown-up in me feels like her heart might beat right out of her chest.”
I hated it that she was referring to herself in the third person, but from the way Dean was gazing up at her, it was obvious that he found her to be utterly charming.
“Would you have any interest in grabbing dinner with me one evening, Molly?”
