She Loves You, She Loves You Not... Read Online Free Page B

You know what I just thought of? There’s a job at Teva’s Nail Salon in Breckenridge. It’s only at the front desk, but you could work your way up.”
    To manicurist? I don’t think so. “I don’t want to have to drive to work,” I tell her.
    “Are you one of those eco freaks? Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” she adds quickly. “You have principles. I like that.”
    “I just don’t feel comfortable driving.”
    “Don’t you have a car at home?”
    Another thing I don’t want to talk about.
    Carly’s eyes light up. “There’s a job opening at the Emporium.”
    “The what?”
    “The book swap in Majestic. You must’ve seen it. That big barn?”
    Oh, yeah. Across from the video rental.
    “I’ll call over there tomorrow.”
    “Don’t. Please. I want to do this on my own.”
    Carly studies me over her drink before a broad smile streaks across her face. “You got that from me, you know.”
    “What? Stubbornness?”
    She touches the tip of my nose. “Independence.”
    I’m not independent. I’m weak and needy.
    “To independence,” she toasts.
    We clink and drink.
    Carly stares at me so intently, I feel my insides withering. “You look so much like me when I was your age. And if anyone asks, that age is currently twenty-five.” She smiles.
    She’s thirty-four. She had me when she was seventeen, my age. I wish I’d known her earlier. So many times I wondered about my real mom, before we met for the first time, what she was like, why she left. But Dad didn’t want to talk about her. All he’d say was, “You got her looks. I hope that’s all.”
    I guess I should be grateful for the little time we had. The time we’re having now. I have the strongest urge to hug her and thank her for taking me in.
    Carly’s cell rings, and the moment passes. She retrieves the phone and glances at the caller ID. “I’d better get this,” she says. She answers, “Hey, hon. Can you hold on a sec?” She presses the cell against her thigh. “Check out the book swap. If you’re anything at all like your father, I
know
you love to read.”

Chapter
4
    The Emporium sign is faded, and the whole building looks as though it could collapse in on itself at any moment. Majestic is basically a ghost town. Most of the businesses have shut down, and FOR SALE or FOR RENT signs hang in the windows. There’s some new construction, though, like Carly’s house. Builders’ trailers all around.
    Dad’s always complaining about urban sprawl—when he’s not specifically hating on the homos who are moving into Virginia Beach. There’s this older neighborhood near our house that’s being renovated, and one of the shops has a rainbow flag flying off the balcony. Even though it’s on our way to school, Dad makes Paulie and me walk five extra blocks to steer clear of it.
    My dad’s the biggest homophobe in the world, which is why I knew I could never come out to him. Tanith led me to believe that staying with Carly was temporary, but now I wonder if I’ll ever have a home to go back to.
    I loathe the thought of having inherited any of my father’s traits, but Carly’s right. I do love to read.
    The front door to the Emporium is propped open with a cowboy boot full of sand. At noon it’s scorching outside. A giant fan whirs in the bookstore, where an old geezer is hunched over a rippling newspaper.
    The job isn’t posted on any window or bulletin board that I can see. I walk up to the checkout desk and stand there, shifting my weight from one blister to another. A woman’s on the phone. She finally notices me and sticks up an index finger.
    This has to be the dustiest hole in the West. I run my finger along the counter, and it comes away caked. Every surface has this thick yellow pollen from the pine trees. I hear the woman say, “I think I just got a set in, Dutch. Hang on.”
    She sets the phone aside and rises to her feet. She’s, like, six-two. Her eyes widen. “You’re Carly’s