Needy Little Things(68)
Me
Hey Jed
A green dot appears, showing he’s now online.
Jed
Hello.
How are you?
I begin to type, but another message pops up right away.
Please. I am having a hard time. Can you send me $50 right away? I will accept PayPal or Venmo. I thank you very much.
Please, you are very beautiful. I will repay you.
Relief bursts from me in the form of a laugh as I close Facebook. I certainly don’t know him better than Ella, but maybe in the shock of finding the flirty messages, she failed to ask herself if they really sounded like him. Abandoned Facebook pages are prime targets for hackers and Jed getting hacked makes way more sense than him cheating on Ella Davis. He and Ella and Fitz will work things out in a few days, and if not, I’ll send them screenshots of the non-conversation I just had.
* * *
My phone illuminates as it powers back up. A flurry of notifications overtakes the screen.
Malcolm
Answer the phone! Did you hear?
My mom said your mom was there, so I’m assuming you’re ready for this big fat I TOLD YOU SO
It’s not her, Ri.
Mama comes home from the dry cleaners and calls me into her bedroom. I stand and pump out a couple of texts. Playing it cool until I figure out which thread I’m going to tug on next. I’ve followed Jed’s as far as I can for now, and that only leaves Malcolm’s or Ms. Jasmine’s.
Me
You can rub it in later. I’ll call you tonight.
Malcolm
Okay. And we can discuss whatever is going on between you and Jude later too. He’s a mess.
Mama calls me again, patience audibly thinner this time. I go to her room. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Close the door.”
I do as I’m told, then perch on the end of her bed as she arranges a few shopping bags on her dresser. She rests her palms against the dark cherry wood. “I know I haven’t been my best self lately. I know you know it and God help me, I know my son knows it. But I’m not as far gone as you think. I’ve never been so far gone that I missed a night of making sure my children were in their beds. Not with girls disappearing the way they are. Not with Josiah’s health issues. But I know I’ve been failing you lately. I know you need more from me. I know you need to talk. But it’s hard to explain how I could know that and still struggle to act on it.”
“You don’t have to explain, Mama. I understand.” I scrunch her comforter in my fists, scared to ask my next question for fear of rejection. Fear that I’m misinterpreting what she expects from this moment. “Could we talk now?”
She looks at me in the mirror, eyes a little less hollow. “Of course we can. I promised we would.”
I tell her about the nail file. About the pepper spray. I tell her I did the thing she always warned me never to do with my ability. I tell her I’m so worked up that I’m suspecting my best friend of something nefarious.
She cries. We both do. When there are no tears left in either of us, she speaks first.
“I’m sorry, baby. I can’t believe you were out there hustling for money.”
“More than anything, I think I needed to keep busy and I didn’t pick the best ways to do it.” That’s not exactly the truth. I really wanted to make us some money, but I’m not trying to make her feel worse about things she couldn’t help. “It’s okay, Mama.”
She gently places her hand on mine. “You know you can be angry with me, right?”
“I’m not angry.”
She smiles softly. “Okay. But when you realize you are, know that’s okay, too. And about Malcolm.” She taps my jaw with her index finger so I’ll look at her. “Take how this situation makes you feel and magnify it by ten, baby. Malcolm has earned a secret or two and I’m sure it’s nothing as wild as you’re worried it is. He’ll come to you when he’s ready. For the sake of your friendship—and it’s a worthy one—wait until he’s ready.”
I eagerly accept her advice, ignoring the niggling that persists in my stomach.
Mama stands and stretches. “I have a job interview this afternoon.”
“What? Where?”
“It’s for a teaching position at your high school, actually. Healthcare science.”
I sit up straighter. “Wait, is this some scheme to guarantee I graduate on time? Because I love you, Mama. But I’m not going to school with you.”
“I won’t lie. That crossed my mind.” She opens the dry cleaners bag and pulls out a pantsuit. “It’s only part-time and doesn’t start until August. I’d have some paid trainings here and there over the next couple of months, but no huge commitment and I think that’d be best for me right now.”
“I’m happy for you, Mama. You’ll do great.”
“Thank you.” She kisses my cheek and goes to the bathroom to get ready.
CHAPTER 29
I find Josiah knocked out asleep when I leave Mama’s room. One foot hangs off the bed and a fresh stream of drool glistens on his cheek. I tuck him in, close his door, and grab Santa Bag. I need to go to the convenience store and pick up a few things we’ll actually eat. Mama goes on these extreme health kicks every time Jojo has a hospital stay and I’m not living off brussels sprouts and chia seeds.