Perfectly Imperfect Page 9
I STARE UP AT VICK’S massive house. It’s a four-story brick mansion with marble pillars, a circular drive, and a stone fountain. If his parents are this loaded, why’s he delivering pizzas after school? I engage the bike’s kickstand and climb off.
After my surfing lesson, I went home to shower and change, and now I’m here to hang out with Vick. Dad’s working late again—another rush job—so he told me to have fun. I hang my helmet on the handlebar, walk onto the porch, and ring the doorbell.
A moment later, the door swings open, and Vick grins. “I was wondering if you were going to show up.” He steps aside and motions for me to enter.
I step inside and whistle. “Nice house.”
“The pizza slash arcade business is doing well.” He pushes the door shut.
“Wait. Your family owns Parker’s?” How did I not make the connection before? His name is Vick Parker.
“Yeah, I assumed you knew. Everyone does.”
“Just another reason it sucks being the new guy.”
“Ah, right. I keep forgetting.”
If only I could forget, too. I follow him through the marble-tiled foyer and into the spacious kitchen. Stainless steel appliances stand out against the black counters and cupboards. A large island bar sits in the middle of the room, three plush stools on either side of it. Everything is polished to a shine, and I wonder if anyone actually uses this kitchen.
“Surfing always makes me hungry,” Vick says. “You?”
“Starving.” I hop up on one of the stools.
“Good.” He walks over to the oven and pulls open the door. “Because I made a pizza.”
“Don’t you get tired of eating pizza, being surrounded by it all the time?”
“I really don’t eat much of it while I’m working, and I play around when I’m home.” He sets a can of soda in front of me and sits on a stool opposite me. “Like, that’s a taco pizza.” He hooks his thumb over his shoulder to indicate the oven.
“A taco pizza?” I don’t want to tell him how gross that sounds.
“Traditional pizza sauce spiked with mild taco sauce, topped with seasoned hamburger, diced tomatoes, onions, and cheese, with a layer of crushed hard taco shells over everything.” He opens his soda and takes a drink. “It’s really good. I’ve been trying to convince my dad to put it on the menu, but he keeps refusing.”
“Maybe there’s a reason for that,” I say.
“No trashing my pizza until after you’ve tried it.”
“Fair enough. So, where is everyone anyway?” I look around as if someone will magically appear.
“Mom’s visiting her sister up north, Dad’s working at Parker’s, and my little sister is probably at some friend’s house terrorizing people.”
“How old is your sister?”
“Twelve, but she acts like she’s twenty. You haven’t seen a diva until you’ve met her.” He takes a drink. “What about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope. I’m an only child.”
“Lucky.”
“I don’t know about that.” Sometimes, I think having a brother or sister would make all the moving a little easier. My cell phone chimes with a notification. I take it out of my pocket. “It’s probably my Dad.” It’s a message from Isabelle. how was surfing?
Grinning, I type back a response. cold. i kept falling off the board.
BibleBelle: lol. good thing you know how to swim.
I laugh, and Vick leans over to peek at my phone. He raises a brow. “Didn’t realize you two were that close.”
“Oh, uh…” Shoot. Vick is friends with Cam. I don’t want to tell him anything that will get back to Cam and upset Isabelle. “We have a Spanish project we’re working on together.”
“Sure.” He takes another drink. “Whatever you say.”
“I’ve literally known her for like three days.”
He doesn’t respond. Instead, he gets up to check on the pizza. I turn my attention back to my phone. yup. i listened to your advice and didn’t drown.
BibleBelle: that’s a first ; ) i’m glad you didn’t drown.
me too.
“Pizza’s done.” Vick sets it on the counter.
It smells good, and my stomach growls. I set my phone aside and take the paper plate Vick hands me. My phone rings, and Brit’s name pops up on my screen. I reject the call.
“Brittany and Isabelle? You’re a busy guy.” Vick plops a slice of pizza onto his plate.
I take a calming breath, trying not to let his insinuation bug me. “Brit just needs help in physics.” That sounds lame to me, so I’m sure Vick doesn’t believe it, either.
“Want some advice? Don’t let Isabelle know you’re talking to Brit. Those two hate each other.”
I take a slice and set it on my plate. “Yeah, I noticed. Why does Brit call you guys Jesus freaks anyway?”
“I don’t know. Not all of us even go to church.”
I take a small bite. Chewing slowly, I savor the mix of flavors. It’s not that bad. I take another, larger bite.
“After Isabelle’s brother died, she started carrying around a Bible. No idea why,” he says.
“She told me it was her brother’s.”
Vick freezes with his pizza halfway to his mouth. “Hmm. That makes a lot more sense.”
“What does?”
“She misplaced the Bible one day right after his funeral, thought she’d lost it, and she freaked out.” He sets the slice down and wipes his fingers on a napkin. “I’m talking crying and screaming. She tossed her locker and a couple classrooms trying to find it. Turns out Brit had it all along. Ever since then, Brit’s called Isabelle a Jesus freak. Doesn't help that Isabelle still checks Brandon’s locker to make sure his Bible's safe.” He shrugs. “I guess we’re all Jesus freaks now. Guilt by association and all that.”
The shrine locker… the Bible I found… Isabelle’s reaction upon seeing it… It all makes sense now. She looked relieved when I held it out to her. I take a drink of my soda, letting Vick’s words settle in my mind. No wonder Isabelle hates Brit so much. I’m not sure I like Brit all that much now, either. Maybe I can ask for a new physics lab partner.
“There were some pretty nasty rumors over the summer that Brit was somehow involved with Brandon’s death,” Vick says.
“Wait. I thought he died in a car accident?”
“He did. Like I said, rumors.” Vick resumes eating.
“So, who goes to church and who doesn’t?” Are all my new friends Christians? So far, no one has tried to get me to go to church, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try eventually. I’m not sure how I’ll react when that happens.
“Everyone except Trevor and Nolan.” Vick grabs a second slice. “But that doesn’t stop Cam from trying to convince them. My family goes occasionally, holidays and such. What about you?”
“I haven’t gone to church in a long time. Kinda hard when I’m always moving around, but I believe in God and all that.” We eat in silence for a few moments. “This pizza isn’t all that bad,” I say.
Vick grins. “I hope you’re not planning to be a food critic.”
“Nope.”
“As soon as I graduate, I’m moving to Hawaii, taking some business classes, and setting up a surf shop that serves specialty pizzas. I’ll spend my days giving surf lessons.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. I can’t even decide which colleges to apply to.” I’m not sure I even want to go to college at all.
“Somewhere in Ohio,” he says.
I narrow my eyes and tilt my head in confusion. “Why Ohio?”
“That’s where Isabelle’s going. She’s already applied for early acceptance to Canyon.”
“Good to know.” I try—and fail—not to smile. “But what makes you think I’m choosing colleges based on where she’s going? I don’t think she likes me all that much.”
Vick scrunches up his face. “Are you messing with me right now?”
I shake my head.
“Did you know Cam broke up with her?” I ask, not wanting to get my hopes up. For all I know, Vick could be dead wrong about Isabelle.
“Yeah, he told me about it right after he did it.”
“Did you know he was at Parker’s last night with another girl?”
He nods. “Andrea. She’s best friends with Isabelle and Hannah.” He pauses then frowns. “Or, used to be.”
“Dang.” No wonder Isabelle rushed out of there like she did. “I guess I should thank Cam.”
“For what?” Vick leans on the counter and downs the rest of his soda. He lets out a loud burp and tosses the empty can in the sink.
“For messing things up with Isabelle. She’s fair game now.”
He holds out a closed fist, and I bump mine against his. “So, what kind of trouble do you want to get into tonight?” he asks.
I check the time on my phone—7:49 PM. I don’t want to sit at the house alone, and I have no idea how late Dad will be home. “You’re the one who lives here. You tell me what there is to do.”
“Unfortunately, not much. We could go see a movie. There’s a dining cinema across town.”
“A what?”
“It’s a movie theater with tables and super comfy chairs. They’ll bring you milkshakes and nachos and stuff while you’re watching the movie. It’s really cool.”
That does sound cool, but… “We just polished off an entire pizza. You’re seriously not going to eat again, are you?”
He gives me a cheesy grin. “Like I said. Surfing makes me hungry.”
“If you say so.” I grab my phone off the counter. “I just need to let my dad know.”
“I should do that, too.”
Before I can open my messages, my phone rings. Bryan’s Big Rig Shop appears on my screen. I swipe to accept the call. “Hello?”
“Grayson? It’s me, Uncle Bryan.”
I haven’t spent much time talking to my uncle on the phone, but I’ll never understand why he feels the need to let me know who he is every time we do talk. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“There’s been an accident at the shop.”
I can feel the blood drain from my face. My hand begins to tremble.
“Your dad’s been taken to the hospital. He’s going to be okay, but he asked me to call you,” he says.
But my heart is pounding in my ears, and I can barely process what he’s saying. “An accident?”
“Yes, but he’s going to be okay. Do you want me to pick you up and take you to the hospital?”
Why isn’t he telling me what happened? It must be really bad. My stomach drops. I’ve already lost my mother. What will I do if I lose my dad, too? I squeeze my eyes shut, forcing all negative thoughts from my mind.
“Grayson?”
“Uh, no. I’m at a friend’s house. I’ve got my bike, so I’ll just meet you there.” I end the call and look up at Vick, who’s watching me closely.
“Everything all right?”
“No. My dad was in an accident at work. I have to go to the hospital.” The words are surreal, and I’m having a hard time saying them. “Sorry. Thanks for the pizza.”
Vick follows me to the front door. “Want me to go with you? For moral support and all that?”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll be okay.”
“I’ll pray for your dad.”
“Thanks.” I rush out of his house, hop on my bike, and speed off toward the hospital. When we first moved here, Dad insisted we drive around and locate all the important places—hospital, police station, firehouse. At the time, I thought it was silly, but now I’m glad he made me do it. But that’s my father, always thinking ahead and overly prepared.
When I get to the hospital, I park and run inside. The guard at the door shouts, “Slow down, boy.”
I ignore him and stop at the emergency room desk. “My father was just brought in. William Alexander.” I fight to draw in a deep breath.
The receptionist nods without looking up. “This way.” She stands and waves for me to follow. I do, and she takes me to an exam room. Yanking the privacy curtain open, she reveals my father like she’s some sort of magician. “Your son, I assume?” she says to my dad, completely ignoring me.
I breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of him. He looks fine—he’s not hooked up to a bunch of machines, and he’s sitting up on his own. That’s good, right? “Dad, what happened? Are you okay?” I take a seat in the chair positioned next to his bed.
He nods. “Thanks, Tonya.” The nurse smiles and leaves. Then Dad turns back to me. “A wrench slipped.” He holds up his hand, which is wrapped in a brown ace bandage. “Twenty stitches, but no nerve damage that we know of.”
I slowly shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. I blink hard to keep them at bay. “So, you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” He holds out his good hand, and I give him a tight hug. “I’ll be out of work for a couple weeks, but I’ll make a full recovery.”
My throat burns with the effort of trying not to cry, and I can’t speak.
“I’m just waiting for the doctor to write me a script for pain meds, and then we can get out of here.”
I release Dad and sniffle. “I was worried.”
“You really think a stubborn bolt is going to keep your old man down?”
I swallow hard. How can he joke about this? Sure, it’s just a hand injury, but it could have been much worse. I shove my trembling hands into my pockets. “Do you want me to get you anything?”
“Nah. I’m good now that you’re here.”
I return to the chair and grip the arm rests. Then I do something I haven’t done since before my mother died—I pray.
13
ISABELLE
“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS.” I spin around in front of the mirror.
“You look hot,” Hannah says, putting her hands on my shoulders to stop me from moving. “Now hold still.”
I sigh and stand still so she can put the finishing touches on my outfit. I don’t know what I was thinking agreeing to let her dress me tonight. I’m still trying to figure out why I’m even going to this party. Andrea and Cam will probably be there, and I’m not ready to see them together. Not to mention, being here with Hannah, getting dressed to go out without Andrea feels all sorts of wrong.
After a moment, she steps back and whistles. “Oh, yeah. There’s no way Grayson won’t notice you.”
I take another look in the mirror. Dark blue jeans adorned with an oversized belt that sits perfectly on my hips are a stark contrast to my normal straight-legged, slightly baggy jeans. The outfit is complete with a silky, bright red, long-sleeve, V-neck shirt. I can’t deny I look pretty good, but this is so far out of my comfort zone.
“Here, wear these.” Hannah hands me large, gold hoop earrings.
I slip them into my ears. They’re heavy, but they do perfect the outfit. My tight, high ponytail shows off the earrings nicely. I glance at Hannah—she’s wearing a denim skirt and a tank top with a light sweater. She looks good, too, and a fresh wave of nerves stirs in my stomach.
“Are you done dressing me up now?” I ask.
“You’ll thank me later.” Gathering her keys and wallet, she ushers me out of her room.
By the time we get to the beach, half the school is already here. I search for Grayson’s motorcycle but don’t see it anywhere. Did he change his mind and decide not to come? I hope not. He’s the whole reason I’m here.
Hannah parks, and we make our way down the beach. The bonfire is blazing and crackling, giving us just enough light to not trip over anything. This stretch of beach isn’t used, and therefore isn’t maintained. There’s always garbage and debris scattered along the shore.
“Remember, tonight is all about having fun, okay?” Hannah says. “If we want t
o do something, we’re going to do it.”
I roll my eyes, thankful it’s too dark for her to see. She’s been going on nonstop about cutting loose and having fun. I have no idea what’s going on with her lately. While it’s an exciting thought, it’s also slightly terrifying. We make it to the bonfire, and Trevor waves. I wave back as I glance around.
Brittany and her friends are sitting directly across from where I’m standing. They all have cans of… something in their hands. I hope it’s not beer. They’re laughing, and Grayson sits between Brittany and Jessica. He’s laughing, too, and anger sparks in my chest. All that stuff he said the day he sat with Brit during lunch about not wanting to upset me is clearly a load of garbage. Well, if he wants to give his attention to Brit, I’ll give my attention to someone else.
“Hey, there’s Vick.” I clutch Hannah’s elbow and drag her with me.
“Hello, ladies,” he says, his gaze not flinching from Hannah.
Beside me, Hannah giggles.
“Want one?” Vick holds up a can of cheap pop.
It’s not beer. Thank God. Tension eases from my shoulders. “No, thanks,” I say.
Vick drapes his arm around Hannah’s shoulder and takes a swig from his can. “Well, if you change your mind, they’re over there.” He points to a large metal bucket a few feet away.
“Looking good, Isabelle,” Trevor says.
I tuck my hands into my back pockets and rock on my heels. “Thanks.” I dated Trevor for a little while before Cam. It wasn’t anything serious, but Trevor’s a nice guy. I no longer see him as boyfriend material, though. He’s just a friend now. But Grayson doesn’t know that, and I’m counting on him watching me.
I casually look over my shoulder, but he’s still too entranced by Brit. I tear my gaze away from him, and it lands on Cam. He’s sitting on the ground, and Andrea is perched between his legs. His arms are wrapped around her, and he’s nuzzling her neck. I curl my hands into fists, my fingernails biting into my palms. So, my ex is here flaunting his new relationship with my former best friend, and the guy I thought was into me is flirting with my worst enemy. This party sucks.
If I could have my way, I’d get back in Hannah’s car and go home, but I know she wants to stay and hang out with Vick. She’s liked him for so long, and I don’t want to ruin her chance with him simply because my life is a mess. Maybe it’s time I do something about it.