Jema

6. Change of Plans

9:55 a.m.

"Good news and bad news, kiddos," Mom begins. Oh, talks. It's Saturday. Too early for this.

"Where's Corey?" I ask.

"I've already told Corey about this. He's already heard every point of mine," Mom nods. Kelley throws her shoes at the TV while the rest of us sit down. "Okay, bad news first."

"How bad of news?" Anna asks. She's catching on.

"Not that bad..." Mom says. "Instead of spending the Spring Break here, in boring old Colorado-"

"Disney Mountain!" Rowe screeches. Mom hushes him. "Jurassic Pike!"

"That's not even a thing," Anna says to him. He frowns and sticks his tiny tongue out at her. Now that I get a good look, since he's not running around, Rowe resembles Dennis so, so much. Funny how that happens.

Mom sets Kelley on her lap and looks up at the ceiling. I'm so familiar with that look, it's not even funny. It's a 'William' thing. It's as if my mother has to dig through her thoughts as to avoid cursing him. "So, William is in New Mexico right now. It's easier for him to stay there this week for work."

"So we won't be seeing him?" Dennis says excitedly. Mom throws him a Look and he tones it down. "I mean, what now?"

"So, he offered to pay for the entire family's tickets, including Rob, if we fly to New Mexico. I, of course, said no to that." Phew. "That is too much money. Instead, he's giving a couple hundred for gas and a vehicle, and paying for rooms at a hotel for four days." She has the nerve to sound like this will be a good thing.

You have got to be kidding me.

I haven't seen William since I was twelve, and haven't spoken to him on the phone for two years. By choice, kinda. But that's beside the point. He's making us converse with him so he can rub it in our faces that he's better off without us, then give us charity money. Do I have a say in the matter? Of course not.

I say nothing.

I suppose Mom takes our silence as a good reaction. "While we're there, we'll swim--we never swim anymore-- you can maybe see some old friends. I mean, it can't be that bad. Our guest won't stay with us until next Saturday, so we'll be back in plenty of time. We'll go to a park, we'll go to Mark Santino's funeral--"

"Why the fuck would we do that?" I blurt.

"Why da fuck wool we do dat?" Kelley repeats. Oh shit. Mission abort. Mission abort--

My mother's hand comes swinging down on my cheek hard.

"Mom--" Dennis jumps in instantly, trying to shield me.

"I cannot believe you!" she says in a sinister whisper. "You may not have it made like--like the Firestalls or something, but you have more than a lot of other kids, Corbin Jeremiah Eckart-Slate! So much more and so selfish!" She raises her heavy hand to slap me again, but then pulls away. "I do... I do the best I can and you are never happy. What do you want from me? I can't make $150,000 a year like your best friend's mom, Jema. I can't buy you clothes every week and-and I can't have Thanksgiving dinner every night for you, Jema. What is it? What the hell is it?!"

I storm off to my room.

5:34 p.m.

"Am I a bad person?" I ask Trinlee. She takes a break from her cherry lollipop, turning toward me slightly. It's a miracle I was able to get out of the house to see her. After hearing about Santino's death, and the fact that we're now going to his funeral, I was overwhelmed with emotions, and shook uncontrollably in my bed. Dennis was terrified for me, poor kid. He had no idea what the hell was wrong, and just offered me his blanket over and over again. Maybe I only slept for two hours, and configured my laptop for the last few hours, but I'm here with the only person who understands me in this world.