Right Place, Wrong Time

11. Hot Goss

"Who are you texting?"

"No one." Joey quickly shut off his phone, though he knew his mom wouldn't be able to see his screen while she was driving. She was dropping him off at the airport for his flight back to Michigan, and he was currently talking to Lauren about meeting up on his return. She had offered to pick him up, but he told her (truthfully, this time) that he'd already arranged to share a ride with Brian, who was flying in at around the same time.

"No one makes you smile like that, does she?" Denise said.

"Who said it was a girl?" he replied, too defensively.

"Joey," she said, shooting him a quick glance. "I've known you your whole life. You can't hide things from your mother."

"She's a friend." That was the truth, even if he wished it weren't, but he still felt lucky — proud, even — to be her friend. He suspected his mom picked up on some of that in his voice and ignored the words themselves.

"Uh huh," she said gleefully. "What's her major? Is she in your class?"

"She's a junior," he told her. "But she's studying acting too."

"A junior?" Denise said, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, she's been a lot of help to me, actually." Grades he wouldn't have gotten without her advice, classes he would have been late to without her directions, friends he never would have made without her introductions. He owed a lot to her.

"That's nice." Denise relaxed a little, perhaps believing that it was nothing more than friendship and mentorship, though she did keep glancing at Joey, who steadfastly refused to acknowledge it lest she see through to the truth.

"Have a good flight, honey," she said, once they reached the terminal. He hugged her hard, knowing how much he'd miss his parents even though he was eager to see his friends again, and knowing they would miss him too.

"Tell papa again that I love him," he said.

"I will," she reassured him.

"Spring break's not that far away, I'll be home again then," he said, hoping he could keep his mom from getting emotional, and it worked well enough as she smiled broadly.

"Don't worry about us too much. Have a good time, talk to some more girls in your class, but don't forget to study."

Joey tried not to let the smile fall from his face. There were plenty of girls in his class, and he thought some of them had even displayed a little interest, but truthfully he only had eyes for Lauren. The way he felt for her was incomparable, and right now he'd rather be alone than date anyone other than her. He knew his mom wouldn't understand that, though.

"I will, and I won't," he said. "Bye, mama." He kissed her cheek and was off.

With hours in the air ahead of him, he tried to use the time to get ahead on his reading and not dwell too much on his feelings, but he wasn't sure he knew any more than when he started by the time he touched down in Michigan. Brian had landed half an hour before and was waiting for him when he got off the plane, greeting him with a hug before they set off together.

"Oh, did you hear about Lauren and Darren?" Brian said, after they had settled back into their dorm room and Joey was unpacking his bag.

At the mention of those names he fumbled the Michigan mug — a Christmas present — that he had pulled out, but managed to keep from dropping it, barely. "What?"

"He broke up with her, apparently. After New Year's."

His hands clenched on the handle of the mug. "He broke up with her? Who told you that?" He couldn't believe something like that could happen and Brian would hear about it before him. Those were two of his supposed best friends. But who would spread a rumour like that, if it weren't true?