FAKE

PART II: JASON

IV: dinner

When we walk in to the restaurant, I notice that it has been remodeled. Before it was just a small, minimalistic diner with a buffet in the center. Now it is a cathedral gigantic monster of a restaurant that had beautiful Chinese paintings on the walls and ceilings. It seems to have beautifully grown just like the sick wealth of our family. I guess they got money too.

They're food probably sucks now, I just haven't been here in such a long time. At least I hope it's good so Andrew likes it. We sit down at the booth the lady assigns us to and I sit with Andrew on one side and my parents on the other side. I can feel their stares and I start to feel really anxious again.

It's ok, I tell myself.

I can feel the intensity of Andrew's heat against my right side. I, as usual, feel like I'm about to die. Especially now that my parents are around.

The lady comes up to us and hands us these fancy new plates they have.

"They've changed," my dad says to my mom.

"They sure have," my mom says, winking at Andrew.

I try to hide my laugh by putting my head down but it doesn't work. Andrew laughs with me. He makes everything so much better. He takes my hand and guides me out of the booth to the center of the restaurant where the buffet is. A bunch of Chinese food stares back at me and I'm left with a million choices to choose from. I have no idea what I'm going to choose. Andrew starts piling lo mein noodles on his plate and fried rice.

This man bumps into me and says sorry but I completely didn't notice him until he walked away. I was too busy staring at the clams in front of me thinking about Jason. What is Jason even thinking about right now? I feel like such a bad person but at the same time I shouldn't. Andrew doesn't like guys so even if I wasn't dating him, Jason would still only be able to just like him. Maybe. There's so many thoughts in my head. But the one that keeps nagging at my brain is: Andrew has known Jason for a long time. He must've known. Maybe I'm just making things up in my head.

I fill up my plate with various foods and hurry back to the booth. My dad is the only one there and he just sits there, looking at me.

"What?" I ask shyly. I've never really had more than a minute interaction with my dad. He's always been the one who's always been working non-stop. My mom lasted a few months working only just part time but then she got the job offer as the CEO of some company or some shit like that. I don't remember, all I know is that it's just something big.

"He's quite the man you got there."

I smile.

"Look, Jane, I know both your mom and I have been so distant lately but we just want you to have a great future and go to a great college. We're trying to save up all of that money."

"Money isn't just what gets you into college," I say.

"You're smart, Jane. You get good grades and you're a bright young girl. Why wouldn't colleges want to accept you. You go to the best private high school in the state for crying out loud."

I shrug and smile, wanting this conversation to be terminated.

"Andrew wants to get into a good college," he says after a minute.

Andrew comes up with two plates and some drinks for him and I.

My mom is behind him with her plate and her soda.

"Andrew has told me much about you, all the accomplishments you've been getting at school."

I've forgotten about school. I just go and nothing happens. I get occasional stares from Ashley's new friends but that's the most that's happened. Andrew and I don't kiss or hug at school. It's just stupid. Real relationships don't need to prove anything at school or in pictures.

We start eating and after a few minutes, my mom finally speaks.

"I am so thankful for my daughter finding this wonderful boy," she simply says.

I am speechless but also thankful. All I do is just smile.

"I love you mom," I reach over and kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Mrs. Riker."

My mother kisses me back and then winks at Andrew. His chocolate brown eyes look so cute in the dim light of the hanging lamp above us. His face is full and smooth. His nose is perfect and his shoulders are broad. He's anything you could ask for. His soft brown hair is spiked up just for this occasion and his cologne intoxicates my lungs with love. I love him so much, and yes, I am thankful he's the one I'm with.

After the dinner is over, my dad pays while Andrew insists on paying. They both continue to debate on who's paying until finally my dad hands his card to the waitress.

My mom holds my hand in hers and sways softly in the night wind.

"I love you, Jane."

I hesitate, not knowing what to say since I haven't heard those words come out of her mouth in so long.

"I love you, more and more each day," I finally say.

Jason crosses my mind again and how Evelyn hasn't called back when she said she would. I pull out my phone and text her. I ask her if she has heard anything from Jason.

She responds a few minutes later when I get in the Andrew's car to head back to his place so I can get my car.

Call me, is all the message says.

I can tell there's something but I don't want to make a scene in the car. I wait until we get home and then in my car, I call Evelyn.