The Project

Chapter 21

Johnny's Point of View

"How come we never go to your house?" Kate suddenly wonders, setting her pencil down on the paper we had for homework.

"I don't know, I like your house," I respond, thoroughly thinking the words out before I said them. "My house isn't as nice as this."

"My house isn't that nice," Kate defends. "Only two people live here, we don't need it to be as big as it is."

I lean back against Kate's living room couch. I didn't know where this conversation was going and that worried me.

"Tell me if I'm over-stepping, but, how come it's just you and your mom?" I cautiously wonder.

It feels like I've known Kate for a long time yet I still feel like I don't even know some big things about her.

Even since we started dating. Sure, I learned some more personal things, but nothing really out of the blue and nothing that Benny didn't already know.

He knows everything about her.

"Well, I have a sister but she moved in with her boyfriend," she starts. "And my dad is in the military, so I don't see him often."

"Oh," I respond. That's not what I was thinking. "Do you miss him?"

Kate chuckles, shrugging. "I mean, yeah, of course. He sends letters and I send them back, but sometimes it isn't enough. I need to see him in real life and feel him, you know?"

I nod.

"What about you?" She asks. "What's the deal with your family? How come I haven't met them?"

"Uh, I guess they're busy a lot," I explain.

"What are their jobs?" Kate wonders.

Saving me from the lie I would have to tell my girlfriend, Kate's mom walks in through the front door.

"Kate, Johnny," she greets, smiling at me. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

"Good," Kate replied.

"I was asking your boyfriend," her mom teased, making me snicker. My heart was still pounding in my chest from mine and Kate's conversation.

"I'm good," I answer, rubbing Kate's shoulder in effort to comfort her sarcastically upset self.

"That's good to hear," her mom says. "Kate, Maria and I are going out for dinner tonight so you can order or make something."

Kate nods before her mom walks away, up the stairs.

"Who's Maria?" I ask.

"Benny's mom," Kate replies, already looking back at the homework and forgetting what we were talking about. "They go out to dinner every Friday."

It made sense that Benny and Kate were such good friends, their moms are like actual sisters from what I've heard.

They've been friends for a long time and were pregnant around the same time with Benny and Kate.