How to Fall Apart

Chapter Eight

I had only seen Kenny briefly that weekend. It was probably a good thing as I wasn't feeling as distracted by him that week. Once again, Alissa had been right. The more unavailable and uninterested I seemed, the more he wanted me. I wasn't really trying to play that game, I was just really busy helping Mom with Clark and working.

Kenny had picked me up from work Saturday night and as much as he'd begged me to go to a party with him, I made him take me straight home. Mom was working a night shift at the hospital and I had to go home and relieve the babysitter. We did make out in his car for almost twenty minutes before I went in, though. As soon as he started reaching up my shirt I made my exit. Clark had been teaching the babysitter, Emma, how to play poker when I went inside but as soon as she left he went to bed without saying a word to me. He'd been acting that way toward me for weeks now. I chalked it up to typical 10 year old behavior at first but I was starting to think there was more to it.

I didn't work with Carly again until that next Wednesday. It was Veterans Day so we had the day off of school and we were both working open to close. Carly had basketball tryouts the weekend before and was pretty excited about her team. I was trying to find a way to ask her about Nate and Alissa when she was telling me about some rock star freshman that had made the varsity team.

"Seriously I think this girl has longer legs than you!" She was saying when her phone started singing Barbie Girl. She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Every time Nathan gets his hands on my phone he changes my ring tone." She explained.

"Speaking of Nate." I said. "I ran into him Friday at the mall... literally."

"Oh yeah, he said something about that," she replied, sneaking a piece of cookie dough after checking to make sure our manager, Danny, wasn't watching.

"He did? What did he say?" I tried to sound casual. I was really curious about what Nate might have to say about our run in. Or what he might have to say about me in general.

"Not much," she shrugged, "just that Alissa was trying to scam on my sister's husband." She sounded amused.

"Yeah..." I was embarrassed. "To her credit, she didn't realize he was married at first." I felt the need to defend Alissa. I knew Carly didn't exactly like Alissa, but I'd never thought before that she disliked her. "Uh, so what's up with your brother and Alissa anyway?" I figured now was as good of time as any to ask.

"What do you mean?" She asked even though the look on her face indicated she might already know what I meant.

"I dunno, they just got weird as soon as she realized it was Nate. Did they date or something?" I said curiously as she was taking a drink out of her water bottle. She snorted and choked on her water.

"Nathan and Alissa?! No way!" She laughed after she stopped coughing. "They just don't really like each other." She offered by way of explanation. I figured there had to be some reason for it so I just looked at her, waiting for more. She sighed and then continued. "Alissa pulled a prank on me freshman year. I'm over it but I guess Nathan isn't. It's really not a big deal, Veda. Don't worry about it," she said when I looked concerned. But I was worried about what Alissa could have done to Carly that would still bother Nate four years later. And I was frustrated that nobody would tell me. I didn't want to believe that Alissa would do something cruel but at the same time I knew she was capable of being a mean girl. I'd seen her in action before. Usually only when provoked but it didn't always take much to provoke her. "Seriously, Veda, please don't worry about it. It was nothing."

"If it was nothing then why won't you just tell me?" I pushed.

Carly looked thoughtful for a moment, like she was trying to arrange her words carefully. "You're my friend and I respect you. And Alissa is your friend and I respect that. I'm not going to say anything bad about her or tell a story about a shitty prank she pulled four years ago. Obviously that's not who she is anymore or you wouldn't be friends with her. You have to have better taste than that or we wouldn't be friends," she teased, trying to make light of the situation but I didn't laugh. I didn't have as much faith in my judgment as Carly did.