Foolish Summer | ✔

15 • S T E P H E N • 🎧

Waverly started ignoring me again. I didn't know what happened in those few seconds I went to claim the car, but she wouldn't reply to my texts or meet my eye while we had breakfast.

To be honest, breakfast felt more like a business meeting. Mom and Waverly's mom, who's name was Alicia, were still brainstorming ideas for the wedding. For the first time since the planning started Waverly was a hundred percent interested. At least she pretended to be to avoid me even though we were sitting right across from each other.

With them huddled together on one side of the rectangular table talking about color schemes and flowers, Brad and I were left out.

Brad hadn't made another attempt to bond since that dinner where I accused him of taking advantage of my mom. And he didn't try then, either, just ate his omelette in silence.

If Waverly could go through extreme measures to ignore me, maybe I could make a small effort to get my mom off my back. I glanced at Brad trying to think of something to say to him. Lots of things crossed my mind, all of them only would've gotten me in more trouble.

"Shontell?"

We all looked up. I instantly recognized Vanessa Lawrence and next to her was her older looking clone, her mom, Kristen.

Vanessa was light skinned with naturally red hair that people at school still claimed was fake.

When Mom first told me about being Vanessa's date to her cousin's wedding I didn't put a face to the name. The only thing I was focused on was getting my phone back so I could talk to Waverly. Now that Vanessa was in front of me I realized I knew her.

Vanessa and I never did anything. She did have something going on with Dev, though. It didn't end pretty and I was hated by association.

Having me as her wedding date must not have been her idea. It dawned on me that we might've had the same overbearing type of mother.

"Kristen!" My mom stood, greeting her with a hug before introducing everyone. "You remember Brad and Stephen. And this is Alicia and her daughter Waverly, they've been helping me with the wedding."

"Oh, a mother daughter duo. How cute," Kristen said in a way that could've been genuine but also condescending. "Hope we're not interrupting anything too important. Nessa and I were just picking up her dress for the wedding and while we were there we found a tie for Stephen that matched the dress perfectly. Then we popped in her to grab something to eat, saw you were here too, and well, here we are!"

My eyes darted to Waverly. She was violently wiping the lenses of her glass with the bottom of her shirt. I'm surprised they didn't pop out.

One step forward, two steps back. It kept happening with us. Every time things felt like they clicked into place something came along to break it back apart.

Maybe it was a sign. Waverly could do better than me. A lot better. All I did was cause trouble for her. Maybe all these obstacles were the universe telling me to leave her alone.

It was time for me to start listening.

• • •

Green Light lived up to its name. The neon green sign above the entrance covered the sidewalk in green light.

After breakfast I went to Devon's house to distract myself. What really happened was me spilling everything that went on between me and Waverly that past month. His solution: Green Light.

It was a Thursday so the place wasn't as packed as it'd be on the weekend. Still, a line curved around the side. A line that, Craig, the security guard, let me bypass.