Perfectly Imperfect

4

"Mom, how did you find out about the course?" I narrowed my eyes at her, placing both palm on my hips as soon as she walked inside the kitchen that night.

Looking like a deer in the middle of a street, she froze. "Why?" If looks could kill, my mom would be laying on the floor right now. She smiled sheepishly. "Luke might have mentioned it." She raised a palm as I was opening my mouth to complain endlessly. "But I didn't know that Chris was taking it!"

I rolled my eyes, knowing full-well how annoying she felt whenever I did it. I ignored her glare. "Well, turns out, that he is. And he's not happy to see me there." I crossed my arms. "Neither am I."

Mom took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose before reopening them again. "And you were saying something about how childish your sisters were acting?"

Haley protested immediately. She'd been ignoring us as she read on her tablet by the kitchen table. "Hey!" We both turned to her. Her brown eyes narrowed at me. Mom raised an eyebrow as she glanced at me. See?

I fought the urge to roll my eyes again. "Mom, seriously. I'm going to see the guy every day for the rest of the summer!" I raised my hands trying to explain how big this whole thing was.

The chair screeched as my sister pulled it back. "I'd say seeing Chris every day is not the worst thing." Her eyes were blazing as she grabbed her tablet. "You're lucky to get to spend time with him. Especially since you were such a bitch to him!"

My eyes were wide as Mom's voice tone turned stern. "Haley! That's enough. You can't talk to your sister like that." Haley's jaw was clenched as she glared at me with full force. "I expect an apology." Mom admonished her.

Haley didn't roll her eyes, even though we all knew she wanted to. I bit my bottom lip. "Sorry," she muttered in a tone that let me know she was not sorry at all. Then, she stomped away without pushing the chair back to the table.

"What was that?" I turned to Mom as the same time she breathed out slowly. Averting her eyes, she turned away from me and started to get busy with dinner. She took out a chopping board and went to the fridge to get some veggies for the salad. I followed her every move as I waited for an answer. "Mom?" I pressed on as she took out the lettuce and tomatoes.

She rinsed the tomatoes and started to chop them as she answered me. "Luke is a good friend of us." She glanced at me. "But you already knew that." She turned to the chopping table adding, "So, he comes by every once in a while, for dinner."

My mouth was completely open as I gaped at my mother. "With Chris?" My tone was skeptical.

What kind of person would come over for dinner at his ex-girlfriend's house?

Mom's hand froze half-way through the second tomato. My stomach sank. Apparently, my family was best friends with my ex-boyfriend. Just peachy.

In all those times where we talked, not once they thought about mentioning this little detail. How could they not tell me that my freaking ex-boyfriend comes over for dinner?

Her eyes were sympathetic as she placed the knife on the counter. "He didn't come at first." My blood was starting to boil as she trailed carefully. "During November, Haley fell of her bike. Remember that we told you?" I pursed my lips. I did remember. "Well, we didn't say that Chris came to her rescue, but he carried her home and then brought her bike, too. It was the first time we saw him ever since you two broke up." Mom flicked away from her eyes a few strays that had loosened from her tight ponytail. "Luke had mentioned that he wasn't doing great at first. And he didn't look like himself when he placed Haley on the couch. Nevertheless, he stayed with her as I patched her up and he ended up staying for dinner and playing cards with your sisters. After that, he started to come whenever we invited Luke. Your sisters enjoy playing with him, he's great with them."