When peer pressure pushes Lenny to try out a new dating app, she starts to realize that the past may not always define the future.
*****
Lenny Harlow wants a lot of things, but a boyfriend isn't...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
MY MOTHER WAS CALLING ME. My mother never called me. Tentatively, I brought the phone up to my ear, debating whether or not to hold it close. I didn't know what kind of mood she was in or what she wanted to talk about, so I settled for speakerphone just in case she was in a yelling mood.
She had every right to be. I hadn't called her in eons. Speaking of which, I hadn't called anyone since I got to ASU.
"Lenny, darling, I have wonderful news!" chimed my mother. In the background I could hear the sound of eggs being beaten.
"No offence, Mom, but usually when you have wonderful news, it's really never that wonderful." I put it off speakerphone and pressed the phone to my ear, wedging it between my ear and shoulder.
My mother snorted. "Oh, I can assure you, Miss Harlow, this is very wonderful news."
I rolled my eyes and slapped my biology textbook shut. "All right, all right, fine. Hit me with this apparently wonderful news," I said. "I haven't got all day."
"You never call home, Lenny. You'd better have all day." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, your father and I have managed to solve that little problem your sister told you about-"
"That is good news, Mom. Not particularly wonderful, but good."
She sighed. I pictured her with the phone pressed to her ear, a hand on her temple, her up jutted out. A grin spread across my lips.
"Lenny, darling, let me finish, okay? If you wanted to talk to me, you should've called."
"I know."
I heard her sigh again. "Anyway, your dad got a promotion, which is always good news, and business has really picked up for me, but that's all side stories." She hesitated. I held my breath. "Leah's coming home this spring. She's bringing that boyfriend of hers to meet us. You have to be there-she insists on it. Although I don't think she's spoken to you about it?"
"No. She hasn't."
Mom sighed again. "Do you two ever even talk?"
"We text-"
"Lenore!"
"What? I'm not the only one involved here. She deserves to be held accountable, too," I argued.
"Lenny, she has a job. You can't expect her to constantly check in. And even with that, I bet she's doing a much better job at it than you are. Leah went to college, too, you know. She made sure to let us know she was safe, and alive."
I let out a breath just as CJ walked in. "Mom, I'm sorry, okay? I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm alive. You know that now. I do talk to Leah, but you have to understand that I have a busy schedule. I have classes I'm barely keeping up with. I ... I have a job. I have responsibilities, priorities-"
