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"Your parents really aren't gonna come?" Henry pried as Friday afternoon rolled around and the three had escaped out at the court yard. Vera's head was on Henry's thigh, her legs in Alexander's lap. "Do you miss them?"
"I miss my dad." Vera nodded her head, bronzed eyelids and heavy makeup glistening into the sun. "But they're really busy."
"So, you're just gonna stay here for the weekend?" Alexander went on.
"Yeah, like all the other weekends." she said, holding her book up in the air and look at the pages. "And maybe finally grasp the knowledge of how to divide numbers."
"I knew you were letting her cheat." Henry nudged Alexander with his arm. "Why haven't you taken extra credit?"
"My mom doesn't want me to." Vera admitted from her mothers previous words over the phone call a week ago. "She thinks people will think I am not educated enough."
"Algebra is hard." Alexander said honestly. "And you do good in all your other classes."
"Yeah, you're like Picasso but for writing." Henry said, earning a snort from her. "Who's a famous writer I can compare you to?"
"Jane Austen." Alexander pointed out.
"Toni Morrison." Vera added in.
"Okay, so like Jane Austen and Tony Morrison." Henry nodded his head, scribbling down his history answer on his homework next to him.
"That's great, Picasso." Vera joked, making Alexander laugh, his book on her knees as he flipped through it. "Are your parents coming?"
Alexander hummed in response before Henry spoke up. "My father is."
"Both of you are going home after too?" Vera asked, it was clear she hadn't wanted to be alone for the weekend. Both the boys nodded. "Felice and Sara are both leaving too. So is Madison."
"August says Sara is a school freak." Henry looked down at her as Vera looked past her book with a glare. "Is she?"
"No." Vera defended her friend quickly. "She's actually sweet, and normal. August is just an ass."
"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Henry asked in disbelief.
"You think your cousin is...bad?" Alexander asked her honestly, clearly avoiding saying her exact words.
"I mean, I love him, he's my family. But all this unnecessary judgement gets so out of hand." Vera rolled her eyes, flipping the page in her book. "When we were younger, he stuck a piece of gum in my hair and we had to cut it out."
"You're kidding?" Alexander's jaw fell.
"Alexander, you're such a gossip." Henry laughed at him.
"I am not kidding. We had to get extensions for my hair and everything." Vera rose her eyebrows at the memory. "But, he would cover for me and say I was at his house when I would just go to the park."
