❝I know it's hard for you to be friends with a girl without objectifying her - but lucky me, not everyone's you!❞
❝Oh yeah. 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨. The lady goth protest too much.❞
❝𝘿𝙤𝙩𝙝, Gavin. Doth.❞
→ From Van Zandt family disappointment and Grade 8...
A/N: This was one of the first chapters I wrote, and despite its brevity and lack of forward momentum, I think it's important insight.
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Things went back to a normal rhythm after I convinced Craig that I was helping out Liberty every Thursday moving forward. He seemed to buy it for the most part.
A week passed and only one thing disturbed this peace: Joey was out on a date with my mom.
I repeat, Joey Jeremiah was out on a date with my mother.
Mom immediately tried to smooth things over after Joey and Craig left that first night — in between a lot of 'ums' and 'uhs'.
"It just...happened. Drinks as usual—"
"Stop."
"— and suddenly, I dunno, there was a spark. God, I haven't felt that since I was what? Seventeen, maybe?"
"Please stop."
"Audrey, you're being dramatic."
"Mom, he's like family. It'd be like me dating JT!" I gagged a few times. "Oh god, why did I say that? I'm gonna be sick."
She swatted the air in my direction, like my pessimism was airborne. "It was just a few kisses — which can happen between friends sometimes, ya know. Feelings develop. It's perfectly natural."
"No. No feelings. Bad feelings!" I wasn't sure if I was talking to her or me. Either way, she ignored that and after I calmed down a little, I asked, "Are you going to date?"
"...We're going to test the waters. See where it goes."
"Do I have any say in this?"
"Audrey."
"You gotta at least admit how weird it is."
"Audrey Lucille Newsted —"
"Okay! Jeez. Shutting up."
And now, there were out there in the world, together, testing the waters while Craig and I watched Angela. Eugh.
"Is it weird that our parents are going out?" I asked that Wednesday afternoon. The slightly scrutinizing stare Craig gave me had me amending the statement. "Sort of parents?"
