Read His Mind | ✓

Chapter 3

"Abbie! Dinner is ready!" my mom called from downstairs.

"Coming!!" I shouted in reply as I wrote down one more sentence for my English essay. I quickly ran down the stairs and into the dining room where my parents were waiting.

Our dining table was a long, rectangular one that could fit up to 6 people. My dad was sitting in the middle since he was the head of the family while my mom was sitting beside him. Tonight's dinner was spaghetti with garlic bread. The delicious smell of the food made my stomach grumble and my mouth water. I shouldn't have skipped lunch, I was so hungry.

I sat down, picked up my fork, and slurped the noodles hungrily.

"Sweetie, how was school today?" my mom asked.

"It was the same as any other day." Thanks for reminding me about what a bad day today was. Thanks, Mom. Thanks.

"Your mom told me that you fainted at school today," my dad said.

I took a bite of the spaghetti and nodded. I couldn't help but notice how he didn't even bother to ask if I was feeling better now. 

"How are your grades?" he asked. "Remember, you can't let them drop. They're very important especially in your junior year." He gave me a stern look before taking a bite of the garlic bread.

"They're all straight A's right now," I reported.

"Good. Good."

We continued to eat dinner quietly. Then someone's phone started to ring. Brrring! Brringg! It was my father's cell phone. He looked at the caller ID and became flustered. He exchanged nervous glances between the phone and the two of us. I waited for him to answer it but he didn't.

"Why aren't you answering it?" I asked him.

"It's a spam caller." Why was she calling me right now... I clearly told her to meet at the hotel...

Brrring! Brringg! His phone started to ring again. He hung up and repeated, "It's spam, just spam." But then it rang again. My dad had no other choice but to answer it. "Hello?"

I couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but whatever it was, it was making my dad nervous. He looked over at my mom then at me.

"Okay.. okay... I'll be right over," he said before hanging up.

"What's wrong?" my mom asked. "Do you have an urgent patient?" My dad was a surgeon at the emergency room at a hospital in the city so he was on call all the time.

"Yeah- yeah I do. I need to go see him immediately." He got up and walked out. I heard the front door open and shut a few seconds later.

I watched my mom to see her reaction. She felt my gaze and gave me a small smile. He must've left to see that woman... even though.. even though we're... he shouldn't do this in front of his daughter...

"Mom, is everything okay between you and Dad?" I couldn't help but ask from what I heard. I've always assumed that there were no problems between my parents, but I guess I was wrong- just like I was wrong about my friends.

"Everything is perfectly fine between the two of us," she assured. Why was she suddenly asking me this... I can't let her know about the divorce...

Divorce? They were going to divorce?! Since when did their relationship get so bad? They always looked so lovey dovey when I saw them. "Oh." I stuffed a mouthful of spaghetti and didn't say anything else.

  ◈ ◈ ◈  

Tuesday morning- the next day at school...

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Alice asked the moment she saw me. "You never came back during lunch. I was worried about you!" Lunch was much better without you... if only it was like that every day...

"My phone... uh, broke," I lied. "Were you really worried about me?" I looked at her right in the eye as I waited for her answer.

"Yeah Abbie, I was! Why wouldn't I be? Come on, we're best friends!" Alice slapped me playfully on the arm. I'm only friends with you to become more popular.. plus, your family is pretty well off.. I can benefit from you... haha

I gasped at what I heard. I couldn't believe that this was what Alice was thinking about inside her brain.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Was she acting like this to gain attention?... I can't believe I'm friends with her.. she's such a loser...

"Y-you're friends with me because you want to be popular? B-because my family has money?" I asked in disbelief. "I'm a l-loser?"

"I never said that Abbie," she pouted and made a puppy face.

When she saw that it wasn't working on, her face completely changed. "Well, this makes things so much easier. You found out about it on your own. I was planning on telling you sooner, but I couldn't decide when," Alice said happily.

I was thinking about what to say when Calvin walked over to us. "Did something good happen? You're in a really good mood Alice," he pointed out.

"Great timing Calvin. Tell her about us," Alice said, pushing Calvin toward me. "Tell Abbie."

"Tell me what?" Did Alice just say "us"? What us? Calvin was my boyfriend.