Running From The Past

CHAPTER 7: CUTTING CLASS

7.
Lillian was talking to Conan and asking about his day at school, but he was busy rewatching the video Cailey sent him for the eleventh time. He couldn't believe that they really broke up. It made his stomach flutter just thinking about it.

"What are you watching?" she asked curiously when Conan mindlessly nodded along to her words even though she had asked him a question.

"It's just some video," he mumbled, turning off his phone so she couldn't see and start asking him questions about it.

Her eyes were trained on the road as she spoke. "So who were those two people? Did you make some friends?" she questioned hopefully.

"Yeah, I guess so." He shrugged.

"What are their names?" She smiled. "Tell me everything about them! How did you meet? Will you introduce us? You should invite them over for dinner!"

"Mom, no." He groaned in embarrassment. "I'm not inviting them over for dinner."

She frowned. "What about lunch? It could be on a weekend."

"The time of day isn't the issue here," he laughed. "And speaking of this weekend, can I go to a party?"

The car swerved and Lillian almost crashed into a lamppost.

"What was that?!" Conan yelped and held onto the passenger handlebar, clutching his fastened seatbelt in the other.

"You want to go to a what?" she choked. "You're going to have to repeat that for me, because I'm pretty sure you just asked to go to a party."

"Is that a no?" He bit his lip. He'd just sneak out his window or something then.

"Of course you can go, I'm just surprised. That's all. You've never been interested in socializing before."

"Yeah, well," he sighed. "Owen asked me to go."

Lillian's eyes lit up and Conan immediately regretted talking.

"Owen huh?" she teased. "Tell me about this Owen."

"I want to get emancipated," he joked. There was no way he was having this conversation with her.

"Oh hush! I want to hear about this boy!"

Conan threw his head back against the headrest with a grunt, knowing she wouldn't stop pestering until he spilled. "He's the captain of the football and track team. He's the one who made me join track in the first place."

"I like him already! Show me a picture." She pulled into their driveway and pulled the key out of the ignition.

"I don't have any pictures, mom. I've known him for like a week."

"Doesn't he have one of those social medias? Does he have any photos on instabook? Is that what it's called, the picture posting app?"

"I'm going inside now."

-

Owen slugged through the halls the following morning. He was exhausted after getting no sleep since Tara was texting him nonstop, guilt-tripping him like nothing else. He didn't regret his decision but he underestimated how hard it would be.

"Did you hear?" a voice behind him whispered. "Owen Wilson and Tara McKenna broke up!"

"I know! It's totally wild," another giggled back. "That means he's up for grabs now."

"I totally want a piece of that."

He found it funny how people didn't think he could hear their gossiping about him. Not that he minded. He liked the attention he got at school since he was lacking it at home. Plus, Tara was the one everyone was talking shit about. Not him.