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Authors: Juli Alexander
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everything out and painted the walls, two a pale blue, one with tiny brown pinstripes on blue, and the other a harsh black.
Mom was studying Jake’s reaction. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Looks good.”
Relief showed on Mom’s face. “It’s going to get even better. I’ve got a lot planned.”
Jake looked over at me. “She looks a lot like you.”
She did. Or I looked like her. “So that’s good, right?” I said.
“I think you were right earlier,” he said.
I tried not to jump up and down, because if my mother was a hottie and I looked just like her, that meant he thought I was hot. How convoluted was my life going to get?
He laughed at Mom’s confused look. “You don’t want to know, Mrs. Miller.”
“I’ll take your word for that,” she said, “but call me Annie.”
“Zoe,” Sheree called excitedly, coming in from the hall. “Your mother is so wonderful.” She swiped a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m having so much fun.”
“Great,” I said. I mean, what was I supposed to say.
“Oh, you’re a doll to work with, Sheree,” Mom said.
The only thing grosser than watching Dad flirt with Sheree was watching Mom flirt with Sheree. Even if it was in a totally non-gay way.
“Maybe they should date,” Jake muttered as we moved into the hall.
When I looked at him, he winked.
Did he have to possess a sense of humor too? I was trying to dislike him here.
“Oh yeah,” Mom called. “You can’t go in the garage, Jake. We’re making some things.”
“Uh oh,” Jake said.
“You haven’t ever seen Mom’s show have you?” I pinned him with my evil stare.
“No.” He started to look panicky. “Why?”
Mom was really very good at what she did, but I couldn’t resist the urge to mess with him. “No reason,” I said very quickly as if there totally was a reason.
“Tell me,” he threatened, his voice teasing, “or I won’t be your friend anymore.”
“You don’t have a choice.” I looked him right in the eyes and put my hands on my hips. That flirting practice was paying off. “If you cut me loose, you’re on your own with John and Sheree.”
His eyes widened in mock horror. “Dear God. No!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Anya demanded, plunking her books down on the desk the next morning in English class.
Uh oh. “Tell you what?” That I’ve been in love with your boyfriend for three years? I braced myself.
Her bracelets jangled as she flipped her hair. I hated it when she did that.
“That your mom’s doing Jake’s room!” She crossed her arms as if she had any right to be offended.
Well, I wasn’t going to let her get away with that. “I didn’t tell you because you aren’t speaking to me. Remember?”
“Don’t be silly.” She quickly dropped her arms. “Of course I’m speaking to you.”
Stand your ground. “Okay then. I guess I’m not speaking to you.”
“Don’t try to pick a fight, Zoe. I’m sorry I made you mad. But that’s how I really feel.”
“How’d you hear about Jake’s room anyway?” I whispered as Mrs. Moore started talking.
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
“So how come you didn’t know yesterday?”
She actually looked guilty. “I’ve been really busy.”
“With Brad.” Keeping my eye on Mrs. Moore, I said, “If you’re so busy, why do you care who Jake spends time with?”
“I just do.”
After school, we took the bus again so we could check on Mom’s progress. This time, we were the last ones on. Jake sat with Kent. I found a seat with a girl from my English class.
Despite the signs that the set was closed and visitors were not allowed, the place was a madhouse.
I spotted my dad’s Prius and hoped he hadn’t been there very long. Mom didn’t like distractions when she taped her show. And Dad fawning over Sheree certainly qualified as a distraction.
“Your dad’s here,” Jake said.
“I saw.” I couldn’t tell if
Mom was studying Jake’s reaction. “Do you like it?”
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “Looks good.”
Relief showed on Mom’s face. “It’s going to get even better. I’ve got a lot planned.”
Jake looked over at me. “She looks a lot like you.”
She did. Or I looked like her. “So that’s good, right?” I said.
“I think you were right earlier,” he said.
I tried not to jump up and down, because if my mother was a hottie and I looked just like her, that meant he thought I was hot. How convoluted was my life going to get?
He laughed at Mom’s confused look. “You don’t want to know, Mrs. Miller.”
“I’ll take your word for that,” she said, “but call me Annie.”
“Zoe,” Sheree called excitedly, coming in from the hall. “Your mother is so wonderful.” She swiped a strand of hair out of her face. “I’m having so much fun.”
“Great,” I said. I mean, what was I supposed to say.
“Oh, you’re a doll to work with, Sheree,” Mom said.
The only thing grosser than watching Dad flirt with Sheree was watching Mom flirt with Sheree. Even if it was in a totally non-gay way.
“Maybe they should date,” Jake muttered as we moved into the hall.
When I looked at him, he winked.
Did he have to possess a sense of humor too? I was trying to dislike him here.
“Oh yeah,” Mom called. “You can’t go in the garage, Jake. We’re making some things.”
“Uh oh,” Jake said.
“You haven’t ever seen Mom’s show have you?” I pinned him with my evil stare.
“No.” He started to look panicky. “Why?”
Mom was really very good at what she did, but I couldn’t resist the urge to mess with him. “No reason,” I said very quickly as if there totally was a reason.
“Tell me,” he threatened, his voice teasing, “or I won’t be your friend anymore.”
“You don’t have a choice.” I looked him right in the eyes and put my hands on my hips. That flirting practice was paying off. “If you cut me loose, you’re on your own with John and Sheree.”
His eyes widened in mock horror. “Dear God. No!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Anya demanded, plunking her books down on the desk the next morning in English class.
Uh oh. “Tell you what?” That I’ve been in love with your boyfriend for three years? I braced myself.
Her bracelets jangled as she flipped her hair. I hated it when she did that.
“That your mom’s doing Jake’s room!” She crossed her arms as if she had any right to be offended.
Well, I wasn’t going to let her get away with that. “I didn’t tell you because you aren’t speaking to me. Remember?”
“Don’t be silly.” She quickly dropped her arms. “Of course I’m speaking to you.”
Stand your ground. “Okay then. I guess I’m not speaking to you.”
“Don’t try to pick a fight, Zoe. I’m sorry I made you mad. But that’s how I really feel.”
“How’d you hear about Jake’s room anyway?” I whispered as Mrs. Moore started talking.
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
“So how come you didn’t know yesterday?”
She actually looked guilty. “I’ve been really busy.”
“With Brad.” Keeping my eye on Mrs. Moore, I said, “If you’re so busy, why do you care who Jake spends time with?”
“I just do.”
After school, we took the bus again so we could check on Mom’s progress. This time, we were the last ones on. Jake sat with Kent. I found a seat with a girl from my English class.
Despite the signs that the set was closed and visitors were not allowed, the place was a madhouse.
I spotted my dad’s Prius and hoped he hadn’t been there very long. Mom didn’t like distractions when she taped her show. And Dad fawning over Sheree certainly qualified as a distraction.
“Your dad’s here,” Jake said.
“I saw.” I couldn’t tell if
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