The One For Me(8)

“Katy! Oh my God, is it true---,” Jennifer runs into my room and abruptly stops. “It is,” she gasps. “You were making out with Liam at the party and went home with him.” She leans in closer, her small eyes wide. “You did the nasty.”

“What!” I yell, standing up. “The nasty? You have got to be freaking kidding me!”

Jennifer nods and places her small hand on her slender hip. “That is what everyone is saying. I was defending you, but...” she trails off shaking her head. “Brenda Ling called me, said that Tommy Cho had called her.”

“You’re the center of the Asian gossip train,” Liam says, smiling.

“Jesus,” I mumble into my hand. “Why me?” I shout up toward the ceiling.

Liam snorts. “You’re a drama Queen. I’m not that bad, Katy. You could do so much worse. You already have,” he mumbles.

I look up at him. “We have to stop this, Liam. I cannot let people think I slept with you. That’s crazy. I can’t let my reputation go down like this. What will people say?”

“Hoe,” Jennifer says. “Rebound. Boy toy.” She shrugs. “Just some random words I’ve picked up.”

My head hits the desk and I muffle a cry into it. “Oh my God. I’m ready for Justin Bieber to run our and yell you’ve been Punk’d!”

“Well, you did kiss me, sweetheart. Take it from experience, rumors start from one ounce of truth.”

Jennifer gasps. “What? Katy? You kissed him?” She is smiling and I want to knock it off her face. This is not a laughing matter.

“I was just trying to make Hayden jealous. He kept staring at us and rubbing on Holly. It made me sick. What was I supposed to do?”

“Leave? Why were you there anyways? Why didn’t you invite me?” Jen places her hands on her hips. She told me it makes her look more serious.

“I wasn’t going, Jen. I was trying to get Liam to come and do his project with me. That’s what’s we are doing now.”

“Sure,” she mumbles. “If that’s the story you’re going with.” Jen jumps when her phone alarm goes off, “Shoot, my ten minutes is up. I’m outie. I have to get back; I told my mom that I was walking the dog. She will come looking for me if I don’t hurry. You know how she is, study, study. You’re Asian, you have to do well. Show the American’s we’re smart. We will rule. You know the norm.”

“Where is your dog?”

“I put him in a kennel behind a bush in front of my window, smart right?”

“Doesn’t your dog bark at everything?”

“Shit,” she says. “See you later.” Jennifer slams the door and I hear her small footsteps running down the stairs.

“Well, well. What do you want to do, Katy? Your boy toy is bored.” He smiles and flutters his eyelashes.

I sigh. “Let’s just do this stupid project,” I mumble.

Fifteen minutes later after beating the answers out of Liam, my mom knocks on the door. “Brought you guys some sandwiches, and chips.” Mom sets the food down on my chest of drawers. “What was Jennifer freaking out about?” she asks.

Liam looks over at me and chews on the end of his pen and smiles.

“Some guy asked her out,” I lie.

She smiles. “That’s great. Maybe you two could double date?”

“Mom!” I yell. “We aren’t dating! He is my partner, please stop.” I shake my head and get up to grab our food. “Thanks Mom, we’re going to finish up soon. Goodbye,” I say, pushing her out, and then shutting the door.

Liam is biting on his lip when I turn around. I place his food in front of him. “Eat,” I say.

“Hmm,” he says his voice low. “I could get used to this, serving me food like my ol’ lady.”

“Shut up, Liam. Just eat. Don’t make this any weirder than it already is,” I say, taking a big bite out of my sandwich.

We eat in silence for a few minutes. It’s awkward.

“You got enough information?” Liam asks.

I nod and open my bag of chips. “Yeah, you?”

“Yep. So, your dad is moving out, huh?”

My face heats. This still doesn’t seem real. He is going to be gone, forever, leaving me here with Mom, like I was nothing. “Yeah, he cheated on my momma.” I don’t know why I say this, but I just feel I should. I know what Dad did was wrong, but people make mistakes, right?

“Well, your mom seems great. He is stupid,” he says and smiles. It seems like a real smile.

“Yeah, she is.” I sigh. “What are we going to do, Liam? Everyone thinks I slept with you? This can’t happen.”