Page 9 of Champagne & Handcuffs

“You can have some of mine.”

“Really?” Joss’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah. I can’t eat it all.”

As I handed her half of my turkey sandwich, I stole a glance at Victoria and Sammy. They were staring at us. Usually, I would wave, but not today. Today they were being mean, and I didn’t like that.

“So does your best friend go to another school, too?” I asked around a mouthful of the sandwich.

“I guess you can say that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He lives in D.C., and I only see him during the summer.”

“He?”

A small smile spread across her face. “Yeah. Seth. We’ve been best friends since I was six.”

“But he lives in D.C.?”

“Yeah. His grandma, Mrs. McKenna, is my neighbor, so he comes to visit us each year. At first, he didn’t really want to be friends, but he had no choice because I go to his grandma’s after school and when my mom goes to work at night.”

“She works nights?” I slid the opened chip bag around, indicating that Joss could have some.

“She works at a diner, I think. For a few months before and after my brother was born she stayed home, so I barely saw Seth’s grandma.”

“I have a brother too. How old is yours?”

“Two.”

“Two? Wow. My brother is almost sixteen.”

“We don’t have the same dad.”

“Cool. You have two dads?”

Joss shook her head. “No, I’ve never met my dad, and my mom didn’t tell me she was pregnant for a long time. Then next thing I know, I have a brother.”

“Wow. That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, but I love him.” She shrugged nonchalantly.

The more I talked to Joss, the more I liked her because she seemed nice, unlike Victoria and Sammy. I didn’t know why they were laughing at Joss, and I didn’t care. I wanted to hang out with Joss all the time.

“Want to go get ice cream after school?”

“No.”

“No?” Who didn’t like ice cream?

Joss frowned. “I can’t. My mom only lets me go to Mrs. McKenna’s and school.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not allowed to go anywhere, but sometimes Mrs. McKenna takes me to McDonald’s for dinner.”

“I can ask my mom to call your mom, maybe?”