Free From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan Page A

she smells like she smoked a whole carton. Luckily the café isn’t crowded. Still, she takes out a cigarette and her lighter. “I think Mason’s cheating on me, Kar.”
    “Don’t light that in here, my mom will kill you,” I whisper. “So what happened?”
    Noelle flicks the lighter on and off, staring at the flame. “We were just sitting there in his car and I pissed him off because I always change the song on his iPod. I guess this time it was too much for the prick. All of a sudden he says ‘I think we need to see other people too, I mean we can still hang out but I want to explore my options.’ Explore my options? So I said fine, asshole, now I can go after Mr. Hoyt.”
    “Nice, Noelle.”
    She stares over my shoulder and points her lit lighter. “Mind your own business, bone lover, this is a private convo!”
    I don’t even need to turn to see she’s talking to Hayden. But when I do, I smile and mouth, Forget it.
    I feel Noelle’s lighter poking my shoulder. “Whose side are you on here?”
    I turn back around. “Noelle,” I whisper, “he has nothing to do with it.”
    She frowns at me and sits back. “Can you stop lusting over him for two seconds to listen?”
    “Fine. What happened next?”
    “He just went off, saying he was only joking and he knew I had a thing for Mr. Hoyt. Mason and his friends all got stoned last weekend and one of his idiot friends brought up this crap about Mr. Hoyt. I guess Mason was sober enough to remember and trick me with all this shit about breaking up. He’s such a dick.”
    “And what guy wouldn’t love the idea of his girlfriend hoping to bang a teacher?”
    “Yeah but I don’t see him that way, Kar. Shit he’s only a couple of years older than me. And he’s not even my teacher anymore so it doesn’t count. God, I need to let loose. Come on, Kar.”
    “It’s a school night,” I say. “How about tomorrow night? Maybe a sleepover?” She narrows her eyes at me. I’ve made a mistake. Before she can protest, I add, “It can be fun you know. Watching movies, pigging out on cookie dough and pizza—”
    “Getting drunk.”
    “Okay, getting drunk, too.” I was going to mention my little weed stash to seal it, but that’s totally unnecessary now.
    She sits up and flicks the lighter on again. “Okay. At my house, because your Harry Potter cupboard of a room sucks. Bring cookie dough. I’ll take care of the rest.” She stands up, cracking her knuckles. “Hey let’s watch all the Saw movies, too. I’ll call ya later.” As she leaves I hear her snap, “Forget it, boner boy. You know she’s way too good for you!”
    When I whip around, Noelle’s hurtling out the door. I don’t even have time to yell anything to her before she gets out. My face feels hot and I want to sink down into the booth and hide.
    I see now that Hayden is the only one left in the café with me, besides a couple my mom’s age. The dishwasher hums in the back. I know it’s not Charlie because it’s his day off.
    “C’mere.” Hayden says, pointing to the seat next to him. He closes his laptop.
    “I should go back upstairs,” I say.
    “You’re too smart to be friends with Noelle.”
    So now what? I’m getting the older brother talk? “You don’t know her, Hayden.”
    “Yeah, I know her. Girls like her. Nothing there. Nothing to see. Unlike you.”
    This all puts me on the defensive. I feel normal again. And it feels good. “She’s pretty much my only friend these days.”
    Hayden chews his lip, as if wanting to say something but not sure how. “People kind of ditch you after someone close dies. Or maybe you ditch them. I haven’t figured out which is which yet.”
    Now I don’t feel so normal anymore. My pulse quickens. “What do you mean?”
    He shakes his head. “Forget it.”
    “Did that happen to you, too?”
    He nods, avoiding my eyes. “Yeah.”
    “What happened?”
    “Look, I’m sorry, Kara,” he says. “I don’t really want to talk about it. But