Page 18 of Beautiful Small Things

“Of course,” I reply flatly.

“Are you sure you’re OK?” My dad asks again.

“Yes,” I lie. “I’m just tired.” I really don’t mind that he can’t come. Like I said, I’d be content skipping the entire thing.

“Why don’t we get this wrapped up to go?” he asks.

I nod. “I think I need to take a nap.”

“No problem,” my dad says, as he motions for our server.

I try to nap when we get home, but I’m restless. My body is tired, but my brain won’t stop overworking. I’m afflicted by this condition often, honestly. I take out my phone and text Jem.

Iris: I miss you.

Jem: I miss you, too.

Jem: Are you OK?

Iris: Yes. Just feeling “blah.”

My phone rings immediately.

“What’s up, Squirrel?” she asks with concern.

“I don’t know. I feel unsettled,” I confess, hugging my favorite stuffed animal.

“Let’s break it down,” she says calmly. “Is it about school?”

I mull over her question but answer quickly. “No, that’s never challenging.”

She chuckles on the other end of the phone. “I guess that was a silly question.”

“I’m just really tired. I went out and picked up Orion last night from a party. I didn’t get much sleep.” I decide not to tell her about the entire sequence of events. I need to work that out with him first.

“Since you’re interested in stories about your dad, do you want to hear one about a time when he rescued me from a party?” she asks, piquing my interest.

“Absolutely.” I sit up and prepare myself for another story, grateful for the distraction. “What happened?”

“I was always a bit more rebellious than Colby. I never got into any big trouble, but I toed the line. It drove my parents crazy. I guess I was about Orion’s age and had gone to a bonfire with a few friends. I had a couple of drinks, felt tipsy, and realized they were gone.”

“How’d you end up calling Dad of all people?”

James - Age 16

“Hey, Caleb, have you seen Natalie?” I ask the boyfriend of the friend who brought me here.

“Not in a while. She and Shelby grabbed a couple of drinks and walked up the dunes.”

Crap. It’s almost midnight. I’m going to miss my curfew. Plus, I have a dance class at eight in the morning and I need to get up early to ice and wrap my knee. It’s been giving me problems again.

This party was a bad idea. I don’t want to call my sister and get lectured for coming here. She’s probably with Callan, but it’s still a safer bet to call him. He will give me the big brother lecture, but he won’t be as annoying about it.

A male voice answers. “Hello?”

“Callan?” I ask. It doesn’t quite sound like him.

“Nope. It’s Marcus. What’s up, Little Parker?” he teases.