“Yeah…” I kicked my shoes off and curled my feet underneath me as I had always done. “It’s really hard to keep a secret here.”
“Speaking of… secrets, Jax. I think there’s something that you should know, honey.”
I glanced at her and saw the worry creep across her face as her eyes narrowed and her lips puckered.
“What?” I had really wanted to avoid any press on this trip. I knew that the small paper in town would talk to me at the event, but that would be about Coach Criss and me. Surely, no one else would come in for this. What would be the point of TMZ following me home to Kentucky?
“Honey, I know we don’t talk about…it… but…”
“Mom, will you just tell me, for God’s sake.”
“Kenny is back in town.”
“I figured. I mean, I knew he would come in for Coach’s retirement.”
“He’s moved back home, honey. He’s actually teaching at the school. Barbara told me the other day how happy she was to have him back home.”
“He moved back?” Suddenly the idea of seeing him felt different. He had a home here now. His life was here. It may be stupid, but thinking of him just visiting made the idea of seeing him… easier in some way.
“Yeah. I haven’t seen him or anything, but you know me – The only place I go is to the Fabric Barn and the grocery most days. I’m content to stay in and watch my stories and knit. Oh, well, he did stop by and say hi when he first moved back, but… Are you going to be…”
“I’m fine. It was a long time ago, and I’m sure he’s… We’ve moved on, Mom.” The lies were pouring out of me today.
4
KENNY
“Does this say math teacher with no social life?” I held up the striped dress shirt, and Lisa scrunched up her face as if it were the ugliest shirt in the world.
“It says that you have stopped trying and will die alone in your living room while your cats feast upon your corpse.” She rolled her eyes and, with a flourish, took one of the hangers off the rack. “This. Go try this on.” She held the hanger out to me, and I took it gingerly.
“This is too small.”
“This will fit you like a glove and make all of your students develop a crush.”
I huffed. “This will cut me in half if I have to wear it all day.”
“This might help you get a fucking date, Kenny. Go try it on.” She barked, and I knew that it was no use arguing with her. Since moving back home, Lisa had made it her life’s work to help me find my own life outside of teaching.
I took it back to the dressing room, and she followed behind me. “It really is pathetic, boo. All you do is go to work and binge Netflix.”
“Not true. I eat and read. Every now and then, I go crazy and actually watch the news.” I pulled my polo over my head and laid it gently down on the seat.
“I was looking through Grindr and…”
“What?” I said way too loudly.
“Someone has to help you find a boy,” she answered snidely.
“I don’t want to find a… Trust me, nothing good has ever come from finding a date on Grindr. It’s for hooking up and nothing more.”
“I know. But I’m afraid if you don’t get laid sometime soon, the cobwebs will be too much for anyone to deal with.”
“Very funny.” I buttoned up the last button and took a deep breath. “Huh… I don’t hate it.”
“The cobwebs in your mangina or the shirt?”
“Why do I go out in public with you?” I pulled back the curtain and stood in front of her. “The fabric is kind of stretchy, so it’s not as tight as I thought it would be.”
