The Best of Fools (Jane Austen Book 2) Page 3

  Autumn laughed. "I'd love to see that."

  "Then you won't have a date," I said.

  "Nope, I'll have two dates."

  Mom walked back inside.

  "Come on," Donovan said. "We can be the weirdos of senior prom."

  "Just what I always wanted, but you don't have a ticket."

  "Yeah I do. I can get it before we go. I got two to have an extra if I found a date."

  "You couldn't find a date?" Autumn said. "Why not?"

  "Guess I forgot about it."

  "What would you have me wear?" I said. "If I decide to be weird with you, that is."

  "How about I wear the dress and you wear my clothes?"

  "No way. Next choice."

  "Okay. Let's dress like homeless people."

  I laughed.

  "Now, get your naughties in there and change before the wind gets frisky on you." He pushed me toward the door. "I'll go get ready too and be back to pick you ladies up within ten minutes."

  "Well," Autumn said, "Things are always unusual when you two are involved."

  Donovan drove to the beautiful hotel in downtown Philly and pulled up in front near the valet parking sign. Autumn stepped out first and Donovan and I just looked at each other. Smile on his face, nervous twitch on mine. What was I thinking? It wasn't too late to turn around and go back home.

  He wore an oversized sweater from the eighties. Complete with holes and stains he probably created before he left his house. His pants were equally as nice and his hat was a rather interesting multi-colored hat—ketchup stain prominently placed on the bill—with a spinning helicopter on top.

  "Ready, gorgeous?" Donovan opened his door and stepped out, then walked to my side and opened. "Come on, dahling."

  I took his hand and revealed my lovely outfit to the valet who seemed to get his words caught in his bow tie. He readjusted the bow, cocked his head, and took the keys from Donovan. What was probably more alarming than my oversized, sloppy clothing was the hair Donovan insisted on giving me. He teased my hair with a comb, sprinkled flour in it, then stuck a toy bird inside. It was funny, absolutely hilarious, until I stepped out of the car and got a few sideways-turned-full-on-awkward glances. At least I didn't have that many friends at school. I probably just solidified that even more. But that's okay, the few friends I did have would laugh their asses off. Donovan and I always managed to swim upstream and those close to us loved us for it.

  We walked inside with Autumn and it took all I had not to laugh or turn red.

  Donovan held my hand. "Be serious. Play the part."

  A girl from history class stopped in her tracks. "Did you bring homeless people to prom?" She said to Autumn as her finger hovered in the air at us.

  Autumn smiled. "Just doing my charitable duties."

  I turned my face to hide my snicker.

  "Man," Donovan grumbled like an old man. "Any food up in here? I'm steerved."

  Autumn linked her arm with his. "Right this way, fine fella."

  A group of classmates stared at us as we walked toward the steps. I thought I'd feel ridiculously stupid, but Donovan and Autumn made it so funny that I almost forgot I was part of the act.

  "I don't even think they recognized us," I said.

  "Think we'll be voted king and queen tonight?" Donovan said.

  "Maybe." I scratched my head. Flour was getting to me. "We definitely have a good chance, I'd say."

  "What would British lover boy think of you like this?" Autumn asked.

  "Why do you guys call him that? He's not my lover boy."

  "He'd like her best like this," Donovan said. "Especially the bird in her hair. That's mint."

  I sighed. "This is never going to end, is it?"

  We finally made it to the hall where our classmates gathered around tables. Some sat down already, but most people were still standing and talking. So many gorgeous girls with perfect hair and dresses and shoes. Autumn fit in. Donovan and I ... didn't.

  So funny.

  When we entered the room that became pretty obvious. About seventeen faces gawked at us, while seventy more whispered and laughed. Autumn held her head high and played the charitable card well as she introduced us to people who should've recognized us from class, but didn't. Until Zoe came over to us all hunched over and laughing so hard tears were pushing mascara down her face.

  "You guys." She leaned into Donovan's chest and his arm wrapped around her. "What on earth are you doing?"

  "We've come to eat," Donovan said. "What else?"

  She laughed. "Come sit at my table. This is just too much."

  We followed her to her table. Or Donovan did. Like a kid chasing a kite. Autumn and I lingered behind them and she elbowed me.

  "Are they a thing?" she whispered.

  "Doubt it. You know him. Flirt to the core. He likes attention from the ladies."

  "One day that'll get him in trouble."

  "Nah. I've never seen him flirt when he has a girlfriend. He's as faithful as they come."

  "What about Alistair? He's willing to wait years. That takes the cake."

  "He didn't say that. He said we'll see what happens and if we're both single we'll meet up. Key word: if."

  "Well, we know you will be unless I get to you."

  "I will be. No doubt about it. I'm not dating anyone until I'm twenty five."

  "You're so weird, but I love you." She sat down and helped me sit beside her. "I so cannot wait to see you dance like that."

  "Uh, this lady is off limits in the dance department."

  "I'll talk you into it."

  "I'd like to see that."

  I let her think she talked me into it, but really I felt stupid sitting alone like a bum while all the pretty people danced the night away. For some odd reason I thought I'd blend in and feel better on the dance floor. Bad, bad, very bad thought. Wrong as I was, I had fun at the expense of everyone else's bewilderment.

  A slow song started. Some popular new song I never heard before. Autumn and I danced together until the next song started. "I've Had the Time of My Life," from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. I so badly wanted to stay for that song, but my bladder had other plans. Autumn stayed behind and continued dancing alone, but I knew within seconds some guy from some dark corner would come and snatch her up.

  I jogged out of the hall and almost bumped into a couple kissing.

  "Sorry," I said, then covered my mouth with my hand. "Oh, Donovan. I see you've been enjoying your night."

  Zoe pulled his face back to her lips and I almost kept watching as a subtle pang of jealousy agitated me.

  Nope.

  Not going to be jealous. Especially of Donovan. Why would I be? I didn't like him like that. We'd never work anyway.

  By the time I got to the bathroom I had already come up with fifty-eight reasons why I was being crazy, but when I walked back to the hall and had to pass their make out session ... I realized I was crazy. I was. Because for the first time since forever, I couldn't stand seeing his hands in another girl's hair.

  So being the strange-o that I am, I stared at them for a few seconds until Zoe stopped and peeked her head around his. He turned, then looked back at her. I don't know why I didn't take that as my cue to go back to being a normal person, but I didn't. I stared at them. Hands at my sides. Alone. My heart beat thumped slowly in my ears like a tender drum beat in the back of the orchestra and a lump formed in my throat. The kind you get right before a speech in front of a bazillion people. I swallowed.

  She peeked around again and he turned, gave me a what-the-heck-are-you-doing kinda face, and turned back to her. She smiled and nodded and he walked over to me.

  "Do you need something?" He pointed over his shoulder. "Cuz if not...."

  "I'm okay." I walked around him and smiled at Zoe. "Take care of that boy. Hurt him and you die."

  She blinked fast. "Um ... I ... okay."

  "She's kidding," he said as his arm flipped over her shoulder.

  "I am." I smiled and wal
ked back into the hall. Autumn waved me over. The music couldn't have gotten anymore obnoxious. Whew. Something about kissing a girl. Seriously?

  I didn't go back to her on the dance floor. Instead I sat down and took a drink of water. Alone.

  Why did that word suddenly bother me more than ever before?

  "Are you okay?" Autumn asked as she parked Donovan's car in front of her house.

  "Yeah. Why?"

  She unbuckled her belt. "Sure you don't want to come to the after party?"

  I lowered my chin and gave her that look.

  "Well, I'm going. You're just going to take Donovan's car back to your place, right?"

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "Just don't want you walking home alone in the middle of the night."

  "Okay, Mommy." Speaking of Mom....

  Would Zoe be coming to Boston too?

  "I'll call you tomorrow," Autumn said.

  "Kay."

  "And maybe then you can tell me what's been bothering you."

  "Kay."

  She lunged toward me as she grabbed my arm. "Tell me now. What's going on? I can't go out when you're upset about something."

  "Autumn, I'm fine."

  "Fine. I get that. Fine. But there's a reason you're not more than fine and I want to know what it is."

  Hanging from the rearview mirror was a necklace I gave Donovan when we were seven. He always kept in his room, dangling from the side of his bunk bed, then his desk, then inside his pillow case. Now he kept it in his car. I never asked why.

  It swung there in the moonlight, glistening as it caught the headlights of passing cars. I don't know why he loved that thing so much. It was just a toy necklace made of plastic. Easily replaceable.

  "Um." I cleared my throat and looked at my lap. "It's weird. I don't know."

  "Is it the Alistair thing?"

  I almost laughed.

  "Then something happened to you tonight?"

  "It's not a big deal."

  "I'm one of your best friends, Jane. I consider you my only sister. The sister I wished I always had. You mean the world to me and when something isn't right with you it isn't right with me, okay? It is a big deal. A huge deal. So what's going on?"

  I rubbed my neck. "I love you."

  "I love you too."

  "Well, there's a few things. One, I was adopted. I've never met my real mother or father. I don't know why they gave me up and it sounds stupid of me, but it makes me question who I am. Am I really Jane Austen? I've never quite felt like I fit in with my family and I don't know ... I just feel weird about it, like I need to know the truth."

  "Wow." She held my hand. "Are you going to find her?"

  "Maybe. Donovan wants to help me."

  "So that's what's been bothering you?"

  "That's been on my mind a lot, yeah. But I guess what bothers me is being alone. Feeling alone. I don't think I want to fall in love or go hunt down Alistair, but I just feel alone and it's the first time I've felt that as a negative feeling. I don't know what's wrong with me."

  "We all have our down moments. Don't beat yourself up about it."

  "This isn't a down moment though. It's a complete questioning of everything I am and everything I want to be. We're eighteen now. It's time to start preparing—I mean, really preparing—for our future. I'm trying to figure out what that looks like for me."

  "One day at a time. You majorly, majorly overthink things girlfriend."

  "Understatement."

  Chapter 5

  Donovan went through girlfriends like little kids go through shoes, so when he'd say, "I really like this one," I rarely paid attention to him. The girl he traveled to see ... for a second I thought it would work out, but I should've known better. I had a love phobia as he called it, but he had a commitment one.

  So when he tapped my hand after graduation and pointed to Zoe while saying, "I think she's it," I just smiled and said, "We'll see."

  "No, really," he said. "I think I'm going to marry this one."

  "And I said we shall see."

  "You don't believe me."

  "No."

  He smiled. "I have a surprise for you."

  I raised my eyebrows.

  "It'll be ready after we get home from Boston."

  "I still can't believe we are really doing this."

  He waved to Zoe. She lit up.

  "Such a ladies man," I joked.

  "Effortlessly."

  I shook my head and pushed him toward her. "Go get your girl, I need to find my parents. I think they brought Granny."

  "Give her a hug for me."

  "Come over and give her one yourself."

  "I just might."

  Head held a little too high, he walked back to Zoe and lifted her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like something out of a chick flick. I never thought I could be that girl, and maybe I still couldn't, but since Alistair things had changed. Suddenly I'd picture myself as the girl wrapping her love around a guy, kissing him until the sun went down.

  I wondered how he was doing as I spotted my family in the hallway. They waved me over. Granny's smile couldn't have been any more enormous. I walked toward them as I thought of Alistair, wondering what he was doing, if he was happy, if he found someone else.

  Three years—or four, whichever he intended—was a long time. There was no way he'd still be single and wondering about me. Better chance of me enjoying Fifty Shades of Gray.

  Granny pinched my cheeks and pulled me into her shaky arms. Her glasses fell to the tip of her nose as she wiped a tear and forced my head to her shoulder.

  "I love you," I whispered.

  "Oh, honey," she whispered back. "I'm so proud of you."

  Mom and Dad cut in and gave me warm hugs too, then went back to holding hands and staring into each other's eyes. They seriously reminded me of a couple in their early puppy love days. How could I ever compare with that?

  Mom never told me I needed to find what they had. And as much as she loved everything about love, she never pressured me.

  But the name. The name pressured me enough. I don't even know why. It was just a name.

  Eddie gave me an awkward pat on the back and said, "Good job, sis."

  I forced him into a hug and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, bro."

  He wiped his face and darted his eyes around, probably making sure no one saw him get kissed by his big sister. Eddie was undoubtedly the shyest person I had ever known. Getting a word out of him or some kind of expression of life was an extremely difficult task. He tried, but he'd fumble over words until his eventual moment of defeat where he'd stare at his shoes, chew the inside of his cheek, and kick the ground.

  Kinda like now.

  "Ready to go home?" Dad said. "We have a surprise for you."

  I looked around the school hallway one last time. So many memories. First day of school. First kiss in the stairwell by the left wing. First detention for passing a note to Autumn after being reprimanded three times. Or maybe it was because she forgot to study and the note had all of the answers to our quiz. Lots of firsts. Lots of lasts. These halls would one day be a distant memory and although I thought I was elated to strut outta that place, it left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.

  I followed my family out to the parking lot and piled into the backseat of the car. Eddie and Mom sat beside me. Granny sat up front with Dad. Lots of small talk until we pulled up at home and went inside. Knowing Mom, I expected streamers and cake and food. So I was pretty surprised to find the house just as it was when we left.

  "Take a seat on the couch," Dad said. "I'll be right back."

  Granny sat beside me and held my hand. Eddie stared at his phone while reclining on the other couch.

  Mom stood next to me. "We didn't make a big deal out of this with a party and everything because we know how much you don't like all the attention, but we have something for you."

  Dad came back into the room with an envelope and a smile. He handed it to me and every
one watched as I peeled back the flap and slipped my hand inside. I pulled out a card. A handmade card. Mom's handwriting on the front said: Because we love you.

  I opened it up and read:

  More than you know. We saved this money since you were a baby. Buy a new car, an apartment, a college tuition, or save it! It's up to you to use it however you see fit as you embark on the next chapter of your life.

  We love you,

  Mom & Dad

  I turned the check over and gasped, nearly falling out of my seat. Everyone smiled when I looked at them, except Eddie who was completely oblivious.

  "I can't take this much," I said, still in shock. "It's too much. Don't you guys need it?"

  Dad laughed. "It's yours, sweetheart. We saved a little with each paycheck for you and your brother. Ninety dollars a month for eighteen years is two-hundred and sixteen months of saving. We wanted you to choose what you'd like to do with the next few years of your life and to have the money to begin on the right foot. Now it's up to you to plan the next steps."

  "Or I could blow it all on clothes."

  "Oh, Jane," Mom said as though she believed me.

  "I'm kidding." I stood and hugged them both. "I have no idea what to say. I'm still in shock."

  Dad chuckled. "Now, no special party here today, but we have dinner planned. Do you want to invite Autumn or Donovan over?"

  "I would, but they're busy."

  They walked away smiling at each other while Granny watched me stare at the check on my lap. A million possibilities ran through my mind. I still couldn't believe it.

  $20,520.

  WHAT?!

  I took a picture of the hefty check with my name on it and texted it to Donovan.

  Five minutes later he sent me this:

  ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

  I texted: Still. Taking. Deep. Breaths.

  Him: Bahamas!!!!

  Me: Call me tonight.

  Him: K.

  Ten seconds later: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Chapter 6

  The check successfully went into my meager bank account. I had only worked Saturday's at Jump In Swim School for the last two years, making a modest $205 a month after taxes. So, as you can imagine, my bank account had never been so happy. Every twenty minutes I'd pull up my banking app, login to my account, and stare ... just sit there and stare at the number on the screen.