Read Online ReCAP: A NORMAL Novella by Danielle Pearl - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danielle Pearl
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mistake. I was too
adamant. I should have pretended as if I actually wanted to reschedule,
but couldn't. Instead I sounded like this tutoring session was an
event I'd been looking forward to all week, which, in fact, it was.
It always is.
I sit back and let the two of them have
their fun.
"Oh he never misses a session, but they're
only Tuesday and Thursday, so I guess that's why he's free
tonight," Bits confirms in overdramatic drawl. "Except that one
time he got stuck being my ride. But of course, he made that up
having Rory over for dinner."
Well the joke's on my sister, because
Kendall already knows about that.
"Oh, I know. I heard all
about the pretty new girl putting all the Caplans under her spell,"
Kendall replies. "Cap was all 'I can't talk, Ken, Rory's over and I
don't want to be rude'." Her impression of me is ridiculous – like
I'm some kind of troglodyte.
"Oh because Sammy has always been so
concerned with not being rude to girls," Bits replies and the
giggle fest resumes.
I stand to go grab my keys.
"Oh, come on, Cap!" Kendall calls through
her laughter. "It's okay to admit that you do have a heart in
there, after all!"
"You should be talking!" I call back. A year
ago she was the girl who acted like a guy, when it came to hooking
up, at least.
I return with my keys, ready to head out,
and I raise my eyebrows to ask Kendall if she's coming or not. She
stands.
"Except I can admit that I was mistaken.
Bash changed everything for me, and I'm thrilled that I was so
completely wrong," she only half-jokes as she waves goodbye to
Bits, and follows me to the front door.
"Rory and I are just friends," I remind
her.
"That doesn't mean shit," she says right
back. "All it means is you're too scared to make a move."
I stop walking and spin to face her.
"And what is it I'm scared of,
exactly?"
"To be in love. To be vulnerable. To belong
so completely to another person that they have the power to destroy
you." All the jest has disappeared, and her words strike me deep.
She's one hundred percent right. But she doesn't know about Rory's
past, and all the reasons why she's not open for more than
friendship, so her rightness is completely irrelevant.
But I have no reply, so I just roll my eyes
and continue to my car.
We get to Andy's early,
and sit around catching up for hours before the first partiers
start straggling in. In the next half hour, Andy's is packed. More
so even than usual, even with so many people hanging out outside
enjoying the mild warmth of early spring. Tucker mentioned that
Rory would be driving herself tonight, but I don't want to give
Kendall any more ammo by seeking her out, so I have another drink
and chat with my friend. She says she's hungry, so I tell her we'll
go hit the diner in a little bit, but I don't tell her I'm waiting
to see Rory.
Carl runs over to us and
she and Kendall hug, and we all start talking about spring break.
Kendall's boyfriend, whose family also lives in Chicago, is
actually coming here for a few days, and she's as excited as I've
seen her.
Then Carl stops talking abruptly. "Rory!
Come here," she calls, and I follow her gaze.
My lips slip into an
automatic, genuine smile, and I feel it as usual -- the flutter and
the fullness. And Rory smiles too, but it's as fake as the one she
wore that first time I met her – when she'd been panicking in the
hallway, and it unsettles me deeply. It knocks the smile right off
of my face.
She takes her time making her way to us, and
I want nothing more than to take her aside, to ask her what's
wrong, to find a way to fix it. But, of course, once again, I'm
completely useless.
"Rory, this is Kendall. She graduated last
year, she's at Northwestern now," Carl introduces.
Rory forces her fake smile even wider, but
she doesn't say a damned thing. Carl doesn't seem to notice her
unease.
"Kendall and her older
brother Randy were a bit deal in Port Wood," Carl continues.
Kendall rolls her eyes at Carl's gushing, but
adamant. I should have pretended as if I actually wanted to reschedule,
but couldn't. Instead I sounded like this tutoring session was an
event I'd been looking forward to all week, which, in fact, it was.
It always is.
I sit back and let the two of them have
their fun.
"Oh he never misses a session, but they're
only Tuesday and Thursday, so I guess that's why he's free
tonight," Bits confirms in overdramatic drawl. "Except that one
time he got stuck being my ride. But of course, he made that up
having Rory over for dinner."
Well the joke's on my sister, because
Kendall already knows about that.
"Oh, I know. I heard all
about the pretty new girl putting all the Caplans under her spell,"
Kendall replies. "Cap was all 'I can't talk, Ken, Rory's over and I
don't want to be rude'." Her impression of me is ridiculous – like
I'm some kind of troglodyte.
"Oh because Sammy has always been so
concerned with not being rude to girls," Bits replies and the
giggle fest resumes.
I stand to go grab my keys.
"Oh, come on, Cap!" Kendall calls through
her laughter. "It's okay to admit that you do have a heart in
there, after all!"
"You should be talking!" I call back. A year
ago she was the girl who acted like a guy, when it came to hooking
up, at least.
I return with my keys, ready to head out,
and I raise my eyebrows to ask Kendall if she's coming or not. She
stands.
"Except I can admit that I was mistaken.
Bash changed everything for me, and I'm thrilled that I was so
completely wrong," she only half-jokes as she waves goodbye to
Bits, and follows me to the front door.
"Rory and I are just friends," I remind
her.
"That doesn't mean shit," she says right
back. "All it means is you're too scared to make a move."
I stop walking and spin to face her.
"And what is it I'm scared of,
exactly?"
"To be in love. To be vulnerable. To belong
so completely to another person that they have the power to destroy
you." All the jest has disappeared, and her words strike me deep.
She's one hundred percent right. But she doesn't know about Rory's
past, and all the reasons why she's not open for more than
friendship, so her rightness is completely irrelevant.
But I have no reply, so I just roll my eyes
and continue to my car.
We get to Andy's early,
and sit around catching up for hours before the first partiers
start straggling in. In the next half hour, Andy's is packed. More
so even than usual, even with so many people hanging out outside
enjoying the mild warmth of early spring. Tucker mentioned that
Rory would be driving herself tonight, but I don't want to give
Kendall any more ammo by seeking her out, so I have another drink
and chat with my friend. She says she's hungry, so I tell her we'll
go hit the diner in a little bit, but I don't tell her I'm waiting
to see Rory.
Carl runs over to us and
she and Kendall hug, and we all start talking about spring break.
Kendall's boyfriend, whose family also lives in Chicago, is
actually coming here for a few days, and she's as excited as I've
seen her.
Then Carl stops talking abruptly. "Rory!
Come here," she calls, and I follow her gaze.
My lips slip into an
automatic, genuine smile, and I feel it as usual -- the flutter and
the fullness. And Rory smiles too, but it's as fake as the one she
wore that first time I met her – when she'd been panicking in the
hallway, and it unsettles me deeply. It knocks the smile right off
of my face.
She takes her time making her way to us, and
I want nothing more than to take her aside, to ask her what's
wrong, to find a way to fix it. But, of course, once again, I'm
completely useless.
"Rory, this is Kendall. She graduated last
year, she's at Northwestern now," Carl introduces.
Rory forces her fake smile even wider, but
she doesn't say a damned thing. Carl doesn't seem to notice her
unease.
"Kendall and her older
brother Randy were a bit deal in Port Wood," Carl continues.
Kendall rolls her eyes at Carl's gushing, but
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