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Bobby was getting worked up now, in a very small way. And a very small part of me felt validated for it, whether that was fair or not.
“Would it really make you feel better?”
“Um,” I played up my annoyance “only if they’re planning on stalking you and then stalking me.”
“She’s just being a drama queen, Jen,” he explained. “Don’t give into it.”
“You’re defending her. I can’t even believe this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he remarked.
“And now I’m ridiculous?”
“Jen,” he reached for my hand. “Come on. I don’t want you getting upset over her. She’s stupid. She’s not even a blip on my radar, really. And it’s not doing you any good to get worked up over a box of pens. Just throw them away and forget her.”
“I work with her. I see her everyday. She goes to my school now. Or did you forget that?”
“Could you just drop this?” he pleaded.
“Why?”
“Because she’s Angelo’s daughter,” he said. “And she’s going to go crying to him about you and Karen giving her a hard time.”
“What?”
“She’s a brat, like you said. I just don’t wanna have to deal with it. Jen, please.”
It wasn’t enough.
I don’t know what it was I’d wanted him to say. Maybe something like how ugly he thought she was, or how annoying. I didn’t like the idea that Bobby was afraid of her. I didn’t like the idea that I was afraid of her. I felt foolish beyond words and I didn’t like that either. Things were suddenly too much for me to deal with. I wanted to go home and I let him know it.
“I wish you wouldn’t be like this right now,” he said quietly.
He stood up and got his keys. I followed him out of the basement and down the driveway in silence.
When we were in the van I spoke again.
“Maybe I’m insecure, but I’m not up for dealing with her in my face. I don’t want any of that. She can have you. I’m sure it’d be easier for your job that way, and we both know that’s what matters to you right now.”
I shouldn’t have said the last part, but my emotion was running so high that I meant it when I said it.
“You’re overreacting,” he said calmly, and it was too calmly for me.
I didn’t say anything else until we reached my house.
I opened the door on my side.
“Have a good Christmas, Bobby.”
He reached over me and pulled my door shut.
“You can’t leave like that,” he said.
I felt surly, and I felt like crying, and I felt like getting out of the van. But I knew he wouldn’t have it, and I knew I wouldn’t cry.
“I’m not gonna fight about this anymore,” I said.
“Thank god,” he tried to sound exasperated.
He’d wanted to make light of it, in his usual style. I wasn’t going for it. I didn’t respond, and I didn’t look at him.
“Aw, Jen, come on!”
“What do you want from me now?”
“Don’t be like that! It’s about to be Christmas break and this is our last night together for two weeks. Are you kidding me?”
“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you decided not to tell me that my new co-worker is the girl who stalked you out of your last school, who is also your boss’s daughter.”
“What’s your problem?” he sounded truly annoyed with me.
“My problem is you making excuses, and down-playing the fact that this bothers me.”
