Forever for a Year by B. T. Gottfred Read Free Book Online Page A

the most and yelled at my dad, who couldn’t say anything to me, couldn’t even look me in the eyes, and I told him to leave and never come back, and he left, even though my mom never officially kicked him out.
    *   *   *
    When we pulled into the driveway, my dad’s car was already parked in his old spot in the garage. My mom squeezed my hand before we went inside and said, “I’ll tell him he can’t spend the night. A really big favor to me would be if you were nice to him, Carolina. For me. Please?”
    I didn’t say yes, and I didn’t even nod, but I decided, maybe, I would try.
    Then we walked inside, where my dad had set the table, which he never did, and put out Indian food, which he picked up a lot before I kicked him out. When he saw me, he sung my name: “Carolina!” Hearing him, and seeing him there making the house warm before we got home, and singing Carolina not Carrie, and my mom smiling even though she didn’t want to smile, made me smile even though I didn’t want to either.
    While I went to the bathroom my mom must have talked to my dad about not staying over. Because when I came back to the kitchen, he was not quite as jumpy/singing happy as when we first came home. But he tried to pretend he was and kept hugging us while we ate, and I told him about my first day of school. About the classes, not about Shannon Shunton or the new boy. My dad thinks popularity is even dumber than I do, so he would just make me feel dumb for caring or even mentioning it, probably, or convince me to not become friends with Shannon, which I sort of wanted to do, even though it is dumb.
    As I talked, he especially hugged my mom, petting her almost. And this made her giggle, and it was cute, but, I don’t know, I didn’t want her to fall in love with him again. But then I realized she probably never fell out of love with him, so she couldn’t help it, and I decided to not think about it. And just let them be for tonight. They were both grown-ups, right? Well, at least my mom was. I’m kidding. I can be funny, even though I’m smart.
    My dad did the dishes and then he got ready to leave, even though he looked like a sad dog who didn’t want to go in his cage.
    â€œBye, Scott. Thank you for dinner,” I said, and then hugged him for only a second.
    â€œCarolina, I really enjoyed hearing about your first day of school,” he said, and I could tell he would keep talking so I went to get my laptop from my bedroom, leaving my mom to say good-bye to my dad alone. When I came back and he was gone, the house felt so hollow, like a tornado had sucked out a whole room.
    I set up my computer in the living room. For the first time in a long time, my mom got a book and read next to me on the couch.
    After I finished my math homework, which I always do first because it’s so dull, I gave myself five minutes to look at Facebook, which some people say isn’t cool. But I think people are just trying to be cool by saying it’s not cool because everyone still uses it. Maybe in, like, the future when cars fly nobody will use it, but they probably will.
    So after I signed in, I saw a new friend request.
    From Trevor Santos.
    Who I totally didn’t know.
    Wait a minute.
    Until I clicked on his page.
    And saw it was the new boy.
    Wait a minute!
    THE new boy.
    Oh. My. Gosh.

 
    8
    Trevor runs even though it’s pointless
    â€œWho coaches cross-country?” I asked Mr. Pasquini, the gym teacher, after I had the front-office lady switch my schedule back. Just in case. Right?
    â€œWell, that happens to be me,” Mr. Pasquini said. One side of his long-bearded mouth lifted up into a grin. He was a strange dude.
    â€œAnd it’s just running, right?”
    â€œOh no, young man, cross-country is not merely running. It is pushing the limits of the human spirit.”
    Whatever. Don’t overthink this, Trevor. So I said,