Everything (16 page)

He went to get up, wrapping the sheet around his still-naked body. “I’m kidding. I would never do that,” he kissed my forehead, “and leave any evidence it was me,” he muttered as he turned to get dressed.

“I heard that.” I pulled my hair back in its usual ponytail as he got dressed.

He gave me a kiss on the cheek, then I locked my room door after he headed out to pick up breakfast on his way to work.

“Later, pizza boy,” Kelly called out on her way down the hall.

“Oh, hey, Kelly. Bye.” Trevor waved to her as he exited.

“See you in class, Dacey,” Kelly said as she swooshed past me and out the door to her blue Neon. I hardly had time to say okay and she was gone.

I made my way over to Opal’s and didn’t knock but used my key because it was my designated day per the agreement that Mr. Davis—I still had trouble calling him Mr. Eugene—and I had worked out. She was already up and in the kitchen eating a pudding cup and letting Rufus lick the spoon when I walked in.

“I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to give him that,” I said as I sat down my book bag on the chair.

“It’s my dog. I give ’em what I want. Besides, Rufus likes pudding. Don’t you, boy?” she crooned to him.

“You’re right. Rufus is your dog.” I bent down to scratch behind his ear.

“I see you feelin’ betta.” She stuck the spoon back in her mouth that Rufus just licked.

Shuddering, I nodded. “Speaking of which, Auntie, why do you keep Ex-Lax in your fridge and not your medicine cabinet like everyone else?”

“Because, I like ’em cold when I take ’em. Why you askin’ about my laxative?”

“Because Aria used them in the brownies, thinking they were chocolate bars.”

“Oh.” She gave a knowing nod. “Enough of those’ll get you sick alrigh’.”
 

She finished her pudding and went to get another cup, at which point I discreetly replaced her spoon with a non-Rufus-licked spoon.

“I need for you to carry me somewhere.” Aunt Opal opened her other pudding cup and licked the top.

“You mean physically or...?” I said where she couldn’t hear me. Then, “Where do you need to go?”

“I need to go to the doctor. The brain doctor.” She dug into her pudding.

I stared at her to make sure I heard her correctly. She was so adamant before about not going to the doctor, saying nothing was wrong her and she was fine. I couldn’t help but wonder why the sudden change. “Did something happen yesterday?” I asked, alarmed.

She gave me a look that said, “You’re asking me?” and I repeated my question.

“I mean, did Mr. Davis say something?”

“No, nothing like what you’re thinkin’. He just mentioned that he wanted me around for as long as he could have me, so I figure I might as well get everythin’ checked out. Includin’ my brain.”

Dangle a fish, I thought of Mom’s mom-ism. “That’s great, Auntie. Did you have someone in mind? Because Dr. Delgado was putting together some names for me.”

“No, no. Eugene has someone,” she said, dismissively.

“Okay. Well, what’s his name? I’ll call him to make the appointment.”

“It’s already done, chile. Don’t you listen?” She got up to get another pudding cup.

“Auntie,” I stopped her. “Why so much pudding, and for breakfast?”

“Because I like it,” she said, simply trying to bypass me to get more.

“How many have you had this morning?” I eyed the trash can.

“A few.” She narrowed her eyes at me.

“Aunt Opal,” I said patiently. “You can’t have pudding for breakfast, especially not
ten
cups!” I exclaimed when I finally let her go and looked in the trash can.

“I like them. Besides, Rufus helped.” She patted him on the head.

“Oh, Aunt Opal,” I sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. “So you already made the appointment? When is it?”

“It’s in a month, with a Dr. Pfeiffer in Orlando.”

“Okay. That’s good.” I wondered how Mr. Davis knew a neurologist and thought about asking him later.

“Oh!” Opal sounded alarmed.

“What now?” I asked, slightly alarmed.

“That lil’ chile used all of my laxatives. I need to stay regular. I need more,” she said frantically.

I chuckled at the turn of conversation. “It’s okay, Auntie. I will ask her to drop more off after school.”

“Make sure she does. I’m on a schedule, you know.”

“Ahh, thanks for that, Auntie,” I cringed.

I attempted to offer her something more substantial than pudding for breakfast, but she said she was full. So I grabbed a cereal bar and was on my way out the door. I texted Aria to tell her Opal wanted her “chocolate bars” replaced after school. She said she would drop them off after she met with Riley to rehearse for her audition, since it was tomorrow.

My phone buzzed as I was putting it back in my book bag. It was a text from Tina.

I’m in love

Rolling my eyes as I read, she proceeded to tell me about her professor who didn’t know she was alive, but that wasn’t going to stop her from trying. I then told her the news about Opal’s sudden interest in her health, and she offered to come to the appointment and check out this Dr. Pfeiffer right before she said she had class and would text me later.

I put my phone back up and was happy that Tina had offered to come to the appointment, even though it was a two-hour drive for her. I didn’t know how I would handle it if the doctor told me bad news and I was alone. I headed to campus figuring I should get to class on time, since apparently I always came in late, and see if I actually noticed Kelly this time.
 

When I got there, Kelly was sitting in the front row, right in front of the professor’s podium. No wonder I didn’t notice her—I hardly ever stared straight ahead, as Professor Harris was a walker when he lectured and never stood in one spot. I was always so focused on him I never noticed anyone else.

“Hey, roomie!” She waved wildly.

“Hey.” I waved back but less wildly and made my way to my seat in the back.

The lecture went on, and I made notes trying to catch up from my absence yesterday. Halfway through the class, the professor said we were having a timed writing on yesterday’s material, and I looked up, panicked. He addressed me and told me to do my best, then proceeded to tell the class about the assignment. Thank goodness it seemed that yesterday’s assignment was on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. I knew the material well, as it was one of the few nonpoetry books Mom had. During the power outage from the hurricane, I would read it to Aria during the day when we got bored.

The writing assignment took the rest of the class to complete, and I turned in my paper feeling pretty confident.
 

Kelly caught up to me just outside the door.

“Oh, man. I didn’t know we would have timed writing, otherwise I would have given you my notes.”

“It’s okay. I knew the material. My mom has the book. I used to read them to my sister,” I said nonchalantly.

“Oh, phew. Disaster averted.” She made a sweeping motion with the back of her hand across her forehead.

“Hey, Dac!” I heard Riley call my name.
 

I turned around as he came up to us.

“You’re in my Econ class, right?” Kelly asked him when he stopped at my side.

“I think so. Riley.” He offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Kelly,” she shook his hand. “Well, I’ll see you later, roomie,” she said cheerfully and bounced away.

“Wow, she would give your sister a run for her money.” We headed down the hallway.

“Yeah, well, I only allow one person around me that cheerful, and it’s not her.”

“Roomie?” He gestured to the departing Kelly.

“She is in the same dorm. I have run into her a few times, and she had done a favor for Trevor. Now she’s just around everywhere.”

“How is Trevor?”

“He’s okay,” I said, making my way down some stairs.

“So, how are you feeling?” he asked with an amused look on his face.

“Aria has a big mouth,” I grumbled, guessing he knew how I spent my day yesterday.

“I didn’t say anything.” He started laughing.

“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face that you know,” I accused.

“Okay, okay. If you’re referring to your brownie surprise, then yes, I do know.” He dodged my fist as I tried to punch him in the shoulder.

“God, can I not live this down today? First Tina, now you.”

“I’m just keeping up with the trend then.”

“Shut up, Riley. I assume Aria told you?”

“I texted her yesterday to see if she wanted to meet up after school, and she told me the whole story. But, in her defense, I have done that, you know.”
 

I cocked my head to the side in question.

“I have mistaken Ex-Lax for a chocolate bar. They look the same,” he said defensively.

“Except for the label that says EX-LAX on it.” I shook my head.

“Well, I’m just saying. Don’t be too hard on her. I’m meeting her tonight to give her some last-minute pointers on her audition tomorrow. It’s a closed audition, so we can’t see her when she goes in.”

“She didn’t tell me the time. Do you know?”

“I think it’s at eleven, but you may want to check that with her.” He looked at his watch. “I gotta do that run-walk thing so I will only be three minutes late to class this time.”

I waved bye to him as he shimmied/ran down the opposite hall to get to class.

It wasn’t that hard to pick up from where I left off in my classes after being absent only one day. Most of my professors were pretty forgiving. Even though I didn’t have a doctor’s note, they operated on the honesty policy, so they excused my absence.

I got back to my dorm and put my book bag down just as my phone was ringing. I looked at the display and saw it was Mom.

“Hey, Mom,” I said, kicking off my shoes.

“Hi, sweetie. How are you feeling?”

“I’m much better. I just got in from class.”

“Good, I wanted to make sure. I’m still at work, but I wanted to check on you.” She was about to hang up.

“Mom, wait,” I sat on my bed. “Opal made an appointment to some neurologist for next month.”

“Oh, Dacey, you did it—you got her to go!” she said proudly.

“Actually, I didn’t,” I confessed. “She asked me to take her. She made the appointment already. Well, actually, I think Mr. Davis did,” I said under my breath.

“Oh, well. I guess she found her fish.”

“Yeah, but you don’t think they are moving too fast?” I asked without thinking.

“Well, I can’t really say. When you know, you know.”

I had forgotten that she and Wally had almost the same type of whirlwind romance, and it turned out fine.

“I didn’t mean that, Mom. I just meant that he comes in, and she’s just different. I’m not used to it,” I huffed.

“Well, Dacey, you’ve never been one for change, and people change when emotions run high. Opal and Eugene are not your age, so they don’t have time to date and figure it out, when you know—”

“I know. You know,” I finished for her, glad she couldn’t see my eyes roll.

“As long as the outcome is the same, Dac, I don’t see the problem.”

“I guess,” I grumbled. She was right. I didn’t like change, and it took me awhile to get used to it.

“Well, dear, I know that Opal has never warmed up to me, but if you want me to go with you, I’ll be more than happy to.”

“Thanks, Mom. Tina said she would go as well. It’s a month away, and I’m sure that Mr. Davis will want to go too.”

“Right. Well, I have to get back to work, but come by for dinner again, soon.”

“I will,” I promised and hung up.

I began to catch up on my assignments and tried to get a head start on a few of my others. I had gotten all of yesterday’s assignments done and was starting on the extra one when my phone buzzed with a text from Tina letting me know she had info on the doctor. Turns out this Dr. Pfeiffer was on the list I was going to get from Dr. D, so that was a plus.

I put my phone up feeling a little better knowing that the doctor Opal was going to was legit. I just hoped that she would be able to help my aunt with her memory lapse, and although I didn’t attend church, I did pray to God that Opal was okay and this, whatever it was, was something fixable. If she got worse, I just didn’t know if I could handle her not knowing who I was or her thinking I was my mother every day. Would Mr. Davis even stick around then? What would become of her? Of me? Since I was her only living relative...I had so many questions, and all I knew was that so many people’s fates lie in waiting until next month, mine included.

I finished up with the rest of my extra assignments right around the time Trevor came. He knocked once, then opened the door.

“Hey, babe.” He came in, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

“Hey,” I said halfheartedly, still distracted with my thoughts.

Seeing the frown on my face, he pulled the rolling chair I was in away from the desk toward the bed facing him and swiveled me around so I was facing him.

“Okay, enough schoolwork, or whatever has that frown on your face—talk to me. What’s going on?”

“I just have a lot on my mind.”

“So tell me. It’s what I’m here for,” he said softly.

“You’re my island, remember? I don’t want to bring my crazy to my island.”

“Okay. Well, your island helps you get away, so let me help.”

Seeing he wasn’t going to give up, I told him about Opal going to the doctor next month and how I was worried about her and her memory loss and whether it might be more than just old age. I also told him about her and Mr. Davis moving too fast. Trevor sat there and listened to me without saying a word as I unloaded my frustration about everyone saying I had a problem with it because it was change and I don’t like change. When I was done, he took me by the hand and was dragging me to the door.

“What are you doing?”

“We are going out. We need to do something
fun
,” he declared.

“What are you talking about?” I let him drag me.

“You’re so stressed, and we haven’t done anything fun. You need to take your mind off of all this for a while. I’m your island getaway, so I say let’s get away! I’m taking you out,” he said with finality.