Between the Lines - 1. Chapter 1

I stared at the cracked pavement beneath my sneakers, my backpack heavy against the bench. The school grounds were almost empty now, just a few kids messing around on the basketball court and the distant hum of cars on the main road. My ride was late—again.

"Welcome to your new life," I muttered, kicking at a bottle cap.

Why did we have to move? I’d been fine back home. Senior year, my friends, even Grandma and Grandpa—it was all there. Here? I was nobody. Just the new kid. No one even noticed me in the hallways, and maybe that was for the best. I wasn’t ready to let anyone here know who I really was.

I glanced toward the road, but there was no sign of Mom’s car or Jen’s hand-me-down sedan. My phone buzzed—a text from Jen. Sorry, I got stuck at work. Mom’s on her way. Great. Another hour, if I was lucky.

The sun dipped lower, turning the playground shadows into jagged lines that stretched across the asphalt. I thought about walking. It was a two-hour trek, but at least it would be better than sitting here, feeling invisible.

A sharp clatter broke through my thoughts. I turned my head. Across the lot, a skateboard spun out, skidding to a stop near the curb. Its owner—a lanky kid with messy hair—was sprawled on the pavement while his friends howled with laughter.

He didn’t seem embarrassed, though. He brushed himself off casually, like falling was just part of the routine, and grabbed his board. Then, as he straightened up, his eyes flicked toward me.

For a second, we locked eyes. He didn’t smile or nod, but he didn’t look away either. It was just a moment—long enough to notice the sharp angles of his face, the faint smirk tugging at his lips—but then his friends called out, teasing him to hurry up.

"I'm coming!" he yelled back, his voice easy and unbothered. He hopped on his board and pushed off, the wheels rattling as he disappeared down the street, leaving me staring after him.

Finally, an hour later, Mom pulled up and honked the horn. Seriously? I was right there, not like there were dozens of other kids waiting for their rides. I rolled my eyes, grabbed my backpack, and tossed it onto the backseat before sliding into the front.

"Hey, Mom," I said, not hiding the annoyance in my voice. "Why are you guys always late? Why not just buy me a car? I already have my license. Then you wouldn’t have to pick me up at all."

She sighed, gripping the wheel a little tighter. "I’m sorry, Jeremy. You know this new job is crazy. I can’t just leave in the middle of the day. But I’ll talk to Ken about the car, okay? We’ll figure something out."

"Right," I muttered. "If Dad were here, he’d have already figured it out."

Her jaw tightened, but her voice stayed calm. "Jeremy, give Ken a chance. He really cares about you."

"No," I said, staring out the window. "He cares about you. I’m just the extra baggage that came with the deal."

"That’s not fair," she snapped, her patience finally breaking. "Ken’s trying. Just... give him a chance, okay?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Whatever. Can we just go?"

Jen got a car. I don’t know why I can’t. I’m not even asking for something new—just something to get me to school and home so I don’t have to wait. It also sucks that there’s literally no public transport here, and for whatever reason, I don’t qualify for the school bus. Something about where we live. It’s so frustrating.

I noticed Mom taking a different route and frowned. "Mom, where are we going?"

"Dinner. I came straight here to get you, so I haven’t started anything at home."

"Again? I’m sick of eating out, Mom."

"What? Jeremy? Tired of eating out? I thought you couldn’t get enough of pizza and burgers. Do you have a boyfriend you’re not telling us about? Trying to get into better shape for him? Or is it a girl?"

"MOM!" I groaned, slouching in my seat. "What gives? Seriously? You’re being weird."

She laughed, her voice warm and teasing. For all her flaws, Mom had a way of lightening the mood. And even when she drove me nuts, I knew she loved me.

We pulled into the burger place, parking near the entrance. As soon as we walked in, the smell of fries and grilled meat hit me—comforting and familiar. It wasn’t far from school, which was cool. I could come here for lunch sometime, maybe even hang out if I ever found friends.

Then I saw them. A bunch of guys from school crammed into a booth near the corner, the ones that I saw skating. They were loud, laughing about something, and right there on the edge was him. The skater kid.

I followed behind Mom, trying not to look obvious, but when I glanced over, our eyes met again. This time, he smiled—just a small one—and gave me a quick nod.

Before I could process it, one of his friends punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Dude, you even listening? I said, are you coming over this weekend? I got one of those stabilizers for my camera. We can record and post it online—our last video hit, like, a few hundred subs."

"Yeah, yeah, I’m coming," he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes and turning back to his group, like I wasn’t even there anymore.

Mom leaned toward me as we got to the counter, her voice low but teasing. "So, who’s he?"

I froze, heat creeping up my neck. "Nobody," I muttered, brushing her off. But as I stared at the menu, all I could think about was how his smile looked even better up close.

We got our order and left, but I swear I could feel his eyes on me as we walked out the door. I wanted to turn around so badly—but nope. Not gonna risk it. Last thing I need is a skateboard to the head.

When we got home, Jen’s old beater was parked in the driveway. Ken wasn’t home yet.

"Where’s Ken?" I asked Mom as we got out of the car.

"He’ll be late tonight. With the promotion comes more responsibility and longer days," she said.

"Good," I muttered under my breath.

"Jeremy... be nice," Mom chided.

I grabbed my backpack and the bag filled with burgers and fries. Mom got her purse from the backseat, and we walked up the path to the front door.

"Jen! We’re home!" I yelled as we walked in. "Dinner’s here."

"Family room!" she called back. "Be there in a sec."

I dropped my bag near the stairs and headed for the kitchen. I was starving. I pulled the burgers and fries out of the bag and laid everything on the table. Mom joined me a moment later, and Jen walked in just as I was unwrapping my food.

"Hi, Jen. How was your day?" Mom asked as she sat down.

"Oh, rough. I’m at the bottom of the ladder, so they’re throwing all the worst shifts at me," Jen said, flopping into a chair. She glanced at me. "Hey, Jer. Sorry I couldn’t pick you up. We need to figure something out because I’m on late shifts the rest of this week."

"Seriously? Ugh, this sucks. I’ve been waiting for Mom for almost two hours," I grumbled, clearly annoyed.

Jen smirked. "Aww, baby brother. Look at it this way—you’ll grow some hair on your chest."

"Jen! What the hell?" I groaned, rolling my eyes. "What is with you and Mom? You’re creeping me out."

She laughed, leaning back in her chair. For all her teasing, Jen was amazing. She really was the older sister I never had before Mom married Ken. I could talk to her about anything.

"He’s a bit sensitive today," Mom said with a sly grin. "I think there’s a boy he likes. Or a girl. He won’t tell me."

"Mom! What the hell!" I almost choked on my burger.

They both burst out laughing, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

"Oh, my baby brother," Jen said, wiping a fake tear from her eye. "He’s growing up! Maybe he’s the one?"

"Stop it, Jen!" I shot her a glare. "What’s with you two today? Gang up on Jeremy Day?"

The rest of the evening went fine. Ken came home late, as usual. I stayed in my room, avoiding him. I know I should give him a chance—he’s been trying—but I just can’t. I miss Dad, and Ken will never be him.

I was finishing up my homework when there was a knock at the door.

"Jeremy? It’s me, Ken. Can I come in?"

Jeez. What does he want? And why does he have to announce who it is? Who else would it be? "Yeah, it’s open," I said, keeping my eyes on my notebook.

Ken walked in and came up to my desk. He put his hand on my shoulder—something he always did, and I hated it.

"Hey, Jeremy. How are you doing? How was school today?"

I bit back a sigh. Does he even care? If he did, he wouldn’t have uprooted me in my senior year. "It’s fine," I muttered. "Do you need something?"

He paused, like he was picking his words carefully. "No, just checking in. Oh—Jen told me she’s working late this week, and your mom can’t get you before five. I’m trying to rearrange my schedule so I can swing by and pick you up."

I froze. What? No. The last thing I wanted was to sit in a car with him.

"That’s okay," I said quickly. "I’ll hang out in the library or something, maybe work on homework."

"I don’t mind," he said gently. "Better than sitting around for hours."

"I’ll be fine," I interrupted.

Ken sighed, stepping back. "Okay. Listen, I know you want a car. Once we’re settled, we’ll figure it out. Just hang in there, okay?"

He didn’t wait for a response. "I’m grabbing something to eat, we’ll talk tomorrow." he said as he left, closing the door softly behind him.

I slumped back in my chair, staring at my notebook. He’s trying so hard, and I’m such a jerk. But he’s not my dad. My dad’s gone, and I don’t want a replacement. And now he wants to pick me up? Next, he’ll want me to call him ‘Dad,’ and that’s never going to happen. Not ever.