How to Ruin My Teenage Life (17 page)

“We did that, too. It's either holding the
jerikon
full of water, which is over twenty kilos, or being one of four supporting the heaviest guy in the unit on a stretcher while running. And no matter where you are, if the unit leader tells you to drop on the ground, you go down … whether it's on sharp rocks or not.”

“How did you get the scars on your arms?” I ask, now focused on the raw skin on his forearms.

“Ground-crawling exercises. Fun stuff. Now can we stop talking about the army?”

“What do you want to talk about?” I sit on the edge of the mahogany coffee table in front of the couch.

“Tell me about your city. What makes it so special?”

Chicago is unique, unlike any place in the world. I can say just one thing about it and start rambling. “We have world-famous museums, the largest indoor aquarium, every sport team you could imagine with dedicated-to-the-death fans. We have Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the only free zoos in the country and the Harold Washington library, which is the largest of its kind in the world. We have three of the tallest buildings in the world and the best food in the entire country, which includes pizza, sushi, hot dogs, and Italian beef. You want me to go on?”

Avi sits up. “Your eyes light up when you talk about your city.”

“I love Chicago. I was born at Weiss Memorial not too far away from here and have lived here my whole life. My mom moved to the suburbs so now I live with my dad. I can't stand not being here. The energy of the city is contagious. My mom and her new husband are having a baby in their new house, anyway, and don't need me hanging around.”

“Does it bother you that they're going to have a kid?”

I chip more polish off my nails. “Yeah. It's going to change our whole family. Just when I'm trying to get used to a permanent man in my mom's life, I now have to deal with a baby. It's totally strange. I'm, like, confused about where my family begins and where it ends. No small nuclear family for me. In fact, I don't even know who my immediate family is anymore.”

I've never been a fan of change, and my life has changed way too much in the past six months.

“Amy, I thought you were in bed,” my dad says from the hallway.

“I was just saying goodnight to Avi.”

My dad watches us as if he's a guard in the Israeli military.

“
Lyla tov
, Amy,” Avi says, then winks at me.

I guess my night is over, whether I want it to be or not. “Goodnight,” I say, then go back to my room and text Jessica.

Me: You there?

Jess: Yep, was waiting 4 u to text me. How's the hottie?

Me: Kewl

Jess: What, no details?

Me: There are none

Jess: Liar. U kiss him yet?

Me: Yes

Jess: And?

Me:

Jess: What's wrong?

Me: Wasn't the same.

Jess: Can I have him, then?

Me: NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jess: Just kidding. Gee, Amy, no need 2 yell. Didn't know u were so territorial.

Me: I'm not. OK I am.

Jess: U confuse me.

Me: I confuse myself. And I'm tired.

Jess: Me, 2

Me: I'm going to bed. C u tomorrow.

Jess: Bye, chica

Me: Lyla tov

21

Oil production of Saudi Arabia: 9.475 million barrels per day
Oil production of Iran: 3.979 million barrels per day
Oil production of Iraq: 2.093 million barrels per day
Oil production of Egypt: 700,000 barrels per day
Oil production of Syria: 403,800 barrels per day
Oil production of Israel: 2,740 barrels per day
Do you think Moses made a wrong turn somewhere

The next day I leave Avi with a map of Chicago and a key to our condo before I catch the bus to school. No amount of begging my dad to stay home and ditch the algebra/trig test today so I can stay home with Avi worked. Nathan isn't at the bus stop, so I'm standing alone. On the bus, Jess is eager to grill me.

“So? How was it last night after we texted each other?” she asks before I even sit down.

“Uneventful. I went to bed.” And neglected to do my homework, but I'm hoping to ignore that issue until I'm forced to deal with it. A person can only handle so much at one time.

“And this morning?”

“I took a shower, ate breakfast with Avi and my dad, and left for school.”

Jess looks disappointed there isn't more to the story. I am, too. I wish I had more exciting news to tell her, but I'm not about to make anything up.

“I hear you're going to be a mom,” Kyle says from the seat behind us.

“Don't know yet,” I say, playing along so no one realizes how freaked out I am about Mutt's little escapade yesterday.

Mitch, who has been hiding in the back row of the public CTA bus in an obvious attempt to avoid being confronted by a jilted Jessica, says, “Dude, that dog is an
animal
.”

Yes, he is. And yes, he's mine.

“Where's Nathan, Amy?” Roxanne asks.

“How would I know?”

“He's your boyfriend, isn't he? Or are you just going to the Valentine's Dance with him out of pity?”

Pity? Nathan doesn't need pity from me. Okay, so he needs a new wardrobe … but not pity.

“For your information,” Jess says, turning around, “Amy has a boyfriend, and he's in town visiting her. Nathan was just a … a brain fart.”

Oh, I'm sure Nathan will definitely appreciate being described as a fart. Sometimes Jess gets me in more trouble than I'm already in and has no clue she's done it.

“You guys should come to my place tonight,” Kyle says. “My p's are out of town. A bunch of us are gonna hang out.”

Jessica says, “I can't.”

“What about you, Amy? You can even pick one of the guys in your harem to bring,” Kyle says.

It is Friday, and I am committed to showing Avi a great time while he's here. It wouldn't hurt to stop by Kyle's and hang out. Avi might actually like it. In the dark recesses of my mind, I'm a little excited to show Avi off to Roxanne, who'll inevitably show her face. She's always hanging on Kyle and his friends like one of those disgusting neck skin tags.

I find myself promising I'll be at the party with Avi. I turn back around and lean in to Jessica. “Where are you going tonight?”

“Youth group meeting.”

Oops. I forgot I was supposed to go with her and Miranda again. “Are you upset if I don't go with you guys? I mean, Avi is here and all … ”

“That's cool,” she says. “We're supposed to do a scavenger hunt together, but Miranda and I can do it without you.”

I think Avi would think a scavenger hunt with the teen youth group would be lame. I'm convinced he'll have a better time at a party where everyone is dancing and hanging out. Besides, I think he's had enough organized activities in Israel lately; he doesn't need another one while he's on vacation.

During lunch, Jess is sitting at Miranda's table and not at our usual spot. Nathan is sitting next to Miranda. They're all in a deep conversation.

I take my tray of the Chef's Pizza Special and sit next to Jessica. “What's so interesting?”

Miranda glances up and then back down at the paper she was writing on. She mumbles, “We're figuring out strategy for tonight.”

“For the youth group thing?”

Jess looks up. “Yeah. We're dividing the city up into monuments, parks, and sports arenas.”

I look up at Nathan. “Are you going?”

He puts his arm around Miranda and smiles at her. “Miranda invited me.”

The poor girl looks nervous. “You don't mind, do you, Amy?”

“Why would I mind?”

“Well, you guys seem pretty close and everyone thinks you two have something going on.” She says it as a statement and a question.

“Nathan has a girlfriend,” I inform her.

“And Amy has a boyfriend,” Nathan blurts out.

“Wait, I don't get it. If you have a boyfriend and he has a girlfriend, why are you going to the Valentine's Dance together?”

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

Nathan takes his arm from Miranda's shoulder. “Now
that
is a great question.”

“So what's the answer?” Jess asks impatiently.

“Well, since Avi will be back in Israel, and Bicky … well, I'm not convinced she's real but if she's not a figment of Nathan's imagination she's, nonetheless, not in Chicago. So we're going together … as friends. Right?”

Nathan puts his hands up. “That pretty much sums it up, except for the part about my girlfriend being a figment of my imagination. She's real.”

“What school does she go to?” Miranda asks.

Instead of answering, Nathan gathers his lunch, shoves it into his bag, and stands up. “I just remembered I forgot to study for my chem exam. I'll catch you guys after school.”

“Sure thing,” Jessica says. “What's his issue?” she asks when he's out of earshot.

Looking at the door Nathan just bolted out of, I say, “No clue. But if you guys find out, you gotta tell me. He lives with his aunt and uncle, he doesn't talk about his past or his parents, and never talks about any brothers or sisters. Something's off.”

“Maybe he's an undercover police officer investigating something illegal at school. Or maybe he's a reporter doing an exposé on private schools.”

I roll my eyes. “Miranda, I think you've been watching too much television.” Nathan is definitely a teenager, as messed up and confused as I am.

I catch up to that messed up kid at his locker after school. “Miranda thinks you're an undercover reporter doing an exposé on private schools … or a cop.” With those glasses and skinny frame you'd think he was Clark Kent. Nah, he's too skinny and wouldn't be able to fill out any Superman outfit.

“Cool.”

“So, what's your deal? Why are you living out of a suitcase? Why do you bring flowers to someone every week? Why do you say you have a girlfriend but she's never around?”

Nathan shoves his books into his backpack. “Why do you care?”

“I don't know.”

He slings the backpack around his back and glares at me. “Well, when you do know maybe then I'll tell you.”

22

I was preparing for conversion class today and read the Bible scenario if a man suspects his wife was not a virgin when they got married. The woman, if found guilty, gets stoned to death by the men in her village. If the man is found to be proven wrong, he gets fined and flogged (Deuteronomy 22:18).
I seriously need to have a talk with Rabbi Glassman
about this. Because there are just so many things
wrong with this scenario.

I take Avi to Kyle's party in the evening, ready to show my boyfriend off to all my school friends (besides Jessica, Miranda, and Nathan, who are doing the temple youth group scavenger hunt). With a huge smile on my face, I take Avi's hand and lead him through Kyle's condo. It's bigger than my dad's—Kyle's dad owns one of the best steak houses in Chicago and likes to show off his wealth with big cars, big condos, and big boats.

In the kitchen, Kyle passes out cans of beer. “Dude, you must be Amy's boyfriend,” Kyle says with a slurred voice. He's plastered.

Avi declines the beer and Kyle tosses the can to me.

“You're not drinking, are you?” Avi asks.

To be honest, I think beer is gross. “Nope,” I say, and toss the can back to Kyle, who mumbles something under his breath about sober people being boring.

Leading Avi to the back of the house where most of the crowd has gathered, we find an unoccupied chair. Avi sits on it and I park myself on his lap.

The music is loud in the back room, almost to the point that my ears are pounding to the bass of the song. While everyone else is either drinking or making out or trying to talk above the music, I lean into Avi's chest while he holds me close.

When I catch sight of Roxanne arriving, I quickly turn my head toward Avi and start to kiss him. Our lips touch first, then I slide my tongue over his while I slip my arms up his chest and around his neck. As I pull back, I lick my lips and give him a sexy, knowing smile.

He nuzzles his mouth close to my ear and says, “Why the big show?”

I turn my head and try to say to him so only he can hear me above the blaring song, “Don't you want to kiss me?”

“Yeah. But not with a bunch of drunk kids watching us.”

“Are you saying I'm a kid?”

Before he answers, I hear Roxanne's squeaky voice saying, “Hi, Amy. Hi, Nathan.”

I look up. Roxanne is standing next to us, her fingers over her open mouth while she gasps. “Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were Nathan.”

I'm in trouble. Avi is expressionless, but his arm loosens from around my waist.

“Why would she think you were kissing Nathan?” he asks me.

I clear my throat. “I can explain.” Roxanne is still standing over us, a wicked smirk painted on her face. “Do you mind?”

Ignoring me, Roxanne holds out her hand. “I'm Roxanne.”

“I'm Avi,” he tells her in his slow, sexy Israeli accent as he shakes her hand. I swear she turns her hand as if she expects him to kiss the back of it. “I'm Amy's boyfriend from Israel.”

Roxanne bursts out laughing. “Oh, I heard about you. So glad you and Amy decided to see other people. You're such an understanding guy.”

When he releases her hand, I wave my fingers at her and say, “Shoo, go away.” She's like an annoying gnat that I wish I could squash.

Roxanne moves away when Kyle walks in the room with a bottle of champagne.

“Did you kiss Nathan?” Avi asks.

Umm … “No. Roxanne is the enemy, Avi. Don't listen to her. She just likes spreading lies about me.”

He stands (I have to pretend not to have fallen off his lap) and walks over to Roxanne. She cocks her head to the side and says, “Wanna play Spin the Bottle? You can, you know, switch partners. Amy likes switching partners, right?”

I try pulling Avi's hand to make him leave the room, but he's planted where he is like a stubborn tree root.

“I don't like people spreading rumors about my girlfriend.”

I pull his arm more. “Avi, let's just leave.”

Roxanne laughs. “Rumors? Dude, you're the second guy she's been locking lips with this week. And speak of the devil. Hi, Nathan. We were just talking about you and Amy's hot show in the cafeteria.”

Oh, man. I'm toast. I look at the door and see Miranda, Jess, and Nathan walking toward us.

The entire room is silent for the moment while the next CD is put into the slot.

“Hey,” Jess says. “We finished with the scavenger hunt and wanted to see if you were still here.”

Avi knows the truth. He saw the way Nathan and I looked at each other just now. Is the guilt transparent in my eyes?

“You lied to me,” he says.

Right in front of everyone he lets go of my hand and leaves me standing here in the middle of Kyle's party.