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Austin is a different story. “I’m not in the mood to share.”
    He places his hands over his heart and pretends I just hurt him. “That hurt. You don’t wanna talk to me, that’s cool. I’ll be okay.”
    “Well, if you’re in such a mood for sharing why don’t you tell me why you’re out here tonight. What do you want from me?” I need to know what his agenda is, because I can’t take this game he’s trying to play with me any longer.
    “To be honest I was out here because I needed to get out of my house too. Sometimes I wish my dad would leave my mom.” He lowers his head and seems now afraid to look me in the eyes. “You know my dad can be a real asshole sometimes, especially when he gets on his holier than now soapbox.”
    I remember always being afraid of his father. He always looked mad. I never even heard him speak sweetly to anybody. “He was starting on how I need to be like my older brother and become more serious and how just because this is my senior year it does not mean I get to slack off. He said this year it should only be about my studies if I want to go to the University of Texas, blah, blah, blah, blah. I had to get out of my house.” He picks up a stone from the road and throws it hitting the stop sign making it vibrate with a loud bang.
    “My dad is having a baby,” I blurt out. I don’t know why I feel safe sharing this with him. “And now he wants me to spend every other weekend with him and his Barbie Doll.”
    “That sucks! You should...” A car turns the corner shining its bright white light at us. We both jump back onto the sidewalk.
    The pick-up truck pulls over and Derek and Josh pop their heads out of the passenger window, “Yo, what’cha doing?” They ask Austin.
    Austin’s demeanor changes and an air of cockiness immediately enters the thick muggy atmosphere. This is the Austin everyone knows. The one I’ve been happy to stay away from all these years.
    “What’s up? What you fools doing?” He says stepping to the passenger window.
    “We were on our way to Ariel Moore’s house. There’s a bunch of people there. You wanna come? Or are you busy with something else?” Derek asks motioning to me.
    I don’t know why I expect him to say yes, but instead he answers, “Nah, I’m not doing anything. I’m down for a little fun.” He turns to face me with an arrogant smile and says, “You okay. Right?”
    I nod while anger begins to spread through my veins. I hate him so much and I hate myself more for actually trusting him. I turn around and begin to stomp back towards my house as I hear him get into the pick-up truck. They drive past me laughing. Okay, I’m not sure if they were really laughing, but I wouldn’t put it past them. Austin is probably telling them what a loser I am.
    I hate him so much and I hope I never have to look at his stupid face again.

6
    Beach Time
    I’m still mad at myself for opening up to Austin the way I did, not that I told him anything that’s really a secret. Sooner or later everyone is going to know Trisha is pregnant.
    “Come on girlie girl get dressed,” Farrah says, running into my room. “I stayed up late last night telling her everything that’s going on in my life. Well I didn’t tell her about my walk with Austin, but I did tell her about my dad and the new baby. I felt it was only right to open up to her now that I had told that loser.
    She knew exactly how I felt. Her parents aren’t apart, but a year ago they announced they were having another baby. Farrah was devastated. She didn’t like the idea of having yet another brother or sister. She already has two older brothers, Paul who’s twenty-two and Kevin who’s twenty. She also has three younger sisters: Melissa, who’s ten, Candice who’s five, and Brenna who’s four. That house is crowded enough.
    Her new baby sister Jane was born three weeks ago. She’s the cutest baby ever, but Farrah is exhausted from having to watch her other siblings while her