The Libby Garrett Intervention (Science Squad #2) (8 page)

I really hoped so, otherwise I was going to end up going to prison for murder the next time I saw Owen.

Libby

Friends suck, and my friends sucked
the most of all. They were serious about cutting ties with me. They weren’t speaking to me. All week long at school, it was as if I didn’t exist. Only Avery gave me the time of day, but I was still so mad at her that
I
wasn’t speaking to
her
.

By Friday, I was in such a bad mood that I decided the entire world would be safer if I didn’t go to school. After stomping into the kitchen where my parents were both up and eating breakfast, I said, “I’m taking a mental health day. One of you needs to call the school,” and went back to bed without giving them the chance to argue.

My parents are pretty cool. My dad is a professional snowboarder, and my mom was his high school sweetheart. They’ve been together since they were sixteen. Mom became an EMT after cleaning enough of Dad’s scrapes and dragging him off to the ER for concussions and stitches when they were in high school.

They’re super active, super healthy, work-hard-and-play-harder types. The phrases “Go for the gold,” “The world is your oyster,” and “You can do anything if you put your mind to it” are basically their mottos. They encourage me to be myself, and to figure out what I love, and then go for it. They push me to always do the best I can at whatever I try.

Usually when I was having trouble—or when I was
in
trouble—they each had their own role to play as far as the parenting responsibilities went. Mom handled all the “talks,” and Dad did the cheering up—usually by taking me out to do something fun to get my mind off of things. I must have looked pretty bad this morning, though, because they came to me together. “We called the school for you,” Mom said.

Dad followed that up with, “You can play hooky today, but only if you play with us. Grab your gear. We’re headed up to the mountain in fifteen minutes.”

A day on the slopes with my dad sounded like heaven after the week I’d had, but I was surprised by the offer. “I thought you’d want to do some serious practicing today.”

It was mid April; ski season was pretty much over. Tomorrow was my dad’s last competition of the year.

Dad grinned. “Are you saying you can’t keep up with me?”

Blast him! He knew I’d never be able to say no to that. I could never in a million years beat my father in a real competition—be it snowboarding, freeboarding, or skateboarding—but I can’t ever resist trying. Not even when I hate the world as much as I hated it this week.

My parents didn’t say one word about my skipping school all day. I knew they wouldn’t. They’ve always been good about giving me space when I need it. They simply asked if I was okay, and when I told them I didn’t want to talk about it, they reminded me that they were there if I needed them, and spent the rest of the day trying to make me laugh. It was exactly what I needed from them. We laughed, joked, raced each other—I continually got creamed by Dad, though I could usually beat Mom—and talked about all of our plans for the future.

I was planning to go to UVU in the fall as a math major, and my parents were about to open a board shop in Spanish Fork. Dad was turning thirty-six this year—yes, my parents had me when they were seventeen—and retiring from his pro-boarding career. He claimed he was quitting because he was an old man and couldn’t keep up with all those younger guys on the slopes anymore, but I think he was just finally ready for his life to slow down a little. Mom was going to quit her EMT job and run the shop with him. It was going to be a huge adjustment for all of us.

“You know you’re going to miss this next year,” I teased him as we sat at dinner that night.

“A little,” my dad admitted, “but not as much as I’m going to miss you. Promise you’ll come home every now and then and go snowboarding with your old man?”

“And I’ll still need someone to go see all the good movies with me,” Mom added.

I laughed at that. My mom loved the romantic movies like I did, but Dad didn’t have the patience to watch anything unless there were explosions happening every five minutes. “You guys sound like I’m planning to move to Europe. UVU is twenty minutes from here.”

“But we already hardly ever see you, and next year you’ll be in the dorms with Avery,” Mom argued, guilt-tripping me with a sad pout. “Between classes and a social life, you’re not going to have any time to come home and hang out with your parents.”

“Especially now that I’m going to be a lame old retired man,” Dad said.

He laughed, but I could hear the insecurity in his voice. He’d always prided himself on being the
cool
dad. “You’ll still own a board shop, Dad. That’s all kinds of awesome. Plus, I’m going to be a starving college student next year. I’ll be completely broke. If you wanted to, say, I don’t know…pay for my season pass next winter, then I’d be obligated to hit the mountain with you as often as I could.”

Dad turned to Mom, laughing. “She’s already hitting us up for money, and she’s not even living on her own yet. Should we be worried?”

“Hey!” I protested. “You were the one complaining that I won’t have any time to see you next year. I was just trying to be helpful.”

My parents have always believed in principles like hard work and responsibility, so I’m on my own for all my living expenses once I move out. I’ve got a full ride academic scholarship for UVU, so my tuition and dorm fees are covered. I’ll be fine with whatever part-time job I end up with, but things like season lift tickets, which cost over a thousand bucks, will be
slightly
out of my minimum wage budget.

“Maybe we can work something out,” my dad teased, even though we both knew he’d eventually give. I was his daughter, after all. There’s no way I’d survive a winter without hitting the slopes on a regular basis any more than he would.

By the time dinner was over, I’d sweet-talked him into the premium pass with the fast track, night ski, and parking. “We have to get out of here before she’s talked me into buying her a new car, too,” Dad groaned as we left the restaurant.

In my dreams. I thought about having my own wheels as I climbed into the backseat of my parents’ car. “That’s actually a great idea, Dad.”

“Ha! Nice try, kid.”

Frowning at my dad in the rearview mirror, I was unable to keep the whine out of my voice. “It wouldn’t have to be new. I’m not picky. I’d totally settle for an ugly, old junker. So long as it runs, I’m good to go.”

My parents laughed again, but I was on a roll. “No, think about it. Avery is going to be at UVU with Grayson. They’ll never need to come back to Spanish Fork. If I had a car, I wouldn’t be at their mercy for rides. I could drive myself home whenever I wanted. I swear, I would come home and see you every weekend.”

“Yeah, so you can do your laundry for free,” Mom joked.

“Even better,” I said. “Then I’m guaranteed to be stuck at home with you for a good hour or two while I wait for my clothes to be done. Seriously, you guys, if you really want more time with me next year, this is totally the best way.”

My dad started the car, but didn’t go anywhere. He watched me in the mirror and eventually turned around to look at me. “You’re right,” he said.

Holy crap on a cracker! “I
am?
”

“If the goal is to get you to come home more often, then having a car would really help, so I’ll tell you what…”

I almost squeaked. I was dying. Was he seriously about to tell me he’d buy me a
car?

“Your mother and I want to get you something special as a graduation present. We’d already talked about getting you a season lift ticket, but instead I’ll give you the choice: a season lift ticket every winter that you are a full-time college student, or a car. Either way, you must use your graduation present to spend time with us while you are in college.”

And there went all my excitement. “I have to
choose?
” I gasped in dread. “How can I possibly choose between a car and snowboarding?”

My dad chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll find a way. Now…” He cleared his throat and finally pulled the car out of the parking lot. “Since you aren’t officially on your own yet, I can still spring for a hotel room for you if you want to stay up here tonight and watch the competition tomorrow without feeling like I’m spoiling you rotten.”

My brain had been stuck on “car or snowboarding,” but his question snapped me back to the present. “Oh.” I had to think of an excuse. I had plans with Owen this weekend, but I didn’t necessarily want to have to explain that to them. “Um, well, I didn’t pack a bag or anything.”

“That’s okay,” Mom said. “You could drop us off and then go home and pack a bag and come back. Call Avery and invite her to stay the night up here with you. I’m sure she’d love to watch the competition, too. Then we could all hit the mountain together for a night session tomorrow. It’ll be fun.”

“Yeah,” Dad added with a laugh, “and you could use the drive there and back to contemplate your graduation present decision.”

Crap. My parents were in such a good mood. They’d been so good to me today, and I really didn’t want to let them down, but I’d already promised Owen I’d spend the weekend with him. He’d felt guilty for ditching me last weekend when Avery and Grayson caught us at Jo’s, and booked us a night at a fancy hotel in Salt Lake.

The smile fell off my mom’s face. “You don’t want to come?”

“No, I do. Of course I do.” I sighed. I didn’t want to let them down, but I couldn’t blow off Owen, either. “I just already have plans with Owen all day tomorrow. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to make it.”

“So stay home tonight, and invite Owen to come up with you in the morning,” Dad suggested. “I’ll bet he won’t mind. Most guys think that kind of thing is cool. It’s a lot better of a date than going to some cheesy girl movie.”

“I’ll ask him,” I said, though I seriously doubted he’d want to come. He probably would like watching the competition, but he’s got issues with meeting parents.

“It’s my last one, honey. I’d really love for you to be there.”

“I know, Dad. I don’t want to miss it. I’ll try to be there.”

Dad smiled at me in the rearview mirror again, but I saw the strain in it. We rode in silence to the hotel where my parents were staying. Once we pulled up to the valet, I got out to climb into the driver’s seat. As we waited for the bellman to gather my parents’ luggage from the trunk, I gave my dad a good luck hug. “I’ll try to be there,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “But just in case I don’t make it, you’re going to kick derrière tomorrow. I know it.”

“Thanks, kid.”

He forced another smile, trying to hide his disappointment, but I saw it, and I swallowed. Hard. One glance at my mom told me she was doing her best to look happy, too. Guilt swelled in my chest, and I couldn’t get Avery’s intervention out of my head—all the disappointment and all the accusations that had been thrown at me. “Have I…changed this year?” I asked, surprising all three of us.

I’ve never been one to be very open with my parents. I love them, but they’re good-looking, popular, athletic people. As much as I admire them and get along with them, I’ve never felt that they understood me. At least, they couldn’t relate to the kinds of struggles I had anyway, so I’ve never tried to share it with them.

After exchanging a look, Dad put his arm around Mom and let her do the talking. “Everyone changes, Libby. It’s expected at your age.”

“Yeah, I guess, but…” I bit my lip. I suddenly wasn’t sure I’d be able to speak without my voice breaking. “Do you think I’ve changed in a bad way? Are you disappointed in me?”

I got another round of forced—almost pained—smiles. “You’re growing up,” Dad said. “We know that’s not easy. Sometimes it takes a while to really figure it out.”

So that was a big, fat yes. First my friends were upset with me, and now my parents—they were just too nice to say it directly.

Mom must have read my thoughts in my expression. “We’re not disappointed in you, Libby. We’re worried. We know you’ve been struggling lately.”

“If you’ve been worried, why haven’t you said anything?”

Dad sighed and handed the valet guy a tip. “Give us just a minute.”