“Because I can’t,” said Lisa’s father. “I’d give you the notebook right now if I had it, but I don’t. Look, Graham, if you really want it so much, why don’t you hunt Richard down and ask him for it yourself?”
Graham’s face became diabolical.
“Oh, no,” he said. “That’s your job, Andrew. I’ve stuck my neck out for you on more than one occasion, and you owe me.” He staggered to his feet. “I need to impress my boss. I’m suffering more than you realize. I don’t like making my own decisions. If you don’t help me, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“That’s unfortunate for you, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” said Lisa’s father. “You’ve turned my life into a nightmare, Graham, and it sounds like you’re finally getting what you deserve. Now, would you please get out of my room?”
With a resentful glare, Graham shuffled to the door.
“You’ll regret this, Andrew,” he said. “I thought we were friends, but it looks like I was wrong. You’re just like Richard, pretending to be perfect when you’re just as depraved as everyone else. You’ve got a lot of nerve, blaming me for your problems. I’ll give you four weeks to deliver the notebook. Call me when you’re ready to meet.”
He left before Lisa’s father could reply. Lisa’s father was baffled. Graham’s willingness to take matters into his own hands without the approval of his boss indicated a disruption in the status quo that boded ill for everyone. He decided to make a cursory search for Richard so he could at least tell Graham he had tried. More importantly, it would give him something to think about other than the impending disintegration of his family.
∞∞∞
Josh’s relationship with his mother improved drastically over the next week, and he finally started to let his guard down in her presence. Strangely enough, the realization that she was teetering on the brink of death rarely entered his mind now that she was no longer receiving Peterson’s drug. She insisted on seeing him often, and he spent the afternoons sitting at her bedside when he wasn’t with Lisa.
The chemotherapy made her miserable. Her mouth broke out in sores, and she was constantly nauseated. Still, there was no reason for her to stay in the hospital, so she was discharged once her blood count returned to normal. Josh was glad to have her home, but it wasn’t long before she started pestering him about Lisa, so he invited her to visit despite his better judgment. When they entered the apartment that day after school, his mother extended her arms toward Lisa.
“It’s wonderful to see you again, darling,” she said. “Come here.”
She made a spot for Lisa among the couch cushions. Josh noticed the gloomy faces of Shannon and Stephen as they retreated to their rooms. He felt guilty, but there was nothing he could do to make them feel better. He got a chair from the kitchen and sat down near his mother, relieved to see that Lisa looked perfectly comfortable.
“It hurts to talk, but I want to hear about your day,” said his mother to Lisa, wincing as she spoke. “How was school?”
The conversation became tedious as Josh’s mother questioned Lisa about the miniscule details of her life. Josh thought she was being intrusive, but Lisa didn’t seem offended, and he admired her patience. He was reflecting on Lisa’s extraordinary ability to be pleasant when his mother’s voice brought him back to reality.
“If you’re not graduating this year, does that mean you can’t go to prom?” she said.
“No,” said Lisa. “Well, technically, I could, but—”
“I haven’t asked her,” said Josh.
“Why not?” said his mother.
“Because we haven’t been together for very long, and it’s only a few weeks away,” said Josh.
“So?” said his mother. “That’s not an excuse. Josh, you’ve already missed out on so much of your senior year because of me. I’m not going to let you miss out on this, too. Lisa is your girlfriend. You should take her to prom. I’ve made up my mind, so don’t argue with me. Bring me the checkbook. It’s on the cabinet in the kitchen.”
“Mom, it’s not an issue of money,” said Josh.
“Stop being so difficult,” she said. He brought her the checkbook. She snatched it out of his hands and prepared to write. “How much are the tickets?”
“I don’t know,” said Josh. With a sinking heart, he realized her interference in his life wasn’t going to stop just because she was temporarily satisfied with his behavior. “I haven’t been paying attention, because I wasn’t planning to go.”
“They’re fifty dollars,” said Shannon’s voice.
Josh turned in surprise. Shannon was standing in the doorway. Her typical scornful expression was absent, and she almost looked bashful.
“Can I go, too?” she said.
“Shannon, you don’t even have a boyfriend,” said her mother.
“There are some other girls in my class who don’t have dates,” said Shannon. “They invited me to tag along with them. We would all go as a group. Would that be okay?”
“Shannon, prom is for couples,” said Josh’s mother. “I’m not trying to disappoint you, but I really don’t see the point.”
“Whatever, Mom,” said Shannon. “Dad already bought me a ticket. I just wanted to see what you would say.”
She went into the kitchen. Josh heard her clattering around, making an excessive amount of noise.
“Mom, she’s obviously upset,” he said.
“She’ll be fine,” said his mother. “Don’t worry about her.” She started scribbling in the checkbook and tearing out checks. “Here, this is for your tickets. Josh, this is for your suit. Lisa, this is for your dress.”
“Thank you,” said Lisa, “but I really can’t—”
“Take it, darling,” said Josh’s mother. “It’s my gift to you.”
“But I don’t need five hundred dollars,” said Lisa. She sounded desperate. Josh was so shocked by his mother’s reckless generosity that he couldn’t speak, but his surprise quickly changed to embarrassment as he noticed Lisa looking around the drab apartment with its sparse furnishings and bare walls.
