Chapter 15
Mindy's Back
First week of August
"We bought out the department store!" Josh exclaimed as Audrey let Drake and Josh
go the mall themselves to pick out their own clothes for senior year with their own
money as well as some help from her MasterCard. He put his bags on the floor.
"Yeah we did." Drake replied unenthusiastically.
He put his bags by the computer desk as he sat on the sofa.
"What's wrong?"
"I think I'm getting a sore throat." He needed to stretch his legs out.
"Don't you have a concert at the San Diego Country Club on Saturday?"
"Yeah," Drake coughed, "and a date with Torey tonight."
"I don't think you are going anywhere tonight, Drake. I'll get Mom."
But Drake didn't hear him as he fell asleep.
Josh had to go to the pharmacy to pick up Drake's prescription. He did call Torey to let
her know that Drake was sick and couldn't take her out tonight. Josh couldn't wait to go
back to school. This summer totally blew chunks.
"I'm here to pick up my brother's prescription. His name is Drake Parker."
Josh put his father's insurance card on the counter. He wasn't even paying attention
when the hand tapped him on his shoulder.
"Hello, Josh."
"Mindy?" He turned around to see her.
She looked different. "You cut your hair."
"That's the first thing you can say to me after not seeing me for awhile?" She nervously
wrinkled the white paper Rx bag that she was carrying.
"I didn't mean,"
The pharmacist who was handing him Drake's medicine with the receipt stapled to the
bag interrupted Josh.
"I know."
"You look nice, Mindy. How are you?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know how you are?"
"I don't know, Josh. How are we?"
"I think we should find a place more private to talk in. How about if I give you a ride
home?"
"No, thanks. My mother's at the jewelry store across the street and I just don't know. I
mean if you don't know. Oh, wait…did Torey and your brother get back together?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting. Bye, Josh."
Was this their official end? Of course all she said in the postcard last month was that
she was going to see him soon and if it weren't for their accidental meeting at the
pharmacy when was this conversation going to be played out and would it have been
different? This wasn't a break up though at least Josh hoped that it wasn't. He needed
to talk to Drake.
"Open up the choo choo and here it comes!"
"j-osh..ow.." Drake took the pre-measured cup out of his hands. This was going to taste
awful. It burned his stomach. The person who invented bad tasting medicine was not
as cool as the person who invented the guitar.
Audrey made sure he was in bed and was going to stay there until his fever broke.
"Drake, I need to talk to you."
Drake took a black Sharpie and wrote on a yellow legal sized notebook piece of
paper.
NOW?"Yes, you can just write your answers down, okay?"
FINE.
Josh explained everything that happened in the pharmacy with Mindy.
"So what do you think it means, bro?"
Give her time and leave me alone I want to go to sleep.
"Thanks. You're grouchy when you're sick aren't you? I have to leave anyway. I have to
work tonight. Mom called Guitar World for you."
Drake waved goodbye and sank deeper into the covers.
Josh couldn't believe his luck. Helen wasn't in today. She was at a party in Los
Angeles for the old sitcom she starred in called Happy Times back in the day when she
was a child star in the seventies. She even had a cool catch phrase too that they like
to bring up on cable shows 'Best Of' countdowns: "That is not my job" gave "Whatchyou
talkin' about Willis?" a run for its money. Because the turnout was below average he
was able to sit in the back and watch one of the movies and eat popcorn. But it was a
half empty tub and he didn't put butter or salt on it. A Walk to Forget Part Deux was
boring and date movies were only fun if you were on actually on one. He quietly got out
of his seat, threw the popcorn tub in the trash and grabbed about two giant sized
chocolate bars to put in his pocket before going in the backroom to bring up a box of
soda cups.
What was he going to do?
Megan ran into Drake's room and closed the door hard so it would wake him up. He
already had a piece of paper written out with her name on it.
"I thought you'd like to know that your girlfriend is downstairs." She smiled and threw
one of their mother's powder compacts at him
His first thought was 'my hair is a mess' and was followed by 'How do I do it? I still look
attractive' when he saw his reflection in the mirror.
Go Away, Meganwas the other piece of paper he held up. He handed her the compact and threw all of
the papers onto the floor.
"Hi Drake," Torey came in the room with a shopping bag, "How are you feeling?"
"L-lou-sy."
Despite this they still kissed each other on the lips.
"I got you ice cream." She handed him a pint of chocolate raspberry swirl and a spoon.
"T—than-ks."
"Don't talk. I also got you a pack of lollipops and a guitar magazine."
"T-o-rey, y-you-r-e—a-we—so-me. L—lo-v-v-e y-you."
"I love you too, Drake. No more talking." She kissed him on the cheek. Megan came in
with the Milton Bradley Trouble game to make sure Drake and Torey didn't get into
any.
Drake smiled. He felt better already. What other girl would do this for him?
He also knew that if the tables were turned he'd have done the same exact thing. This
was real love and he doubted that Josh and Mindy had it.
After work Josh went to In-N-Out Burger and grabbed a combo meal before heading to
the Dairy Queen to get a large Reese's peanut butter cup Blizzard. Maybe after this he
would head to McDonald's and get the 20 piece McNuggets. Josh cried as he ate
French fries while he drove.
What happened between him and Mindy? Her conversation at the pharmacy was
confusing—OH! Wendy's has great crispy chicken strips. He wanted the happy ending,
but he knew he wasn't going to get it. He couldn't say it was easy for Drake---Kentucky
Fried Chicken sounded great right now---he knew how depressed and angry he was
when Torey wasn't speaking to him. He would never regret helping them get back
together. They both deserved it. They were good people. Besides Josh remembered
that talk in health class about eating disorders. There was one where you could eat all
you wanted and never gain any weight. No one would know. He was thankful there was
a red light to stop the traffic because he needed to blow his nose.
Josh Nichols was done trying.
He was going to have his cake and eat it too.
