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, Megan

was 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.