Kiss and Break Up - Ella Fields Page 0,76
it up somewhere. Dash moped, but he was good at doing it in style. “You were at the party?”
“Nah, but one of the guys who lives down the street from me was, and he messaged me over Facebook, saying you were there, then asked where Dash was.”
“We’re not a two for one,” I said, realizing too late I’d fallen into talking about him yet again.
“Uh-huh.” Raven slowed as we reached my street. “I’ll see you on Monday. How about you stay indoors until then, yeah?”
I flipped him off too, and he chuckled, watching as I scuffed my feet over two lawns and driveways until I’d reached mine.
Quietly, I moved around the house to my bedroom window, ignoring the pang that decided to pay me a visit when I imagined Dash doing just this, and shimmied it up. It creaked, and then Mom’s head flew out of it, her eyes struggling to blink open.
I shrieked and stumbled back, landing in the garden bed. “Were you sleeping by my window?”
“You bet your dress-stealing ass I was,” she said, groggy. “Get in here and use the damn door, for Pete’s sake.”
I bit my lips, a little petrified as I took my time rounding the house. The moon popped in the midnight sky, the trees that lined the creek behind our house lacing it in shadows. I’d waited until she fell asleep to sneak out, certain it was a sure bet. I’d forgotten who I had for a mother.
She opened the door, locking it behind me. “Have you been drinking?”
“Yes.” There was no point in lying. “I wanted to forget for a little while.”
A sigh left her, then a yawn. “I’m pretty pissed right now, Peggy, and not in the fun way like you.” She tightened her fluffy robe. “But we’ll fight tomorrow. I’m too damn tired right now.”
Relief flooded, and I skipped down the hall to my room. “Sounds good to me.”
“How much trouble are you in?” Willa asked the next day as we scrapped over the phone. I’d been grounded, so they couldn’t come over for our scrapbooking date, but I was too hungover to do anything but gaze at the ceiling fan anyway. “Grounded for life.”
“Shut up,” Daphne said, then paused. “Wait, seriously?”
The image of Mom’s red face, and the cussing she’d spewed this morning over breakfast, made my head pound harder. “I think so. But I’ll probably go out next weekend.”
They were quiet a beat.
“Why?” Willa asked.
“Because it’s fun. Because I’m eighteen. Because I should be doing this stuff.” I stifled a yawn. “And because it helps, okay?”
That last part had Daphne saying, “True that. But don’t overdo it again. There’s flirty drunk and then there’s too much of a hot mess drunk.”
I winced, not having a great deal of memory of what I’d done but remembering enough. “I was the latter?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That’s a tad embarrassing.” I’d need to make sure I stayed a bit classier next time. “So have either of you finished the history assignment?”
“I did last week,” Willa chirped.
Of course, she had.
“Nope, I’m starting it tonight. Let me guess, you’ve done at least half?” Daphne asked me.
“Actually, no.” I peeked over at where my laptop sat under a heap of clothes and books on my desk. “Maybe I’ll start it later.” Or maybe I’d take another shower and another nap to avoid having to face Mom again.
“Did Jackson go to the party last night?” Willa asked, sounding cautious.
“God, Willa. I already know,” Daphne said, exasperated. “Everyone knows.”
Willa made a choking sound, then coughed. “Shit. I just got lemonade up my nose.”
“How does that even happen?” Daphne asked.
“Because you made me choke.”
I smirked at the ceiling, my feet swaying as I lifted my legs. I decided to put her out of her misery. “I didn’t see him.”
“Neither,” Daphne said.
“Weird,” Willa said. “He wasn’t home last night.”
“Are you guys like serious or something?”
Daphne snorted. “What Peggy meant to ask was is your secret relationship the real deal, or are you just messing around because it’s hot and taboo.”
I guffawed. “That is so not what I said.”
“But we want to know, right?” Daphne laughed. “Come on, Willa. Just tell us.”
She was quiet a minute. “I’m still trying to process the fact everyone knows.”
“Well, process quicker. I need to charge my phone soon.”
“Bitch,” Willa joked. “We’ve been official for a while.” Her voice quietened. “Not that it matters.”
“How long is a while?”
I loved how Daphne interrogated. Well, at times like this. It meant I didn’t have to scrounge up the courage to