AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I pulled out my phone and pretended to read the screen. “Mark just texted. He says he’s running late because he had to clean out the car first. You two go on to the dance.”
“Are you sure?” Brandi asked.
“I’ll meet you there,” I promised. “Go on, I don’t want you to be late because of me. Have fun!”
We opened the door and followed the two of them outside. Kyle was a perfect gentleman, opening the door for Brandi and carefully closing it once she was inside. He gave us an awkward little wave.
“You’d better have a condom,” our mother called to him. “The last thing I need is a miniature one of you running around my house.”
Kyle looked like he had swallowed an egg whole. He quickly got in the car and drove off.
Normally, I knew it was best not to engage my mother. But I was bitter and resentful now, so I said, “A little Kyle running around our house? I thought you said you were going to kick Brandi out?”
She rounded on me and gestured with her cigarette. “Well aren’t you a little liar? Spinning tales so you don’t look pathetic in front of your sister.”
“I told her that so she wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving me,” I shot back at her.
“You’re better off telling her the truth. The blunt truth. That’s what I’ve always done for you girls, even though you never thank me for it.”
“You lie all the time,” I replied bitterly. “Especially when you think it’ll hurt us. You always say the meanest thing possible.”
“Aren’t you a nasty little bitch tonight?” she said, voice cracking like a whip. “You got stood up for prom and now you’re taking it out on your poor, defenseless mother.”
I recoiled away from her words.
“You’re a liar, and you’re always going to be a liar,” she spat. “That’s probably why your date backed out. He knew he could never trust you. Or because he found someone prettier to take instead. You were probably just his backup option.”
That really stung, because it was almost certainly the truth. Mark hadn’t asked me to the dance until two days ago, even though everyone knew he had a crush on Heather Boswell.
“And before you ask,” my mother said, “no you cannot take my car to the dance. I need it tonight.”
“You said you were staying in!” I replied. “Where are you going?”
“None of your business,” she replied with a sneer of a smile. “Maybe I’d let you borrow it if you weren’t such an ungrateful little brat.”
She was shouting by the end, and then went inside and slammed the door behind her. I felt tears welling in my eyes, and wiped them with my hand without thinking.
“I hate you,” I whispered. “As soon as I graduate, I’m getting as far away from you as possible, and I’m never coming back.” I pulled out my phone and texted Mark, asking where he was. I didn’t expect a response, but I had to try.
I turned, and saw figures standing in the driveway two houses down. Jack, Liam, and their two dates were walking toward a stretch limo parked in front of their house. But Jack was staring in my direction as he walked.
Great, I thought. I bet he heard all of that.
I tried going back inside, but the door was locked. “Let me in.”
“I can’t hear you,” she called from the living room. “Apparently I’m busy thinking of the meanest thing to say, since that’s what you think I sit around doing all day.”
“I’m sorry. Let me in, please.”
There was no answer.
“Come on!” I rattled the doorknob, shaking the door in its frame. “For fuck’s sake…”
Inside, Duchess stared at me through the window.
This wasn’t the first time she had locked one of us outside, out of spite. Because of that, Brandi and I always left our bedroom window unlocked. The side yard would be muddy because of all the rain we’d gotten, but it didn’t matter if I got mud on my dress. Not anymore.
My phone buzzed with a text message response:
