later.
I grabbed my cell, opened the door and entered the kitchen. Madison was already gone, probably in her room reading one of her fantasy books. She was obsessed with whatever new series was ripping money from tweens’ hands.
I placed the phone back on the cradle. It was one of Mom’s rules of cleanliness. Admittedly, there had been a few instances of low battery, enough for her to create the rule based on my phone habits before I had my own phone. Now it was ingrained in my head, as were many of her other rules around the house.
The relaxation from sunbathing had been ruined by Madison’s interruption, and I didn’t feel like going back outside. Besides, I didn’t want to burn this early in the summer. I wanted to be a deep brown goddess, not a lobster.
I opened the refrigerator and pulled out leftover homemade pizza from the night before. I ate a slice while I headed to my room. I sent a dirty look to Madison’s door. I hadn’t been that annoying when I was fourteen. Her dour moods had brought down the entire family at times. I wished she would get over herself.
I went into my room and closed the door. My shoulders relaxed upon entering my sanctuary. I tossed my phone on my bed, still not made from that morning, my faded pink comforter a heap on the floor.
I headed to my desk and adjusted the photo of Kat, Rachael, Brittany, and me at senior prom back into place on my corkboard. We were the only juniors in attendance this year. Next to that were our tickets and several other candid photos. I smiled at the memories of the fabulous time we had that night. I couldn’t wait until my own senior prom next year.
I sat at my computer desk and opened my laptop. It was nearly five years old, yet refurbished. It took a while to boot up, but it was my baby. The keys were perfectly worn to the shape of my fingers, and it had been my first big purchase last year after working as a grunt at the Chester Bay Inn. It helped that Dad managed the inn, though he didn’t portray any nepotism. I smiled and nodded at every task given to me, even though I cringed on the inside. I never looked at a toilet the same way after that summer. I negotiated to help out during school breaks as long as cleaning toilets was out of the picture. I was checking my email when the phone rang from the kitchen; the shrill brrring-brrring grated against my temples every few seconds. Joe wouldn’t give up.
I glanced at the prom picture; Kat’s eyes bored into mine. The combination of that and the echo of Joe’s voicemail filled my head. I inhaled sharply. I couldn’t believe I’d been so reckless. What if he told Kat I was ignoring his calls? Then all of this would have been for nothing.
I flung the door open and ran for the phone. “Keep ringing,” I mumbled to myself.
I heard Madison’s door open. “Can you—”
“I got it!” I huffed, entering the kitchen. I flung myself over the counter and reached for the phone and pressed the talk button on the last ring.
“Joe?” I said into the receiver.
“Wow, finally,” he said.
I scratched my forehead. “I was outside.”
“I heard Madison talking to you,” he said.
I bit my lip and tried to find some legitimate excuse. “She accidentally hung up?” I couldn’t help the statement coming out as a question. I was never quick on my feet.
A female voice said something in the background.
“Is someone there?” I asked.
“If you bothered to call me back, then you’d know.”
“Be serious.” Joe had been into many things, but I never thought he would cheat on me. At this point, I knew too much for him to do that without serious repercussions. We had been at a stalemate for a while now because of it.
“It’s the TV. Relax, babe.”
I cringed at the endearment. Joe took a long inhale, then exhaled, filling my ear with the sound of his satisfied breathing. I glanced at the clock. It didn’t matter to Joe what time it was. Any time was a good time to get high. He could be just as childish as Madison, though in more reckless ways.
“Why did you call?” I asked.
“Can’t a guy call his girlfriend? You’re still my girl, aren’t you?”
He was taunting me. I’d made it clear many times over the last year that I wanted it to be over. But he held my reputation over my head, like a piece of meat above a starving dog. I didn’t give in this time. He would be away at college soon, and a mutual breakup was imminent.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“I want to see you. One last time.”
I paused. “What do you mean ‘one last time’?”
He inhaled slowly. I could imagine he was holding a joint or his pipe, blowing smoke rings into the air. An accomplishment he found as impressive as winning a gold medal at the Olympics. “I’ve decided I wanted to be free this summer.”
“Free?”
“Yeah, I’m going to Stanford in the fall. And I don’t want to be tied down to Chester Bay anymore.”
I could have done a backflip if I wasn’t afraid of breaking my neck in the process. “When and where?”
“I have something to handle this afternoon. How about tonight at my house around six?”
“Done, I’ll see—”
“And bring Thai food,” he added.
I sighed. “Sure. See you, then.”
“Bye, babe.”
I hung up, not bothering with the fake pleasantries. I jumped up and down, pumping my fists into the air. With Joe breaking up with me, I could stay on Kat’s good side since he was the one to supposedly break my heart. I could see the girls’ nights in with tubs of ice cream and boy bashing. The girls were serial daters, and I would be able to partake in the fun at the multiple planned parties over the next few months. This was really going to be the best summer, I could feel it.
After dinner with my parents and Madison, I drove to Joe’s house with Thai food in tow. I had my windows down to keep the airflow going so the sharp curry scent wouldn’t cling to the inside of my car. Joe knew I hated Thai food. He never made things easy. I blasted the air conditioning to the maximum level, though it barely reached me in the vortex created by all four windows being open. With the savings from last summer, I wondered if I’d be able to get enough for a car manufactured in the last two decades instead of the clunker Mom and Dad had surprised me with after I got my license. It was reliable but not very pretty.
I blared the radio, clearing my head for what was to come. I sang along with the pop song that I heard at least five times a day on that station since its release several weeks ago. I was sure I’d hate it by the end of the summer. For now, I sang my heart out, distracting myself from the ball of nerves coiling in my stomach.
The fifteen-minute drive stretched
