Read Online #5 Not What I Expected by Laurie Friedman - Free Book Online Page B

should wear a pirate costume or go as a ghost.”
    Mom unpursed her lips. “April, do you really think it’s a good idea to go to this party?”
    I’d already been over this with Mom and Dad, and I didn’t think I should have to do it again, especially when I had more important things to be doing, like getting ready. “I think it’s a great idea. I’m going with Harry and Sophie. Aren’t you happy I’m spending time with family?”
    Mom shook her head like that wasn’t the issue. “It’s just that there will be older kids there. I’ve heard these parties can get pretty out of control.”
    I let out a breath and tried to stay patient. I knew if I got frustrated Mom would take it as a sign that I wasn’t “mature” enough to go. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ll be careful. I promise.”
    That seemed to get the job done because after a long lecture about the dangers of underage drinking and the importance of not succumbing to peer pressure, Mom agreed (even though she’d already agreed) that I could go, which was great, though it didn’t answer the what-should-I-wear question.
    The answer is I’m going with black and black. Sophie just called and said that’s what she’s wearing and that one thing she learned from living in New York is that you can never go wrong with all black. Then she said tonight should be really fun and that she can’t wait to go.
    Neither can I. Happy Halloween! I’m going to a party!!!
    8:32 p.m.
    Group text
    Harry: Be there in 5.
    Sophie: Where?
    Sophie: My house?
    Me: Or my house?
    Sophie: ???
    Me: ???
    Harry: April.
    Me: What?
    Harry: Your house first.
    Me: OK. See ya.
    Sophie: Hurry!
    Harry: Ur annoying.
    Sophie: WHO???
    Harry: Both of you.
    Me: Hurry up!
    Sophie: Yeah!
    Harry: Chill!
    Sophie:
    Me:
    Harry: It’s Halloween.
    Me:
    Sophie:
    Sophie: Stop texting and hurry up!
    Harry: I’m coming.
    Harry:
    Saturday, November 1, 10:57 a.m.
    Sophie just left
    Worst Halloween ever
    I can’t believe I was so excited to go to the party last night. It was literally the worst Halloween ever (and last Halloween, when all my friends were mad at me for kissing Matt when Billy and I were together, was pretty awful). I should have taken it as a sign when Mom tried to talk me out of going to the party. Actually, it was like a third sign. Leo had tried to talk me out of it first. Then Brynn said it didn’t sound like fun. Then Mom. I should have listened to one of them.
    I could sugarcoat it (dumb Halloween reference) and write about the good parts of the night that led up to the bad part. I did have fun walking to the party with Harry and Sophie, ringing doorbells to get candy, then joking around as we threw candy to each other and tried catching it in our mouths. But what’s the point when what happened when we got to the party overshadowed all that?
    At first, everything was cool. Mark’s backyard was packed. Some seniors, but mostly juniors and sophomores, and a few kids from my class. Sophie and Harry and I were all hanging out. After a while, Harry drifted off with some friends and kind of disappeared.
    Sophie and I were talking to the kids who were there from our grade when Chase Campbell, a junior on the football team and widely considered to be the hottest guy at school, started talking to Sophie. I could tell Sophie wasn’t that into him, but he was telling her some long story about something that happened at a game, and she couldn’t really walk off while he was in the middle of it. I felt like a third wheel just standing there, so I walked off.
    I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I didn’t want it to look like I didn’t have anyone to talk to so I just started walking like I had somewhere to go. I walked to the back of Mark’s yard. There were a bunch of trees and a tool shed, so I thought I could kind of hang out there undetected while Sophie