Read Online A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel - Free Book Online

lipstick.
    â€œGreat,” I say, but it’s a reflex.
    â€œGod, Penny, act a little bit less interested,” she snaps at me.
    â€œI am interested. Come on, Ky. You guys kissed today. Tank is yours.”
    â€œLike it’s so easy?” She sighs. “Go talk to Wes. You stare at him all day.”
    I clench.
    â€œNo, I don’t,” I whisper.
    â€œYes. You do. You rejected him, and you regret it.” I hate that she’s raising her voice.
    I check to see if anyone can hear Kylie outside of the kitchen. “Shh,” I say.
    â€œNo!” she cries. “I can’t take it anymore! You think I’m stupid, that I don’t notice.” She points at the center of her chest. “I’m your best friend. I notice!”
    Her words are little barbs tangling up in my head. I don’t know how to move around them, I don’t know how to pull them loose. She’s supposed to be safe—the one I can go to when I don’t want to think about the things that hurt.
    Tank and the guys are pretending not to listen but Kylie isn’t good at subtle.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she continues. “It’s infuriating. If you would just share something. Like once in a while . . .”
    â€œI do tell you,” I say weakly. “Everything.”
    She laughs. “Okay, Penny,” she says, and the sarcasm is typical Kylie. “You always want to come to my house, for one,” she says. “You never invite me to yours.”
    My heart beats high in my chest. How could she just say this in front of everyone? Lila and Eve stand by Alex James, trying not to look obvious that they’re listening.
    â€œMy house sucks,” I say before she can list off anything else. “Yours is way better for hanging out. And my mom—”
    â€œYour mom is in her pajamas all the time. Who cares?” she snaps. Her jaw drops and I can tell she wants to apologize instantly after she says it. But a hot anger rips through me.
    Now everyone knows that my home life is shit.
    â€œComing from you this sounds ridiculous, Ky. You blew off Lila and Eve because they are—what were the words you said? Copycats? Or because Eve broadcasted that you like Tank? I’m not the only one who keeps secrets.”
    I turn to walk away, get some air outside, and cool off. I shouldn’t have yelled at her.
    Kylie pulls me back on my shoulder. I yank out of her grasp.
    â€œOh, so you’re just going to walk away?”
    â€œYou’re a hypocrite,” I say, and I know how tinny and small it sounds. I’m sweating and there are too many eyes on me.
    â€œMaybe I am,” Kylie snarls. She sips on her drink. “But I’ve got news for you, Penny Berne. So are you.”
    The music is playing but our conversation might as well be pumped out on a loudspeaker.
    Heat rushes through me.
    I snatch the bottle of vodka from the counter and blow past Wes and Panda, who stand next to the open patio door. With my bottle in hand, I tear past them and move from the patio down the stairs toward the swimming pool below. Kylie, Lila, Eve, and some of the guys on the basketball team follow behind, but I keep going.
    â€œShe’s just drunk!” Lila’s voice echoes behind me. She catches up to me when I get down to the pool. I take a heavy drink from the vodka bottle and pass it to Lila. The bitter taste is surprising—I never drink it straight, it’s always mixed with lots of juice. I hide my grimace by turning away from Lila and Eve. At the pool table and chairs, I kick off my shoes. People are getting out of the water but a couple of girls are still in the hot tub. Thundercrackles in the sky. A trickle of sweat runs down my back. Even the smoke from the cigarettes in the air is warm and sour.
    â€œWhat are you doing, Penny?” Kylie says, coming down to the pool. The air around us glows with lightning bugs. “Come on, stop. It’s going to