when I head to bed.
Have fun.
Be careful,
Dad
P.S. I think you should go. It’ll be good for you.
I didn’t know if his outlook came from being a college professor or what, but he never stressed about parties. Before he and Mom divorced, if I wanted to go, I went. If I didn’t want to go, I didn’t. No fuss from Dad. No fuss from Mom. Life had been as simple as that.
Some things never changed. Dad was still dad, and his rules were still the same.
I leaned over and grabbed the pad and telephone before dialing the number he’d written down for me.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Beth?”
“That’d be me,” she quipped, her voice cheerful. “Arionna?”
“That’d be me,” I said, turning the apple around in my hand.
She laughed. “Please tell me you’re calling to say you’re coming tonight?”
“Um, I think so. What’s the deal?”
“There’s a rave of sorts at a converted warehouse right outside of Cabot. A bunch of kids from school are going to be there. It’s nothing major, but it’ll be a blast. They always are,” she said. “Are you in?”
A rave? Why not?
I had nothing else to do, and truthfully, somewhere over the last weeks, I’d resigned myself to seeing the next two years through. I needed to get out there and start making an effort to meet people.
“Where do I need to be and when?” I asked.
“The rave starts at nine, so we’ll pick you up at fifteen-after at your place.” Beth laughed. “We’re always late to these things. Do you have anything to wear?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I wasn’t very girly, but I did love to shop. “What’s the standard rave attire around here?”
“Cute, and warm. No dresses, and wear boots,” she said. “The parking lot is gravel. You need to borrow something?”
I made a quick, mental inventory of my closet. “I’ve got it covered, but thanks.”
“Sweet. We’ll see you tonight then!”
“Tonig—” I started to say, only to realize she’d already hung up. I clicked the phone off and sat looking at it for a minute.
A rave. Well, that was something new.
I spent the remainder of the day getting ready. I hadn’t taken much care with my appearance lately, and that bugged me. My hair had lost some of its usual luster and bounce. I missed looking in the mirror and seeing a sparkle in my hazel eyes. Hell, I missed me.
I painted, plucked, primped, ironed, and otherwise attempted to occupy myself with all the insane things girls do before a night out, relieved to have something mundane and ordinary to focus on for once.
At nine, a black Sante Fe pulled into the drive and honked. I gathered my purse, coat, keys, and phone, then headed out, locking the door behind me and silently blessing the girls for pulling in when they had.
My mind had inevitably turned to Dace. My thoughts were always with Dace these days. That fact irritated me. I wanted to yell at myself that I’d been a normal, rational person once upon a time. I hadn’t obsessed about anything, let alone about a guy I barely knew.
I double checked the lock on the front door then headed to the car. One of the triplets, which one I had no clue, sat behind the wheel in the otherwise empty SUV. She waved me around to the passenger side.
I climbed in, wondering where the others were. I didn’t have to wonder long.
“Beth and Dani are riding with Mandy, so it’s only you and me. I hope you don’t mind,” Chelle said, her shoulders hunched as if she were shy. “They like to stay until the very end of these things usually. It can be exhausting if you aren’t used to it.”
“I don’t mind,” I assured her, grateful that I’d have another way home if I didn’t feel up to staying the entire night. Besides, Dace hadn’t been the only one on my mind lately. Chelle and her friendship with him had come drifting up more than a few times.
I fastened my seat belt, contemplating whether or not to bring up the subject.
Chelle reached over and flipped on the stereo before
Have fun.
Be careful,
Dad
P.S. I think you should go. It’ll be good for you.
I didn’t know if his outlook came from being a college professor or what, but he never stressed about parties. Before he and Mom divorced, if I wanted to go, I went. If I didn’t want to go, I didn’t. No fuss from Dad. No fuss from Mom. Life had been as simple as that.
Some things never changed. Dad was still dad, and his rules were still the same.
I leaned over and grabbed the pad and telephone before dialing the number he’d written down for me.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Beth?”
“That’d be me,” she quipped, her voice cheerful. “Arionna?”
“That’d be me,” I said, turning the apple around in my hand.
She laughed. “Please tell me you’re calling to say you’re coming tonight?”
“Um, I think so. What’s the deal?”
“There’s a rave of sorts at a converted warehouse right outside of Cabot. A bunch of kids from school are going to be there. It’s nothing major, but it’ll be a blast. They always are,” she said. “Are you in?”
A rave? Why not?
I had nothing else to do, and truthfully, somewhere over the last weeks, I’d resigned myself to seeing the next two years through. I needed to get out there and start making an effort to meet people.
“Where do I need to be and when?” I asked.
“The rave starts at nine, so we’ll pick you up at fifteen-after at your place.” Beth laughed. “We’re always late to these things. Do you have anything to wear?”
“Yeah, I think so.” I wasn’t very girly, but I did love to shop. “What’s the standard rave attire around here?”
“Cute, and warm. No dresses, and wear boots,” she said. “The parking lot is gravel. You need to borrow something?”
I made a quick, mental inventory of my closet. “I’ve got it covered, but thanks.”
“Sweet. We’ll see you tonight then!”
“Tonig—” I started to say, only to realize she’d already hung up. I clicked the phone off and sat looking at it for a minute.
A rave. Well, that was something new.
I spent the remainder of the day getting ready. I hadn’t taken much care with my appearance lately, and that bugged me. My hair had lost some of its usual luster and bounce. I missed looking in the mirror and seeing a sparkle in my hazel eyes. Hell, I missed me.
I painted, plucked, primped, ironed, and otherwise attempted to occupy myself with all the insane things girls do before a night out, relieved to have something mundane and ordinary to focus on for once.
At nine, a black Sante Fe pulled into the drive and honked. I gathered my purse, coat, keys, and phone, then headed out, locking the door behind me and silently blessing the girls for pulling in when they had.
My mind had inevitably turned to Dace. My thoughts were always with Dace these days. That fact irritated me. I wanted to yell at myself that I’d been a normal, rational person once upon a time. I hadn’t obsessed about anything, let alone about a guy I barely knew.
I double checked the lock on the front door then headed to the car. One of the triplets, which one I had no clue, sat behind the wheel in the otherwise empty SUV. She waved me around to the passenger side.
I climbed in, wondering where the others were. I didn’t have to wonder long.
“Beth and Dani are riding with Mandy, so it’s only you and me. I hope you don’t mind,” Chelle said, her shoulders hunched as if she were shy. “They like to stay until the very end of these things usually. It can be exhausting if you aren’t used to it.”
“I don’t mind,” I assured her, grateful that I’d have another way home if I didn’t feel up to staying the entire night. Besides, Dace hadn’t been the only one on my mind lately. Chelle and her friendship with him had come drifting up more than a few times.
I fastened my seat belt, contemplating whether or not to bring up the subject.
Chelle reached over and flipped on the stereo before
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