Making it.

Chapter 13 - Fucking great, Hailey.

"Hey, do you maybe want to go and get some food with us?" Simon asks me and I shake my head, the usual panic in my chest already rising.

"No thanks. I gotta get home anyways." I decline his offer like I always do with some sort of excuse, standing up from the dance floor which I have been stretching on and pulling the straps of my bag over my shoulder.

"You could catch a ride with us." Milli suggests with a tone that makes me want to roll my eyes secretly. She is bossy and thinks that I will give in when she uses that character trait on me. Sorry honey, but I don't work that way.

"No really. It's fine. I'm fine going alone." I shake my head again, this being partly the truth. I mean- I do like to go home alone sometimes. But it's really late and I'm kind of tired from dance practise as well. So, walking definitely isn't my preference right now.
On the other hand, I don't want them to drive me. What if Abby or even worse- Dad is waiting at the front door for one of their infamous tantrums and then Milli and Simon see what kind of family I have? No thanks.

"I don't believe that it's safe for you to go on your own this late." Simon voices a though that had rushed through my own mind as well and I look around for some kind of help.

"I-" The yawn rats me out and I curse my tiredness for now giving them another reason to drive me.

"See?" Milli raises her eyebrows and crosses her arms. They are really stubborn cousins. I seriously hope that their entire family is anything but.

"Who said that it would be safe to drive with you guys? I mean- you are probably just equally as exhausted as I am and I don't know how good or bad of a driver you are." I say to Simon specifically just as our dance teacher, Dasha, walks by.

"Why are you guys still here? We close in like ten minutes?" She asks us and puts on that concerned mother look of hers.

"We are trying to explain Hailey why it would be smarter if we drove her home instead of going by bus all alone." Milli explains and I roll my eyes, not being able to suppress it this time.

"They are making a big deal out of nothing. It's not like this is my first time ever going alone." I cross my arms as well while Dasha looks between the three of us.

"When do you usually go to sleep?" What has this to do with anything right now?

"Midnight."

"Ten." I answer at the same time as Milli and Simon do and she nods, turning her body to me.

"Hailey, please let them drive you. It's just for this one time and I would feel relieved knowing that you got home same."

"But you don't know if I would with them." I argue and she shakes her head.

"I have known these kids for years, I trust that they are responsible enough to do that." She nods towards the now grinning cousins my age.

I bite my lip, something I do often when I have to make a choice that I don't really stand behind as much as I would prefer to.

"Fine, you guys can drive me." I eventually give in, not wanting another woman to have to worry about my well-being tonight.

"Alright, now that that's settled. Get the hell out of my dance studio." Dasha threatens and we look at each other before making a bee-line for the exit, shouting a quick 'good night' as we rush out and to their car. I almost don't see it because it's a matt-black SUV parked exactly where the street lamps don't shine.