A Good Haunting

Chapter 2

"So... Let's talk party!"

I had quite literally just shut my door when Harley brought up the topic we discussed a few hours prior. I let out a deep sigh as I reach for my seat belt. "What about it?" I question. "You know my mom would NEVER let me go to a party, especially with the 'degenerates' at Pembrook." Harley begins backing up the car; she laughs at my snide imitation of my mother. My mother is not necessarily a hateful person, but she's judgmental. Actually, judgemental is too nice of a way to describe my mother. Hypercritical is a better way to put it.

"Yeah obviously. We're not going to tell her though."

We haven't even pulled out of my neighborhood by the time my best friend says the funniest thing I have heard in my entire life. I can hardly contain my laughter. "You think I didn't think about that? My mother will find out. It doesn't matter if I don't tell her."

She thinks long and hard about what I said. "We can figure it out, you're smart! You're gonna go to Brown so you can definitely figure out how to lie to your mom."

"First of all, I won't find out about Brown till December. Second of all–"

"Wait, how are you finding out in December?" Harley questioned. "Ivy decisions don't come out until the spring."

My face flushes red hot. "Okay. So there's an option to apply under early decision which means I'll find out whether or not I got in a lot earlier than other applicants."

"Okay so why is this a bad thing?"

"Well," I begin. "If I get in, it's binding. So I have to go to Brown."

"Again. Why is that a bad thing?" she questions.

"I never said it was."

"Your tone suggests otherwise."

I sit silently for a moment. My mouth forms into a straight line as I think about my actions. "I didn't tell my mom I did that."

Harley stops the car and looks at me. Her expression is a mixture of surprise, confusion, and happiness. "You're dead," she giggles. I let out a groan and bury my face in my hands. "But wouldn't she be happy if you got in?"

"Stop. I already know," I respond. "She wants me to go to an Ivy, sure, but she also has a compulsive need to be a part of all the decisions that I make. She'll be so upset I went behind her back because she doesn't know my application has been submitted. She's been reading all of my essays and critiquing them... except for the ones I submitted to Brown."

Harley lets out a sharp gasp at that news. I continue, "And if I don't get in, she'll lecture me about how this is 'a result of my actions' and that it serves as a 'rightful punishment' for being too hopeful in myself."

The car fills with silence for a long moment before Harley yells. "You badass! Look at you lying to your mom!"

I interject quickly, "I'm not lying! I just haven't told her. And you can't convince me to go to Ryan's party just because of this. This is literally killing me already, I can't go behind her back even more."

Harley is pulling into her spot in the school parking lot. She parks the car and looks at me with a dumbfounded look. "For being so smart you sure are stupid."

"What?" I reply.

"Why the hell would you need to tell her about this? She doesn't need to find out at all. You can show her the essays you wrote or write new ones and just show her the decision when results normally come out."

I turn my attention away from my friend and look out the window towards the school. "I don't know."

"Charlie! Stop! Stop fucking overthinking things. For once. Just stop. This is not a life or death decision. It's just one college app. If you get in, amazing. If you don't, she doesn't need to know and there's plenty of other schools that would literally kill to have you. So please, stop."