One Step at a Time

Chapter 14

Sadie POV

"So Alessia and Jonathan are having some alone time?" I looked up from the novel in my hands to see Aedon's wiggling eyebrows pointed towards me.

"Gross. Those are my parents. Your sister, ya know." Aedon's implication made me gag. She's lucky I didn't throw my book at her.

"I'm just saying." Aedon shrugged her shoulders. She sat at the foot of her bed as I laid on the right side. This was often how it was when we were together. I was either reading or working on homework as she devised ways to entertain herself. Aedon was never the type to keep still. She was like my mom in that way. She was like my mom in almost every way.
"Sadie, did you come here only to read that book?"

I didn't even look up this time and passed her a shrug. My eyes stayed on the page when I felt the book being ripped from my hands. "Aedon!"

"Sadie," she mimicked my tone. She now stood across the room near her bookcase. "Let's do something. I'm gonna go crazy if I have to spend another weekend in this house. Conrad and Belly will be here when we get back." Her hand waved the book around. Then she pressed it close to her chest, knowing I'd lunge for it otherwise.

I let out an exhausted sigh. "What do you wanna do?" Her face let up at my halfhearted compliance.

"Well, Philip is having a party tonight and-"

"Who's Philip, again?"

"Oh you know. He was in our pre-calc class last year."

"Right. The dude that always wore a basketball jersey."

"Yes. Exactly. He's having a party. Brad and Shasta will be there. And-" Aedon continued to list a bunch of people who we were friends with at school. Well, really they were Aedon's friends. They were all just kinda nice to me. "And Philip used to go to St. Mary's so I'm sure a bunch of the dance people will be there. Aishini was the one who told me about it." Right. As fun as that would be for me, the party person that I am, the thought that Brooklyn could be there made my palms sweat.

"So?" Aedon smiled down at me. "What do you say?"

"Aedon. I don't know." I tucked my hair behind both ears.

"Come on. We haven't gone to a single party all summer because of dance." Aedon walked back towards me, sitting down on the bed. "Plus, this could be a good distraction from today's audition." Her shoulder bumped into mine.

"Fine." A small smile formed on my face. "How bad could it be?"

—————

"Bad," I muttered under my breath. Aedon and I had arrived about an hour ago. And I was ready to leave. My saving grace would be Aishini finding the two of us. Unlike Aedon's school friends, she was nice enough to not talk over me. Or at least acknowledge my presence. But I had yet to see her. And my hope was running out.

"So Aedon, how's the dance team going?" One of the girls asked. She was sitting on the floor in front of the couch a few of us had secured.

"It's good. Sadie joined, too," Aedon informed them, her fifth attempt to include me in the conversation.

"Really?" The girl said, a little too surprised for my liking. "Congrats, Sadie."

"Thanks," I smiled. "I'm gonna get something to drink." I spared Aedon a quick look to assure her I was good on my own before heading towards the kitchen.

Once I was in there, I passed through a group of people to get to a fairly large cooler. Thankfully, there was a can of coke. The sound of some Doja Cat song filled the room. I took a swig and moved towards a corner. I had never enjoyed drinking the few times I had tried it. For one thing, beer did not taste good. Plus, the thought of becoming drunk always made me feel anxious. So I was the designated driver tonight. And every night.