"Pretty Girl"

15 - safe and sound

Malorie's POV:

I'm best friends with two police officers. Jaylen and Kiya.

They're sitting in here "just in case" but I mean, come on. It's because we're cool and everyone wants to hang out with us.

Sorry.

"So you're telling me you've gotten drunk at 9 on accident?!" Kiya asks.

"Yes!" I say. "I didn't know! It looked like soda!"

"Not my best parenting moment," daddy says. I smile.

"I just passed out," I say.
"Woke up and my dads thought I had the stomach flu.. just to realize all of their special soda was gone. And then they knew." I look down and smile.

"And dad just.. scooped me up and was like "oh, god you're still alive!" And I remember giggling. And falling back asleep. In his arms." I stare at my hands. My smile drops.

"Everything was so much simpler when I was little," I whisper.

"I'm so sorry, Malorie," Brie says.
"Really. I am. It's one thing to have someone who's hated you your entire life hit you.. but.. someone who's showed nothing but unconditional love hitting you.. has to feel so much worse."

"I think it feels the same," I say. She shakes her head.

"It doesn't. I know it doesn't. That's like if Donald hit me or you hit me. It's gonna hurt way more if you did it because you care about me. Or I thought you did."

"Not only is your brain racing trying to repair that wound he made, you're wondering if he ever truly cared in the first place. If he's hating you from the start. Malorie, there is a huge difference."

"Become a therapist. Please," Lexi says.

"I want to be. It's kinda hard when you don't have any credits because you were homeschooled, though. But I'm trying."

"I mean, I got accepted into NYU," Declan says. Baylie comes in with apple juice, a cheeseburger, and cheese fries with bacon.

"I got this for you. I ate, but I thought you may be hungry because we didn't eat." She sits behind me.

"Get married," Star says.

"We've been dating a day," I say.
"Not even. It's been like.. not even 8 hours."

"I don't care. Get married," she says. Baylie kisses my head as I shove cheese fries into my mouth.

"That's like me telling you and Brie to get married," I say, my mouth full.

"Okay and I'd say yes, the fuck?" I laugh. Brie blushes.

"So are all of you dating each other? What's happening here," my mom says.

"Yes. Star is with Brie, not officially, I'm with Baylie, and Kate is with Crystal," I say. She nods.

"Cool but what happens when you break up?"

"Janelle- for fucks sake let the kids be kids!" Daddy says. "They'll deal with it then! Stop implementing shit into their brains!"

"I'm just asking, Cade!"

"You aren't. And you know you aren't. You know exactly what you're doing, Janelle. And let me tell you one fucking thing. This isn't high school anymore. You don't get to be some mean girl to your daughter because you're jealous of her. Shut your mouth and support her."

"Me? Jealous of Malorie? Please."

"Yes. You are jealous of her. She has more friends than you, she goes out a lot more than you do, she gets good grades, she has a good shot at having a high school sweetheart, and you want to watch it all burn down because you only had the good grades part."