Testing The Waters

Chapter Six

"You can't go back there Babbie!" Claire exclaims, pacing her room back and forth.

Lowering my brows, I look at her. "Of course, I can."

She stops and stares at me wide-eyed. "Don't be ridiculous. You're behind enemy lines there! I understand it's not Anna's fault, but not even the pope would expect you to go back there under these circumstances."

I shake my head. "I can't back out on Anna."

Claire actually stomps her foot like a petulant child. "But it's not safe! I don't trust him."

"I don't think he would physically hurt me."

She crosses her arms. "You don't know that. He could have violent tendencies for all we know. And based on his current track record with you, I wouldn't put it past him."

"Claire. If we're going off of track records, then I'm pretty sure I'd be deemed the more violent of the two of us." I smirk, remembering Alex's rendition of how he got his black eye.

Pfff. Football.

"Well, you need to keep your cellphone on you at all times when you're there!" Claire states adamantly.

"Yes moooooooooooom!" I reply, ready to end this conversation.

Grabbing a pillow off the bed, she starts hitting me with it. "I'M. BEING. SERIOUS. HERE!" she says, hit after hit.

I sit up against the onslaught of attacks, holding my hands up in surrender. The hitting stops, and I lower my hands to sneak a peek at her just before she plows me right in the face. Hard.

My feet go up, Claire's eyes go big, and the next thing I know, I'm ass over tea kettle, falling off the bed. I reach for something to grab onto, but I'm not quick enough. My butt hits the floor with a loud thump.

"Babbie!" Claire squeals, but it comes out in a fit of giggles. "Are you okay?"

She sounds like an asthmatic hyena.

I groan and roll on my side as I rub away the pain emanating from my bottom for the second time today.

"Oh my God!" Claire whines though her laughter. "That was so funny."

I sit up and glare at Claire who is now draped across her bed in a fit of giggles.

"Hilarious," I say dryly.

She wipes the tears from her eyes and looks at me with a sheepish grin. "Sorry."

"And you were worried about Alex," I mumble at her, earning me another pillow to the head. I grab it and debate throwing it back at her but decide to keep it for myself. I throw it under my head and lie back down on the floor, looking up at the indented ceiling of Claire's bedroom. "What should we do tonight?" I ask.

Claire peeps her head over the bed, looking down at me. I see a look of mischief cross her perfect, far too smiley face.

My eyes narrow. "What?"

Her smile widens.

"Claire Grayson! What are you thinking?"

Claire jumps out of bed and stands over me, somewhat cautious. "Well, I kind of already made plans for us, so you can't say no."

I sit up not liking where this is heading. "What did you do?"

She walks over to her bedside table and pulls open the drawer, taking out a white envelope. She walks back and hands it to me. "I got you a present."

My eyebrows fall as I take the envelope. I open it up and pull out a driver's license. My school picture is on it, but the name isn't right. I give Claire a confused look. "What is this? And whose..." I look back down at the card. "Gloria Sweigart?"

"It's a fake I.D. for you."

"What?" I look back down at the license and laugh. "You do realize this says I'm like 40 years old, right?"

"Oh, that doesn't matter. They never look at that."

I narrow my eyes at her. "Whose they?"

"The Rusty Shutter. Dean and I go all the time, and they like barely look at our ID's. That one cover band I was telling you about is playing tonight."

I throw the card in the envelope and hand it back to her. "I'm not going."

Claire's face falls. "You have to! Dean's picking us up in two hours, and Joe already thinks you'll be going!"

"What?!" I screech. "Joe Pearson? Alex's friend Joe?"

Claire nods.

"Why would you tell him that?"

"Because him and Dean were talking about it at school, and Joe asked if you would be there. Dean said he would ask me to ask you, and I told him you said you would!" she blurts out in a rush.

By now, my mouth is hanging open. "Why would you do that?! Why does he even care if I'm there?"

Claire's eyes practically roll to the back of her head. "You are so dense sometimes."

"What?"

"You really don't know Joe is like in love with you?"

I look at her like she just told me deodorant was edible. "You're ridiculous!"

"Babbie, the guy's eyes are constantly glued to you, and he's always trying to talk to you. You're just too oblivious to see it."

I shake my head at her. "You're crazy. And even if you were right, why would I want to go with him to the Rusty Shutter? You know it's not my scene, AND he's Alex's best friend!"

"Dean says he's a decent guy. Plus, he's like crazy hot. You should give him a chance. It will be good for you to get out. You never go anywhere like this with me, and I need you!" She pouts her bottom lip out and inches closer to me, grabbing my arm and hugging it to her. "Pleeeeeeease?"

I groan.

"You know you want to," Claire purrs, rubbing her face up against my arm.

"Ew, stop that!" I quickly pull my arm away. I glare at her once more, and she has that look that says she'll be crushed if I say no.

"Come on, Babs. I won't go without you, and I really want to go."

I slap my hands over my face and groan. "Please don't make me do this!"

Claire squeals as if she's already won. "Oh my God, I have the perfect dress for you!"

I quickly look up. "No. No way."

Claire plants her hands on her hip. "Babbie, you cannot go like that!" She points to my jeans and T-shirt. I look down at my ensemble in quiet offense. "Just trust me for once, please?" Claire pleads. "You won't be disappointed."

I look up at her hopeful eyes and chew on my lip.

When we were little, Claire got this little make-up kit for Christmas that we would spend hours playing with. I almost laugh out loud thinking about how ridiculous we both looked—our little faces utterly caked in every last neon color that pallet of eye shadow came with. But Claire freaking loved that stuff. She is 100% the type of girl who enjoys bonding over things like shopping and makeovers and getting ready together.

I used to enjoy those things with her, and I suddenly feel a sharp pang of guilt when I think about all the times I have deprived her of those moments with me over the last few years. I've said no to every party she's invited me to. I even refused to go to Junior Prom, even though Claire begged me to go, offering to share Dean as a date for the night. Shit, I honestly can't remember the last time I even went shopping with her.

I'm literally the worst friend in the world.

"Fine," I say with a sigh that is almost instantly drowned out by Claire's banshee-like squealing.