The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Chapter 65 (Hailey's POV)

I'm glad Patrick went ahead and got himself and Gracie tested. I'm also secretly glad Gracie isn't his daughter, because if she was, he'd be in some deep shit. But that means Gracie has no idea who her actual father is. She doesn't seem to care, not as long as she's got Patrick.

I really can tell Gracie is closer to Patrick than any of us. She's always with him, she smiles more when she's around him. She's sitting in his lap right now, actually. With his fedora in her hands. That's when you can tell Patrick is close to someone: if he'll let you touch his precious fedora.

This Prank Week hasn't been very elaborate, either. Its already Thursday and the only real damage done is Andy's green beard and Pete's black hair. Cheryl's hair is black, but I mean that was by choice.

Now that I think about it I wonder if Cheryl's dad will kill her when he sees that.

Wait.

OUR PARENTS!

"SHIT!" I can't help but shriek. Everyone's heads whip toward me, alarmed.

"WHAT!" Patrick shouts.

"WE DIDN'T TELL OUR PARENTS WE WENT TO CANADA!"

The guys look at me with wide eyes, and Cheryl slaps her hand against her forehead.

"You haven't talked to your parents in four months?" Patrick asks worriedly.

"We've made short conversation with them, but we aren't super close to our parents so we don't visit each other often. This is probably normal for them," Cheryl exclaims, and everyone looks at us sympathetically. I hate sympathy.

After some silence, Patrick thankfully breaks it by poking my nose. I raise my eyebrows.

"I wanna meet them," he murmurs.

I just grin at him. "Okie dokie, as you wish."

Cheryl takes one look at Pete and says, "Don't even say you want to meet my parents."

"What? Why?"

"You don't want to," Cheryl chuckles.

"Whyyyyyy," Pete whines.

"Well, for one, Mom will kiss your ass, and Dad will probably kick it."

Pete's eyes pop out of his head, and he just brings his knees to his chest, staring into space with a frightened expression on his face. I just start dying.

"What the hell's so funny?" Cheryl asks, laughing at me laughing at her.

"What you said," I finally get out after clapping and wheezing like a drunk seal, "was freaking hilarious."

"Hey, you know its true," she says defensively.

"Yeahhh, I do know that."

"How long have you been friends?" Joe asks after a while, absentmindedly putting his arm around the couch behind Andy.

"About six years. We met in seventh grade," Cheryl says. Pete just looks at her smugly.

"What?"

"I've known Patrick for over a decade," he says proudly.

"Well good for fucking you," Cheryl spits back out at him. Patrick hurriedly puts his hands over Gracie's ears.

"Don't say those words in front of Gracie!" he scolds Cheryl. She pouts mockingly at him.

"I'm sorry Sir Patrick. Have I been a bad girl?" Then she just starts dying at what she said, and I get the urge to strangle her.

"Really?" I ask, annoyed.