Not That Bad #Wattys2018

Chapter Twenty Two

I stare out the glass of the rolled up window at the headlights of cars driving past us. I've put my shorts back on but not my shirt and I shiver a little but it's hardly because of the chilly air. All I can think about is Imogen. How she ruined my night. How she threatened to ruin my entire school life. As much as I try, I can't get her stupid face and stupid voice out of my head.

Eli can tell. "Don't think about Imogen, OK?" he tells me, "Trust me, she has problems."

"Tell me something I don't know." I say and then loudly I add, "I hate her." I feel my nails press into my palm as I clench my fist. "I just hate her. I detest her, despise her...What's that other word again?"

"Abhor." Eli says, "And don't waste your hate on her either. Save it for things like cheesy lyrics, long lines, tattoo mistakes and overused phrases."

"Lol." I say.

"Legit." He says, "Bae."

"I actually like that one." I say jokingly, and give Eli a light punch on his arm. He laughs and shrugs.

I laugh too and unclench my fists. It's hard not to feel any kind of hatred for Imogen though. But I try anyway, just because. Eli was right. I bet Imogen wasn't thinking about me either. Or maybe she was too busy sticking needles into the voodoo doll she made of me. I feel a sharp pain in my ear and I feel a little nauseous thinking that Imogen could have a voodoo doll of me for real.

"Where do you want to go?" Eli asks me, shaking me out of my murderous daydream.

"Home." I say immediately. I kind of need to eat a bowl of ice cream and throw some stuff away to clear my head. But I regret choosing home as soon as we step inside my house. It's too late to go back out. My mom has spotted us, (Eli first) and gives me a look that says, Don't even think about leaving.

"Harold, she's home!" Mom yells up the stairs. She turns to me, "We need to talk, Rori."

A million flashbacks of me getting into trouble play in slow motion in my head. I push back the thought of what I did last summer and convince myself there was no way they could have found out.

"Well, bye Eli." I say, putting my hands on his shoulders and at the same time pushing him toward the door. He didn't need to meet my parents. But Mom grabs his arm and leads him to the living room.

"Eli can stay." And with the way her heels click as she walks away, I know she means business.

***

By the time I recover from the shock of what just happened and walk into the living room, Eli is seated comfortably between my parents, laughing. Three things come to mind:1. When have my parents ever liked my boyfriend?2. When has my boyfriend ever liked my parents?3. What were they laughing at?

"Why is everyone laughing?" I ask. I sit on the chair opposite the three of them and raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing." Eli says, likes he's already created inside jokes with my parents. I don't even have inside jokes with MY OWN PARENTS. At least, not really.

There's this awkward silence. I shake my head at my mom who's kind of smiling at Eli. It's because mom just has a soft spot for good looking boys. I look at Eli next and he's looking very pleased with himself. My dad's looking deep in thought like always. I roll my eyes at the three of them.

"So." I say, "Why did we need to talk?"

"Right." Dad says, "You know our anniversary is on Saturday right?"

"Yeah." I say, like I remembered all along. I was going to have to but them a gift. I was going to have to borrow their credit card to buy them a gift.

"So we booked a room at the Rose Inn for a night. But then we just got a call that we have this business conference on Saturday til Monday."

"Can't you just miss it?" I ask, wondering where this was going.

Mom shakes her head. "Oh sweetie." she says, "Of course not." She looks at the charms on her Pandora bracelet. Her newest one, a silver turtle, was what Dad bought her for their anniversary last year. Sometimes she can't stop touching it, I swear. "And the Inn doesn't do refunds." Mom says, without looking up.

"Yeah..." I say. So?

"That's why we're going let you go there instead." Dad continues, "You can bring a friend."

"You can bring Eli." Mom cocks her head and looks fondly at Eli. He ducks his head and blushes.

I'm excited and all but I have to focus really hard to stop myself from getting one of Mom's Diet Cokes from the kitchen just so I can spit it out. Instead, I make a strange gurgling noise in my throat. I'm not complaining, but why weren't my parents at least a little skeptical about their own idea?

I look at my parents with narrowed eyes. "Wait. Wait, wait." I hold up a finger, "You want me, and Eli, a boy that isn't my cousin, to go together to the hotel you guys were going to celebrate your anniversary at?"

"That's what they said, Rori." Eli grins at me and gives a subtle wink. My heart leaps. I force myself to look away from him and at my parents instead.

"Yes, Rori." Mom says, "We trust you." After everything, I couldn't help but wonder if they should. I do want my parents to trust me, but not blindly. Eli flashes a charming dimpled grin in my direction and I let myself smile back.

"OK." I tell my parents, "Thanks for that." I get up, grab Eli's hand and pull him toward the door not even waiting as he says good night to my parents over his shoulder. I walk with him to his truck.

"So. See you on Saturday?" Eli doesn't wait for my answer but pulls me by the waist and kisses me.

"I guess." I say after. I glance back at my house and then turn to Eli again. "It's weird though. How my parents are actually allowing this. Don't get me wrong though, I'm thrilled. But later they're going to wake up and realize what they've done, but it'll be too late. We'll have done it already."

There's a moment of silence for my poor choice of words. I feel myself blush at the word it. It didn't even mean it like that but now I can't bring myself to even look at Eli. When did I become so awkward? Eli chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. I look down at my feet. My dark red nail polish is chipped.

"It." He says, and laughs again. "Bye Rori."