Almost Everyone || C.H.

Chapter 5

I got home after an excruciatingly long day at school. As always, everyone decided to be a bitch towards me. 

"Rorey, are you ready to?" Brooke called from the kitchen. I walked to the sound of her voice and nodded my head. She bolted up out of her seat, grabbed my hand, and dragged me out of the house to her car. I stepped to the passenger door, sat down, and reached for the AUX cord. Luck for me, Brooke doesn't mind my music. The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage by Panic! At The Disco came on and we both started jamming out. After about 10 songs, we reached the restaurant.

We sat down at our table and ordered our food. It was uneventful until Brooke leaned in close to me and told me the real reason she brought me here.

"Alright Rorey, I've gotta tell you something." I was trying my hardest to listen, but what she said went in one ear and out the other. Her mouth finished moving and she looked at me unexpectedly, waiting for my reaction.

"Um, sorry what did you say?" She rolled her eyes and made me feel like a complete idiot. That's why I didn't really like her that much. She was always better than me in every way and it's been eating away at me for the last 17 years of my life. The fact the she got a job meant that she would probably move out soon, so then maybe that whole problem will be gone.

"I said that I've been lying to everyone about my job. I..." Pasta hung in my mouth as it dropped open in Shock.

"Then what have you been doing during the day?"

"Going to the mall and hanging out with Josh." Josh was her secret boyfriend who worked at Starbucks and sometimes gave me free drinks. He was a pretty decent guy but it was obvious that he was going nowhere in life. I had no idea what to say next so I just let Brooke keep talking.

"Mom and Dad have no idea that I didn't get the job. That was supposed to be the plan after college but they hired someone over me. Their expectations were already so high for me I just didn't know how to tell them ya know? Like I have no idea what to do, you're the first person that I've told." I could see the tears forming in her eyes as she spoke. As happy as I was that I wouldn't be the black sheep anymore, it was hard to see her so sad. 

"Well you should probably tell them sooner than later. The longer you wait the harder it will be," I said as I shoveled more pasta into my mouth. She nodded in agreement and we finished our meal and paid the check. 

We sat in silence as we drove home. There was nothing I could say to her that would make her feel better right now. As we pulled into the drive way I squeezed her had and smiled. 

"Good luck," I said as I climbed out of the car and walked up the stairs and into the house.