Off The Ice

Chapter 9

Mom calls Addie, Chels, and myself down for dinner at 7, like usual. Mila went back to her house shortly after we got home so Peyton is sitting in her regular seat.

Our table seats eight; three on one side, three on the other and the two head positions. My parents are weird and like sitting on one side together, I sit on one of the ends, and Peyton sits to my right on the other side. Addie and Chels go to the two empty chairs next to Peyton, like usual. I guess if Mila, Adeline, and Chelsea all come over at once we'll have to scoot down one.

"So what did you girls do today?" Mom asks, taking a bite of the homemade five-meat pizza on her plate. 

"We went to the mall." I say. Adeline and Chelsea share a look with each other and then both look at me.

"So is that what you were all screaming about a few hours ago upstairs? How much fun you had at the mall?" My dad jokingly accuses.

"Oh, that was nothing." I reply. Addie and Chels share another look before bursting out in laughter. "Shut up." I mumble, trying to wipe the embarrassed smile off of my face. 

"Okay, what did we miss?" Mom asks. 

"Nothing. They're just being retards."

"ERASE THE R-WORD!!!!" Peyton yells from her seat. "It's all over school, we're erasing the R-word. It's mean." She explains. 

"Thank you for the insight Peyton, but when I say the 'R-word' to describe these two, I mean it."

"Thanks love you too." Chelsea says sarcastically. 

"So is anyone going to elaborate on all of the screaming or...?" My dad proposes.

"Sutton has a date tomorrow." Addie spits out.

I shoot her a deadly glare and turn back to my shocked parents. "Oh please, it's not like I can' t get a boyfriend. And it's not a date. We made a deal, I lost, and now I have to hang out with him. I'm honoring my word, it's nothing really." I say, picking up the pepporoni's on my pizza and placing them in a different design.

"So who is this non-date with?" Dad asks.

"Is it that boy you were meeting at the party the other night? Troy, I think it was." Mom offers.

"Nope." Chelsea answers.

"It's with Haaaarrrryyyyyy." Addie taunts.  I swear I'm going to kill them.

"Harry? Really?" Mom asks, unsure of how she feels about it.

"What's wrong with Harry?" I defend, too quickly for comfort. 

"Nothing. He just doesn't seem like your type at all."

"Well all of you seem to like him so it's not like it's anything you disapprove of. And it's not even a date, I don't know why we're making this a big deal." I shrug, keeping my focus on my food in front of me.

"What and ever, you know you like him." Chelsea teases. 

"Okay, I'm fine with you two heckling me about this in my room but please not in front of my parents and my kid sister."

"I'm not a kid!" Peyton argues.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure. But you two," I say as I gesture to my friends, "keep your mouths shut until we are locked in the safety of my bedroom where no one can hear us."

"If it's not a big deal then why are you hiding it?" Peyton taunts.

"Oh my God, I'll finish in my room." I start to stand but the sound of mom's voice stops me.