Jingle Bells & Social Fails (LBSC #1.1) | Completed

Chapter 5

When I opened the door to the apartment, Zoey looked up from her book and frowned. "You're home early. Did everything go okay at the party?"

I kicked off my boots and struggled out of my coat, dropping it on the sofa. "No, it did not go okay," I spat out, stalking to my room.

I slammed my bedroom door and lay on my bed. Zoey opened the door and leaned against the wall next to the bed.

"What happened?" she asked.

"What didn't happen is a better question. It was a disaster!"

Zoey came and sat next to me on the bed. "So tell me about it."

"Well, you didn't answer your phone—"

Zoey frowned at me. "Reese, you knew I was working at the hospital this afternoon."

"You didn't answer your phone," I repeated in a louder voice. "So I bought tequila and margarita mix."

Zoey's eyes widened and she covered her mouth the way she did when she was trying to hide her smile. "You didn't."

"Strawberry."

That did it; Zoey burst out laughing. "Oh my God. Did you actually give it his parents?"

"Yes. And now his mom thinks I'm a hard partier who was brought up without any manners."

Zoey's laughter died away and she nudged me. "So you gave Javi's mom some liquor; she'll get over it."

"You know me, Zo—that's not all I did."

"Oh God. What else?"

I told Zoey about outing Uncle Diego to his wife, snapping at Abuela, and stupid Uncle Herman. She was rolling around on the bed, howling with laughter by the time I finished.

"God, Reese, how do you get yourself into these situations?" she asked between gasps for breath.

The corner of my mouth quirked up involuntarily. Reflecting on it from the comfort of my bed, the whole situation seemed straight out of a sitcom.

"I don't know," I said. "But I sure wish I did so I could avoid them. I can't face Javi's family again...not that he'd even want me to."

"Oh, stop it. You've done embarrassing stuff before. Remember that time you drunk-dialed Quinn?"

I dropped my head into my hands. "Don't remind me!"

Zoey patted my knee. "But you survived it. It's going to be okay. What was Javi's take on everything?"

I groaned and flopped backward. "I don't know," I whined. "I got so overwhelmed that I shut him out and I ran off."

Zoey stood up and shook her head maniacally. "Nope, we're not doing this whole ignore-Javi-for-days-and-let-Zoey-fix-it-thing again. You're going to call Javi and clear the air."

"I just can't talk to him right now, Zo." I climbed under my covers and snuggled my plush ALF doll.

A second later, the covers were pulled off, and I was exposed to the world. Zoey loomed above me.

"Don't make me get my whistle," she threatened. She placed my phone in my hand and started for the door. "Call him, text him, I don't care what you do. Just communicate."