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Chapter 7: Sweet Ride

Chapter 7: Sweet Ride

"You are not going."

"Yes, I am."

"No way, Aqueela! Last time you went to a party you ended up asleep in the alley with a bunch of cats. No one knew where you were. You were almost arrested for vandalism," Bell reminds me of my previous encounters with teenage parties and cops.

I still don't know how that happened.

"Good times," I smile to myself nostalgically as I reminisce on the good ol' days. "But yes, I will be attending," I clarify in determination.

"No, you will not!"

"Yes, I will," I reply back in a sing-song voice, annoying her.

"You get all double double-u on me - weird and wild. I am putting my foot down. You are not going to that party," Bell commands bossily.

"I am."

"Are not!"

"Are too!" I insist, batting my eyelashes at her innocently with the double p's intact - pouting and puppy-eyed. Both are effective when it comes to Bells.

"Are not!" she continues on, adamant.

"Watch me," I challenge.

Aren't friends supposed to be the bad influence on you? They're supposed to force you to go, not force you to stay away. My world is flipped upside down.

"I forbid you."

"Excuse me?" I laugh aloud in disbelief. "You forbid me? What are you? My mother?"

"Don't make me bring up the 'Bequeela Code'," she warns.

"You either allow me to go and 'unforbid' me, or you can hold your arms up wide open, ready to embrace and welcome another week of my rainbow hat worn in public," I threaten, crossing the limits.

Her eyes widen as she gasps and places a hand over her mouth, "You would not dare! That was the worst week of my entire life!"

I cock my head to the side daringly, "Try me."

"Fine!" she yells, exasperated. "You can go, but first we need some ground rules. 'Party hard' and 'yolo' are sayings that are not directed at you...at all...ever...never ever...in fact never in a bill-"

"Get to the point!" I interrupt, impatient.

"Cautious and careful, double c's, are all directed at you, m'kay?" she raises her eyebrows at me, placing her hands on her hips.

I nod to confirm that I agreed with her request.

A loud sigh is heard from behind us as a result of our ongoing debate. 

Mason throws his head back on the couch and stares up at the ceiling, hopelessly muttering curses under his breath. 

"What's wrong, Babe?" Bells voices her concern.

"What are double c's, p's, and w's? You guys are so strange," he sighs, frustrated. 

"Says you!" I stick my tongue out at him.

"And everybody else on the planet," he rolls his eyes at me, expressing his irritation. He then addresses his girlfriend, "Why don't you just let the loser do whatever the hell she wants? She isn't a kid, even though she acts like one."

"Even though she acts like one," I mimic Mason's voice in a high-pitched tone before losing my temper. "Shut up, Demon! I almost forgot you were here for the past hour."