“Don’t forget to give Hadil and Allison my number, guys!” I yelled as they pulled away from the driveway.
“We won’t.” Tris yelled back, waving goodbye.
“Why are you insisting on talking to them?” Brad asked curiously as we got back inside.
“They were very nice to me, I thought I’d try to be friends with them.” I said, shrugging.
“Of course. Hey, what about we go into the pool?”
“It’s dark outside, Simpson.”
“So what? I’m not asking you to go to the pool because I wanna get tanned.”
“But the water must be cold…”
“I’ll keep you warm.” he said seductively, wrapping his arms around my waist. I laughed out loud and finally agreed to go with him.
Later that night, Megan finally arrived.
“Hello, auntie. Where have you been all day?” I kissed her cheek and she smiled.
“Hi, Heloise. I’ve been… out.”
“Are you blushing? Is that a lovebite on your neck?” my mouth slowly formed a well shocked “O” and she pushed me to the corner of the kitchen.
“Don’t. Tell. Bradley. Ok? He doesn’t need to know anything about it yet.”
“So you’ve been sneaking out with a guy? Who?”
“He’s called Daniel, he’s my age and he’s very, very handsome.” we both squealed and chuckled as she told me about her new-found love.
It was great to see such a genuine smile back on my aunt’s face.
*
2 weeks later
Finally, we were officialy not-grounded. If that’s even a word.
Well, for all the effects, we could finally get out of this damn house. I was laying on my bed, though, thinking about what I should do. Should I call my friends? Or just hang out by myself? Should I call Allison and Hadil? Alright, that was a good idea.
I grabbed the phone in my hands, but when I was about to dial the number Tris had given to me, Brad walked into the room.
“Hey there, Hell. Can I talk to you?” he asked, sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Of course-” my phone buzzed in my hands. “Wait, can I pick this up?”
“Sure. Who is it?”
“I don’t recognize this number.” I accepted the call and brought the phone closer to my ear, saying, “Hello?”
“Hi, Heloise!”
“Who is it?”
“It’s John.”
“John?” I repeated out loud, trying to catch the name in my memory. I watched confusedly as all of the color vanished from Bradley’s face.
John. Oh.
“Hi, John!” I exclaimed, trying to put a little bit of excitement into that. It was a miserable attempt.
“Seems like you’re not that happy to talk to me.” he laughed, sounding slightly embarrassed.
“Of course not! You’re imagining things.” I cleared my throat, feeling bad. "How did you get my number?"
