CHAPTER TWO
I groan in annoyance as the clasp on my shoe refuses to fasten.
"Stupid shoe." I mutter, as it finally clicks shut. Then I stand up and flatten my ruffled dress. It's a metallic silver color that goes just past my butt and tightens around me like a second skin. Josh should like this. I promised him I'd wear something intimate.
I check myself in the mirror and immediately discover many flaws. My mascara has already bunched up and my eyeliner is smudged. My blush is faded and my bangs have already come loose and are toppling over my forehead. One fingernail is broken, and there's still something stuck in my tooth. I moan to myself. I need to look my absolute best at Kelly's party tonight. What does it take to look perfect?
I'm just applying a layer of blush when I hear a sneeze at my door. I narrow my eyes in annoyance. Of course she's spying on me. I curse quietly, then throw open my bedroom door to find Cindy sprawled on the wall across from me, her blonde curls bouncing in surprise.
"What the heck are you doing?" I yell at her. "You know you aren't allowed to snoop around my room!"
"Are you going to a party?" She asks, nosily, taking in my attire.
"Why do you care?"
"Dad doesn't want you going to any parties tonight."
I'm tempted to throw my purse at her. Or better yet, a chair from my bedroom. But instead, I lean in and set one hand on either side of the wall to trap her and incline my head inches from hers.
"Whatever I do is my business and my business alone. You are not going to go squeal to Nate about anything I'm doing or you're going to regret it. Now get the hell away from me before I make you!"
"Dad doesn't like you cussing."
"GO!"
She jumps and puts her hands to her face and I huff at her one more time before shoving myself from the wall, glaring at her one last time, and heading down the stairs quietly, tip-toeing out the back door unnoticed.
The things Nate would do to me if he knew I was sneaking out. Ground me for a month probably. He doesn't like me going to parties on a school night. Plus, he doesn't approve of my friends, especially after Jake, one of Josh's friends, got caught for underage drinking, which we all do. So I'm done if he finds me sneaking out for the 10th time. I wish he would just lay off my life, like how my Mom normally did, before she remarried and went off to Afghanistan to fight bad guys. I wish he would stop acting like my father, because he's not. And he never will be. He's just another person in my life I have to put up with. My revulsion toward him is very strong. I don't like that he replaced my dad, and we've never seen eye to eye. And when we got in that fight a year ago...well, I've taken my hatred to a whole new level.
Kelly's house is a walking distance from mine, so it doesn't take long for me to reach it. I hear music booming and people shouting and laughing, and I know I'm there.
I'm in for a wild night.
Teenagers howl and greet me at the door as I step inside. I know everyone there, and I smile and slap palms with them. People comment on my outfit and I can't stop the faint rush of color creeping onto my cheeks. Modesty.
I finally find my group at the counter, and they all whoop and hug me, excitedly. They all look great. Marissa has a light blue sparkling party dress. Sam has her short hair in a bun. Izzy and Haley have matching purple dresses and Kelly has a full length red dress with a ruffle and a gold chain around her neck.
"Hey, Girl!" She exclaims, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "We didn't think you would be able to sneak out tonight."
"As if I'd miss your party. Besides, Nate always works at his computer at this time and I kept my sister quiet, so it wasn't hard."
