ALISON ✔️

Chapter 20

Alison

Tired of skating, I sprawled to the floor breathing tirelessly, it was after school hours on a Thursday afternoon.

I was in the ice hall alone, that was after I tricked the guys into thinking I was going to the bathroom, for bodyguards they were pretty stupid.

Anyway, I hide because I didn't want to go home earlier and sulk over Mr. Hertz, who was away for a few days, we texted a few times, but it wasn't the same as being close to him.

He was a successful businessman, and achieving that kind of success came with a lot of responsibilities. I knew that much, so I wasn't asking him to stop working, I didn't want him away so often.

The irony though, I used to pray for ways to get away from him and moments later I was seating and begging for his attention.

Sighing, I pulled out my phone and texted him.

Me: Hi

He doesn't reply immediately, but when he does, I hear someone yelling for me.

I look up to see Dylan, running and yelling at me.

I quickly placed my phone away and sat up, he reached and settled beside me. "How did you know I was here?" I asked, surprised.

"Where else would you go? Besides, I have what I like to call Best Friend instinct." He winked.

I rolled my eyes with a scoff,

"I'd always know where to find you, even if you decide to run off without me one day."

"Shut up." I bumped his shoulder playfully and we laid back side by side, each of us not saying anything for a while,

I was tempted to take out my phone and check Mr. Hertz's response but I couldn't.

Dylan had a habit of poking his head into my screen, just so he would know who I was texting.

He was so weird!

"What are you kidding?" He caught on.

"What, I don't know what you're talking about." I denied it.

"You've been glancing at your phone, are you waiting for a call?"

"Actually, yes.. I ordered a dress and it was supposed to arrive today." It wasn't a lie, I did order a dress for the dinner party.

"You're been weird again, I want to know what's going on with you?"

I sighed,

"I've just been having these headaches, but it's nothing serious."

"Really? A headache, that's the best you could come up with."  I wanted to tell him the truth, but I couldn't, "You've always been so terrible at lying, I bet Mr. Grumpypants grounded you again."

Dear Lord, here he goes again.

"I'm 18, remember? That's by the way, How's your day?" I tried to get him to change the topic and I failed at that too.

"Move in with me." The last I wanted to do was get away from Mr. Hertz and I couldn't tell him that,

"I don't want to move out."

"What, that's all we've ever talked about, that's all you've ever wanted."

"Yeah, but I changed my mind. As you suggested, I got to talk it out with Mr. Hertz and he's not such a bad person. He truly cares about me and I misjudged him. So please refrain from cursing him."

He got up and gave me a doubting look,
"What's gotten into you, first you lie to me and now you're defending him." Oh, I created a monster.

"Yeah, Adulthood has made me see things more clearly, I'm no longer that deprecating and spoiled teenager, I've grown up."

"You've been an adult for five minutes. Quit changing the subject."

I snapped, "I don't know what you want from me, Dylan. I have changed, that's life, so what, deal with it."

"Wow..." He exclaimed in surprise and then jumped to his feet,

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to say to you."

He extended a hand to me, "Let's get you home, Ali. If we keep talking, I might develop the urge to go confront him and we both know how that ended the last time."

I nodded and took his hand, he pulled me off the floor.

"Let's go get ice cream first. I'm craving that new strawberry flavor."

"Aren't you too old for that?" He teased as we made our way out.

"One can never be too old for ice cream."

He smiled at me.

We stepped out of the rink and just as we spurred out the exit I came faced with someone familiar.

Two familiar faces, actually.

"You've got to be kidding?" I sighed

Sam and Jason were just standing outside the rink like some thugs, they had the car waiting for me and everything.

"Alison, get in the car." Jason ordered and Sam opened the backseat.

They tried to look furious, I assumed they would be used to me.

"Ali..." Dylan reached and hugged me, whispering some mischief in my ear, "Let's run for it."

I pulled away with a head shake,

"I'm just going to go home. I'll text you." I told him and got in the car with the boys.

Mr. Hertz was probably edgy about me, and I didn't want to give him any more reasons to worry.

I was finally growing out of my rebellious phase.

"Next time would at least keep your phone on." Jason cautioned me.

"Why would I do that? It's so obvious." I bet they didn't know I had a secret phone, "What you never played hide and seek?"

"No." He answered and Sam snort laughed, "I mean, I was an only child, and I didn't-"

"Stop talking, man." Sam cut in.

Sighing,

I leaned back with my music plugs and waited for us to arrive, the distance wasn't so far, so we arrived shortly.

I got out of the car and hurried inside to hide out in my room, "Alison, hold on." Henna caught me on the way.

I was halfway through the stairs, I turned to her with a sigh and a what-now look,

"There is a package that came in this morning for you, I left it in your room."

"Thanks." I said and hurried up to my room, my beautiful package was just sitting on the bed. I dropped everything and went to unravel it.

In the box were a red dress and some accessories to match it for the party. I had a designer I met online make it, especially for me, I had a lot to prove.