Lie Until You Laugh

26- Girl Fights

I do not want Tuesday to happen. Even as I get up and dressed on Tuesday morning, I still wish that it actually isn’t happening. Maybe I can just go back to bed. Nobody will miss me in practice, I’m sure. I know that’s a lie though, because Penn and Stella would both notice my absence and I can’t just skip practice.

It’s still almost painful for me as I walk with Stella and Mason towards the studio. It almost physically hurts my chest because I don’t want Tuesday to happen. I don’t want to talk to Penn. I don’t want to deal with Anthony or Gianna at all. I just wish I could skip today and go straight to Wednesday without dealing with either one of my problems.

I mean, last night, Penn and I parted on good terms after I’d finished crying and he kissed me goodnight, but I still don’t know how I’m going to face him since he knows about my dad. I know that he said that he pretty much already assumed it before my uncle said anything about it, but now that his suspicions are confirmed, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to even be in the same room as him.

“How’d dinner go last night?” Mason wonders as we enter the studio and sit in the back of the room. We have ten more minutes until practice actually starts and Penn isn’t in the room yet.

“It was okay,” I supply vaguely with a shrug. “A little bit awkward, I guess, but Chase likes Penn now, so that’s good.”

“You don’t sound too happy about that,” Stella observes. “Why are you so down in the dumps if dinner went well?”

I sigh loudly and start to fidget with my fingers. “My uncle just has a big mouth is all.”

“Okay then,” Stella says, obviously able to tell that I don’t want to talk about it, which is nice of her and fortunate for me. “Did you see his abs yet?”

“No,” I laugh with a shake of my head. “I haven’t.”

“We’ll be the first ones to know when you do, yes?” She insists. “Take pictures if you can.”

I laugh again and I appreciate the fact that she can make me laugh even though I’m in a pretty bad mood right now. “I’ll see what I can do, Stell.”

“Is Anthony coming over here?” Brian wonders randomly, looking behind me at something. I turn around and so does Mason because we’re both facing the opposite direction as Brian and see that he’s right- Anthony is coming over here and he looks annoyed.

That’s just great.

When he arrives at where we’re sitting on the floor, he creepily smiles down at me. “Good morning.”

“If you’re here to talk to me, then please just go away because I am not in the mood for this,” I tell him bluntly, taking my phone out and seeing no new messages or missed calls. I’m becoming a little bit concerned that Jo hasn’t called me in a while, but I can only think that it’s because nothing too terrible has happened in the house. However, as more time goes by, a feeling in the pit of my stomach is starting to say that’s not the case.

“I’m just here to remind you about tonight- Gianna is expecting you right after practice,” Anthony says.

“Well then she’s going to be very disappointed when I don’t show up,” I mutter. “Because I don’t really care about what she has to say either.”

“I’ll tell her that you said so,” He pipes before turning back around and going over to where Ada and Darren are standing on the other side of the room.

“What on earth makes her think that you’d even consider meeting her somewhere at all?” Mason wonders with incredulity. “That’s seriously ridiculous of her.”