My Bad Boy's Diary

~Forty-Four~ pretty little liar

I put on my trendiest pair of new skinny jeans with my Nikes since I didn't know exactly what we were doing. Comfy shoes were a must in my book.

To jazz it up, I wore my one and only crop top. It was gray with magenta stripes and had long sleeves. My tummy was worth displaying, if I did say so myself; I had a cute belly button even if it wasn't pierced.

I felt like I had to suck in all the time, but I pretty much did anyway. I pulled a black hoodie on over that and zipped it up so my mom and Mitch wouldn't see my crop top.

I touched up my makeup, darkening my eyeshadow so that my eyes were smoky and I painted my full lips a dark plum color that was really back this season, plus looked amazing with my skin tone.

I curled my hair and then shook it out so that it hung in loose, sleek waves down my back. My roots were starting to get curly again, I noticed, and soon I'd have to go back to the salon if I wanted my hair to stay manageable.

Cinderella's time was almost up.

When I'd spritzed myself down with perfume, I went to face my mother.

###

I fed my mom my own version of Carmella's lie.

"We got assigned to the same project in History and she invited me over to her house to study. I think it'd be a great chance to have an excuse to hang out, you know, because it's still kind of new? Us hanging out again?"

My mom sighed and nodded, thinking it over as she diced bell peppers for dinner. "Well, how long will you be gone, do you think?"

I shrugged. "Well, it's Friday, so whenever her mom tells her to go to bed, I guess. Probably by 11?"

My mom didn't like it, I could tell; she knew something was fishy. She eyed me as I stood there with my hands in the pockets of my hoodie.

"You look nice." She said suspiciously. "You smell nice, too."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Mom, I decided to stop crawling in dumpsters so often. So I wanna look nice around Carmella, so sue me. I know it's petty, but have you seen her wardrobe?!"

Martha snorted and took a sip of her wine. She'd gone to high school with a few Carmellas in her day, I was sure.

"Well, her parents might spoil her with money, but I think that girl has tacky taste right now. I'm glad you don't wear crop tops and mini skirts." She eyed me again and I smiled innocently, just praying she wouldn't demand I show her what I had on under the hoodie.

"Well, let me talk to Mitch about it."

I stifled my groan because I really did wanna go hang out with Cole. It always bugged me when my mom insisted on consulting Mitch about my every move like he was my real dad or something.

Mitch liked the idea even less than my mom, but my mom vouched for me, bless her.

"You didn't see them when they were little." Alicia said, cutting off Mitch's objections. "Oh, they were just so darling together! They were attached at the hip. They even dressed alike!" She started pulling out photo albums then and I knew that Mitch saw defeat in that moment.

Soon she was on the couch, crying into a tissue as she got lost in nostalgia.

I was too amused by how uncomfortable Mitch was to even mind it, myself.

I left with Carmella and Cole a few minutes later. I even got my phone back so that I could check-in regularly with my mom.

Ahhh, sweet freedom.

###

We went to her mansion in the East Hills and the chatter was easy as she drove like a crazy person.

I put my seatbelt on and prayed.

She didn't have the nickname of Cruella for nothing.

We arrived in one piece somehow and I followed them inside the sprawling mansion, complete with an indoor and outdoor pool.

I hadn't been here in so long. It was where she lived with her mom for the most part. Technically it was her father's house, but her mother had gotten it in the divorce.

No one was home except some cleaning staff and I gave them polite smiles, but they didn't even look at me. I trailed after Cole and Carmella as she flounced her way into the kitchen.

"Okay, booze. Cole was a sweetheart and already ran to the liquor store for me." Carmella said, turning back from the fridge with two bottles by the neck. She set them on the counter and smiled wickedly at me. "Tequila okay?"

"S-sure!" I stuttered. "I just can't get too drunk or my mom will seriously send me away to boarding school, though." I warned them both.

Cole smirked down at me, leaning against the counter. "You'd look hot in one of those little uniforms, at least. Sounds like you could use some fun."

I blushed and looked down at the neon toes of my sneakers.

"Well, we also have rum and vodka, gin and...beer! Oh, and some of my dad's whiskey. Gross."

"I'll take it!" Cole said, grabbing it and knocking back some straight out of the bottle.

It made me almost gag to watch.

"Speaking of looking hot," Carmella said, leaning over the island counter at me. "You're looking a little...demure. Wanna borrow somethin' from my closet, hun?"

I grinned and unzipped my hoodie, sliding it down my arms dramatically to reveal the crop top underneath.

Cole arced his eyebrows and whistled, long and low.

Carmella wasn't as convinced. She was wearing a silver mini dress that shimmered with her every movement and black hooker boots that went all the way up her long thighs. Her dress barely covered her crotch, just to clarify.

"Cute." She said, loading the bottles into a cooler of ice. "But if you change your mind, I do have two walk-in closets, just sayin'."

I rolled my eyes at Cole and he grinned at me in a conspiratorial fashion.

"I think you look amazing just the way you are." He told me in a low voice when Carmella had turned away.

I glowed like a sucker under the praise and that warm smile of his. When he offered to make me a cocktail that he promised I would like, I agreed.

"What kind of drinks do you like?" He asked me, ambling around the kitchen to find glasses and an ice shaker.

"Uhm, I like root beer?" I said, sitting down on a swivel stool.

Carmella snorted. "She doesn't drink much, hun, don't make her drinks too strong."

I puffed up at this. I mean, it was true; I had only been drunk a couple times, usually off beer or cheap wine, though, not hard liquor. But still!

Cole chuckled. "You're too cute, Brooklyn. How 'bout a rum and root beer then?"

"Mmmm, sounds good to me! Make it a double." I sent Carmella a challenging glance.

Cole smiled and dumped another shot of rum in my glass. "My kinda girl." He said, and we toasted each other.

*~*~*~*

Heehee, *Vote if you think Brooklyn deserves some fun! *Comment if you think she's getting in trouble and tell me why :D

Happy June everybody! And, as always, HAPPY READING, MINIONS!

HRH