Let It Ride (Hell's Tribe MC Series) [Book 3]

Chapter 2: Good Girl

Song for this chapter: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun By: Cyndi Lauper and Son of A Preacher Man By: Dusty Springfeild

~Val~

June 6th, 1989

I was startled awake by the sound of a loud pounding. I wasn't sure if it just my headache setting in from the night before thanks to all the beer I'd had, or if someone was banging on my door. When I heard the annoying noise of my mother's voice on the other side of my bedroom door, I knew it wasn't just a headache.

"Valerie Joy Mynett!" she called. "It's nearly ten and Pastor Evans is expecting you to lead the choir since Anna-Beth is sick."

I groaned, wanting so desperately to forget that detail. There was nothing I wanted to do less than go to church when I was hungover to hell and sing worship songs for the whole congregation.

"Val!" My mother yelled again. "Are you awake?"

Maybe I shouldn't have taken Mick up on that second beer—or the third or the fourth either, but I couldn't help it. It wasn't every day I had a dreamy looking older boy treating me to drinks, and it wasn't like I could very well go and by my own any time I wanted. Tooele was too small for that kind of thing—everyone knew I was just a senior.

"I'm awake," I mumbled, adding an extra strain to my voice.

I forced myself to stand on my wobbly feet and struggled not to run to the bathroom and hurl as I unlocked my bedroom door.

My mother's face dropped when she saw the condition I was in.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, placing her hand on my forehead to see if I had a temperature.

I just so happened to have the perfect cover for faking sick.

While I had originally told my parents I was having a sleepover at Jodi's with some the other girls to celebrate school being out, Jodi wanted to go back to Bear's place and fool around. I had snuck in just past midnight and left a note telling my parents I had come home early because I wasn't feeling well.

I sighed. "I don't know, mom. I started feeling faintish at Jodi's and then I thought I might be sick so I decided to come home. You and dad were already sleeping by the time I came in so I didn't wanna wake you," I lied.

My mother frowned, holding her hands together. She was already dressed for church in one of her best outfits and her hair was perfectly pinned back to frame her blue eyes. Nearly everyone told us how much we looked alike—but I didn't see it. As far as I was concerned, we were polar opposites in every way.

"You don't think its the flu or anything do you? You start summer school just next week."

I shrugged. "I hope not. But maybe I should stay back and rest today?" I suggested, crossing my fingers behind my back.

My mother's face was sympathetic as she nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, honey. You get in bed and I'll bring you up some tea before we leave."

I smiled, tucking myself back into bed as she pulled the covers back over me and blew me a kiss from the door before she closed it behind her.

I had gotten too good at this manipulating your parents' thing.

She didn't have even the slightest clue that Jodi had convinced me to go on a double date with two older boys in the city and to a rock concert no less. She would have practically died if she knew the truth, and if she knew that I had been drinking last night too. Thankfully, I had become a pro at masking the stench of alcohol with half a pack of Altoids and the tiny bottle of mouthwash that I had learned to keep in my purse at all times.