A Harsh Reality | ✓

Chapter 26

Amanda

"Another party?" I asked, "Are you kidding me, Hailey?"

"You are coming with Riley, Pilar, Claire and me," she stated as she searched through her mess of a closet and ignored me, "It's tomorrow night, and I want you there even if you are not a single pringle at the moment." She paused and looked at me. "By the way, it's a frat party of one of my older friends." One day, Hailey had somehow ended in a conversation with a bunch of university guys after slamming into them in the mall, literally. They became friends in less than two minutes after apologizing. I had been introduced to them a few weeks ago. "It's at Cody's frat house."

"Cool, I like him," I said.

"I'll pick you up at eleven," Hailey informed me, "Katy's driving us, so no, I won't be driving." She paused. "Even though I think we're all going to be going to Pilar's house first and Katy will pick us up there."

"Thank god." Seriously, Hailey's driving is the worst I ever saw, I can't even explain it. My best friend took out her tongue at me as she tied her blond and rainbow hair into a high ponytail.

"What do you wanna do?" she asked, "I can call over some of the girls or we could go to the club?"

"Or we could go to Johnny's Place," I replied.

"That's better, let's go." Hailey grabbed a purple wool sweater from her bed and the keys to her car. "I'm driving!" That made me jump from off the chair I was sitting in.

"No, you're not!" I shouted as I threw myself on top of her. She dropped the sweater in the process as I almost tackled her to the ground. I ended up on her back, as if piggybacking, my hand stretched out to her keys as she put them out of my reach. "Give me the damn keys!"

"Leave me alone, you short monster!" she shouted back, struggling to get me off her back.

"What did you just call me?" I asked.

"I called you short, shortie," she replied and threw the keys out of her room and onto the stairs. I heard them tumble down the staircase and hit the floor below. I finally got off Hailey's back and ran for the stairs at the same time she did. We ran downstairs fighting and shouting as we pulled back one another. We hit the floor with a thud and I caught the keys. Hailey threw herself on top of me, making me breath out every molecule of air inside my body.

Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat. I stopped moving and so did Hailey as we looked up at my brother.

"What the heck are you two doing?" he asked.

"What the heck are you doing here?" I shot back. I took the chance to stand up, the keys with me. "Don't tell me you came to see-"

"Katy?" he said, "Yes, where is she?" He turned to Hailey who was as stunned as me.

"In the kitchen." She pointed the way. "She's studying."

"Thanks," he said and turned back to me, "Get back home safely." I nodded. When he was gone, Hailey and I looked at each other.

"Should we...?" she asked.

"Nope, let's pretend that never happened," I replied, "Now, where were we?" I paused and looked down at the keys in my hand. "Oh, right." And I ran out the door, Hailey behind me screaming as we raced to her car.

* & *

"Yeah, I'm going," Jack said as we walked down the street. He had his arm around my shoulders, my hand in the one that was hanging loosely from my neck.

"Don't worry, I have plans anyway," I replied. I looked down at our feet, his with vans and mine with converse. We were walking in sync, as if we were some kind of soldiers.