Pay the Price

Chapter Eight: Real Fun?

Me: Do you wanna hang out today?

It was Friday after school and I was bored out of my mind. Zoya was going up to her cottage so I couldn't text her. Karen was my last hope.

Karen: Sorry, I can't. I have plans.

I sighed and shut off my phone as the door rang. I hurried up to get it because Mom was at the hospital, Mack was at a friend's, and Dad was taking a trip up to Westmoor to get to know the people at the dealership that he was going to work with.

"Tony?" I asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

He stepped inside. "Well, I was hoping I could show you a little bit about having fun." There was the famous smirk.

"What do you mean?" I handed him a bag of chips. "I know how to have fun!"

Tony popped them open. "Real fun." He teased. "Come on. We're going."

"Where?" I questioned with my hands on my hips.

"Out."

-

"The hockey rink?" I asked, standing on the top of the town arena. "Why do you have water balloons?" I think I knew where this was going.

"I don't." He answered. "They're paint balloons, and I think you know what were doing with them." He grinned, ducking by the side of the ledge.

I sighed. "Tony, I can't do this, I might get in trouble." Some people think the popular girls don't care about getting in trouble and being "bad," but personally, I hate it. It makes you feel all queasy inside.

Tony stared down to where people were coming out after a ball hockey game. "It's okay. Soon people won't know who you are, you know, since you're moving."

I snapped my head towards him. "How did you-"

"News travels fast, especially when you tell it to Siena." He dropped one of the blue balloons down the side of the building. It landed on the top of a man's bald head.

He shouted before looking up and I had to duck. When everyone stopped looking and continued on their way I laughed. "Hey, that was kind of fun."

-

We walked past The Diner. The place I had went with Jack. Tony noticed me tense and stopped. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing... I just, it was where I went with Jack. He only wanted to be with me because of my dad, and he was actually dating Blair."

"Oh." Tony said. We continued walking by. I stopped when Tony stopped. "Hey, isn't that..."

Tony bolted into the diner. "Lane?"

I ran behind. "Karen?"

The two were at a table in the window with plates of food in front. They both glanced at each other. "Is this a... date?" I asked.

Karen broke first. "Please, please, please don't tell anyone! We wanted to keep it secret for a while."

Tony looked at the quarterback. "Well, how long has it been?" He leaned on the table.

Lane sighed. "Since that party. Sorry we didn't tell you guys." He fiddled with a fork.

"Well," I piped. "I think it's adorable, and you two shouldn't hide it!"

Karen eyed the both of us. "What about you two? A date?" She wiggled her eye brows.

"Ha!" I laughed. "No, he, well... we- it's hard to explain." I could tell my face was burning up. Why did that embarrass me?

-

It was now Sunday and I had spent almost the whole weekend with Tony. Karen and Lane had spent most of their time together, too. I still thought they were so cute!

Yesterday, I had shown Tony my kind of fun and took him to a cheer leading competition. The only reason Tony had stayed awake was because there were dozens of girls with mini skirts and crop tops on.

The sound of someone in my basement bathroom awoke me. Someone was throwing up. Probably Mack from that old lobster he ate last night.

"Mom?" Leslie was bent over the toilet throwing up her guts. She looked exhausted. I grabbed a towel and soaked it with cold water. "Here, put this on your head."

She sat back and sighed painfully. "I don't know what happened. I was up last night sweating and aching and I didn't want to wake your father so I-"

"Woke me instead." I chuckled. "Mom, don't talk, it's alright. You probably just had something bad or caught it from a patient." I held the towel for her. "Let's try to get you up."

I helped her stand, after banging her arm on the toilet seat. I stared in surprise as a bruise had already started to form.

We got upstairs and I laid Mom down on the couch. Dad must've heard something because he was in the kitchen making a coffee.

"What happened?"

I left Mom to explain and went back down to sleep.

-

School again, and I had no cheer team to go to for practice. I still can't believe Siena kicked me off. We're co captains, aren't we? She can't do that! Whatever, now she won't get my help.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" I heard chanting from somewhere on the front lawn. I raced to see Easton on top of someone by the cafeteria window.

Easton was definitely winning against whoever was under him. "She kissed me first!" He growled.

Now I was intrigued.

The other person rolled over and was now on top. It was Jack. "Blair's my girlfriend! How dare you kiss her." He spat.

I looked around for Blair, who should be stopping this fight. Instead, she was bragging to a group of girls how two of the most popular guys were fighting over her.

Easton gave Jack one last punch, giving him a bloody nose, and stood. Jack slouched off holding his nose and Blair skipped over to Easton. She kissed him on the cheek.

Surprisingly, Easton shoved her away. "I don't like you. You kissed me, honey."

Blair gaped at him as he walked toward the school.

-

I screamed when I opened the door to the house. Mom was unconscious on the floor. The phone rang as I dialled 9-1-1. They picked up soon and I yelled. "Please, come quick!"

....

So, I hope that was alright. The chapter was a bit choppy, but if I hadn't have don't that it would've been way too long! Thanks again guys!