B*tches with Stiches: Book One

33 Stanley's Off to College

After being grounded for three weeks but Dad never did know we just lied and said that I was in trouble for smoking pot with Cas and Stanley. Stanley wasn't allowed to bring Cas over for the next month and a half because of it, but Cas got it he was good at lying to his parents. Anyway, after being grounded for what felt like forever Stanley had finally decided what he was gonna do with his life and you'd never believe it even if I told you: he was going to California with Cas to find himself. I actually thought it was an excuse to party and fuck all the women he wanted without parental consent which I suppose was a bonus. "Well I'm all packed up at least for awhile. I'll probably have to come back with a moving truck for the bed and shit but I'm just glad I know what I'm doing with my life." I kinda laugh at that. Stanley? Winston Jansen? Knowing what he's doing with his life finally? "I give it three days and you'll come crying back to mommy and daddy." Stanley sarcastically chuckles. "You would. Well Cas is waiting for me also if you touch my motorcycle while I'm gone, a scratch, a ride anything I'm gonna fuck your world up." I just shrug as he hugs me goodbye and subtly kisses my forehead. "Awkward." I mumble, "Yea tell me about it. Later, Moll's." Stanley adds as Cas honks his horn and yells out the window, "Dude, we got things to do!" I wave as they head out down the street.

It wouldnt be the last time I'd see him just the first time he ever really went off on his own since he graduated two years ago. Now that the house was almost empty, my friends were gone, Cas was even gone to look for work since he had an apartment already... I was on my own in life now. I made my way to the living room and lay down on the couch thinking about all the things a year had done to me; all the new things that could happen in the next year and then the dreaded event of my 17th birthday. Usually my parents made a big deal about it but this year I didn't want anything significant I just wanted a chance to pay my respects to Grandmother, I wanted to go to Ontario. I had already said farewell to my friends, to Stanley even but now all that was left was to find out the real reason of how she died.

Mom caught me in and out of sleep on the couch that evening with the January air being crisp and freezing outdoors but anything but bothersome inside. "Molly?" Dad says leaning on the couch watching me feel sorry for myself. "What's up, Pops?" I asks. "We went over this I'm not old, Moll's. I just couldn't help but notice you've been lazing around more than usual, what's wrong?" Dad asks moving me over a little bit to sit down. I sit up making room, "Nothing just been thinking about some stuff... Stanley, my friends... Grandmother. Whatever happened to her anyway?"
"Well honestly, I wasn't supposed to ever tell you, I think it would be easier if you'd ask your mom." He implies. I just nod before mentioning, "You know my birthday is coming up in two months?" The dad sigh, the good old dad sigh. "Yes Molly, I'm aware of that. Have you been thinking of what you want lately? Is it a small get together? A bounce house?" Dad suggest I can tell he's just trying to be too nice since I had got grounded after all I was his only daughter. "No, if I'm really honest what I want for my birthday all I want is... To go visit Grandmother." I say quickly. Dad looks down at his feet then up at me then down again as if searching for something to say but isn't sure how to put it. "I'll have to talk to Mom about it, but I think we can work something out. She isn't gonna be too excited about the idea you know it was her mom and all her sisters are gonna want to visit with us... Caroline, Tessa, Aubrey. Just there's a lot of planning to do and you'd have to miss school for a few days to a week I'll try to talk her into it." Dad adds kissing me on the head