The Career ✓

05

        GWEN

                  The next morning was Saturday, and my mom was out grocery shopping. I looked at the clock hanging loosely and dangerously on the wall. It was 2:50 already. Yesterday I'd promised to be at Allie's house by now. Sighing, I picked up my phone.

      "If my mom weren't out, I'd be there," I explained as soon as she picked up. "I'm really sorry. I'm watching my little brothers." I let out a small groan as I picked up a bra. Was that mine or my mother's? I couldn't tell.

    My brother skid past me, slipping on the slick wooden floors. "HEY, COME GET ME!" He called. Another one of my brothers slid past, too, and they resumed their game of tag.

     I eased into folding the laundry, expecting a response, but there was silence. "Ali?" 

  "Oh, oh, yeah, I'm here. Cole's here. Can you believe it? He's staying till Tuesday." 

"Lucky!"

"Right? Well, good luck, I guess." I heard her sigh. "I'm probably planning to draw, anyway, you'd be bored if I did that while you were here." 

       That didn't offend me at all because we both knew it was true. We said goodbye and I touched the "End Call" button. I sank onto the couch, losing my rhythm. I was tired of watching my brothers. Suddenly, I had a genius plan.

    If I managed to sneak out, hang at Allie's for a few, and sneak back, I'd test if it really worked. If so, we'd hatch a secret meeting every night at midnight. I could hang out with Alec more, too. I imagined his cutely ruffled hair and his laid back, content smile. I fell into a daydream which I quickly snapped out of at the sound of yelling.

     I snuck out the front door, leaving the clothes untouched on the couch and an open bag of cookies gently resting on the counter. I made it to the yard.

      I crossed the street. Allie's house was only a few minutes away. If I could make it there, then I'd be totally free. I imagined my brothers knocking on my door, getting no reply, and walking away after finding I wasn't at the couch. If they were feeling lazy, like usual, they wouldn't bother to even do that.

    I sighed as I knocked on the front door. The sound of footsteps made me freeze. I calculated their speed. It was definitely two people, wearing shoes... Cole Greene and Alec.

      The sound caused my tongue to go numb and my vision blurry. I blinked at the standing, waiting figures watching the door in front of me. As it opened, I heard them say hello and beckon me inside. I stammered a greeting and resumed my confused state.

    Allie rushed to the doorway, and then stopped. Carefully, she tip-toed over to me as the boys left, opening their game apps again and talking excitedly about the new island or whatever. I nodded at Ali. "That's me." 

     "Why are you here? How are you here? You specifically said you couldn't make it." Suddenly, she gasped. "Did you... sneak out?"    

       "Maybe." I giggled. "Let's arrange secret midnight meeting times right now, but my mom will be home in about 20 minutes at the least, so we'd better hurry." 

    "Oh!" We sprinted upstairs, made notes, and passed them.

 "It's been ten," Allie said, hugging me. "And you need to walk home anyway." She handed me a copy of the schedule, taping one to her wall, then taking it off. "Right, nobody can see it."  

      I nodded and obediently climbed off the bed and hurried out her door and back to my house. I thought Alec asked "Why so soon?" But Allie just shrugged him off and bounded into the living room to see what they were doing.