for, liar

Chapter 4

"Please call or text me later when you get back to Maddy's house. Just to let me know you're okay." Mom practically begs while slyly keeping me at the door for as long as possible.

"I will, mom. I'll be back tomorrow around noon before my shift."

She hugs me once more and I am finally able to escape the overbearing protectiveness. Dinner didn't go as bad as I thought it would. I guess my parents feel guilty for ruining the last get-together we had that they promised to act like mature adults this time around.

Mom shuts the door behind me as I jog down the driveway to Maddy's car. She reaches over the passenger seat and pushes the door open for me. I hop in and set my night bag in the backseat before snapping the seatbelt into place and shutting the door.

"Holyyyyy shit, this party is about to be insane." She exclaims and grins.

I've never been against going to college parties, they just aren't really my scene. I mainly go for the free food and the nice little distraction away from schoolwork because I know if I was stuck in my dorm all night, I'd dwell over the fact that I should either be studying or going out with my friends.

"We are going to be on our best behavior tonight. I have to work at 2." I remind her.

"And I don't work at all tomorrow, so that's queue for me to get fu-"

"You're not making me D.D. are you?" I interrupt.

It wouldn't be a new occurrence that I would have to be the designated driver. Maddy cackles and backs up into the road. She checks her mirrors for a second to make sure she didn't just cut someone off. She always struggles with checking her blind spots.

"Hell no. I got us a personal ride from a good friend."

I don't really trust where she's going with this but I promised her I would try harder to not question her motives. She's only steered me wrong a few times. Maybe more than a few but Maddy also told me to stop counting every time she makes a mistake involving the both of us. I don't know why she thinks I'm too judgmental.

"We just need to run by the store real quick." She murmurs low, but not low enough that I can't hear her. It still sounded suspicious.

"Uh, for what? Is Ben too stuck in his own ass to provide alcohol for a party he's throwing at his place?"

Maddy ignores my irritable comment and pulls into the Food Lion parking lot. She somehow manages to always find a spot right in front of the door when I can't even find one in the first four rows.

"I'm not getting alcohol."

I was hoping that would give her a hint to just tell me what she is getting. She's totally not budging this time and it makes me a little concerned.

"Mads, you have your sneaky look plastered all over your face. What's going on?"

She unbuckles her seatbelt and climbs out of the car.

"I'll be right back!"

Maddy takes off inside leaving me all to my lonesome in the car. She didn't even ask if I wanted to go inside, which is even more confusing. I huff and lean my head back, switching off the air conditioner since she doesn't mind freezing me to death. What could she possibly be looking for? If it's another pregnancy scare, she would tell me. She tells me everything. At least I thought she did.

A few minutes later, she comes back out and climbs into her seat. She sets a couple trays of cookies onto my lap and cranks the car. There's no way cookies were the damn secret. I stare at her for a second while she buckles up and I notice a small plastic bag sticking out of her jean pocket. I could confront her now and question why she's hiding something from me, but I decided against it. If it truly was important, she would tell me. She doesn't owe me any explanation anyway, it would just be nice if she did.

The sun had already started to set on our way up to Ben's house. I haven't seen it in four years and I wonder how much has changed. How much he has changed. I wonder if he's going to try to talk to me or ignore me completely. There's going to be too much going on in that house for him to actually want to make time for me, his depressed ex girlfriend who went M.I.A. when he broke it off. I shouldn't be up in my own head about it. I'm over it and I'm sure he is too. 

Maybe graduating from college would make him realize that he was being a heartless coward and he'd want to apologize. Our entire relationship he wouldn't apologize for anything. He never owned up to his shit and refused to admit when he was wrong. It got to the point where our arguing was just me constantly yelling at him to just be honest without forcing an apology out of him. We got nowhere and that's why I completely understand and thank fate for why we didn't last. I'd rather not have to be tied down by some guy while working my way up in a career I've barely even started yet.

"Damn, where do I even park?"

Hell froze over because Maddy hasn't been able to find a spot up front. The entire driveway and front curb of the house was packed with cars. I was worried we were going to be too early and I would have no choice but to interact with Ben as soon as we walked in the door. Fortunately enough, this means we can sneak in unnoticed and I can avoid him entirely. For how long is the real concern.

Maddy is able to find a spot slightly down the road, closer to the entrance of the neighborhood. I'm thankful, yet again, that I chose to never wear heels to any public event while Maddy has to slide them off to walk a few yards to the house. Ben's family owns the largest house in the neighborhood, to boast and make their wealth known. It was uncomfortable having to put on a show for his parents' friends when we would get invited to parties at his dad's country club. I was never the type of girl Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham wanted their son to date, but they still tried their best to put on a smile and charm whenever I was around. Kind of reminds me of my stepmother.

"Do you think Justin will show up?" Maddy interrupts my thoughts as we approach the front porch.

"I don't know. Do you want him to? I thought you guys weren't talking anymore."

She shrugs it off and pushes the door open. "I'm reconsidering."

Of course she is.

The bass of the current song blaring through the living room hits me like a damn semi-truck. Ben is lucky his house is kind of isolated from everyone else's because the cops would be on his ass in a heartbeat.

Maddy grabs my arm and tugs me through the doorway. It's already way too crowded to make out if anyone I know is here. We push our way through heaps of people to get to the kitchen. Mrs. Cunningham always had her kitchen in the best shape. It was spotless anytime Ben and I would cook together and she offered to clean it when we were finished because she always liked everything in a certain order if anyone had the audacity to screw it up. She had a large glass case full of antique pottery she would find in the countries she forced her husband to take her to.

I always wondered what it would be like to own such expensive things just to display them in my fancy home. I never desired Ben's family for their money. I noticed how different of a lifestyle they had, it would just never be a choice of mine to want a man for his money.

Maddy grabs two cups off the counter and fills them halfway up with whatever beer is closest to her. She hands one to me and leans against the marble countertop.

"I'm not drinking until you promise me 100% that we have a ride home tonight. I am not spending the night here."

She laughs and lifts her cup in the air towards mine.

"I promise. Now cheers."

:Revised