California

Chapter Eleven

The following days at Clareview High went by pretty fast. A few classes took some getting used to (Ms. Willow's, for instance), but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I had a grip on my new life, which is the exact opposite of what I had first imagined when dad broke me the news. I had gotten used to biking downtown to run errands such as groceries and getting my mom the newest best-seller in the only bookstore we had nearby. After so many days of warm, pristine weather I had decided that I liked both rain and sun alike and I wasn't going to pick a favorite. People were funny. They always did this thing in which you have to pick one or the other: hot or cold, black or white, movie or book, country or city. I always thought that I'd be happier if instead of choosing one over the other, I simply enjoyed both. I'd have double the fun. That's why I was enjoying the warmth so much and also why I longed for my daily bike rides to town.

Dad announced over dinner on Friday night that all arrangements for the new brach he'd open in California has been wrapped up. That meant we'd be seen a lot less of him in the coming weeks as he'd be swamped trying to get things on the right track. Mom told him she was very proud and we both offered him our support. Dad had a history of letting the firm get the best of him sometimes - he had had anxiety in the past due to the overwhelming amount of work that came with it. His friends didn't have it easy either. He'd managed to put a lid on it but mom still made him see a therapist once a month just in case. So we were usually very cautious whenever the subject of his work came up. He seemed fine though - excited, even. I was happy for both of them.

Once dinner was over I headed upstairs and lifted the window just a little so that the cool breeze could blow in. I threw myself on the bed, exhausted from the long bike ride. My thighs still hurt, mostly because it had been so long since I had pedaled, so I massaged them with this great moisturizer I had brought from Seattle. I had just finished when the phone rang. It was Amanda's ringtone - yes, she'd set up an exclusive ringtone for her on my phone.

"Hey, girl." She said, seemingly excited.

"How are you?" We usually hung out every day after school , but I hadn't seen her that day since mom and dad's errands kept me busy all afternoon.

"Oh, I'm fine. You know, just thinking about the Bleacher Screecher tomorrow." She could contain her animosity no longer. "We were invited, Liv. Us!"

"Wait, is it tomorrow?" 

I had been so into the whole California vibe that I'd completely forgotten about the Bleacher thing. Amanda seemed offended by my lack of memory.

"How could you forget?" She was very jumpy. I wondered whether she'd actually been to a party before. "I've been thinking about it since Jared and Jordan came up to us the other day."

"I'm sorry, I guess I've been distracted. Is it supposed to be nice?"

Amanda paused, building up suspense. I knew what the answer would be yet couldn't avoid smiling at how goofy she was.

"Nice, Liv? Nice?" It felt like she was about to describe Woodstock festival. "It is only the greatest party ever thrown at Clareview's campus. The guys always bring these massive speakers and there's plenty of booze. People always stay until the morning because there are no houses nearby, which means no one calls the police."

She made a compelling argument. There wasn't a place like that back in Seattle, at least not that I knew of.

"People always get wasted and many of Clareview's most famous couples were born there. I mean, Cali and Stacey used to hook up there all the time until she started dating Harry. Now that she's single no one really knows what's gonna happen. It's lining up to be an epic Bleacher Screecher."