Cinders

~58~ Dancing

I come out of my room around 4 pm, hoping they'll just let me stay out the rest of the night. Mom and Taylor are on the couch, and mom is reading a book.

"Alright Ellie Jane, I'm gonna have to head out in a bit. I'm picking Greene up and I've got to get gas first," Taylor says.

They're going to an Eagles game—Jerks!

"You don't have to go; You could stay here and watch me read," mom says with a teasing smirk.

"As much as I'd love to watch you, baby girl, I think I'll pass," he chuckles, kissing her head and standing up, going into the bedroom to change his clothes.

He comes back out and I'm sitting on the couch, with absolutely nothing to do. Now that Taylor is leaving, I'm sure mom will watch something stupid on TV.

It's the punishment that never stops.

"Alright, I'm heading out." He gives mom a kiss, and comes over to hug me.

"You better be good for your mom," he says, sternly.

"I will be...Bring me home a signed jersey, will ya?"

Taylor has been known to spoil me, even though it irritates mom to no end.

"Yeah," he scoffs as he messes up my hair. I really wish people would leave my hair alone.

"I'll be back late, you don't need to wait up for me Ellie Jane."

We just spending the evening watching what mom wants on tv. She makes me go to bed at 9 again, and I don't even argue. I don't want to deal with Taylor—I'm still crazy sore.

~*~

The next morning I wake up early and make sure my room is spotless. Since I'm suspended, I'm sure that I'll be doing chores all day—This isn't my first rodeo.

"Morning," Taylor says once he sees me.

"Where's my jersey?" I ask with a smile.

Taylor chuckles. "I almost bought you one, but I figured your mom would have my hide if I did. If you wouldn't have gotten yourself into trouble, I would have. There was a sweet one signed by O'Connor."

"Dang!" If I knew I could've gotten that, I would have waited another day to have stolen the car. My dumb luck.

"Where's mom?" I ask, noticing she's not out here. She's always up by now.

"She and Megan are out shopping. They're taking some fancy dance lesson tonight, and she wanted to get a new outfit for it."

Mom hates shopping, and she hardly ever buys clothes. Megan has been rubbing off on her lately, and Taylor is loving it.

"Why is she taking lessons? Mom has danced for years." Mom did competitive dance up until she got pregnant with me. I ruined a lot of things for her.

"Yeah, but this is ballroom and Megan wanted to do it. She's hoping to persuade Greene to take her dancing one of these days."

Suddenly his face is annoyed as he sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Crap. Your mom had sworn me to secrecy. You never heard that." He says, pointing at me sternly.