Maybe Just One More

Chapter 5. Driver's Test

"You smoke weed?" Jade asked, too loudly.

"Shh!" I hushed her. I closed my bedroom door and locked it. "It calms me down, okay?"

"Wow," Peyton said and laughed. "Never figured you would do that."

"Well, I tried it once and liked it," I said and shrugged.

"When?" Jade asked.

"Like a few weeks ago," I said. "You want to try it?"

"Sure," they both agreed.

I took the hitter from my drawer and packed it. I sat down by Peyton and took a hit off it. I handed it to Peyton. After Peyton hit it, she handed it to Jade.

"Is this why you applied at Joe's Pasta and Pizza?" Jade asked. "So, you had money to buy weed?" Jade giggled.

"Well, I have to save money to get a car because I don't think my parents are going to help me," I said. "Also, I want to be able to have money for gas and weed if I need it."

"How did you get this?" Peyton asked.

"Took it from Mason. He won't notice," I lied smoothly. There was no way I was going to admit that I got it from Avery.

My mom was out of town with Richard, and Mason was out with friends. I asked the girls to stay with me for the night.

We turned the lights off and started a movie. The screen went dark before the opening of the movie, and headlights filled my bedroom windows.

"Shit!" I hissed. "Put that away; it might be Mason or Mom."

The girls hurriedly put the things back in my drawer as I dashed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. I threw the door open. My steps faltered. I was face to face with Chris.

"Chris?"

"Hey," he said. "Can we talk?"

"Uh, sure," I said. I turned and grabbed my jacket off the hook and followed him out onto the porch. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if you wanted to go get some pizza or something," he said. "And I wanted to apologize for how I've been acting. I'm sorry that I upset you. You look amazing, Stormie. I didn't mean what I said as an insult. The change just sort of took me by surprise."

"Oh," I breathed. "Um, I can't."

"Okay, maybe another time," he said. He turned and headed for the steps.

I quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "Wait, Chris," I said.

He turned to face me.

"I meant that I couldn't go out tonight because Jade and Peyton are here. I asked them to come have a sleepover. I'm sorry. If they weren't here, I would have said yes," I explained.

"Oh," he said. "So, I'm forgiven for being a jerk?"

I laughed. "Yeah, it's okay," I said.

"Maybe, tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow is great," I said and smiled.

He closed the distance between us and grabbed my face between his hands. His lips pressed softly to mine. It was the first time I had kissed him in a couple of months. He tangled a hand into my hair and deepened the kiss.

I pressed my hands to his chest and leaned into him. The kiss was greedier in a way. It wasn't the type of kiss I was used to. Chris and I were never very touchy-feely.

He broke the kiss and smiled at me. "See you tomorrow," he murmured. He kissed my cheek and headed back down to his car.

***