Too bad she still has to depend on good old Rodney, teachers' pet, for rides. Too bad her mother is so unreasonably strict. A ten PM curfew? Just because she lied? It's not fair.
But maybe there's more to other people than Charlotte realizes. And maybe she doesn't even know everything about herself. When Charlotte Masterson gets a life, life gets interesting.
“It’s your own fault, Charlotte.” Mom’s digging wet clothes out of the washing machine.
My fault? How can she possibly think that?
Mom continues. “We had simple rules, and you didn’t follow them. You not only didn’t follow them; you lied to us. That’s what I hate most of all. The lying. How can I ever trust you again?”
“But Mom…”
“There’s no but Mom.” She throws the clothes into the dryer like she’s pitching fastballs.
I understand that lying’s wrong. I didn’t like that Rodney lied to me about band practice. But when it comes to my mother, lying is the easiest way to avoid conflict.
“But Mom, Saturday night there’s a party for the football team. It doesn’t even start until eight. How can I be home by ten?”
“You should have thought of that before you broke the rules.” She slams the dryer door shut.
“But all the football players will be there. All the cheerleaders. All the cool kids.”
“So you’re a cool kid now?” Mom stares at me.
As long as I’m dating Tony, I’m in the cool crowd. I shrug.
“Will there be beer at this party?” Mom pushes the dryer’s start button.
The clothes start going round and round just like my thoughts. How can I answer that question? If I say yes, I’ll be grounded. If I say no, I’ll be lying. I’m almost certain there’ll be beer. “If there is, I won’t drink any. I promise.”
“So there might be beer? Is that what you’re telling me? There might be beer at a party for underage teens?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Nobody discussed the eating and drinking arrangements with me.”
I should not have said that. Not in that tone of voice. But it’s too late to take it back.
💕💕💕
