“Fine, fine.” Audrey popped her head of curly hair between the seats and stared at me with crazy eyes. “When are you going to see him again? And more importantly, when can the three of us triple date?”
“Ummm...” I stared wide-eyed out the windshield.
“Oooh, and did he ask you to prom, yet?” She puffed her cheeks out and then blew out a big breath of air. “It’s only a couple weeks away. You’ll have to find a dress and order flowers and everything.”
I tried to rub the tension out of my temples. It was nice that my best friend was so excited for me, but there were so many other things I had to tackle first before I even considered things like prom and triple dating. Plus, Jayden and I had barely confessed our feelings for each other. We were in the newborn stage of a relationship. I couldn’t really throw these things out on the table when we hadn’t even had our first real date.
Audrey must’ve finally caught on to my distress because she groaned and sat back in her seat with her milkshake clasped in her hands. “Sorry, I’ll shut up now. I’m just happy for you.”
“Me, too,” Trina said, shooting me a smile.
“Thanks, guys.”
I munched on another fry as we pulled up to my house. I hadn’t wanted to be gone for long today. Charlotte and I still hadn’t discussed what had happened last night. I’d been wrestling with the idea of telling Mom and Dad, but came up with no conclusion. This was their first Sunday off from the diner in weeks. It didn’t seem fair to ruin it, but it also didn’t seem right to keep something this big from them.
“Good luck with your sister,” Trina said, putting the car in park. “Let us know how it goes.”
Audrey sighed loudly and draped her arms over the back of the seat. “I’m not sure how you do it. If I had to be responsible for my little sister all the t
ime, I’m pretty sure one of us would end up dead. You’ve got the patience of a saint, M.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed, but after I’d said goodbye to both of them, I tucked my chin and headed to the door with an extra bag of fries in my hands. I’d heard greasy food was the cure for any hangover. If Charlotte was going to sit through a parental lecture about her irresponsible behavior, then we needed a little peace offering to start it off right. The only question was who would be giving that lecture: me or my parents?
But as soon as I stepped through the door and into the entryway, I had my answer. Mom and Dad were both scrambling to grab their jackets. They had their diner clothes on and freshly washed aprons. Mom shot me an apologetic smile as I jumped out of their way and then pulled me into a quick hug.
“We’ve been called into the diner unexpectedly.” She heaved a heavy sigh and looked into my eyes. “I’m really sorry, sweetie. I know we haven’t been around much lately. I promise, we’ll make this up to you.”
I did my best to smile at her. So much for their one day off this week. They just couldn’t catch a break.
“It’s fine, really. I already grabbed some supper for Charlotte and we’ll just veg out on the couch watching chick flicks.”
“Sounds like a girls’ night. It’s a good thing I’m leaving, then,” Dad said with a teasing smile. He kissed my forehead and then ran out the front door.
Mom gave me one, last lingering look. She could read me better than anyone, so it was hard to keep a straight face. All I wanted to do was fall into her arms and cry about what had happened last night with Charlotte, spill about my feelings for Jayden, and have her comfort me about my ankle. But I couldn’t. Not when she already had enough on her plate to deal with. I held strong, meeting her gaze head-on.
“Take care of your sister tonight,” she said, tweaking my cheek softly. “Poor thing’s had a headache all day. I think that girl spends too much time staring at that phone of hers.”
I wished I could voice my real reaction to Mom’s assessment of my little sister. Headache. Right. The only thing Charlotte was suffering from was a hangover from her stupid life choices.
“I will, Mom.”
“You’re a good girl.” She beamed at me, her weary eyes brightening for a moment. “I honestly don’t know what we’d do without you.”
With that, she left in a flurry of car keys and purse straps.
I gulped as I stood there alone with the scent of fried foods tickling my nose. No pressure. My parents were counting on me. I officially had no other choice. I had to handle this on my own.
Even if it meant starting World War III.
The door to Charlotte’s room was already open. The muscles in my shoulders tensed as I paused outside it and wondered what kind of scene I’d enter. She was probably still nursing a headache, feeling crabby as ever. Did I dare give her the fries when she might pelt them right back at me? Or should I use them as incentive not to bite my head off when I told her that she couldn’t hang around Sarah anymore? The answer eluded me, even as I tentatively stepped foot inside her door, but what I saw made my jaw drop.
Typically, my baby sister’s room resembled something more like the aftermath of a tornado than a bedroom. But now, every single piece of cast-off clothing had been picked up, down to the last sock. I could actually see the floor. The piles of books on her nightstands had been placed neatly back on the bookshelf. Her comforter was pulled up over her bed and the fuzzy throw pillows inhabiting their rightful places at the top. And in the middle of this unnatural scene was my sister, dancing in shorts and a tank on her pink shag rug—which I’d forgotten existed beneath the mess—with her purple Beats headphones on.
I could barely remember why I’d come here, I was so shocked. “Hello?”
Charlotte spotted me and tugged her headphones off, giving me a giant smile. “Mandy! Come in!”
This was so not what I’d prepared myself for. I stepped inside, wondering if I’d somehow landed in another dimension.