Broken Hill High (Broken Hill High 1)

“Like hell I am,” I argue. “You know I can’t drive that car.”

“Come on,” she pouts. “Your daddy didn’t buy you that car for it to sit in the garage. You need to think of it as the local whore. It needs to be taken out for a good ride and showed a good time.”

“First off. My car is my baby. I love it, but you know just as well as I do that dad only got it so I’d keep my mouth shut about the Russian online sex site, and second, it’s a stick. What kind of father doesn’t know his daughter can’t drive a stick?”

“Ok, ok,” she says, raising her hands in surrender. “Tonight is about having fun, not revisiting your daddy issues.”

I roll my eyes and huff as I turn back to the mirror before taking in all the angles. “Why don’t you drive my car instead?” she says with pleading eyes.

I press my lips together and sigh. “Fine, but when I say it’s time to go, it’s time to go.”

Her whole face brightens before she pulls me into a hard hug and kisses my cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she says. “I’ll be back. I have to pee and then we’re out of here.”

With that, she takes off into my private bathroom, leaving me to study my reflection. I run my hand down my stomach and while the image I’m seeing in the mirror is telling me I have a flat stomach; my head is saying something very different. I let out a breath and try to ignore it. I know on some level, I’m just being ridiculous, but I can’t help that nagging thought inside my head, constantly telling me that I’m not quite thin enough. That I’m not pretty enough. That I’m just not enough.

Brooke comes crashing back into my room and I collect my phone off the bed. “Let’s go,” she says before dashing out into the hallway. We hurry downstairs and I stop by the kitchen. “Mom?” I call out.

“In here,” she yells.

I follow the sound of her voice into the living room where’s she’s sitting on the edge of her seat, watching the TV with tears streaming down her face. I look at the screen to see her favorite scene in ‘The Notebook’ and roll my eyes. “We’re heading out,” I tell her.

She tears her eyes away from the screen to see Brooke standing beside me. Mom gives her a welcoming smile as she wipes the tears off her face. “Oh, honey, I didn’t know you were here. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. R,” Brooke grins. “How are you?”

“I’m doing alright,” she smiles. “Is there anything I can get you girls before you head out?”

“No, thank you,” Brooke says. “We’re fine. Can we get you anything?”

I want to roll my eyes at the way my best friend is constantly sucking up to my mom. “I’m alright, dear,” Mom laughs before turning to me. “No drinking and I want you home before one or I’ll be forced to come out and find you.”

I give her a cheesy grin and a salute, making her shake her head in exasperation before turning back to her movie. “You girls are idiots,” she tells us with a chuckle.

We laugh as we head back through the kitchen with our heels clicking and echoing through the large house. I make sure to yell over my shoulder. “Love you, mom.”

“Get out of here. You’re ruining my Ryan Gosling time.”

With that, we push through the front door and walk straight past my car. My eyes can’t help but linger on the sleek curves and sharp lines of the sexiest Audi R8 I’ve ever seen. It’s a damn shame I don’t know how to drive it.

We walk on past and I slip off my heels before getting into the driver’s seat of Brooke’s Mercedes, as there’s no way I’ll be driving this thing with them on.

I start up the engine and listen as it purrs to life before driving around the front of our U-shaped driveway and down through the big metal gates.

We live just two streets away from each other in one of the gated communities in Broken Hill. We’ve gone to the same private school all our lives, dealing with all the same jocks and cheerleaders along the way.

It’s only a short drive to Josh’s house and although I’ve never been here before, it’s easy to figure out which place is his due to the hundreds of bodies heading that way. The wide street is littered with all sorts of trust fund baby cars and I have no doubt that tonight is going to be a great night.

We park halfway up the street and get out of the car. Music is heard the second we step out into the fresh air and we get walking with grins on our faces. Brooke and I squish our way through the people standing by the front door and push our way inside. There are bodies everywhere with little red cups scattered on every possible surface. It’s exactly what I need for the last Friday night before returning to school.