As Megan and I drove into Boston, my excitement took over and I forgot about being nervous. Her cousin, Amanda, was basically everything I want to be in the future – gorgeous, sexy, funny, and with a great job that let her rent a fabulous apartment. She took us out dancing, and to breweries, and out to dinner with her friends at this gorgeous restaurant that overlooked the bay.
“This is so cool,” I said, sipping at my spiced caramel martini. It was so sweet I couldn’t even tell that I was drinking alcohol. “I love it here.”
“I come here all the time,” Amanda said. She pointed over my shoulder, towards the bar. “One of my friends works there, you see that blonde guy?”
I nodded, blushing. “He’s really cute.”
“He’s gay,” Amanda said with a laugh. “So don’t think too much about him. But he’s really sweet, and he always gives me free drinks.”
Just then, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I frowned when I realized that it was Mom.
Fuck, I thought. What does she want?
When I showed Megan, she shook her head. “Don’t answer,” she said quickly. “She’ll leave you alone if you don’t pick up. Just tell her you were studying and you didn’t hear it go off.”
But seeing Mom’s name on the screen gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nervously, I bundled up in my coat and went outside, wishing that it wasn’t so loud.
“Hi,” I said. “What’s up?”
“Kristin, where are you?”
My heart sank. “Um, I’m at Megan’s,” I said. “We’re studying, remember? I told you I’d be spending the night here.”
“Don’t you dare lie to me,” Mom said. “Where are you, Kristin?”
A lump formed in my throat and my skin suddenly felt too hot and too tight for my body. I was gripping the phone so tightly that my hand was numb.
“Kristin, if you don’t answer me, I’m calling the police,” Mom snapped. “So you’d better tell me. Now!” She ordered loudly. “Where the hell are you?”
“Um, I’m in Boston,” I squeaked quietly. “With Megan. I’ll be home tomorrow.”
“The hell you will!” Mom yelled. “You’d better walk through this door in one hour or else!”
“I can’t,” I replied. “Megan won’t leave – Mom, we’ve had a few drinks, it’s not safe if she gets behind the wheel of a car!”
“I don’t give a shit,” My mom snarled. I was taken aback – the few times I’d ever heard her curse, it had never been directed at me.
“Well, Mom, I can’t come home,” I said. “I’ll be home tomorrow, okay?”
“Unless you’re coming to get your things, you’re no longer welcome,” Mom said icily.
“What?” The word came out as a yelp. “What did you just say?”
“If you can’t obey my rules, you’re not welcome in my home,” Mom snapped. “You lied to me and disobeyed me, Kristin. You’re a bad daughter! And since you’ve shown you can’t respect the rules, I’m not going to let you stay here anymore.”
I felt like my world was crashing down around me. Without saying anything else, I hung up the phone and slid it into my pocket. All around me, people buzzed in crowds and groups. They were all happy – laughing, singing, making jokes. I hated them for being so carefree. I bet they don’t know what this feels like, I thought, glaring.
An icy wind whipped over my face and stung my eyes. Finally, I pushed my way back into the restaurant and sat down with a huff at the table.
Megan and Amanda eyed me. “What’s wrong?” Megan asked. “Everything okay?”
I shook my head, feeling numb. “It’s not okay,” I said. “She kicked me out of the house. She found out I lied to her. She told me I can’t come back unless it’s to grab the rest of my stuff.”
Megan and Amanda looked at each other.
“Well, you’re welcome to crash with me for a night or two,” Amanda said slowly. “But my landlord has a really strict policy about no other people staying in the apartment for more than a week.”
I stared at her. “It’s okay,” I said, even though I felt so far from okay that it wasn’t even funny. “I know I’ll have to find somewhere else.”