Secrets & Lies: Two Short Stories(21)

“Well, anyway,” Elsie said, reaching into her backpack. “Here are your bio notes. Thanks for lending them to me. They really saved me on that test.”

“You’re welcome.” I took my notebook from her. “It was a tough test.”

“Kind of,” she said. “Anyway. My dad’s out front, so I should get going. See you Monday, Bailey.”

“’Bye.”

A few minutes later, Justine showed up. She was wearing a purple cotton dress with a white cardigan. On me it would have looked like something an old lady wore to church, but Justine made it look chic and smart.

“How was your meeting?” I asked, getting to my feet.

“Good. We’re petitioning to have gluten-free options added to the lunch menu,” she said. “I think we have a real shot.”

“That’s awesome.”

“I know.” She glanced at the gym door. “Is anyone still in the locker room?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Oh, I just need to run in there for a second and didn’t want to walk in on anyone. I left my phone there after PE this afternoon. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay.”

She disappeared into the gym and I waited in the hall. She was only gone a few minutes before reemerging, looking at her iPhone. She giggled, then tucked the phone into her bag. “Ready to go?”

“Yep.” I grabbed my backpack and followed her out to the parking lot, where her dad picked us up in a shiny black SUV.

Once we were at her house, Justine led me to her room and showed me where to put my things. Then we went back downstairs and started setting out snacks for the guests. I couldn’t help glancing around the house, looking up every time a door opened or closed.

“Looking for Brody?” Justine asked as she popped a cashew into her mouth.

“What? Oh, no. I was just…”

“He’s not here. He has an away game tonight, so he won’t be home until late.” She walked over to the couch and started rearranging the throw pillows. “But you’re staying the night, so I’m sure you’ll get a glimpse of him at some point.”

Before I could say anything, the doorbell rang.

“Coming!” Justine called, hurrying over to the front door. She pulled it open and Melanie, Wendy, and Ryan stepped inside.

“I brought brownies!” Melanie said, presenting a covered tray.

“Thank you,” Justine said. “Set them on the coffee table.”

“Did you get your phone?” Wendy asked, following Ryan to the couch and perching on his lap.

“I did. Thanks for letting me know where it was.”

“Anytime.”

The party was small. Only twelve or so people showed up, and at eight, Justine’s parents left the house, which surprised me. But Justine said her parents trusted her, and really, nothing much happened. Except a couple of the boys started smoking pot.

“You want a hit, Bailey?” Ryan asked.

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

“I don’t do it, either,” Justine said, lighting some incense. “So don’t feel alone.”

“How long will your parents be gone?” Wendy asked.

“They’re getting dinner and catching a late movie before they have to pick Brody up. So not for three hours, at least.”

“Awesome.” She pulled a flask from her purse. “Don’t worry,” she said, seeing me watch her. “Ryan’s driving me home.”

“You’re not staying over?” I asked.

She shook her head. “My mom’s taking me shopping for a prom dress in the morning.”

A few other kids drank, but the party stayed pretty calm. Which was good—I wasn’t a big fan of parties. Or drinking. I’d had sort of a bad experience last summer after taking shots for the first time. It had ended with me passing out, my brother carrying me to the car, and a hangover the next day that I was sure would kill me. I’d gotten my first kiss that night, too, but it wasn’t something I liked to remember.

Everyone was gone by eleven. Well, everyone but Melanie, me, and Serena Hornby, this year’s homecoming queen. We followed Justine upstairs and rolled out our sleeping bags on her bedroom floor. Then we took turns changing into our pajamas in the bathroom upstairs.

After I finished changing, I went back down to the kitchen for a glass of water. I didn’t expect to find Brody standing next to the fridge, eating one of Melanie’s brownies.

“Hey,” he said. Maybe I imagined it, but it kind of seemed like his face lit up when he saw me. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Yeah.” I’m sure my face was bright red. “I’m staying for Justine’s slumber party… Um, how was your game?”

“Pretty good. We won, but not by much. I did hit a home run, though, so that was kind of cool.”

“Wow. I wish I could have been there to see it,” I said.

“You should come to one of my games sometime,” he said. “I can’t guarantee I’ll bat as well as I did tonight, but I’d really like it if you came.”

“I will,” I said. “Definitely.”

He smiled. “Awesome.”

“I, um, I was just coming down here to get something to drink.”