Chapter 23: ♤Chapter 17♤

“We went to pizza hut for lunch, then we went to the movies and saw a bunch of them back to back. Then after we left the movies, we stopped at a tattoo parlor and I got- I'm kidding!”

I was explaining to my mom, the days events. I came home at around nine—almost ten. Went and took a shower and got ready for bed as my mom caught up with my uncle—her brother. But the second I was about to knock out, she came into my room.

She kept giving me a look after the tattoo thing, so I defended myself with, “I'm just playing. I mean, we did see one and went in but I didn't get anythi- mom!” I exclaimed when she whipped out her phone before I even finished talking.

“Don't call him, he didn't do anything!” I said, my voice raising a little. I knew she was gonna call my dad and raise hell for no reason.

“Why the hell he carrying you into a tattoo parlor?” She demanded.

I shrugged, “Cause I wanted to see…” I trailed off.

“For what?” She squinted at me a little.

“Cause I think it's cool.” I struggled again.

When she didn't reply after a moment, I continued, “So yeah, we went in and I looked and we got out,” I said discreetly, not telling her about my secret vow to get a couple when I'm eighteen. “Then we went to dinner and talked and stuff, then I came home.” I shrugged.

I thought back to when my dad dropped me off. He hugged me and kissed my head and I wanted to ask him if he could come inside but didn't. It's obvious they didn't want to see each other and I wasn't about to push anything. It was none of my business how they operated.

“Well, at least you had a good time. How's your arm?” She asked.

I let out a breath, “Fine.”

For some reason I was frustrated. With everything. With her acting like I'm a damn twelve year old and finding any excuse to argue with my dad but won't talk to him in person. I don't understand them. It's irritating. I've never seen or heard them have a conversation after their split and she was so quick to whip her phone out and just about to cuss him out because I merely went into a tattoo parlor…

I didn't get it. It's not like I got anything while I was there.

I'm pretty sure she saw the change in my mood, but didn't call me out on it. Normally she would, though. She's probably feeling generous today.

“Okay, well, get some sleep,” she said, getting up from the side of my bed where she was sitting.

I nodded, staring up at the ceiling and telling myself that I was going to read for an hour or two more once she leaves.

♤♠♤

“Dude,” I groaned, “I broke out so fuckin bad, it's not even funny.” I voiced my frustrations to Chris over the phone while reaching up on my toes to get a small kit kat bar on the cupboard shelf.

I was whining about how much worse my acne got over the past couple of days. I literally have some mountain looking ass bumps and pimples poking out of my face. It's disgusting.

“It's all that junk you've been eating.” He responds.

I froze, pulling the phone away from my ear and staring at it. My eyes narrowed and I brought the device back to my ear, “Have you been speaking to my mother?”

There's no way he came up with that phrase on his own. He has to be having relations with my mother.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” he said nonchalantly.

I scowled, “Christof, why are you communicating with my mother behind my back?” I demanded.

It was quiet for a second before he replied, “So I'm Christof now?”

“You're gonna be Rudolf in a second if you don't answer my question,” I almost snapped. I don't know why it bothered me, but it did. And I don't know why I'm jumping to conclusion either, but I am.

“You sound angry.” He stated.

“I'm not,” I said calmly.

I threw the kit kat back into the cupboard, using enough force that caused a couple prescription bottles to fall out and onto the counter.

He chuckled on the other end as I frustratingly stacked them back up. A couple of them kept falling back down and I ended up just slamming the cupboard shut, not caring if all of them fell. I started leaving the kitchen, not in the mood for food anymore.

“What are you breaking?” He asked, amused.

“I'm not breaking anything,” I mumbled, “Fuck off,” I said even lower.

He laughed loudly and I made a face, pulling the phone away and putting it on speaker as I sat down on the couch in the living room. I sat my phone down on the coffee table and snuggled into my pillows and covers that I dragged out here from early this morning.

“Ok. I have been talking to your mom, but I just want to see how you're doing, that's all,” he explained, but I could here and see the smug smile on his face.

“Then text me or something. You don't have to call her,” I told him, not wanting to sound like I'm jealous because I wasn't. It was just weird.

“I actually do, because you're only response when I ask you is that you're “fine”. That's not always true.” He said.

I made a face, “I hate when you act like you know me,” I grumbled, reaching for the remote.

“You just hate that I'm getting better at it,” he smugly, “I gotta get to work. I'll talk to you later, okay?”

“Yeah,” I replied, searching for something on Netflix to watch.

“And don't break all the furniture,” he added teasingly.

I made a face and a mocking sound, “Whatever,” I reached over and ended the call.

♤♠♤

I sat on my mom's bed, watching her getting ready to go out. She'd told me when she came in a couple hours ago that she was going out tonight.

I didn't have a problem with that, what bothered me was when I asked her if my dad could pick me up, so I could see him, and she said no.

As I sat on the edge of her bed, watching her apply her makeup, I was having an inner struggle to open my mouth and go off but at the same time, I wasn't ready to die.

“So you're just gonna leave me here?” I said blankly, trying to keep as little attitude out of my voice as possible.

She didn't reply.

My eyes narrowed a little at the side of her head and I slid off of her bed and left before I said something that'll cost me more than my life.

I made my way to my room as calmly as I could and closed my door. Then I stood there and tried my best to suppress a scream.

“Fuckin- ugh!” I got out my frustration through that instead.

“I haven't seen him since fuckin… summer,” I through my hand out, not caring about the sharp pain that flared in my shoulder. That was not my concern at the moment, “And he's still here—he can come get me—but no, I should just sit here like a fucking dog while you go out and party,” I ranted to myself, making a face by the end of it.

“So… Fucking… Irritating,” I gritted, marching over to my bed and popping down on it, falling back and glaring up at the ceiling, “I can't wait to leave this place.” I muttered to myself.

I don't know how long I was lying there, staring at the ceiling and blinking away the water in my eyes.

It just frustrated me. The way she doesn't even take my feelings into consideration. I don't know what the deal with them is but that doesn't mean she has to take it out on me. I have nothing to do here and she's going out. My dad's still in town so what's the point in me just being here.

I even asked her if he could come over and at least stay with me for a couple hours and she still said no. It's not fair, because she knows I don't get to see him as much as I'd like and it's like she doesn't even give a damn as long as it's not hurting her.

My bedroom door pushed open, “Alright, I'm on my way out.”

I don't give a shit.

I hummed, keeping my eyes on the ceiling.

“There's food in the kitchen and call me if anything,” she finished.

My eyes rolled back as I closed them. Like I care.

I hummed again.

“Okay, I love you, see you in a bit.”

The door closed again and I heard a bunch of stuff moving, out in the living room, before the door opened, closed, keys jiggled then the loud sound of the lock turning. Silence.

I let out a loud breath, “I fucking hate this place.”

A got up and went out to the kitchen. I wasn't in the mood for food, since my stomach was doing angry flips, so I just grabbed an apple. Sighing, I bit into it aggressively and made my way over to the couches, thinking about watching my show, that'll make me feel better.

Then just as I sat a knock came from behind the door.

I looked at it out of the side of my eye, scoffing and leaning back into the couch after getting the remote.

“I know you fuckin lyin. I just sat down.” I muttered, turning the tv on and going on YouTube.

The knocking went on for a couple more minutes until, “Ariana Blackwood, would you come open this door!”

I stopped, looking cover at the door again. I finished my apple in a couple more bites and hurried over to the garbage and got rid of the pit before going over to the door.

When I opened it I was gaping at him, “What?” I stopped, my eyes glancing at the others, “Are you doing?”

It was him, Mariana, Jess, Thion and Nate. And I'm not ashamed to say I was very surprised.

“So you were just not gonna open the door?” He retorted, his eyebrows raised.

I was trying not to smile too wide, “What are you doing?”

He shrugged, “I gave away my ticket. It wouldn't feel right if my date couldn't go with me.”

“What're the rest of you…” I trailed off, eyeing them.

“Chris told us what he was doing and we all thought it was a good idea, but we,” she gestured to the others, “Were the only other ones willing to give up our tickets.”

“It honestly wasn't even that big of a deal. I went last year,” Nate said, “It sucked.”

“It really did,” Jess nodded in agreement.

I couldn't help but laugh as my eyes welled up.

I'm crying too much these days.

“Aw, c’mon,” Chris whined, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around me.

“You guys are so sweet. I can't believe you'd do this,” I cried, wrapping my arms around him. I pulled away to wipe my face, only to let out a small giggle, “You're wearing PJ's.”

“It's a slumber party,” he smiled with a shrug.

I let them in and that's when I realized that they had a bunch of chips and stuff. Along with holding pillows and a couple blankets and bags on their backs.

So I went to the kitchen for bowls, napkins, drinks and cups. We ended up sprawled out on the living room floor on top of countless amounts of blankets and pillows, watching YouTube and singing a bunch of songs. They even took it upon themselves to tell me how school's going.

And through all of this I found out this was the reason why he's been talking to my mom. Why my mom was out right now. I honestly never thought she'd do something like this but that explains why she was cleaning yesterday when she came home and tried to keep everything sparkly clean today. This has definitely got to be a one time thing. My mother is never leaving me in the house with anyone ever again, friends or not. It's just something she doesn't do.

And this made me feel like shit for all those stuff I was thinking earlier.

“Ok,” Chris said, getting up from the blankets on the floor and holding a hand out for me, “C’mon.”

I stared at it, then up at him, “What?”

His eyebrows raised, “Dance with me.” He said.

I blinked, my eyes moving to the tv that was playing a James Arthur song. I shook my head, “I can't.”

He sighed heavily, his hands falling on his hips, “Ariana don't make this cliche and awkward.”

“But I can't!” I said, ignoring the laughs.

He gave me a look.

I stared back at him.

“The song's running out.”

I groaned, setting down the bowl of pretzels, I was eating too much of, and getting up while dusting off my hands.

“You're so annoying,” I muttered, stepping up to him.

He smirked, setting one hand on my hip and using the other to take my hand. When I just stood there he rolled his eyes and moved his hand from my hip to take my other hand and set it on his shoulder.

Then he started swaying me around slowly.

“I feel stupid,” I told him.

He smiled, “I'm trying to give you the experience, stop spoiling it.”

I made a face, “But I do. And I don't like you being this close,”. I told him, “That means you get full view of my acne.”

“And you mine,” he nodded.

“It's not the same,” I almost whined, letting him guide me in our small circle.

“How?”

“Because,” I lifting my hand on his shoulder and dropped it back there, “I broke out so bad-”

“You told me that already,” he said.

“I'm telling you again, because it's so bad,” I threw my head back in exaggeration, “Do you see my jaw?” I retorted, turning my head slightly to the right, “I can't have people seeing me like this,” I said dramatically and he snickered.

“How about,” he said, pushing me out then pulling me back in gently, “You go to the dermatologist,” he recommended and I made a face, “And cut back on oily foods and junk.”

I pouted, “But that's hard.”

He nodded, “Trust me, I know, but it's worth it.

I let out a breath, having a mental vow to try and do that, “I still can't believe you're doing this,” I changed the subject, snickering.

He shrugged with a grin, lifting our hands and twirling my slowly, once and I couldn't help but grin, myself.

“You need a picture?” He said teasingly.

“On it!” Mariana said and a bright flash went off.

Chris rolled his eyes but he was smiling widely, “Creep.” he muttered and I laughed a little.