Chapter 16
“You’re watching this again?” My mom sits on the opposite side of the couch.
“Yeah.” It’s Saturday night, making it almost a week since I’ve hung out with Kai. We see each other in school for a little bit, but not as long as we would like.
“Why do you like this show so much?”
“I think it’s interesting to follow their lives and see what happens.”
“I’m worried it will give you ideas.”
Not this again.
She needs to drop whatever ideas she thinks I’m getting from the show.
The last thing I want is to take care of a baby.
“It won’t.” I’ve spent the whole day feeling bored.
I can’t go out anywhere since I’m grounded.
Reading is impossible because my mind won’t focus.
Instead, I’ve been watching movies and shows all day. Now I’m catching up on 16 and Pregnant.
“We missed you today. I wish you would have come with us,” my mom says, changing the subject. She knows I get irritated when she tells me these shows are going to get me pregnant.
“I wanted to be alone.” She and Brynlee went to a craft store and took a class together today.
I didn’t care to ask what they made. The craft store holds classes for kids and their parents.
Each week, they make something different.
I’ve gone a few times, but the older I get, the more I don’t want to sit with all the kids.
“I’m going to head to bed. Don’t stay up too late.” She is eyeing me for a response.
I nod and watch as she heads upstairs.
The bold red numbers on my clock read 12:00 a.m. This is when I used to sneak out. I feel a sense of agony knowing I can’t. I’m sure Paige went out with Owen. They’ve been texting a lot.
My mind is racing about Kai. What’s he doing? Is he partying? Most likely. He lives at a college party house. No one is going to stop partying just because I can’t come out.
Girls are probably surrounding him. No one better hit on him. What if he finds someone else who’s more mature than me? Ugh. Even though I trust him, I have to shake the thought out of my head.
I feel like such an immature baby. Blakely got her phone taken away, and now she can’t sneak out.
Or can I?
I circle my room, debating if I should try again. I know my mom is on high alert. But for some reason she hasn’t kept her room door open like I thought she would if she was on such high alert. Maybe she’s not.
Let’s test the waters.
If I get caught, I’ll just say I needed some fresh air from being cooped up inside all day. All I’m going to do is sit out in the backyard. No one is here. That should be a good excuse.
If I’m caught.
It won’t be an excuse because I do need to get some fresh air. I don’t think I’ve gotten fresh air since Friday. Every day this week, I went straight home and stayed home until the next school day.
I keep my pajamas on to make it more convincing that I’m not going anywhere. It’s the middle of October now, and the weather is cooling off, so I pull a sweater over my head.
I do the same thing I’ve done all the times before. Slowly opening my door, I peek my head out of the room to make sure no one is around.
No one is around, and my mom’s door is closed.
A win.
After hearing the click of the door, I tiptoe down the stairs. When my mom and Brynlee were gone, I studied these stairs to find out where the creeks were so I could avoid them. I come to a halt once I get down the stairs and listen. It’s silent.
Another win.
I steady my steps over to the back door, listening one more time before I slide the door open.
Silence again.
I slide the door open, step outside, and take a deep breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in.
I win.
It’s obvious she’s not on high alert.
This could work.
Again.