Chapter 4 #2
Mom sighs. “Yes, Tyler,” she says, almost like she’s exasperated. “I already told you she was coming. Don’t act stupid.”
Although I’m looking primarily at Mom, I’m also looking at the girl as surreptitiously as I possibly can out of the corner of my eye, because I seriously can’t look away. The makeup around her eyes is smudged a little. “Which room?”
Mom’s expression flashes with confusion. “What?”
My throat is starting to feel dry. “Which room is she staying in?” I urge.
And then Mom says it, the answer I was dreading: “The one next to yours.”
I groan, finally becoming unrooted from the spot.
We have two spare guest rooms upstairs, and of course Mom has to give her the room next door to mine.
I don’t want to be anywhere near this girl, not because I have a girlfriend, but because this girl is my stepsister.
God. I never thought I’d ever have to stay away from a girl because of that reason.
My anger is surfacing again, and I don’t even realize I’ve been glaring at her until I feel the strain in my forehead from narrowing my eyes for too long.
I couldn’t stick around at Tiffani’s place, but now I can’t stick around here either.
Everything that has happened in the past hour is seriously starting to get to me.
Nudging my way past Mom, I storm upstairs, and I have no choice but to brush past this girl who is going to be in my way for the entire summer.
I knock against her shoulder, and I can’t bring myself to apologize, because all I can think about is getting the hell away from her.
I march into my room, slamming the door behind me and pacing around in a circle for a good minute or so until I collect my thoughts.
They’re all over the place, and I have to play some music as loud as I can through my speakers in order to distract myself.
Once my breathing has calmed, I pause and glance around.
Mom has made my bed and picked up my clothes from the floor again.
They’re folded and left in a neat pile on top of my dresser.
I should put them away, but I’ve discovered that if I leave them there long enough, then Mom’ll give in and put them away herself.
I’ve also discovered that the only reason Mom doesn’t mind tidying up my room every morning is because she likes to raid the place in search of anything she doesn’t approve of.
I press my lips together and get down onto my knees, ducking to check underneath my bed.
Sure enough, like always, she’s stolen the pack of Bud that I put there last night.
I get up and move to my bathroom to check inside the cabinet, and again, it’s no surprise that she’s swiped the packet of Marlboros too.
I don’t even smoke cigarettes that often, but I still like to have them on me, just in case.
Walking back into my room, I sit down on the corner of my bed and press my hands to my temples, staring at the floor while I decide what I want to do.
I’m in the strangest mood, and all I want right now is a hell of a lot more beer and a joint.
They’re the only things that I can always rely on to distract me when there are things I don’t want to deal with.
I want to go to that party tonight, despite the fact that I’d rather avoid Tiffani.
Sticking around here isn’t an option anymore, so I take out my phone and text some of the guys for the address.
Kaleb is the first to reply, and I tell him I’ll be there in twenty.
I get to my feet and spray on some cologne, then turn off my music as I grab my car keys from my pocket.
I feel entirely sober after all of the arguing, but I’m still livid, and it doesn’t help that the second I push open my door, that damn girl is there again.
She looks up at me with those same anxious eyes as before, only this time I’m noticing that they’re hazel, and an intense hazel at that. I can’t decide whether or not they’re more golden than they are brown. “Hi,” she says again. “Are you okay?”
That voice . I blink a couple times and try to keep my expression as blank as I possibly can to hide the fact that that voice of hers is seriously doing something to me.
“Bye,” I say, stepping past her. I don’t want to be around this girl.
I’ve already decided that, so I follow through by making my way downstairs and out of the front door without looking over my shoulder, despite how badly I want to.
As soon as I step outside into the front yard, I can hear the music from the back again. Laughter too. Luckily, no one is around out front to notice me leave. I doubt Mom would put up a fight anyway. She never does.
Unlocking my car, I slide back in and pull the door shut. I start up the engine, but I don’t drive off immediately. I sit there for a minute, my elbow resting against the window as I run the tips of my fingers along my jaw while I think.
Sighing, I get my phone out again and pull up my messages with Tiffani. It’s better to warn her.
I’ll see you at the party.
I type out the text, and then I hit send at the exact same time as I hit the accelerator.