sorry.”
“That’s okay,” I muttered.
He slowly let go of my wrist, and I got out of the car and closed the door. He waited until I got inside the house before driving off. Once inside, I tiptoed to the living room and found my mom and Hank still sleeping on the couch. Score . I looked at the time on the microwave: 2:30AM.
As I crept towards the stairs with Claire’s Gucci heels in my hand, I suddenly saw an image traced in the blinds...somebody was lurking outside my house.
CHAPTER NINE—WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
I didn’t sleep very well last night. I went to bed gripping my covers in fear, and I woke up that morning feeling anxious about somebody sneaking around outside of my house in the middle of the night.
As I pushed the covers off me and slid out of bed, the sweet smell of waffles and maple syrup comforted me. I sprinted towards the kitchen, where I found my mom and Hank making breakfast together, the way my mom and dad used to.
“Good morning, honey!”
“Good morning, Mom. Hank.”
My mother walked over to me and rubbed my back. “I’m sorry you had to miss the party, Hanna, but it was for your own good.”
“That’s okay, Mom.”
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I’m fine…just a little tired,” I said. “So what did you guys do last night?”
“Not much. Slept like a baby.”
I turned away and smiled, then popped a waffle in my mouth and ran to my room. My phone started buzzing; it was a hysterical text from Claire. She needed to talk to me, so she was picking me up in an hour to go for coffee.
I was putting on my lip gloss when I heard Claire honking her horn outside. I grabbed my purse and ran towards the front door.
“Bye, Mom!” I yelled as I stormed outside, closing the door behind me.
When I got into Claire’s car, she handed me a Starbucks vanilla latte and reversed out of my driveway. She was wearing her Gucci sunglasses, and she appeared to be hungover. She accelerated and began ranting on about her and Josh.
I’ll take the vanilla latte, but hold the drama, please.
“Thanks for coming out with me. I couldn’t get a hold of Jessica, and Katie was busy doing something for her mom.”
“No problem. Thanks for the coffee,” I joked.
“Josh broke up with me because he found out I kissed Chad.”
“Wait, you haven’t heard from Jessica yet?”
“Focus, Hanna! We’re talking about me now!”
“Right. Sorry. Chad. That guy from last night?”
“Yes!”
She shot me a look and wiped the grime away from her face with her hand. The roof of her car was down, and the wind whirled around her streaked hair.
“You kissed him?” I had to act surprised. If Claire found out I already knew and didn’t warn her, she’d decimate me.
“It was just a kiss! It didn’t mean anything. I love Josh!” she shrieked.
“How did he find out?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He just said he knew and it doesn’t matter how he found out.”
“Oh.” I looked away and took a sip of my latte.
“When I find the person responsible for this, they’ll wish they were dead.” She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. “Guys don’t break up with me; I break up with them.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s Saturday. I’m sure there’ll be newer gossip by Monday,” I tried to console her.
“I have the biggest headache right now. I don’t even remember how I got home last night.”
She rested her elbow on the car door and leaned her head against her hand. She continued to drive with the other hand, occasionally glancing at her mirrors.
“Oh…well, Josh and I drove you home,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. “Oh,” she said as she pushed her foot on the gas. “What did you two do after you dropped me off?”
“Nothing! He drove me home; that’s it.”
“And he didn’t say anything to you about Chad or breaking up with me?”
“No, nothing.”
My heart throbbed in my chest. Inside I was shaking, but
“That’s okay,” I muttered.
He slowly let go of my wrist, and I got out of the car and closed the door. He waited until I got inside the house before driving off. Once inside, I tiptoed to the living room and found my mom and Hank still sleeping on the couch. Score . I looked at the time on the microwave: 2:30AM.
As I crept towards the stairs with Claire’s Gucci heels in my hand, I suddenly saw an image traced in the blinds...somebody was lurking outside my house.
CHAPTER NINE—WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS
I didn’t sleep very well last night. I went to bed gripping my covers in fear, and I woke up that morning feeling anxious about somebody sneaking around outside of my house in the middle of the night.
As I pushed the covers off me and slid out of bed, the sweet smell of waffles and maple syrup comforted me. I sprinted towards the kitchen, where I found my mom and Hank making breakfast together, the way my mom and dad used to.
“Good morning, honey!”
“Good morning, Mom. Hank.”
My mother walked over to me and rubbed my back. “I’m sorry you had to miss the party, Hanna, but it was for your own good.”
“That’s okay, Mom.”
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I’m fine…just a little tired,” I said. “So what did you guys do last night?”
“Not much. Slept like a baby.”
I turned away and smiled, then popped a waffle in my mouth and ran to my room. My phone started buzzing; it was a hysterical text from Claire. She needed to talk to me, so she was picking me up in an hour to go for coffee.
I was putting on my lip gloss when I heard Claire honking her horn outside. I grabbed my purse and ran towards the front door.
“Bye, Mom!” I yelled as I stormed outside, closing the door behind me.
When I got into Claire’s car, she handed me a Starbucks vanilla latte and reversed out of my driveway. She was wearing her Gucci sunglasses, and she appeared to be hungover. She accelerated and began ranting on about her and Josh.
I’ll take the vanilla latte, but hold the drama, please.
“Thanks for coming out with me. I couldn’t get a hold of Jessica, and Katie was busy doing something for her mom.”
“No problem. Thanks for the coffee,” I joked.
“Josh broke up with me because he found out I kissed Chad.”
“Wait, you haven’t heard from Jessica yet?”
“Focus, Hanna! We’re talking about me now!”
“Right. Sorry. Chad. That guy from last night?”
“Yes!”
She shot me a look and wiped the grime away from her face with her hand. The roof of her car was down, and the wind whirled around her streaked hair.
“You kissed him?” I had to act surprised. If Claire found out I already knew and didn’t warn her, she’d decimate me.
“It was just a kiss! It didn’t mean anything. I love Josh!” she shrieked.
“How did he find out?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. He just said he knew and it doesn’t matter how he found out.”
“Oh.” I looked away and took a sip of my latte.
“When I find the person responsible for this, they’ll wish they were dead.” She wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. “Guys don’t break up with me; I break up with them.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. It’s Saturday. I’m sure there’ll be newer gossip by Monday,” I tried to console her.
“I have the biggest headache right now. I don’t even remember how I got home last night.”
She rested her elbow on the car door and leaned her head against her hand. She continued to drive with the other hand, occasionally glancing at her mirrors.
“Oh…well, Josh and I drove you home,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. “Oh,” she said as she pushed her foot on the gas. “What did you two do after you dropped me off?”
“Nothing! He drove me home; that’s it.”
“And he didn’t say anything to you about Chad or breaking up with me?”
“No, nothing.”
My heart throbbed in my chest. Inside I was shaking, but
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