the curb, trying to decide her next course of action. It was then that the side door whooshed open.
Trix strode across the driveway, her curly hair bouncing over her shoulders. Even from there, Emily could see her mouth set in an angry line. She busted in on the Farkettes’s circle. “Excuse me! Hello? Excuse me! Were you invited to this party? Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t notify any of you.”
April, a hand stuck casually in her jeans pocket, her head tossed back irreverently, said, “Ben told us about it.”
Emily could almost hear Trix’s jaw crack as she ground her teeth. “Ben Mason,” she said, nodding and taking a backward step. She knotted her arms over her chest.
“The one and only,” April said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Someone in the crowd yelled, “Ben and April are banging.”
Everyone laughed. Everyone except Emily, Ryan, and Trix.
A rushing sound like an enormous wave filled Trix’s ears.
She growled to April, “I have two words for you: consolation prize.”
April came back with, “I have three words for you, Movin’ on Up.”
More laughter.
“All right!” Emily called, hands cupped around her mouth. “This party’s over! Everyone get out. Go do your drinking and trash talking in an alley or something!”
Trix flashed her a look that could’ve liquefied a brick wall.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” someone said.
“Over! Time to go!” Emily yelled.
Furious, Trix went up to Emily and said, “What are you doing?”
“Shutting this thing down, Trix.”
“It’s not yours to shut down.”
Emily actually cackled. A cold breeze rippled through her hair. A cold breeze tinged with the scent of beer and far off burning leaves and teen spirit. “It’s my house.”
Trix’s eyes were wild, her teeth bared. “You can’t,” she said. “Don’t, Em. Don’t do it.” Nothing had gone how it was supposed to. They hadn’t even gotten to the good part of the night.
Emily couldn’t quite believe Trix’s recklessness. She certainly was no shrinking violet, but this exploit? It was over the top.
Just then, a red Honda Civic Emily recognized as Kristen’s friend Karissa’s car pulled up along the curb. Kristen jumped out and jogged across the lawn. “Emily? What is this?”
Emily looked up the street. It was barren. Quiet except for this house and the wind that howled through the trees. She sighed. She turned to Kristen and said, “Help me.”
Together, Emily, Kristen, and Ryan made their way through the yard and into the house, calling that the police were coming and to get out fast.
Kids scattered like ants away from a smoking cigarette butt.
Engines started in unison. Many people just wandered off down the street, still with beers in hand. A few disappeared out the back, hopping fences.
There were some stragglers lingering inside the house, still talking and laughing in the kitchen. A guy and a girl Emily didn’t recognize canoodled at the top of the stairway. She broke them up with a loud, “Take it to Motel 6.”
Trix found Marjorie and they convened on the front porch with Adam and Isaac. Unexpectedly, Sam was still there, lingering. Marjorie said, “This is so effing lame. I thought it was supposed to be awesome.”
“It was,” Trix said, heat creeping up her chest and flooding her cheeks. How dare Emily make Trix look stupid in front of her new friend. The only friend who really understood her. “Emily just doesn’t know how to party.”
“Clearly.” Marjorie lit a cigarette and sat down on the wooden steps. Following her lead, everyone else perched on the stairs or railing, too.
“So, what do we do now?” Adam asked.
Marjorie yelled, “Will you let me smoke this before we decide? Christ!”
Pushing back her curls with shaking hands, Trix said, “Let’s go get hammered somewhere. I’m done with this place.”
25. Cleanup in Aisle Emily
E MILY DIDN’T SEE where Trix had gone, but finally the place
Trix strode across the driveway, her curly hair bouncing over her shoulders. Even from there, Emily could see her mouth set in an angry line. She busted in on the Farkettes’s circle. “Excuse me! Hello? Excuse me! Were you invited to this party? Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t notify any of you.”
April, a hand stuck casually in her jeans pocket, her head tossed back irreverently, said, “Ben told us about it.”
Emily could almost hear Trix’s jaw crack as she ground her teeth. “Ben Mason,” she said, nodding and taking a backward step. She knotted her arms over her chest.
“The one and only,” April said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Someone in the crowd yelled, “Ben and April are banging.”
Everyone laughed. Everyone except Emily, Ryan, and Trix.
A rushing sound like an enormous wave filled Trix’s ears.
She growled to April, “I have two words for you: consolation prize.”
April came back with, “I have three words for you, Movin’ on Up.”
More laughter.
“All right!” Emily called, hands cupped around her mouth. “This party’s over! Everyone get out. Go do your drinking and trash talking in an alley or something!”
Trix flashed her a look that could’ve liquefied a brick wall.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” someone said.
“Over! Time to go!” Emily yelled.
Furious, Trix went up to Emily and said, “What are you doing?”
“Shutting this thing down, Trix.”
“It’s not yours to shut down.”
Emily actually cackled. A cold breeze rippled through her hair. A cold breeze tinged with the scent of beer and far off burning leaves and teen spirit. “It’s my house.”
Trix’s eyes were wild, her teeth bared. “You can’t,” she said. “Don’t, Em. Don’t do it.” Nothing had gone how it was supposed to. They hadn’t even gotten to the good part of the night.
Emily couldn’t quite believe Trix’s recklessness. She certainly was no shrinking violet, but this exploit? It was over the top.
Just then, a red Honda Civic Emily recognized as Kristen’s friend Karissa’s car pulled up along the curb. Kristen jumped out and jogged across the lawn. “Emily? What is this?”
Emily looked up the street. It was barren. Quiet except for this house and the wind that howled through the trees. She sighed. She turned to Kristen and said, “Help me.”
Together, Emily, Kristen, and Ryan made their way through the yard and into the house, calling that the police were coming and to get out fast.
Kids scattered like ants away from a smoking cigarette butt.
Engines started in unison. Many people just wandered off down the street, still with beers in hand. A few disappeared out the back, hopping fences.
There were some stragglers lingering inside the house, still talking and laughing in the kitchen. A guy and a girl Emily didn’t recognize canoodled at the top of the stairway. She broke them up with a loud, “Take it to Motel 6.”
Trix found Marjorie and they convened on the front porch with Adam and Isaac. Unexpectedly, Sam was still there, lingering. Marjorie said, “This is so effing lame. I thought it was supposed to be awesome.”
“It was,” Trix said, heat creeping up her chest and flooding her cheeks. How dare Emily make Trix look stupid in front of her new friend. The only friend who really understood her. “Emily just doesn’t know how to party.”
“Clearly.” Marjorie lit a cigarette and sat down on the wooden steps. Following her lead, everyone else perched on the stairs or railing, too.
“So, what do we do now?” Adam asked.
Marjorie yelled, “Will you let me smoke this before we decide? Christ!”
Pushing back her curls with shaking hands, Trix said, “Let’s go get hammered somewhere. I’m done with this place.”
25. Cleanup in Aisle Emily
E MILY DIDN’T SEE where Trix had gone, but finally the place
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