love like fools ➙ glee

thirteen ; my life would suck.

"How was your sleepover with Tina?"

Alicia jumped, accidentally slamming the front door from shock. She hadn't expected her mother to be home. Arabella often worked weekends, hoping the overtime would make it easier to pay the bills and put food on the table. Not that she complained to Alicia. She only overheard phone calls between Arabella and her brother, Jamie.

Arabella watched her expectantly. Alicia wished she had been hit by a bus on the walk from Finn's car to her door. Lies needed to carelessly tumble from her lips, as easily as they would if she was facing her reflection last night. 

Maybe that was why it was so easy for her to lie last night. Alicia was only an expert at lying to herself.

"Alicia?" Arabella pressed.

"That's me."

Suspicion shrouded her expression. "Is there something I should know?"

Had Mariana tipped her off? She'd promised not to tell, but there was a chance. Alicia didn't expect her to keep a secret from Arabella. Except if her mom did know about her close friendship with Finn Hudson, she would've guessed Alicia's true motives last night and refused to allow her to stay the night. Arabella Hastings was a lot of things, but not oblivious.

Alicia had to get her perceptive streak somewhere, and it certainly wasn't from her father.

"No." Alicia's voice was hoarse. She cleared her throat. Arabella's suspicion increased. Lie better. She felt like a scene out of the second Twilight book. "No, there isn't anything you should know. The sleepover was . . . great."

Great. Of all the adjectives in the English language, she had to choose the third most basic one, only after "nice" and "good."

She wasn't blind. Gears were turning in Arabella's mind, piecing together the shreds of Alicia's dishonesty. Lying to her mom made guilt coil uncomfortably in her stomach. She could taste the breakfast Carole had practically coerced her into eating threatening to revisit her. Not only was she lying to her mother about being friends with Finn, but she had feelings for him. 

She slept in the same bed as him. In his clothes.

That decided it. She had to tell her. This could ruin everything, including her friendship with Finn, which meant the world to her now more than ever. But she had never been the type to lie and she shouldn't now, especially on behalf of some boy. No matter how important he was to her. 

Alicia swallowed hard. "Mom, I--"

Arabella's cell phone rang shrilly.

She sighed in exasperation, brushing past to retrieve it from the kitchen counter. Alicia watched her. Arabella's blonde pixie cut was growing out, pale strands surrounding her face. She adorned a curve-hugging emerald knee-length dress, paired with a dark grey blazer and matching grey high heels. They clicked against the kitchen floor as she paced, listening to the person on the other line.

Arabella's call dragged on, with her occasionally responding in hushed whispers. Alicia abandoned the living room, traipsing up the steps to her bedroom. 

She would tell her mom. Just not today.

. . . 

Alicia didn't know what she had expected. Drama, inevitably. But she hadn't expected it from herself.

Finn didn't show up to the bus leaving for Sectionals. Alicia waited as long as she could. Eventually, Emma had to gently lead her into the bus, only to discover waiting had sabotaged her. There was no space for her near anyone she would usually sit with. Kurt was sitting with Mercedes, Tina was with Artie, even Rachel was with Jacob Ben Israel, Finn's supposed replacement.