"You know I hid a ladder behind the bush for you." Annette said once she saw Beth's scratched up knees, blood escaping the cuts on her arms and legs.
"Does it look like I knew?" Beth responded, her angry voice was kept quiet so she wouldn't wake Annette's parents. She handed Beth a bandaid and looked at the clock. "You're late." She said acknowledging it was 10:55.
"I'm sorry, I was busy climbing up that 18th century Romeo and Juliet fence." Beth mocked.
"You could've just used the ladder."
"I DIDN'T-"
"Shut up!" Annette growled right before her parents walked in.
They were dressed in their pajamas, aggravation plastered their face until they saw Beth. She was the good example for Annette, they prayed her kindness would rub off. It never did.
"Beth, what are you doing here?" Her mother asked with just a hint of sweetness hidden behind the tiredness in her voice.
"I had to pick her up from a party." Annette jumped in for a lie before Beth could speak. "She had a few drinks." Annette whispered. Beth swayed side to side a little to go alone with the lie and shut her eyes tight to ignore the embarrassment. "But you don't have a car!" Her father said, also very tired. "I took yours, sorry dad. Beth needed me." Annette tried with all her might to convince them while Beth layed on Annette's bed and tried to block out this humiliation.
"Beth do you need us to call your parents and tell them?" Her mother asked, pushing passed Annette. "No it's fine, I can text them, thank you." Beth managed to say through the embarrasment. "Okay... You girls be safe." She said hesitatly and slowly shut the door behind her.
"I fucking hate you." Beth said and hit her upside the head. "Good girl bad mouth I see." She joked. "I really have to go now, I want to see Tom." She started to open the window. "Wait!" Beth stopped her. "Please don't drink if you're going to drive, you're my best friend and I can't let you do that."
"I'm not stupid, I'll wait until we get back from our midnight adventure. I like to live life, not end it." She said.
"WAIT!" Beth yelled again. Annette turned around and Beth threw her a condom. "You're gonna need this young lady."
Annette pretended to tip a hat and with that she was out the window, climbing down the white house fence.
Joe walked in just a moment after Annette slipped out the window. "Where's Netty?" He asked using the nickname Annette despises. "Get out." She said as firmly as she could. "You're very aware for a drunk." He said, he clearly overheard the lie. "Get out or I'll tell Netty to tell your parents the ever famous story of the time she walked in on you-" He cut her off. "That's a fake story! I never did that!" He yelled defensively. "Where's Netty?" He repeated himself from a minutes ago. "Going to get drunk and drive across the country all night."
"She's just out." Beth ignored her inner thoughts. "You're not telling your parents about this." She quickly added. "Yeah sure I won't tell them, if you let me stay in here all night." Joe blackmailed. "You really are annoying." Beth remember how Annette would always say how her dorky 15 year old brother would try to act all cool when in fact, he had a StarWars collection in his room.
"Just defending my rep." He said and went to his room to get his sleeping bag and pillows. Beth couldn't help but laugh when she saw him. "We aren't camping out." She said once she saw his navy sleeping bag, hiding a stuffed giraffe, and white pillows with noticeable drool marks. "But we are staying up all night, I want to tell my friends I spent all night with a hot senior." He gazed. Beth blushed although she hated when boys called her 'hot.' They could say 'beautiful' or 'pretty' or 'gorgeous.' Saying hot is just How To Not Get Girls 101. "Fine, have it your way but the most action your getting tonight is me blowing you a kiss."
"I get to tell my friends it was on the lips."
"You get to tell your friends you stayed with a senior, isn't that enough?"
"Cheek."
"Fine."
She was going to spend a long night with a dorky freshman, although his persistence was definitely a turn on for her...
