Broken

• Chapter 17 •

"HOW WAS YOUR FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL?"

I sigh deeply as I look up at an excited mom and dad with huge grins on their faces. I kick the door closed and shrug, "Fine."

"Did you make any friends?" dad asks, "And by that I mean GIRLS," he just has to add.

"Yes."

"Were people nice?" mom inquires. "Yeah," can they leave me alone already? My head hurts.

"So why are you all grumpy?" she frowns.

"I'm fine. Just tired," I tell them.

Dad looks at me with knitted eyebrows, trying to decipher my words. For God's sake. Can't I just be tired without a thousand things being wrong and being over-analyzed? I'm not used to having this much parental supervision. I roll my eyes at them and begin heading towards my room.

"Sweetie, wait! Before you get some rest, Eric and his parents are coming over for dinner. So if you have any work to do—"

My heart sinks. I snap my head back to her, "What? Why?"

Mom's face scrunches up in confusion, "Uh... Because I invited them? Is there something you want to tell us?" she folds her arms across her chest.

"No, not at all. I just didn't know, that's all..." super convincing, Clementine.

Mom and dad exchange confused expressions and give me weird looks. "Okay. I'm gonna go nap for a while," I tell them as I turn and make my way to my room.

I close the door behind me and sink onto the floor, my head is killing me. I check my phone to find Aya calling me.

"Clementineeeeee," she whines.

"Hey, Aya. What's up?" I stand and run a hand through my hair.

"Can you cuddle me?"

I grimace at her request and make my way to my closet to pick out a pair of pajamas, "Um, no? I'm more in the mood to kill a bitch honestly."

"Aww, same!"

I sigh, "Is there another reason you're calling?"

"I'm boreeeeed, entertain me," she whines even more. I swear it's all she does.

"Watch YouTube videos," I suggest while I settle for a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"I already did that! Any movie suggestions?"

"Hmm, what genre?" I inquire as I place my phone between my shoulder and my cheek, slipping my uniform off and pulling on my pajamas.

"Rom-Com?"

"Leap Year, The Proposal, What's Your Number, Me Before You, Love Rosie, Crazy Stupid Love, Stuck In Love—"

"I JUST NEED ONE! Damn. Do you memorize movie names for fun?" she cuts me off.

My cheeks grow hot. It's not because my mom is an actress and I've been raised to love movies and the acting industry or anything... "Yeah, sure. A hobby of mine," I tell her.

"You're weird. Anyways thanks for the movie suggestions. I'll check them out, love yooouuuu!"

I sigh and hang up. I need sleep. I sink into my bed and almost immediately pass out.

___________________

My head is pounding. Why did I decide to take a nap, again? What century is this? Who am I? Where am I? I'm going to throw up.

I'm disoriented as my feet make contact with the wooden floor, it's dark out. How long was I asleep for? I groan as I make my way to the bathroom and turn on the water. I wash the sleepiness off and slip into casual clothes, making my way out of my room with a rumbling stomach.

"What's for dinner?" I ask mom who's sprawled on top of dad's lap. Gross.

"Lasagna," mom tells me.

"Yum, where is it?"

"Patience, child."

The doorbell sounds just as I'm about to argue.

"That's them," she hops off dad's lap and opens the front door to reveal Mr. and Mrs. Knight and their other daughter I never got to meet.

Eric isn't anywhere to be seen, is he not coming? I don't know whether to be relieved or concerned and offended.

"Hey guys, welcome!" mom greets them.

"Aw, it's just like I remembered!" Ella's eyes roam the house.

"Hi, Jasmine! Remember me?" mom squats before the little girl, "We met a few months ago when I came to visit your mommy and daddy?"

Jasmine nods her head. "Where's Eric, by the way?" mom asks Ella.

"He's just taking a phone call outside, he'll be right in," she tells her.

Oh.