#THE HASHTAG

08 | Burnin' Up

            “Two minutes? Really, Mom?” I huffed loudly.  She was being ridiculously. It wasn’t like I was doing anything bad. “I’m here. I’m alive. That’s all that matters.”

            “No,” she barked. “You had me worried sick! I knew I shouldn’t have sent you to that stupid party. You’re grounded!”

            “Mom!”

         "I don’t want to hear it,” she snapped as she raised a hand to silence me. “You are grounded. I forbid you from going anywhere until you raise your history grade.”

            “What!” I shouted at her. “Mom, that’s not going to happen! You know I can never do that even if I tried. That’s not fair!”

            “I don’t give a damn about fairness. I’m tired of you just thinking you can do whatever you want. This is your junior year, the most important year of your high school life. You need to get your shit together. We’ll even get you a tutor if we have to.”

            “Mom, I don’t need a tu-”

            “This conversation is over,” she interrupted through gritted teeth. She continued to give me a cold stare before she huffed and disappeared into the kitchen.

            I released a frustrated groan as I padded my way into the bathroom, stripping Jack’s t-shirt off before stepping into the shower.

            Mom rarely grounded me. I was a good kid. I didn’t do anything for her to go all crazy-mom on me. Yeah, I went to a party and accidently overslept, forgetting to call. Who hasn’t? She was overreacting and there had to be a reason behind it.

            I especially didn’t want a tutor. It wasn’t like a tutor would make me magically not have dyslexia. I didn’t have patience for a tutor, and a tutor certainly did not have patience for me.

            I showered as quickly as possible, washing my hair with my favorite shampoo and soaping myself with my coconut pineapple body wash before turning off the faucet and wrapping myself in my fluffy towel.

            I got dressed quickly and darted down the stairs, immediately seeing Mom talking to Adam. “Mom?”

            She glanced over her shoulder then returned her attention to the dark-haired boy. “I’m sorry, Adam. Lexi is grounded.”

            “Please, Ms. Lennon. This is life or death. It’ll only be for a minute.”

            “Um…” Mom looked at me once more before she sighed, giving in. “Okay, fine. But you two are going to stay right outside where I can see you.”

            I rolled my eyes and pushed past my mother, stepping out of the house. “What is it, Adam?” I ran my tongue over my teeth in irritation. He was still dressed in the clothes he wore yesterday and he still wasn’t wearing his glasses.

            “Since when are you sleeping with Jack?” he questioned, his cobalt blue eyes darting back and forth between mine.

            “I didn’t sleep with Jack. What are you talking about?”

        “Lexi, we are supposed to be a couple. Do you know how this makes me look? You’re messing up everything!”

            I narrowed my hands and grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, tugging him closer. “Don’t talk to me like that,” I demanded as I slowly released my grip on his shirt.