Secret // Calum Hood

24

Elena

I don’t know how long I was out.  It could have been for minutes, or for hours.  But in that time, my brain decided to let me dream of that fateful night that started all of this.

“Elena, there’s something in the mail for you!” Mom said excitedly, throwing an envelope on the table in front of me.

“Who would it be?  Dad just sent me a letter,” I asked, confused.  I opened up the envelope and gasped.

“What?” Mom asked.

“I got invited to Janie’s birthday party!” I squealed.

“Why are you excited about that?”

“I mean, I know I probably only got the invite because she wants as many presents as possible, but this is my first high school party!  I have to go,” I pleaded.

“No, you don’t, and you won’t.  Why would you want to go if you’re not even friends with anyone who’s throwing it?  Or even the people who are going.  Besides, you have to do your chores.  You’re still grounded from breaking your grandmother’s china, remember?” she told me, as disappointment crossed my face.

“I didn’t break it on purpose!  That’s not fair!” I cried.  I was shut up with a sharp slap to the face.  I looked down at the floor, trying to hold back my tears, and failing.

“You’re not going.  And don’t cry about it.  You’ll soon see that I’m doing you a favor,” she said, and walked away, leaving me to make a choice.  And I chose wrong.

I thought that it shouldn’t matter what she told me.  I wanted to go, so I would.  It’s not my fault that I broke the china, I shouldn’t be punished for it.  Just because she was never invited to any parties when she was in high school doesn’t mean she has to stop me from going.  So I made a plan.  On Saturday, the day of the party, she was working extremely late.  Before she left, I made a big show of taking a shower, putting on my pajamas, and laying in bed, claiming that I didn’t feel well.  She believed me.  As soon as she left, I got dressed.  I straightened my hair, put on a tight black lace dress, and even wore winged eyeliner, something I’ve always wanted to try, but was never allowed to.  There was just one thing missing.  I went to Mom’s closet and picked out a pair of black stilettos.  They were perfect with the dress.  I hoped that tonight, I would finally make some friends.  I grabbed Janie’s present, which was a bottle of alcohol.  So my mother was right that Janie didn’t really care about me.  I only got an invite because word slipped out about my easy access to the strong stuff.  Janie said I could come if I supplied the party.  I didn’t really mind.  At least they would know who I was.

I showed up and Janie immediately took the bottle from me, telling me I did a good job and that I could maybe talk to them later.  I wasn’t really interested in being Janie’s friend.  I wanted to be Nathan’s friend.  Nathan is Janie’s boyfriend.  But she’s so wrong for him.  He likes the same things I do.  Loud rock music, painting, eating tons of cereal.  He secretly writes about all of this stuff in his blog.  It took me ages to find it, and even longer to prove that it was really him.  But the more I read his blog, the more I felt connected to him, and the more I realized that we should be together.