Bending the Rules (The Rules, #1)

12

Brenna

I go out for a late lunch with Catina and Evren on Friday. Mille was supposed to tag along, but she got caught up in taking over another shift at Winners. We also had to switch the day of our lunch and get together because of clashing work schedules tomorrow. We hit up Mad Mango to enjoy some authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Evren insists we get an order of the salad rolls—I insist we get three orders. They're the most delicious food salad rolls I've had, and the peanut sauce is the shit. When we're finished with the appetizer, we order our main lunches. After eating so many salad rolls, I'm unable to finish my food.

"Would you like that wrapped up?" the server asks me.

"Yes, please," I nod, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "Thank you."

"We'll have ours wrapped, too, please," Evren adds. As usual, Evren looks top of the line. Her rose-gold bracelets jingle around her wrist as she smooths out her brown shoulder-length style hair. The sharp jut of her chin complements her ruby-red lips. So does the silky cream-coloured cami she's wearing beneath her black cardigan. I've always been jealous of Evren's style. She has this unique ability to pull of anything, be it a hair style, lip colour, or outfit.

"So," Catina says once our dishes have been cleared. "Are we going through with this?"

I check my phone. The screen is lit up with several text messages from Hunter, Nick, and Drew. There's nothing from Ella. We're not close friends, but her breakup with Jones seems to have shaken her. Quietness has been her best friend throughout class. I thought it would be a good idea to invite her. A little support can go a long way, and I know her well enough to invite her over. I hope she takes the invitation and joins us. We're probably just going to play video games and eat junk food. Maybe watch a movie on Netflix.

There's also a text from Mom. She's back to working the night shift at the hospital, giving me the opportunity to throw a party behind her back. That, however, isn't how I roll. I quickly scan through her text message. She's okayed me having some friends over. My response is a list of who's coming, and an excess amount of heart emojis. "We are," I reply. "Mom said it's okay."

Catina rolls her eyes. "Why do you ask your mom about everything? You're going to be eighteen next year."

Evren nudges Catina in the ribs. "Brenna's told you, like, fifty times. Her mom trusts her, and she wants to keep it that way."

"I get it," Catina says, leaning back in her chair. As she crosses her arms, the server returns with our packaged food. We thank her, and then she tells us we're welcome to pay up front whenever we want. "But you need to live a little, Brenna. Take some risks. You never go to parties or do anything teenagers do. You're always playing hockey or working out at the gym."

I suppress a snort. Why do kids cross their parents? Betrayal isn't a column in the foundation of relationships. I can't imagine lying to my mom. Then again, my mom has always been lenient with me. But that's because I've never given her a reason not to trust me. "I'm taking plenty of risks by playing with the boys."