i'm sorry | ethan dolan

kidnapped

chapter sixty three
——mackenzie's pov
may 12th, 2020

my birthday. this was my eighteenth birthday. was i doing something fabulous, like hanging out at a day spa with madeline, kylie, and faith or hitting a few clubs in the city? no.
was i doing something lowkey, like having dinner out with veronica and david and my parents and laughing while the waiters sung their off key version of happy birthday? no.
was i sitting on the couch in the living room, watching cake boss with quinn while she texted with hammond and waiting for my dad to show up to take me out for a nine ninety nine special at chili's?
yes. yes i  was.

i shifted in my seat and let out a sigh. my father was fifteen minutes late and hadn't called. i wondered if he was going to stand me up. that would just be the icing on the cake. pun very much intended.

"i wonder what mom and dad are doing right now," quinn mused, checking her watch before absently shoving a piece of popcorn into her mouth. she'd started doing that lately. calling my mom 'mom.' it was just weird.
"probably sipping wine, watching the sunset over the beach, being totally, disgustingly, in love," i said flatly.

they had called earlier that day to wish me a happy birthday and tell me they were bringing me back a killer surprise when they got home. but i didn't even care about presents. i just missed my mom. i'd kept her on the line for way too long, talking about nothing, just because i didn't want to hang up.

"wow. someone forgot to take her happy pills this morning," quinn said, nudging my leg with her socked foot. "maybe if you talked your dad into taking you somewhere cooler than chili's then you wouldn't—"
"hey, my dad's not made of money like some people," i shot back.
quinn raised her hands in surrender. "sorry. sheesh. cheer up already. it's your birthday."
"yeah, yeah," i replied, sinking into the couch.
"you never know, you know," quinn said. she set the popcorn aside, grabbed the remote, and turned off the tv abruptly. "maybe, just maybe, something unexpectedly fabulous will happen."

i rolled my eyes at her. "i think you take too many happy pills." she was opening her mouth to retort when the doorbell rang. i grabbed my bag as i jumped off the couch.
"see ya!"
"have fun!" she shouted after me.

i ran through the kitchen, down the hall, and through the foyer, psyched to finally be getting out of the house. but when i flung the door open, it wasn't my dad standing there. it was three people in ski masks. madeline, kylie, and faith. i could tell by the hair sticking out around their necks. behind them, faith's car idled in the driveway.

"what're you guys—"
"no talking!" madeline said, pitching her voice super low. then kylie and faith yanked a striped pillowcase over my head and led me toward the car.
"you guys. what're you doing? my dad's gonna be here any minute to take me to—"
"i said, shut up!" madeline barked. "this is a kidnapping."
i sighed as someone ducked me into the backseat of the car. "but my dad—"
"shut up or you won't get your present," faith ordered as a couple of car doors slammed.

i rolled my eyes under the pillowcase as the three of them started to whisper, but suddenly i couldn't stop smiling. whatever these three crazies had in mind, i was in. maybe quinn was right. maybe something unexpectedly fabulous would happen.

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teaser: mackenzie's birthday

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[647 words]
-m
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