Just One Look

Cold Sweat

"Cool, do you wanna show me what you've gotten done so far?" He asked.

"Sure, it's up in my room." I beckoned them to follow me up to my room. They did, holding hands as they went. I rolled my eyes inwardly and entered my room. I turned on the lights and went over to my desk. I fired up my computer and clicked on the science project. He read through it and nodded his head as he read.

"It's good, print it and give it to me and I'll have it ready by Friday." He said clicking around on the computer, printing it himself. "Then, I take it you want me to do the display also?" He asked, I nodded. "Okay, then you can come get it Friday morning. That all right?"

"Wait, but it's not due for a while." I reminded him.

"Right, but we may as well get it done with now instead of later."

"True, but I don't think our teacher will accept something so soon. You know how he is." I said, Jared nodded and looked at the time. His eyebrows raised in alarm.

"Babe, we should go. They should be ready by now." He said urgently looking past me to Karen, she sat perched on the end of my bed inspecting her nails. She looked up and smiled.

"Awesome, let's blow this popsicle stand." She said getting off the bed. Jared got up and followed her out the door.

"Where are you guys going?" I asked, I was feeling out of the loop.

"A party." Karen said casually.

"Really? Karen, you've never gone to a party before."

"Yeah, well. This is a year of changes I guess." She shrugged. Jared had his hand around her waist pulling her out the door.

"Karen, are you sure that's a good idea?" I quizzed, Jared turned around.

"Don't worry mama bear, I'll take care of your cub." He said a sly smile crawling over his lips. I wanted to smack him, but I knew that it wasn't the smartest idea with Karen around. I glared at him and he smirked. I wanted my gaze to light him on fire. He turned around and followed Karen downstairs, they went out the door and disappeared in the night. Jared disgusted me in every way. His innuendo grossed me out.

***

The house phone started to ring on my bedside table and started ringing extra loud with small vibrations on the side.

"What?" I woke up, reaching for the phone. "Hello?" I asked tiredly, my voice dripping with sleepiness.

"Hey, I need your help." Karen said, hurriedly.

"What time is it?" I asked, not paying any attention to her. The clock read four thirty in the morning. "What in the actual fuck are you doing? Calling me at four thirty in the goddamn morning?" I asked, my temper running short.

"I need you to come and get me." She said, her voice shaking.

"Call your Mom, it's not my problem." I said, and I hung up the phone. No less than five seconds later my phone rang again.

"What?" I asked annoyed.

"Come on, please? I need your help." She pleaded. Her voice slow.

"Okay, tell me what happened and I'll see what I can do on short notice."

"We went to the party and it died pretty quickly, Jared took me back to his place and now I want to go home. I don't want my Mom to see me like this." She said her voice becoming long and drawn out.

"What time was your curfew?"

"Eleven." She yawned, I rolled my eyes and got out of my bed.

"Where are you?" I couldn't believe I was going to save her ass, but what are friends for?

"Um, I think I'm at Jareds."

"Where is that?" I asked my temper flaring.

"Down by the hospital, call me when you get close."

"I live five minutes down the road from the hospital, where are you?"

"I'll turn on the lights, jeez don't get your panties in a twist." She grumbled, I rolled my eyes and hung up. Waking me up, asking me for a ride home when she has a car herself? Am I her mother? On top of that it's four thirty in the morning, and I have stuff to do today. Who does she think she is? I threw on a sweatshirt and some pants and went downstairs. I left a note for my Mom saying that if I wasn't back when she got up I was probably over at Karen's house. I drove down the road, past the pile of hospital building, to the only house on the street that was lit up like the fourth of july. Most of the front lights were on, the outside light was on, and there was a shadow in the window. I made out Karen's figure and beeped the horn once, the figure moved for the front door and soon she was jumping in the passenger seat.

"Hey."

"Hey, thanks for coming to get me." She said, I looked at her, the interior lights of the car hadn't dimmed yet.

"Why are your pupils so tiny? It's the middle of the night." I said, she shrugged and didn't answer. I drove her home in silence.

"Thanks again." She said getting out of the car, before she could slam the door I called her name, she turned and looked at me. Her pupils bigger than before.

"Never again." I said, paused "Ever." She nodded her head and slammed the door. I watched her walk inside before pulling out of the driveway. I knew Karen's Mom was super pissed about her being home so early in the morning. She was so going to be grounded for the next week, from parties, hanging out with friends, and seeing her boyfriend. She was not going to be happy at all, she would 'die' if she didn't get to see Jared, she would probably sneak out, just to see him. Blah, blah, blah. I don't care. All I care about is that science project he is supposed to finish for us. I got out of the car and went inside the house, it was still dark, but I could hear my Mom walking down the hallway.

"Where have you been?" She asked, I was surprised that she was awake.

"Karen called me wanting a ride home from Jared's house, so I went out and got her." I explained. She nodded her head and walked on down the hallway. "Why are you up, Mom?" I asked,

"I don't really know anymore." She said, shaking the sleep away from her head and turning back to the master bedroom.

"Is Dad home?" I asked, her face fell.

"Nope." She said, I frowned and reached out to her. I drew her into a hug and she sighed. "I miss him." She said quietly.

"I know, so do I."

"I want them to catch this guy, like now. So I don't have to worry so much. I want him to be safe."

"Me too." I whispered rubbing her back.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep, anymore."

"Want some tea?" I asked, pulling away from her. My arm still draped over her shoulder.

"Sure, may as well." She said, we walked down to the kitchen and I started the kettle. She went into the living room and sat down on the couch, turning on the T.V., it was the news, again. So far, no further information on the crimes that have been committed. We watched the morning show and finally started moving around the house after the morning cartoons were over and the kiddie shows began. "Do you wanna do something with me today?" Mom asked, stirring the eggs in the pan.

"Depends."

"Spa day?" She asked.

"Where?"

"Where do you think?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Really?!" I asked, excited.

"Well, duh. What else do we have to do?" She asked,

"Sweet." I said pumping my fist into the air, spa day with my Mom.