I couldn't locate Olivia anymore. I didn't know if she'd left or if she was lost in the crowds of craziness. It was nearly two in the morning, and the best way to describe the party would be Bogie Lowenstein's from 'Ten things I hate about you.' I periodically checked my phone, but there were no messages from her explaining her whereabouts, so I texted her.
ME: Hey where are you?
I managed to spot Mason and Roland in the den sitting on a love seat. They had red cups in hand, and they were high off their asses. I snickered as I made my way over to them.
"Hey, are you guys about ready to bounce it's getting late" I said.
"No way dude" Mason smiled.
"But I'm ready to go" I groaned.
"Dude go ahead, we'll find a way home, there's like a thousand people here" Roland smiled.
"Alright fine" I exhaled.
I shuffled my way through the house and through the waves of teenagers, making a beeline for the front door. As I walked, I still looked around for Olvia...no sign of her. I finally made it to the front porch and pulled out my phone to check, still no reply. I groaned, scratching my fingers in my hair with confusion and started out into the yard. I pulled Dad's car keys from my pants pocket.
"Hey?"
I turned around to see Maggi approaching me.
"Hey?" I replied, with one eyebrow raised.
"Are you leaving?" Maggi questioned.
I held up the car keys and jiggled them, insinuating my exit.
"Can you give me a ride?" Maggi asked. "Liv bailed on me, and Shy is busy losing her virginity."
Apparently, Olivia ghosted me too.
"Sure, come on" I shrugged, before turning and heading to the car.
Maggi ran behind me, nearly sprinting to keep up with my long strides across Shyla's yard. Our breath came out in white, cloudy huffs as we swerved around cars parked out on the street, until we finally came to Dad's black challenger.
"Ooooo" Maggi giggled like a little kid as she admired the car.
I smiled lightly as I unlocked the doors. She opened the passenger door and peered into the seat.
"So, the skateboard gets shotgun?" She giggled.
"Just throw it in the back seat" I insisted as I got in.
Maggi obediently tossed the board into the backseat before climbing in beside me. I started the car, and we pulled off. After a few minutes we surprisingly turned on my street. We pulled up to the driveway of a dark blue and white trimmed two-level house. It was a Farmhouse style home, with a wrap around porch. The house looked quiet and unoccupied in the moonlight and the light rain fall.
"Nice place" I said.
"Yea, it's okay I guess."
"I actually stay a few houses down. It's the dark reddish-brown one at the end of the street" I explained. "It's a cool neighborhood."
"I guess, it took me a while to get used to living here" Maggi said.
"Wait, you're not from here?" I posed.
"No, are you?" Maggi questioned.
"Yea, I was born and raised here actually" I said.
"Born to be a husky, such a shame" Maggi tsk-tsked shaking her head with a smirk.
"Are you serious right now?" I grimaced, a little offended.
"Calm down little girl I was just poking fun" Maggi giggled, as she got out of the car.
I made a face as I mocked her giggle. She came around to my window and leaned in.
"Did you need something else from the husky, because I'm not pulling a sled for you" I smiled lightly.
"How about hoisting me up in a window?"
"Come again?"
"It's three a.m. Olivia was supposed to have me home at twelve. If I go through any of the doors downstairs, my mom will hear the beep and the voice command from the alarm" Maggi explained.
"She won't hear it from the window?" I asked.
"Not my window. Come on."
And with that we were treading across the damp front yard around the side of Maggi's house. The only light from the house, came through a kitchen window. It was made by the small light over the stove and over the kitchen sink. We walked up to a six-foot red wood fence and Maggi slowly pushed open its door, trying not to make it creak. We stepped inside, and then around to a large, white lattice on the side of the house.
"Right here, and then I can go across the roof" Maggi whispered.
"I'm guessing you've done this before?" I whispered back.
"Maybe once or twice" Maggi grinned as she reached up and grabbed the bottom of the lattice.
I gripped her curvy hips, she giggled lightly.
"Really?" I smirked.
"I'm ticklish I'm sorry" She chuckled.
I lifted her up and she stuck her feet into the lattice. She climbed one diamond shaped piece of wood at a time until she was finally on the roof part of the first floor. She turned around and looked at me.
"Thanks Theo" She whispered down to me.
I saluted up to her with two fingers and turned to leave.
"Hey?" She whispered.
I turned back and shrugged.
"Wanna hang out sometimes?" She smiled.
"Yea sure" I smiled back.
"Okay text me" she said and disappeared over the top of the roof.
"Wait I don't have your number" I whispered back.
"Maggi, Maggi?!" I called as loud as I could without going above a whisper.
Just then a light somewhere in the house came on. I gasped and bolted for the fence door. I quickly ran across the front yard, sliding in the muck to get to the car. I hopped in, crank it up and took off just as a light in the front of the house came on. Unfortunately, for me, my house wasn't built as clever as Maggi's. There was nowhere around the house that I could sneak in, not even the basement. Everything led to the front of the house, and I still would have to get upstairs and make it passed my parent's room, whose door was always opened. So, I was prepared to accept my ass-chewing like a man. I pulled up around the side in front of the closed garsge and cut off the car. I made my way inside the house and softly closed the front door behind me.
"Theo is that you?" came a whisper out of the darkness of the house.
I sighed; did we have to do this every time someone came home. To my surprise it wasn't Dad's voice that greeted me, it was Mom's. She stepped around the staircase out of the darkness of the foyer, just as I placed my skateboard down. She stopped a few feet away from me, arms across her chest, a look of disappointment on her face.
"Four a.m. really?" she grimaced.
"Mom I'm sorry I can explain" I whispered.
"Is that beer and chocolate I smell?" She whispered back.
"Okay yea it is..." I started.
"You've been drinking?" She interrupted.
"No, it got spilled on me at the party and..."
"Spilled on you, really?" Mom frowned.
"Mom come on give me a break" I pleaded.
"No, a break would have been at one a.m. you're lucky I slipped something in your dad's drink and put him to bed early so he doesn't know you missed curfew."
"What did you give him?" I asked.
"I put a few crumbs of diphenhydramine in his scotch" Mom said.
"Jesus" I smirked.
"Hey, I'm not on trial, you are" Mom pointed.
"I'm eighteen, I don't even understand why I have a curfew" I groaned.
"Because you live in this house" Mom snapped.
"You act like I'm out being a jackass I'm a good kid mom" I said.
"And I want to keep you that way, now go to your room" Mom sighed.
I exhaled and threw my hands up quickly in surrender before ascending the stairs. It's sad that mom had to drug dad to cover my ass. But at the same time, I'm glad she knew how extreme dad could be and she had my back.