The next couple of weeks flew by. We went into New York City and saw Wicked, it was great. We also climbed a mountain, it was more hiking really, but we still did it. The other item we had checked off was skipping school. Only Rory got caught, and his Mom said she didn't mind that much because he had a 4.0, and she told him not to do it again.
Mom and I went out to dinner with Bill a couple more times. It wasn't too bad.
I was also working on training Molly, which was going well.
I found out that Colton had been forced to go spend the weekend with his sister, and his phone had been taken away. I was glad it was just that, and not something bad.
It was lunchtime right now, and our table was crowded. It had the six of us, Audra, Charles, Natalie, Liam, and Theo.
"You know, I have some chemistry homework to finish. I'm going to the library." I said.
"I'll go with you. I have an English paper due today." Colton said.
He grabbed my hand and we left the cafeteria together.
"Do you really have an English paper due?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I finished it. Do you really have chem homework?"
I giggled. "I always have chemistry homework."
My grade had actually gone up to a C, which was something to celebrate as far as I was concerned.
We walked up to the roof, and sat there, waiting for everyone else.
"You should come over after we get back from vacation. You can finally meet my mom." I said.
"I know your mom."
"Yeah, but you haven't officially met her." I said.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's too much pressure to meet your mom as your boyfriend. Plus, then I'd have to introduce you to my parents."
Ouch. Apparently I wasn't the type of girl he wanted to bring home.
"Well fine. Obviously you aren't as serious about this as I am."
He grabbed my hand again, and started rubbing it with his thumb. "Iris, that's not what I meant. I just meant my parents are weird. They think if I date someone, I'll get depressed again when it ends. I just don't want them ruining this for me."
My expression softened. "I'm just serious about this. I really care about you." I reached up to touch his jaw.
He leaned in closer. "I care about you too."
"Okay, we're here now, which means we all have to be friends so Bee and I aren't the fifth and sixth wheel." Bradley announced.
"That analogy doesn't really work." Rory said.
"Did I ask you, Morgan?" Bradley said.
"Okay, so we have to discuss the plan. Bradley, where do your parents think you are this weekend?" Rory asked, changing the subject.
We were leaving tonight, because there was a four day weekend. It was to cross our road trip off the list.
"They think I am at your house, Rory." Bradley recited.
"Excellent. Colton, where do your parents think you are?"
"Your house." Colton answered.
"Bee?" Rory said.
"They think I'm at Gingers. Iris is supposedly there too. Ginger will be at my house. Rory, you'll be at Colton's, that's what your mom will think. We know this part of the plan. Let's discuss the important things." Bee said.
"Fine. Bradley, did you rent the van?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ginger, did you book two hotel rooms?"
Ginger nodded. "Right on the beach in Maine."
"Are you all packed?" Rory asked.
We nodded.
"Where are we meeting at 5:30?" He asked again.
"Ginger's place." We answered.
"Good. We all know the plan." Rory said.
He turned to Ginger, and they began discussing something.
"Are you excited?" Colton asked.
"Yeah. I think we're going to get caught, but I'm still excited. It's the first real "bad" thing I've done." I confessed.
"Wow. So you and Todd really were the whole bad boy and good girl cliche?" Colton said.
"Pretty much." I laughed.
We spent the rest of lunch on the roof, discussing the plan.
This was going to be good.
*******
I was currently dragging my suitcase down the stairs. Molly was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with her leash in her mouth.
I had to take her with, because she was my responsibility. Mom apparently didn't like dogs and hadn't wanted one, like she told Bill she had.
Whatever. I liked Molly.
The front door opened, and I jumped out of my skin. Percy walked in, wearing a suit and looking serious.
"Is Mom home?" He asked.
"Yeah. She's in her office." I answered.
"Why do you have a suitcase?" He asked, sounding suspicious.
"I'm spending the weekend at Gingers house." I lied.
"Oh. Well have fun then." He said, and rushed up the stairs.
I left my suitcase on the stairs and followed him. He barged into her office without knocking, and then slammed the door.
I sat and pushed my ear against the door. He was acting weird, and I wanted to know what was up.
"Percy! What are you doing home?" Mom said.
"I just talked to John. John Taber. Dad's financial adviser? He said you're running the company into the ground. That it's a slippery slope to bankruptcy."
Bankruptcy? Oh no. This sounds terrible.
It sounded like Mom stood up. "I don't know how he'd know anything. I fired him."
"That's why he called me. He tried to tell you, and you fired him. You can't handle the business, Mom. Let the VP take care of things, since he has an actual business degree. Just step down until I graduate and take over." Percy said.
"I'm forty six, Percy. I can handle a business. Please excuse me if I don't take the advice of a nineteen year old."
"You can't handle it though. Go back to your doctor job." Percy said.
"Percy, I am your mother and you will respect me."
"I do respect you! You're going to lose the company, and things will only go downhill from there. You are not a good business person."
"Percy, leave my office right now."
"You're so immature. I'm trying to do this politely." He muttered.
He opened the office door and looked down at me. "You're going to lose Iris's college fund. How does that feel, Iris, to know that you might not be able to afford college?"
"Bad. Mom, Percy knows what he's talking about. Maybe you should just let the VP take over. He is getting his degree in business." I said.
"I'm not taking advice from my two teenage children. Sorry."
"I'm not a child!" Percy said.
"Neither am I!" I said.
"Both of you, go. I don't want to see you this weekend." Mom said.
"Fine. I don't want to see you either." Percy said.
I moved out of his way and then followed him downstairs.
He grabbed my suitcase. "Do you want a ride over to Gingers?" He asked.
I nodded. "Come on, Molly."
I clipped her leash on and walked outside.
Percy drove me over in silence. He kept drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and shaking his head.
He pulled into Ginger's driveway. Bradley had gotten the van, and they were currently loading stuff into it.
Percy narrowed his eyes at me. "What are you really doing this weekend?"
"Nothing. Just staying at Ginger's house." I chirped.
He rubbed his eyes. "Whatever you're doing, don't get caught by Mom. She's already mad."
"Well, I'm not doing anything. Bye Percy!" I said.
I grabbed my suitcase and Molly's leash, and hopped out of the car.
Percy backed out of the driveway and left the street.
Someone put their arms around me from the back.
"You're late." Colton said.
I turned around to face him. "I know. My mom and Percy got into a huge fight."
He looked at me, with concern in his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?"
I stood on my tiptoes. "Later." I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.
"Break it up. We're having trouble with the cooler." Rory said.
Colton kissed me one more time, and then left to go help Rory. I set my suitcase by Bradley, who was shoving bags into the back of the van. Then I let myself into Ginger's house.
Her older brother, Patrick, sat on the couch, staring blankly at the wall.
His fiancé, Harper, had died in a car accident in January. He was pretty depressed over it, and who could blame him?
"Hi Patrick." I said.
He looked up from the wall. "Oh, hi Iris. Ginger is upstairs. She said to go up there."
"Thanks."
I rushed up the stairs and walked into Ginger's room.
She was laying on her bed with Rose, Rory's dog. Bee was singing along to the radio, sitting at Ginger's makeup table.
"I think we should get going. Does Patrick know where you're going?" I asked.
Ginger nodded. "I figured one adult should know what we're doing. He promised not to tell."
"Oh. Good plan."
She stood up. "Come on, Rose."
We left her room and walked downstairs.
There were almost no photos on the wall. Just one from Ginger winning homecoming queen, and one posed photo of her, Patrick, and her parents. There was also one of Patrick and his fiancé, Harper. It must be painful to be Patrick and walk up the stairs and see her every time he's at home.
"Bye, Patrick!" Ginger said.
"See you later, Ginger."
The boys had gotten everything packed into the car. Bradley was sitting in the drivers seat, with Rory riding shotgun. Colton and Molly were sitting in the middle row. I got in next to them, and Bee, Ginger, and Rose clambered into the back.
"Hi." I said, smiling at Colton.
He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and leaned in.
"No kissing! My van, my rules." Bradley ordered.
I rolled my eyes at him.
We drove off.
***********
An hour and a half later, we were in New Hampshire. Bradley pulled over and we all got out.
Rory was watching the dogs, and Bee, Ginger, and Bradley were all inside using the bathroom. I had already gone as soon as we had gotten there, and was just getting some fresh air.
"So what were Percy and your mom fighting about?" Colton asked.
"Dad's business. Mom is mismanaging it, or something. Percy wants her to step down, and she refuses too."
"That sucks. Is she really mismanaging it?"
I shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. Percy was always the one who was supposed to inherit the family business, so he's the one who knows about it."
"I'm sure it'll be okay." Colton reassured.
I grabbed his hand. "As long as I have you all, Molly, Percy, and Mom, I'll be okay."
He smiled. "You'll always have me."
When did always end, Colton?
*************
We were on the road somewhere in New Hampshire. Ginger and Bee were both asleep in the back seat, and I was dozing off with my head on Colton's shoulder.
Everything felt good in the car. I was with my closest friends, I didn't have to think about my family, or school, or anything. My mind could go blissfully blank.
"We're in Maine." Rory announced.
I didn't say anything, I just snuggled into Colton's side.
Finally I dozed off.
"Iris. We're here. Wake up." Colton said gently.
I opened my eyes and looked at my phone. It was ten o'clock. My nap had been about an hour.
We got our keys from the front desk and went into our rooms. We had gotten two rooms, one for the girls, one for the guys, to make sure that if we got caught it wouldn't look bad.
I threw my suitcase on the ground and jumped onto one of the beds.
Molly jumped up next to me and laid down.
Ginger and Bee both got into their beds and by the looks of it, fell asleep quickly. I did too.
"Iris! It's seven! And it's beautiful out! We're going out to breakfast, and then going to the beach. Just wear your swimsuit underneath your clothes, cause we're literally going there right after breakfast. Oh, and Rose and Molly are in doggy daycare, so we don't have to worry about them." Bee said.
I sat up and looked at her. Her long brown hair was in a messy bun, and she was wearing jean shorts and a shirt from the school musical last year.
"Fine. I'm going." I said.
I went into the bathroom and changed into a sundress with my suit underneath. I put my hair into a ponytail, and put sunscreen on.
We went downstairs into the lobby. The boys were standing there, looking bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Colton grabbed my hand and twirled me around. "You look beautiful."
I blushed. "You don't look too shabby yourself."
"Ahem." A familiar voice said.
I turned around and looked at who was sitting on a chair that I hadn't noticed before.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, astonished.
"I could ask you the same thing."
AN: Who do you think is there? Well, you'll see in the next chapter. Vote and Comment please! Thanks for reading :)
Next chapter will be up June fifth
Edit: Lovely picspam at the top by @Misty_Allyanna