"Where have you been?" My mom snaps angrily as my dad crosses his arms and stares at me with that dad gaze. The one that said: 'I'm very disappointed in you'.
"I told you I was going out." I say and my mom only glares at me harder.
"Can you explain what you're wearing then? Hm?" She gestures to the shirt Julia bought me at the drugstore and my now ruined converse. "Did you go to a rave or something?"
"No, mom, no one does that anymore-"
"Whatever." She cuts me off. "That's not even my point. We put so much trust into you, Teagan. Then you don't come home and we're about seconds away from calling the cops. We thought you were kidnapped or something else horrible happened to you!"
Ironic.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry," I look to her, then to my dad. "I honestly didn't intend to stay out all night. I thought I would be back home by three."
My mom runs her hand through her long hair in frustration. My dad lets out a long sigh while shaking his head. I don't think I've ever made them this angry before. I was always the good child, the one who didn't get into much trouble. I feel bad. They probably have no idea how to handle this.
"You got home at ten in the morning, Teagan. You underestimated the time you would get home by. Just tell us the truth, where were you?" My dad speaks for the first time, looking down at me with concern.
I was worrying them and I felt horrible. I wanted to tell them that there was nothing to worry about, but what if I never came home? What if I was still in that asylum? I'm hurting more than myself at this point, and I feel extremely selfish for not considering what would happen to them if anything happened to me. Hell, they wouldn't even know something had happened to me. They have no idea what I have gotten myself into.
Although I feel guilty and selfish, I couldn't tell them the whole truth. But I could try sugarcoating it.
"There was a new club opening in New York, and Julia invited me to go with her and some friends. Since her dad was invited, we were allowed in. She said we would be back by two, but we lost track of time. I'm so sorry you guys."
They both look at each other, like they are communicating telepathically.
"Teagan," my dad says, my mom crossing her arms and watching him. "We've never done this before because you never needed it, but we are going to have to ground you."
I saw this coming, but nonetheless I was still shocked. "Grounded? Seriously? Just because I made one mistake?"
"We are making sure it never happens again, Teagan." My mom says pointedly. "You can't hang out with any friends after school. You go to school, come home, no phone."
I tense. No phone? That would mean they had to take my phone, which would then mean they would see an iPhone they did not pay for.
"You guys, come on. I need my phone. Who am I going to talk to anyway? Erin and I aren't really friends anymore, and it's not like I can use the phone I have for social media." As far as they are aware, I still have my old purple one.
They both frown as I realize I let it slip that Erin and I weren't on speaking terms anymore.
"What happened with you and Erin, baby?" My mom sits next to me on the couch and gives me a sad look.
"I don't know. We just grew apart I guess." I shrug, trying to play it off. The truth was, I couldn't help but want to tell her everything. She was my mom. I told her almost everything anyway.
"Is that why you're hanging out with Julia?" My dad asks like it all makes sense.
Well, that wasn't exactly a lie. Technically it was the truth.
"I'm always the third wheel with Kat and Axel, and Julia and I have the same calculous class," That was a lie as well. "So we just became friends, I guess."
My mom puts an arm around me. "Honey, I thought you didn't like this Julia girl. She always used to bully you."
"I was mean to her too." I say, which was actually the truth as well. Julia may have been a bitch to me, but that didn't mean I wasn't mean back.
"We'll let you keep your phone," my dad says. "But you're still grounded. We raised you to have better moral judgement than sneaking into a club. You're still only eighteen."
And they did raise me to have better moral judgement. They just never taught me about busting a millionaire for statutory rape. "For how long?" I ask and my dad gives my mom a confused look.
"For how long, what?" My mom asks.
I laugh. "Usually when you ground your kid it's for a certain period of time."
"Oh right." My dad says with a smile and my mom laughs as well. "I'm not sure if it shows good parenting or bad that we didn't realize that."
"I think it shows good parenting." I tell them and stand up. "I'm gonna give myself two weeks."
This time they both laugh. "I'm pretty sure the child doesn't decide."
"Nope, but you two obviously don't know what you're doing so I had to take matters into my own hands." I start toward the stairs. "I'm headed to the shower because I feel gross, and since I'm not allowed outside to see the light of day, I guess that means I get to annoy you two."
I trot up the stairs and once I get to my room I close the door behind me. That was way too close. Out of all the people I would think could have caught me, the last pair I thought of was my parents.
****
The day I went back to school was the day Erin finally decided to acknowledge me.
"Hey, can we talk?" Erin asks, twisting her newest looking watch around her wrist.
"Sure..." I trail off, confused.
Erin smiles and takes my hand. I had no idea what she wanted. She already has the guy, she has a bunch of friends... I don't bother her in the sense that she knows about.
She tugs me into an empty science classroom and her smile instantly disappears. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
My entire body goes cold. Does she know? How did she find out? I thought I hid it so well. "What do you mean?"
"I saw you with Julia at the club on saturday. What were you doing there? And since when have you been hanging out with Julia?"
I heard a twinge of jealousy in her voice, and I wasn't sure if it was because she wanted to be the one taking me to parties or because Julia was her new best friend now. Probably the latter, I haven't really known this Erin in the past month.
"We've been hanging out lately because our mothers are friends."
That was such a stupid excuse and she knew it was a lie.
"Teagan, just stop. I wanted to believe you were just hanging around Julia to get to me, because why would my best friend want to spy on me and Oliver? He told me you were working with his brother but I didn't believe him."
"Wait- What?" I ask, confused. "Erin, what has Oliver been telling you?" I ask carefully.
Erin glares at me. "Listen, I know it was you that night at the food store. I may have been drunk, but I saw your broken phone on the ground. No one has that phone anymore. Especially with the purple case and a picture of us on the back. That was also a dead give away."
I didn't have any words. She must know than. She must know I was taken by Oliver's men. "Were you a part of what happened the other night?" I ask, hoping she would say no, or act like she had no idea what I was talking about. I don't think I could ever move past knowing she would put me through that for a guy. We've known each other since the second grade. We are practically sisters.
"Teagan, it was necessary." She says sadly. "Oliver told me-"
I stare at her in shock. "Really? That's how you're going to defend yourself? Because Oliver told you it was necessary? So if he told you to shoot yourself so he wouldn't get caught, because it was necessary, you would do it?"
"Teagan! Just stop following me and Oliver." Erin snaps. "You are in my private business and you've been such a horrible friend lately! I can't believe you would ruin a man's life just because you're so damn jealous! Let it go and leave me alone."
I take a deep breath, controlling my anger. I don't like the girl Oliver has turned her into. She was never like this. She used to be sweet and funny. Her sarcasm used to make me laugh and her dramatic nature was something I looked forward to. This vindictive self-absorbed bitch was not my friend.
"Fine. Gladly." I say curtly.
"I don't even know why you are so upset about this in the first place. When it all comes down to it age is just a number, Teagan."
"And jail is just a place, Erin." I retort and step around her and leave the room without another word.