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"Why would you ever think this is okay? We specifically told you that you were grounded and yet you sneak out for a whole day! Do you have any clue how worried we were about you?" Cassandra asked Bali in disbelief as her and Dante lecture their daughter once they got home, "And with the boy from the hotel? You know he's trouble."
"You can't just run out on us with no explanation at all. What were you even doing there? Are you using again? Have you been talking to Rafe?" Dante went on, not letting Bali speak, "Or Conner? He's back for the summer, isn't he?"
"Dad! Let me speak!" Bali yelled suddenly, making them both look at her in shock and disbelief, "I haven't been using, I swear. I've been with my friends, my actual friends that care about me."
"What? That trash Sarah welcomed into her home?" Cassandra asked her in disbelief.
"Yeah, that trash. That so called trash is my friends and they know me better then either of you do." Bali said as she stood up in anger. She was crying, not because she was sad but because she was angry, "I've lived almost seventeen years exactly how you have wanted me too. I don't stay out late, I don't let my grades slip, I don't hang out with anyone but Sarah, I don't get into relationships because they're distractions, I don't screw up once because it'll mess up what the two of you want for me!"
"Bali-" Dante began in a calm tone.
"And for what? What? So I can own a stupid hotel that I don't even want just to prove that we're better than uncle Daniel? So I can get married to some asshole right out of high school and live some fake life that feels like a broken record? So I can have a kid and not let them breath? So I can feel like I'm stuck in some bullshit story when everyone else is having plot twist and spontaneous adventures left and right?" Bali swung her arms around when she spoke as her eyes reddened with the salty tears, "I hate it here! I hate living the way the two of you want me to just because you're scared someone will look down on one family. It's not fair to me! I wanna hang out with Kie, and Pope, and John B, and Sarah, and JJ because I love them and they love me."
"They don't even know you." Cassandra spoke softly as she stared and her daughter, hurt by her tone.
"Thats the issue, mom." Bali spoke harshly to her mother, "They do know me. You're the ones that don't."
"Bali, wait." Dante called as she started walking up the stairs, "Bal, just listen."
She ignored them and walked up stairs, locking her door and falling onto her bed.
It had been a full twenty-four hours since Bali locked herself in her room. She walked down when her parents went to the hotel and stalked up on food and drinks, locking her door again. Her dad apologized for not hearing her sooner, sitting outside of her door a while. Cassandra took a little more time before doing the same and saying she'd wished they could just talk about this. Bali didn't want to give in so quickly though, she really just wanted JJ.
