Seventeen-year-old Hazel never saw having a sick mom in her future. And the last thing she expected was for her new next-door neighbor to give her a checklist that would change everything.
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After Hazel Winter's mom got sick, all emotion vanishe...
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We get to Joy's house around midnight. I called my mom to check in on her about an hour ago, reassuring her that I'd be back in the morning. It's the weekend, so the aid will be there even if I'm not. Still, it makes me feel better if I'm with her.
But I've never had a sleepover before with anyone, and Joy begged and pleaded for River and me to both stay the night with her. She was in a crazed frenzy after flipping out on Jared, and the last thing she wanted was to be alone. She's my best friend now, too, so I didn't have the heart in me to tell her no.
"Are you sure your parents are okay if I sleep over?" River asks as he stares reluctantly up at her overly-sized house, blinking a few times as if he's trying tofigure out if she lives here. "I've just had too much to drink, and I don't want Steve and Tracy to smell it on me."
Joy rolls her eyes. "Nobody is home, River. It's fine. My dad is away at some conference for the weekend, and he brought my step-mom with her."
Step-mom.
The word echoes throughout my head as I follow both of them inside. That's why that interaction was so awkward the other day at her house. That woman isn't her mother. Are her parents divorced?
I want to ask so many questions, but I also know how utterly irritating it can be to be asked those questions. I keep my mouth shut as Joy grabs a few different bags of chips from the kitchen and then leads her way up the famous wraparound staircase.
"Uh, can I have water?" River asks, glancing back down the steps.
I give him a sly grin. "Don't worry, Joy has a mini fridge in her room."
"If you're going to make fun of me being wealthy, then both of you can kick rocks," Joy replies, throwing a grin over her shoulder.
We get into Joy's room, and River helps himself to water from the fridge. He can't stop looking around at how huge it is in here, and I can't help but wonder if I looked the same way when I first came over.
Joy retrieves an air mattress from her closet and plugs it in to blow up. "I'm assuming you want to share the air mattress?" She asks with a raised brow.
"No," I say, just as River says, "Yes."
I don't want Joy to feel like a third wheel, and how awkward is that? I'm not too fond of PDA, especially when only one other person is in the room. I'd rather die.
His eyes lock with mine, and they do that thing where they focus in on me extra hard. He's trying to determine why I said no, and when he seems to piece things together, his features relax, and he gives me a gentle smile.
"Okay," River replies as he puts his hands up in defeat. "I'll take the air mattress."
Joy grabs a pillow and one of her fuzzy pink blankets for River, placing them on the edge before heading to her dresser. "I have clothes for you to change into, Hazel," she says. "I'm sure you don't want to sleep in that mini-skirt, right?"
