the middle ≫ jj maybank

xvii. the basement

Slater's good behavior at Midsummers and the Cameron dinner had seemingly paid off, because Monday morning, when she was getting ready to leave for work, her mom came to her, keys in hand and a smile on her face.

"Your father and I have talked it over, and we've decided you've been punished enough. If you promise to stay away from those friends of Kiara's, then you're ungrounded," Leanore said, handing her daughter the keys to the Subaru.

Slater's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Leanore nodded. "Perhaps your father was quick to judge you, Slater. You're a good kid, and he knows that. He just sees a lot of bad things happen on the job, and he worries about your safety. Yours and Maeve's."

"I know," Slater said, frowning. "But he should trust me to make good decisions on my own. Besides, Kiara's friends are -"

Leanore raised a hand, not wanting to hear anything further. It was as if she didn't want to be incriminated in whatever Slater was about to do, because she knew in the back of her mind that her daughter wasn't about to stay away from her friends.

"Have a good day, Slater. Curfew is midnight."

"Right." Slater grinned, giving her mother a quick hug. "Thanks, Mom."

Slater rushed downstairs, keys in hand, practically skipping to her Subaru. She couldn't wait to tell the pogues that she was a free woman. She contemplated texting them, but she knew they were all meeting up at the Wreck later that afternoon, so she could surprise them then.

She went through her workday with the best mood she'd had in a while, raking in more tips than she'd ever made in a single day. Apparently, having a genuine smile on your face was much better than a fake one in the service industry.

As she was hanging up her apron at the end of the day, Kiara approached her, a curious look on her face. "What's got you all smiley?"

Slater laughed. "I'm officially ungrounded."

Kiara laughed. "Oh, yay! I thought you'd just had a great time at the Camerons last night or something," she teased, giving Slater a knowing look.

Slater rolled her eyes. "Don't make me regret telling you about that," she said, her mind drifting to Rafe and the kiss on the boat. "I don't want to puke."

Kiara grinned and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Slate, it's just funny. Anyway, how was John B? Was he there, at the house?"

Slater nodded. "It was weird. He was. He and Sarah seem very ... chummy," she said, though she knew that was putting it lightly. She didn't mention the fact that Sarah had broken up with Topper.

Kiara groaned. "I was worried you'd say that."

"Kiara, your friends are here!" Mrs. Carrera called from the front of the restaurant.

"Well, let's go, then," Kiara said, leading Slater out of the back room. "I wonder what they found at Tannyhill."

JJ and Pope were perched at the bar, enjoying a basket of fries that they likely hadn't paid for. John B was nowhere to be seen.

Slater caught JJ's eye as they headed to the bar, and his eyebrows went up, clearly surprised to see her there. "Do we have an escaped prisoner on our hands?" He teased as she took a seat next to him on a barstool.

"Well, here's the thing," Slater began, beaming at him. "As of this morning, I am officially a free woman."

Pope let out a loud whoop, and the two boys erupted into a raucous applause. "Kie, can we get another round of fries for our freed prisoner, please?" Pope asked, shaking the empty basket.