Temporarily Mine

3

JOSEPHINE

Kathrine , as always, is the last of us four to climb out of the pool. She dries off quickly and ties a towel around her before joining us on the picnic table.

"Okay," she starts. "You're freshly single and in need of some hardcore lovin'. What movie do you jump into to get it?"

"Fast and the Furious," Mandy shouts, way too eager, making the rest of us laugh.

"Cassie?" Kathrine asks her as she piles her plate full.

"Hmm, how about The Boy Next Door." She wiggles in her spot.

"A murderous lunatic is your type?" I tease.

"He brought J.Lo to her knees, literally, okay," she jokes. "That's my man."

"You guys are lame, Christian Grey me, please!" Kathrine shouts.

"As if we're surprised." Cassie laughs.

"Josephine?" Mandy asks, a chicken wing shoved halfway in her mouth.

"Takers, all day." I nod.

The three of them pause before they all change their mind and go with my answer, too.

"Talk about a dream team."

"Right?" I agree. "I'd go for Hayden Christianson to TI in a hot second."

The four of us laugh, and then Cassie elbows me in the ribs.

I look up and through the screen door to find my mom primping in the mirror.

It's crazy how much I look like her, only the less perfected version, as I'm sure she'd call me.

Long, dirty blonde but not quite brown hair, almond-shaped eyes the same shade of blue, a grey blue gun metal -like color. She's always said she blessed me with the heart shape of my lips, though I'm pretty sure hers were created along the way with the help of a needle or two. We're both pushing five-nine, but she stays in four-inch heels to give herself more height.

The difference between us though is she walks around like a California Barbie where I'm more Barbie's best friend.

"You talk to her about my birthday yet?" Kathrine whispers.

"No." I sigh, wiping the sauce off my fingers before pushing to stand, my towel falling from my middle as I do. "Might as well do it now."

The girls follow behind.

The second we step through the door, my mom openly scrutinizes us in our bathing suits, likely picking us apart in her mind.

"Girls."

"Hey, Ms. Langford."

"Mom, can I go to Kat's party next weekend?" I ask her.

My mom turns to me. "You want to talk about this now?"

"Since you're here, yeah."

Her features sharpen, but she plays it off, smiling at herself in the mirror before meeting my gaze in the reflection. "So, this is the party that is two nights in a hotel along the beach with its own private bar and DJ? A hotel that has been blocked off for nothing but high school seniors for a spoiled little girl's eighteenth birthday?" She looks over at Kathrine . "No offense, sweetheart."

"Hey, it's true." Kathrine laughs.

I hold in my eye roll. "The hotel that's safe and owned by Kat's dad, yes. That's the one."

"Honey, there will be no parents there, and I'll be out of town, so I can't come to your rescue if something happens." She makes sure to shake her head in faux concern.