New Girl in Town

Chapter 12

When Jennie comes to a stop in front of the house, I try to hide my surprise, but holy fuck, her house is huge. It's like the ones they use for exteriors in movies: pristine sprawling lawn, perfect white paint, and a green door with a summer wreath hanging on it.

Jennie casually lets her bike fall on the manicured lawn and strolls up the driveway as I hurry to catch up.

Inside it's even more beautiful, with a big staircase and sprinkled with furniture that's all old wood and antique-y. It's the fancy kind of furniture you don't buy, you inherit. There's even a chandelier in the living room.

"Jennie, is that you?" a woman's voice calls from another room. "Finally! I swear, you're always making me late!"

She strolls into the hallway and spots Jennie. "What in the world are you wearing?" She strides forward, her heels clicking against the wood floor. "I buy you so many beautiful clothes, and you wear these ratty—" She stops, her gaze falling on me, hanging behind in the foyer. "Oh." 

In just a second, Jennie's mom's face shifts from disappointed to a bright smile. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Lisa."

"It's so nice to meet you, Lisa. I'm Amy. What a cute little jacket." She looks me up and down like she means the opposite of what she's saying.

My fingers curl inside the sleeves of my mom's jacket.

"Thanks."

"I'll be home late," Amy tells Jennie. "Your sister's in the den. Money for dinner is on the fridge. Bye, girls."

She grabs her purse and swishes out of the house.

"She's going to some women's thing. Charity or something," Jennie explains, crooking her finger and leading me into the living room. "My stepdad's out of town. Which is why I'm on Suzy duty." She bends down in front of a mirrored cabinet that has a fancy crystal decanter and mixers set on top. Jennie pulls the clip out of her hair, poking it into the cabinet lock.

"Are you seriously...?" I don't get to finish my question, because she's got the cabinet open with the ease of a practiced lock picker.

"I'm just full of surprises," Jennie says, grinning at me over her shoulder. She grabs a bottle from the shelf and locks the cabinet back up.

"They won't miss this one. It's plum dessert wine that someone gifted them a million years ago."

"If you say so."

"I do," she says, grabbing two glasses from the top of the cabinet. "Come on, let's go check on Suzy in the den."

She leads me through the house. Everywhere I look, there's something fancy and breakable that makes me want to tuck my elbows and never, ever bring a backpack inside because I'd accidentally sweep something off a table.

The den is more like a giant media room. The biggest TV I've ever seen on the wall, in the middle of a few plush white couches with all these cozy throw pillows and blankets. A little girl is sitting in front of the TV, wrapped in one of the blankets, watching The NeverEnding Story.

"Suzy, say hi to my friend Lisa," Jennie encourages, sitting down on the couch and pouring the wine. She hands me one of the glasses, and I sit down next to her.

"Hi, Suzy."

"Hi!" Suzy waves at me before turning back to watch the movie.

"How many times have you watched this today?" Jennie asks.

"Just this once," Suzy says.

"Are you lying?"

Her head hangs. "Maybe."