Claiming Her Innocence ~Completed~

|01|

Kelsey

I'm a sassy girl and flaunting my assets has never been a problem. But what happened last year was so off the charts that I don't know where to begin. Maybe it was the fact that I had no money for gas again. Maybe it was the fact that I was so sick of my loser boyfriend Rick bailing at the last minute, that I decided to go with my buddy Amber to some random party. But one thing led to another, and suddenly, my life was completely different.

"Come on," said Amber, fluffing out her long blonde hair while appraising her reflection in the mirror. "It'll be fun."

I grumbled a little. After a day at the country club slinging towels and bringing out drinks to spoiled rich women, I was tired. My face felt like it would crack if I had to put on one more fake smile, and my skin still smelled of chlorine despite the fact that I'd soaped myself up three times in the shower.

"I dunno, maybe I'll just stay home," was my yawn. "You know I'm supposed to meet Rick tomorrow. He's taking me to that new restaurant that serves the best burgers."

Amber pulled a face before spinning towards me with her hands on her hips.

"Kels, I hate to break it to you, but Rick's not going to do that. I already know he's going out with Bob and the crew tomorrow. They're doing some ATV riding before hitting the shooting range."

That made me jerk upright, shock on my face.

"No way," I shook my head. "This is actually supposed to be our six month anniversary lunch. Rick promised. He said he made a reservation at Burger Bistro already."

Amber shook her head sadly before turning back to face the mirror.

"Sweetie, I hate to break it to you, but it's not true. Bob and Rick have had this trip planned for ages. Maybe you got the date wrong? Maybe it's supposed to be next weekend instead? Because I know they put a deposit down two weeks ago, and you know how these places are. It's not just a five dollar deposit, it was something along the lines of two hundred bucks."

I gaped at her, head spinning. And as if on cue, suddenly my phone beeped.

Hey babe, came the text from Rick. Feeling really sick. Think I got the flu from my little sister. Rain check on lunch tomorrow? I couldn't even text back, my face white from shock. But my cell beeped again.

Love ya,he wrote like I couldn't see through this farce. You're in my thoughts.

I threw my cell down, unable to believe it. Amber turned to me with a knowing frown.

"He just canceled, didn't he?" she asked sympathetically. "I know, I can tell. That guy's a douchebag and always has been. I told you that it'd be disaster to go out with him."

I shook my head, unable to believe that Rick was lying to my face. Did he think I was dumb? After all, Amber, Bob, me and Rick are all in the same friend group. We're a working class group of teens and twenty somethings in Phoenix who like to have fun. Money's tight, but a celebratory lunch at Burger Bistro wasn't out of our budgets, especially if it was to commemorate six months together. So how could Rick plan this getaway with his buddies to the shooting range? Plus, ATVs and guns aren't cheap. They cost a pretty penny, and I couldn't believe he'd rather blow his paycheck hanging with his friends while lying to my face about being "sick."

I turned to Amber.

"You know what?" I said, bouncing out of my chair. "I think I will go to that party with you tonight. Where did you say it was again?"

She grinned.

"Atta girl. It's at some rich dude's house out in the desert. But get this, Kels. Allegedly, this guy has an indoor pool in his basement with neon lights, so bring your bikini!"