Finding Ourselves Together (READ REVAMP VERSION - IN WAVES)

19 | Busted

Conflicted. How could I not be after what I almost did with Nate? I had been running through everything in my head ever since, trying to justify my actions of forgetting about my own boyfriend while I was in that storage room. It was the bonfire tonight, and while I was excited to go, I knew that I couldn't be alone with Nate again. I would make sure of it.

"Lia?"

"Hmm?" I steadily braided my hair, two minutes from leaving the house to get through another day of school when Mom burst into my room.

"I just got an interesting letter in the mail." She held up a piece of paper, but I barely glanced at it.

"About?"

"You know, it's strange, apparently my car got a ticket for running a red light."

I continued looking in the mirror while my fingers worked at my hair, not fully focusing on what she was saying. "Why is that strange? Mistakes happen."

"They do, but what's strange is that this ticket is from San Diego."

I froze, staring at myself in the mirror and beginning to internally panic. How could I have been so careless? I slowly carried on braiding, avoiding her eye contact at all costs. "Maybe Rob used your car or something."

"Maybe." She muttered, but then shook the paper in my face so I was forced to look at it. "Except there's a photo of you clear as day behind the wheel!"

I heard Rob calling me from downstairs for the bus, but Mom stood in my path and waited for an explanation. Her face was stern and hard, glaring at me. I knew full well that I was a bad liar, so I would just have to be careful with my wording.

"I...I was just visiting a friend there."

"Rachel is your friend."

"I can have more than one friend, Mom."

"But you don't. You and Rachel have been attached at the hip since you were twelve." She broke down my excuse, aware that I was hiding something. "You've never shown interest in having more friends, especially ones where you would drive an hour to see! So just be honest, Lia. What were you doing in San Diego?"

Rob's voice called from downstairs again. "Hurry up! I'm never early for school, this is a freaking miracle!" I ignored him.

"I am being honest, Mom." Of course, I wouldn't tell her I went there to see Nate and find out if I slept with him, so telling her a half-truth was still technically the truth. "I was seeing a friend; you just haven't met them."

She lingered on my answer, contemplating the logic of it and checking that it held up. "Okay, I believe you." She finally responded. "But I don't want you going to that bonfire tonight."

"What?? But I told you the truth!"

"Only because you got this ticket!" She dramatically waved it around. "What if you were in an accident and I didn't know where you were? It was completely irresponsible. I would expect this kind of thing from your brother, but not you."

She turned to storm out, but I wasn't done yet.

"Matt was taking me to the bonfire, am I just supposed to bail on him?"

She stopped in her tracks and let out a big sigh before turning back around, her face softening. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm not changing my mind. I'm sure his parents wouldn't want him out on a school night either."

My stomach dropped as she left my room, knowing that once her mind was made up then that was it. I slumped on my bed and wracked my brain, disappointment stuffing my chest up.