Reliving Yesterday ✔

Chapter 12.

Friday rolled around pretty quickly, much to my exultation, because I'd had enough of this week, even though I had been proven innocent after Dylan and Bryce's shameful confessions. As soon as it came, though, I wished I didn't have to deal with it.

"It's Chloe's birthday party today," Hanna said, leaning in towards me during the last period, "And you're going even if I have to drag your dead body there."

"Please do," I said, not even a little bit enthused by the idea.

Hanna slugged my arm. "Come on, Alex, I'll put you in a pretty dress and you can make every guy there wish they could do what Dylan and Bryce implied that they had done."

I made a face. "I don't want that."

"I'm not going to let your pretty face live in the shadows forever and you're going to put on the dress I bring for you along with a smile and come with me to the party. Please? For me?" Hanna widened her eyes, begging me to come. She had always said that I needed to learn how to make friends. The only reason I was friends with her was because she was such a bubbly and outgoing person that she tried to make friends with everyone, befriending me in the process.

"I hate you," I said, softly, trying to focus on what Mr. Faulkner was telling us, knowing that Hanna had won the argument.

Hanna leaned back and I saw a radiant smile spread across her face. "Great. I'll be at your place by five and we can leave at like seven thirty or eight."

*

"Pickle, why do I get the feeling that you're flaming inside?" dad asked, while I was doing homework, just to not think about the party I was dreading so much.

"Why would you say that?" I asked, looking up from my books.

Dad gave me a look, a slight smile on his face. "You've erased that page with so much passion I think the ink had faded and the eraser is almost over."

I pulled my hand up, looking down. At least the page hadn't torn. I threw the eraser down and leaned back in my chair, huffing out a breath. Dad looked at me. "What's wrong, Peach?" he asked. I looked at him, puffed out my cheeks and blew out a breath.

"Hanna wants me to go for Chloe's birthday party today," I told her, "You know, just to get my weekend started and take my mind off Senior year. She says I've been working too hard."

"Isn't that a good thing? Don't you want to go?" Dad asked, completely clueless, as usual. Sometimes I wondered how he was a Director of a multinational corporation.

"No, dad, I hate parties. You know that," I whined.

"Why are you going?"

"Because she asked me to and I've been ditching every other party she has wanted me to come with her to. I don't want to say no to her too much," I said, glumly.

Dad stood up and walked over to me, putting his hands on my shoulders. "Look, Kitten, if it was any other day and any other person, I would have told you to stay home. But it's Hanna. She's your best friend and telling them no too many times, might lead you two to a fall out and you and I both know that you don't want that to happen. So, just this once, maybe you can wear whatever dress she brings for you, put on a smile and an air of grace, along with a stiff upper lip and go for this party and who knows? It might not turn out to be too back. You might even end up having fun. It's true, what Hanna says. You have been working too hard."

He kissed the top of my head and walked off.

"I get it from you," I called out to him.

He just laughed and shook his head.