Cloud 69

14:

The week was moving all too quickly for my liking. Yesterday, we had a brutal soccer match, which almost became our first loss of the season, and Coach decided to punish us today with one of the most draining practices we've had in a while. I also had a bunch of exams coming up this week, so I spent a long portion of my weekend and last night studying. I had been saved from any strange encounters with Carson so far, and even though it was only Tuesday night, I was hoping to keep it that way.

However, as the weekend drew nearer and the hospital's event loomed overhead, my dread only continued to grow. Every single one is the same as the previous: a bunch of doctors and rich investor people dressing in their most formal attire, standing around drinking expensive wines. 

They're always extremely boring because it's mostly a way to network with investors and get them interested in opening their wallets. Honestly, in my experience, the only way to get through it is to get hammered.

However, I usually get out of going to most of them. When I was fourteen, I put my foot down with my parents and made them agree to a two-per-year policy. The deal is they get to pick any two they want me at, and I have to come and be a good sociable daughter, but only those two.

The other dilemma was Carson's attendance. In the past, he got away with staying home from them to babysit his sister. For this one, my parents hadn't given him a choice, which felt like cruel and unusual punishment for me. The average of attendees is usually above forty-five, so Carson would unfortunately be my best source of company. 

Safe to say, I was not looking forward to the weekend. 

Also, as the week progressed, I was feeling more and more guilty. I mean, every time I looked at Dylan, I was reminded that I slept with his best friend, the one I promised I would never get involved with.

The only reason I ever 'agreed' to Dylan's request is because he never specifically told me I couldn't. If he had, I would've slept with Carson just out of spite. Actually, no, I don't think I could have stomached that. 

Dylan, as our little moral guide, only advised me against it. We both could agree that it probably wasn't in my best interest to ever be with Carson. And at the time we had talked about it, I think it was before sophomore year, it hadn't been a hard promise to make. Hell, a month ago, I would've been capable of making that same promise.

Over the years, there's been very little Dylan and and I have ever lied to each other about. The only thing that even comes to mind is when his older sister was learning to drive, she ran over Dylan's cat while he was at hockey. I was staying over that night because my parents were both on call, and I was too young to be home alone. To protect his sister from blame, we all lied to Dylan and told him that the cat ran away.

But that was a completely different lie than this one. And this one was eating at me.

I asked him to come over tonight because I was having a hard time looking him in the eye. Lying to him about this, even though I knew I would be getting a pretty nasty lecture about my lack of sensibility, just didn't sit right with me. Besides, I had a feeling Carson will get the short end of the stick.  

"Maddie?" Dylan called, knocking on my bedroom door.

"I'm here," I called back to him. He used his foot to shove the door open, and entered the room carrying a tub of ice cream in each hand.

I laughed, "You're always prepared."

He pulled two spoons out of his pocket before sitting down next to me on the edge of the bed. "So, what's so important that I had to come right away?" He asked, passing me one of the spoons.