The Worst of Us

Blunt is the New Honest

"You walk like you have a broomstick attached to your spine," Autumn stated, blunt as ever. "Except, it's a crooked one that forces you to slouch."

Instead of a simple 'hello' in greeting, I got that remark slung at my face. Though I guess I should've expected comments about my appearance because Autumn and I were meeting at the mall for prom queen tips. 

"Like this, then?" I asked, straightening my back and squaring my shoulders like Autumn had also shown me in school. 

"Better," Autumn replied. "Now keep it up... and keep up." 

Autumn was in high-heels yet she still walked so fast I nearly needed to jog to keep walking next to her as she led me past various mall stores. 

"Where are we going?" I asked, noting we were marching right past several clothing stores I always thought had decent, cool stuff. The stores I shopped at. 

"Jasmine's birthday is coming up," Autumn replied. "Her eighteenth. You'll be invited and it will be big."

Crap, again? I'd never went to one of those type of parties aside from the one at Jem's house.

And, okay, when it came to sheer size, Bailey's birthday parties every year were the largest ones I had ever seen. Her family was huge with most of her aunts and uncles having ten children each, and they were all invited. The whole living room would be filled with tables and chairs because we'd be playing board games and video games and eat cake all night. I didn't count Bailey's birthday in the category 'big party' though, because they were predictable and easy. 

Each year Bailey celebrated her birthday on the day itself, the sixteenth, never an exception. It didn't matter what day in the week it was. They always ordered apple and raspberry pies. The same people always attended: Bailey's whole-ass family and Farah and I. Hardly nerve-wrecking but and always a great time. 

Jasmine's events were different. Already I felt I'd need to perform, and Autumn confirmed that thought.

"You'll likely hit a club and there will be alcohol snuck in somewhere later in the night," she said. "Your behaviour will be very important, and you should seal the deal with Jem and make sure you're official by then. Have you been texting him?"

"A bit," I replied hesitantly. 

I knew I should've talked to him more, but like Autumn, the thought of it intimidated me. I would screw things up if I talked to him too much, because I'd undoubtedly end up saying something lame or stupid that turned him off and made him ghost me. 

"Make it a bit more." Autumn rolled her eyes. "We all know he likes attention."

"Everyone likes attention," I defended Jem. 

Honestly, the way Autumn kept sneering about Jem at every given opportunity was starting to piss me off a little. I was sure he wasn't perfect, but so far, he hadn't done anything unfriendly to me. Not even before I appeared on his radar as a possible girlfriend. If anyone had targeted my friends with their catty remarks, it was Jasmine and Autumn, not Jem. 

Autumn suddenly came to a halt, and so did I. She glanced at me. "Sure. If you think that, you and Jem are perfect for each other," she said. "And we're here."

I turned to look at the store Autumn gestured at. 

"Sally's Boutique?" I read out loud, incredulously. "This is where we're going?"

"Exactly," Autumn said, stepping forward and opening the door for me. "Go to all the regular stores, and you will look the same as everyone else."