Break Or Be Broken (formally known as Love Me Back)

12 ▲ Seven Minutes in Heaven

How did I get here? I thought to myself as Lilian, Rona and I got down from mom's car along with Hadrian and turned to look at the crowding Arnett house.

How?

Hadrian that little bastard.

He had a satisfied grin as I shot him my best death glare.

Somehow, he had gotten mom to make us go to Cayson's house for their cookout.

"Now remember, we're sticking together. As a family," mom reminded.

"Mom, I really don't have to - if you would just give me the keys, I and my friends would go to the house," I tried to compromise, but Lilian had something else to say about that.

"No we're actually good here. Right Rona?"

Rona nodded, "We'll just move around and see if we can make any new friends here."

My friends. Leaving me alone to succumb to the dread of staying with my mom and Hadrian alone.

"Why don't you guys just sit with us?" Mom asked as we approached the house.

"Oh, because we're social," Lilian spat out, winking at me. "Dana, are you coming?"

Before I could speak, I felt my mom's arm grip unto my wrist and Rona scurried off with Lilian.

We hadn't even caught up.

"Mrs. Arnett," said my mom. She wasn't looking at me and I noticed she had also grabbed unto Hadrian's wrists as well. Yet, she wasn't looking at either of us. Her gaze was focused forward so I decided to follow it.

Standing before us was a blonde petite looking woman. The first thing I noticed about her was the tiny little bead of pearls around her neck. The second was how she had her palm over the other in the most proper English way, like she was the Queen or something.

Her clothes looked super expensive even though it was just a plane pale pink feminine button-up shirt and a pair of black slacks.

She even had a pair pumps!

They were silver!

It was just a cookout, and she looked like she was having a formal kind of party.

I looked at my mom and found her looking at her clothes. She looked like a typical teenager, except way taller than me. I wish I had inherited some growing hormones from her, because she rocked it.

She wore a pair of quarter jeans and a black t-shirt with 'I MISS MY BED' imprinted on it. My mom didn't even bother wearing heels.

"Are those my converses?!" I whisper-yelled to her and she hushed me.

I mentally shook my head and returned to gawking at the posh lady in front of me.

"Who would've ever thought Penny would come over to one of my cookouts?" The woman asked. Even her voice sounded like it was polished in gold.

Cayson's mom. I was seeing her face to face for the first time!

"It's Peneah."

"Peneah, Penny. What's the difference?" The woman laughed coldly and I heard my mom join in as well. But then I knew my mom, and so I knew her different kinds of laugh.

The one she was having with Mrs. Arnett at the moment was her I'm-trying-to-be-polite-and-hide-my-hatred-at-the-same-damn-time laugh.

"Except for the fact that 'Peneah' has nothing to do with money," Mrs. Arnett added with her cold laughter still sounding in our ears.