I nodded.
I watched Gracie place the bouquet on a hall table then return to the door. She stood silent, apparently unwillingly to say “goodbye” but unable to think of another topic of conversation.
“So, what’s new?” I asked.
“Not much.”
I sighed. She wasn’t offering me anything, and I suddenly grew impatient. I turned to leave.
“I see you hanging with Avery a lot,” Gracie said.
“Yeah. She’s nice,” I replied, turning back around.
“I guess.” Gracie shrugged.
She was jealous, and oddly, it gave me comfort. She did miss me, but she was too angry still to admit it.
“It’s not the same, though,” I replied. I watched her face for a reaction, and I got one. Her eyes welled.
Then her mother appeared out of nowhere and ruined everything.
“May I help you, Cadence?” she asked. She took up most of the doorway, and Gracie shrank into the background almost out of sight.
“Just delivering flowers,” I replied. “Happy anniversary.”
“Millie took you back?” I could see Mrs. Turner instantly regretted her words.
I tried for humor. “Can you believe it?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Have a nice day, Cadence.”
“Wait! Can I finish talking to Gracie?” I asked.
“About?”
“Stuff.”
“Stuff?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Um . . . no.”
“Then no you may not,” and she shut the door in my face.
***
With each passing day, it became easier to lie to my parents. At the beginning, I felt tons of guilt, but now it simply became a part of my existence, my genetic code. The lying sealed my heart, separated me from my parents, but surprisingly, I wasn’t sad about it. I had become accustomed to our distant relationship, and now it was just a waiting game before I graduated and was free of them.
I couldn’t have spent so much time with Mark had it not been for Avery. She was skilled in deceit, and she taught me well. We made sure our stories always matched up, and we were, for the most part, good about planning ahead. Not once did my parents ever feel the need to call hers, and vice versa. They blithely believed us. Avery was just that good. And she insisted on taking me shopping to dress up my look when I informed her of my plans to go to a club with Mark this weekend. He wanted me to hear a local DJ, and I was a nervous wreck.
“For a tiny thing, you sure do have a nice, little booty,” Avery said, slapping my butt.
“What are you doing?” I squealed, instinctively covering my bottom. We were in the changing room at Love Culture Friday afternoon.
“Your ass looks amazing in those jeans,” Avery said. “Mystery Man’ll be all over that.”
I blushed.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he smacked it around a little,” Avery continued, staring at my ass.
“Avery!” I was bright red by now.
“Cadence, stop being such a freaking prude,” Avery said. “You look hot. Embrace it.”
I turned around and studied my butt, and I had to admit that it looked nice.
“I like the jeans, I do,” I said. “I’m just not so sure about the top.”
“Why?”
“I’m afraid it’ll fall down,” I replied, pulling on the fabric. “It’s not like I’ve got anything holding it up.”
“It’s not going anywhere. You’re paranoid because you’re not used to showing so much skin,” Avery said.
I nodded.
“Cadence? You look really pretty and sexy.”
I grinned.
“Now tell me about this special weekend,” Avery said.
It was the first Saturday night I’d spend with Mark, but I had no plans to have sex with him.
“You’re gonna ruin your night, you know,” Avery huffed. “Worrying the way you do.”
She was right, and I didn’t want to ruin my night with Mark. I wanted the date to be fun and fantastic.
“I don’t know what he has planned other than the club,” I said, changing back into my clothes. I decided to buy the jeans and the top.
“I didn’t take you for the kind of girl who goes for the bump-and-grind type of guy,” Avery said.
“I’m not and he’s not,” I said, walking out of the dressing room. “It’s not that kind of club.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to hear a local DJ who does that scratching business.”
“Ohhh, so like a real DJ,” Avery said. “That’s pretty cool. And sophisticated. So Mystery Man is like a sophisticated hipster or something?”
I laughed. “Um, sure.”
“Just like you to go for a person like that,” Avery replied. She rolled her eyes.
“And what kind of guy do you go for?” I asked as we waited in line at the register.
“Not your business.”
I didn’t press her. I just let Avery volunteer information as she felt comfortable. The truth was that I was itching to learn more about Gavin, but I respected her too much to press for details. It’s like she said: if a friendship developed, then all the better, but we were still in the “freedom over friendship” phase of our relationship.
“Hey, aren’t you still seventeen?” Avery asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then how can you go to a club?”
“Mark is good friends with the bouncer. He’s letting me in as the DD,” I said.
“‘Mark’ is it?” Avery asked, grinning maliciously.
Oh shit.
“Um, yeah,” I replied, totally pissed at my slip-up.
Avery, respectful of my privacy, didn’t ask me anything else. As we left the store, she simply said, “Mark’s gonna be all over your ass.”
***
For a split second I regretted my decision. I looked down at my outfit. I thought I looked pretty—shimmery black tube top, skinny jeans, pink pumps—but the whole thing screamed, “Imposter!” I didn’t dress sexy and considered changing when I got to Mark’s.
I felt incredibly self-conscious as I waited for him to answer his door. When he did, his eyes went wide. “Wow.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes. Really. Wow. Zers. Wowzers. You look amazing,” he said, pulling me inside. He kissed me hungrily. “Let’s stay here tonight,” he cooed in my ear.