my
tab at the clubhouse bar and left, driving impatiently with my foot heavy on
the gas pedal. I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could see her
again.
Hailey
I rolled
over on the pool chair and groaned, trying to ignore the awful noise emanating
from upstairs. Whenever Zach was troubled or upset, he would queue up a video
of a Phish show on YouTube, and watch ecstatically as the band jammed aimlessly
while the audience--always the same bunch of baby-faced, yuppie white people—threw
around beach balls and danced. I usually didn't mind how pathetic he was, but I
always wished he would find some better music to listen to.
I tried
covering my ears, but it was no use.
I groaned.
Maybe I could just meet Alyssa in town instead.
After a
moment of hesitation, I grabbed the keys to one of the black Chevy Tahoes in the garage and drove into town. I could meet
Alyssa at a coffee shop or something, and Zach could deal with the car later.
Negotiating with Zach when he was deep in his 5-year-old-whiny-little-shit
state was just too much.
As soon as I
got to the coffee shop, retrieved my drink and sat down, my phone buzzed with a
message from Zach.
My dad's
pissed. About the wine and the car. Try to get back ASAP.
‘Fat chance,’
I thought. Alyssa was arriving in twenty minutes, and no way in hell was I
going back to the house. When I didn't reply immediately he sent me another
message.
This is so
like you. You're possibly the most stubborn, defiant, bratty person I've ever
dated.
Reading that
made my blood boil. All I wanted was for Alyssa to get here as fast as
possible, then I wouldn't have to deal with Zach, or anyone related to him in
any way, ever again.
My phone
buzzed again. Alyssa was only one block away.
‘Adios,’ I
thought, getting up. This stupid little chapter in my life was over.
Laird
Where the
hell was she ?! As soon as I arrived home, Zach came
bounding down the stairs, babbling that his girlfriend had left and taken one
of my cars.
"Turn
that music off," I groaned. Of course she had left. With that awful hippy
noise blaring at a thousand decibels anybody would have left. You could hear
the audience hooting at nothing in particular as the band played. Zach shut the
music off and I had a quiet moment to think.
I'd probably
never see her again.
Of course,
with my money and connections, I could track her down wherever she was.
But even if
I did, she might be too freaked out by what had happened in the wine cellar to
ever want to see me.
It was
hopeless. And I had just spent 20 million dollars off the cuff so I could get
Donny to shut up, so I could get home earlier.
And now she
was gone.
"Well?"
Zach asked, interrupting my train of thought.
"Well
what?"
"Aren't
you pissed that she took your car?"
"I'll
find her," I grumbled, grabbing my car keys and heading out the door.
Hailey
I walked out
into the parking lot, and squeaked with surprise when I saw the figure
approaching me. It was Laird. He had just gotten out of a sleek, silver Audi
and was walking along the sidewalk towards the coffee shop.
My heart
raced. Was he angry about the car? Was he going to call the cops? Even if all
I'd done was drive it to the coffee shop, I knew I could probably be charged
with grand theft auto, or something like that. Where was Alyssa? I had to
leave, now.
"Hailey!"
I heard Alyssa’s voice call out. I whirled around to see that she had parked
her beat-up Toyota into the parking spot directly on my left. I moved quickly to
her vehicle and flung open the door.
"Wait!"
I heard Laird yell. He was running towards me.
My heart
raced with panic.
My eyes
flicked from Laird, coming closer and closer, and then to Alyssa who was
sitting in the driver's seat with an expectant look on her face, ready to take
off at any second.
I could
tab at the clubhouse bar and left, driving impatiently with my foot heavy on
the gas pedal. I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I could see her
again.
Hailey
I rolled
over on the pool chair and groaned, trying to ignore the awful noise emanating
from upstairs. Whenever Zach was troubled or upset, he would queue up a video
of a Phish show on YouTube, and watch ecstatically as the band jammed aimlessly
while the audience--always the same bunch of baby-faced, yuppie white people—threw
around beach balls and danced. I usually didn't mind how pathetic he was, but I
always wished he would find some better music to listen to.
I tried
covering my ears, but it was no use.
I groaned.
Maybe I could just meet Alyssa in town instead.
After a
moment of hesitation, I grabbed the keys to one of the black Chevy Tahoes in the garage and drove into town. I could meet
Alyssa at a coffee shop or something, and Zach could deal with the car later.
Negotiating with Zach when he was deep in his 5-year-old-whiny-little-shit
state was just too much.
As soon as I
got to the coffee shop, retrieved my drink and sat down, my phone buzzed with a
message from Zach.
My dad's
pissed. About the wine and the car. Try to get back ASAP.
‘Fat chance,’
I thought. Alyssa was arriving in twenty minutes, and no way in hell was I
going back to the house. When I didn't reply immediately he sent me another
message.
This is so
like you. You're possibly the most stubborn, defiant, bratty person I've ever
dated.
Reading that
made my blood boil. All I wanted was for Alyssa to get here as fast as
possible, then I wouldn't have to deal with Zach, or anyone related to him in
any way, ever again.
My phone
buzzed again. Alyssa was only one block away.
‘Adios,’ I
thought, getting up. This stupid little chapter in my life was over.
Laird
Where the
hell was she ?! As soon as I arrived home, Zach came
bounding down the stairs, babbling that his girlfriend had left and taken one
of my cars.
"Turn
that music off," I groaned. Of course she had left. With that awful hippy
noise blaring at a thousand decibels anybody would have left. You could hear
the audience hooting at nothing in particular as the band played. Zach shut the
music off and I had a quiet moment to think.
I'd probably
never see her again.
Of course,
with my money and connections, I could track her down wherever she was.
But even if
I did, she might be too freaked out by what had happened in the wine cellar to
ever want to see me.
It was
hopeless. And I had just spent 20 million dollars off the cuff so I could get
Donny to shut up, so I could get home earlier.
And now she
was gone.
"Well?"
Zach asked, interrupting my train of thought.
"Well
what?"
"Aren't
you pissed that she took your car?"
"I'll
find her," I grumbled, grabbing my car keys and heading out the door.
Hailey
I walked out
into the parking lot, and squeaked with surprise when I saw the figure
approaching me. It was Laird. He had just gotten out of a sleek, silver Audi
and was walking along the sidewalk towards the coffee shop.
My heart
raced. Was he angry about the car? Was he going to call the cops? Even if all
I'd done was drive it to the coffee shop, I knew I could probably be charged
with grand theft auto, or something like that. Where was Alyssa? I had to
leave, now.
"Hailey!"
I heard Alyssa’s voice call out. I whirled around to see that she had parked
her beat-up Toyota into the parking spot directly on my left. I moved quickly to
her vehicle and flung open the door.
"Wait!"
I heard Laird yell. He was running towards me.
My heart
raced with panic.
My eyes
flicked from Laird, coming closer and closer, and then to Alyssa who was
sitting in the driver's seat with an expectant look on her face, ready to take
off at any second.
I could
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