be ready by then?” Her mother turned to face her.
“Ready for what?” she asked, getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What are you talking about?” Lola had no idea what her parents had in store for her, but there was no way they would keep her from going on her date.
“Tonight’s that movie screening, and your father is insisting that you go.”
“What? No!” Lola said, her heart racing as she looked at her mother and pleaded. “Mom, I can’t, okay? I have plans.” God, it’s like they’re determined to wreck my life! She’d had a serious boyfriend for exactly three months now, and she was thinking about doing something very major to mark the occasion. It might be too soon, but she loved him so much it would probably be worth it. And she knew her dad didn’t care if she went to the stupid premiere. This was her mom’s doing. She was always trying to show off her pretty daughter and get her noticed by Hollywood. Even though Lola herself had no interest in any of it.
“This is very important to your father and me. You will come with us, and that’s final,” she said, turning to leave as though everything was settled.
“No! Mom, I’m serious!” Lola begged. “It’s Friday night and I have plans!”
“Well, I’m very sorry you made plans, because you’ve known about this for over a week now.”
Was that true? Had she known about it? Because she had absolutely no recollection of having been told. Was being in love giving her amnesia? “Mom, please, I’m so not joking. I’ll do anything to make it up to you guys. Just please don’t ask me to do this, please !”
“What on earth is so important?” her mother asked, crossing her arms coolly and surveying her wet, soapy, panicked daughter.
“I promised Ellie,” she started. Think, Lola, think! “Um, you know how her mom died, like five years ago this month? Well, we always get together to kind of memorialize it.” Okay, it wasn’t a total lie, because they really did do that, and she was stopping there first. But still, using that for an excuse is definitely a guaranteed one-way ticket to Hell. Especially since what she was really planning to do was something her parents had always told her would send her to Hell.
“Fine.” Her mother shook her head and sighed. “We’ll take separate cars. You can drive mine. But you must come by as soon as you’re finished. The screening is at eight. Don’t be late,” she said, giving her a stern look.
“Okay.” Lola nodded, wondering what excuse she would use for when she didn’t show. Ellie was too upset and she couldn’t leave her? Ran out of gas? Wardrobe malfunction?
“And Lola?” her mother said, gripping the door handle.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t even think about not showing up.”
Lola watched until the door was completely closed. Then she took a deep breath and plunged under the bubbles, resting on the bottom of the tub for as long as she could.
chapter twelve
Anne was lounging on the couch, remote control in one hand, chip smothered in guacamole in the other, as she and Christina drank raspberry iced teas and watched Spanish-language novelas together. She’d been hanging out with Christina all day after school, and even though there was at least a twenty-year age gap, and definitely somewhat of a language barrier, she had to admit it beat hanging out by herself. Or, even worse, with Jake, who was always trying to get her into the ocean and onto a board.
But Anne refused to surf. And she refused to hang with people who surfed. And just for the record, she was also absolutely done with celebrating the “small victories.” That sunny side up frame of mind had lasted an hour at best. And now she was right back to feeling sorry for herself.
It’s the inventory that was so pathetic:
Friends—0.
Boyfriends—0.
Pool—0.
Diving board—0.
Dad (still missing in action)—0.
Anything remotely resembling her former life as she knew it—0.
She rolled her
“Ready for what?” she asked, getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “What are you talking about?” Lola had no idea what her parents had in store for her, but there was no way they would keep her from going on her date.
“Tonight’s that movie screening, and your father is insisting that you go.”
“What? No!” Lola said, her heart racing as she looked at her mother and pleaded. “Mom, I can’t, okay? I have plans.” God, it’s like they’re determined to wreck my life! She’d had a serious boyfriend for exactly three months now, and she was thinking about doing something very major to mark the occasion. It might be too soon, but she loved him so much it would probably be worth it. And she knew her dad didn’t care if she went to the stupid premiere. This was her mom’s doing. She was always trying to show off her pretty daughter and get her noticed by Hollywood. Even though Lola herself had no interest in any of it.
“This is very important to your father and me. You will come with us, and that’s final,” she said, turning to leave as though everything was settled.
“No! Mom, I’m serious!” Lola begged. “It’s Friday night and I have plans!”
“Well, I’m very sorry you made plans, because you’ve known about this for over a week now.”
Was that true? Had she known about it? Because she had absolutely no recollection of having been told. Was being in love giving her amnesia? “Mom, please, I’m so not joking. I’ll do anything to make it up to you guys. Just please don’t ask me to do this, please !”
“What on earth is so important?” her mother asked, crossing her arms coolly and surveying her wet, soapy, panicked daughter.
“I promised Ellie,” she started. Think, Lola, think! “Um, you know how her mom died, like five years ago this month? Well, we always get together to kind of memorialize it.” Okay, it wasn’t a total lie, because they really did do that, and she was stopping there first. But still, using that for an excuse is definitely a guaranteed one-way ticket to Hell. Especially since what she was really planning to do was something her parents had always told her would send her to Hell.
“Fine.” Her mother shook her head and sighed. “We’ll take separate cars. You can drive mine. But you must come by as soon as you’re finished. The screening is at eight. Don’t be late,” she said, giving her a stern look.
“Okay.” Lola nodded, wondering what excuse she would use for when she didn’t show. Ellie was too upset and she couldn’t leave her? Ran out of gas? Wardrobe malfunction?
“And Lola?” her mother said, gripping the door handle.
“Yeah?”
“Don’t even think about not showing up.”
Lola watched until the door was completely closed. Then she took a deep breath and plunged under the bubbles, resting on the bottom of the tub for as long as she could.
chapter twelve
Anne was lounging on the couch, remote control in one hand, chip smothered in guacamole in the other, as she and Christina drank raspberry iced teas and watched Spanish-language novelas together. She’d been hanging out with Christina all day after school, and even though there was at least a twenty-year age gap, and definitely somewhat of a language barrier, she had to admit it beat hanging out by herself. Or, even worse, with Jake, who was always trying to get her into the ocean and onto a board.
But Anne refused to surf. And she refused to hang with people who surfed. And just for the record, she was also absolutely done with celebrating the “small victories.” That sunny side up frame of mind had lasted an hour at best. And now she was right back to feeling sorry for herself.
It’s the inventory that was so pathetic:
Friends—0.
Boyfriends—0.
Pool—0.
Diving board—0.
Dad (still missing in action)—0.
Anything remotely resembling her former life as she knew it—0.
She rolled her
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