Diamond
Gym class was a pain. And I don’t mean metaphorically.
There’s a special place in hell for whoever thought that rope climbing should be a requirement in gym. I’m covered in rope burns and can barely walk.
Class ended thirty minutes ago. If it was up to me, I’d be long gone, but I agreed to give Lacey a ride home, and she’s taking her sweet time getting ready.
“Lace, will you hurry? I promised my dads I’d be home for dinner.” I check the time on my phone while Lacey is fixing up her makeup.
Normally, I wouldn’t worry too much about missing dinner, but I’ve been trying to show my parents they made the right decision by ungrounding me. I want them to know they can trust me again.
“I’m almost done,” Lacey assures me, applying more mascara to her already perfect lashes. She puts the mascara wand away five minutes later and walks back to her locker. She’s just shoved her makeup bag into her purse when her phone chimes with a text.
A mischievous smile forms on her glossy lips as her eyes skate over the message. “Party at Theo’s tonight. His parents are gone for the weekend. Interested?”
Will Finn be there?
God, what if I run into him?
What if—
Dia, stop. You’re giving him too much power.
“Is that even a question?” I throw my bag strap over my shoulder and shut my locker with one hand.
Lacey squeals. “I’m going to text Axel to see if his guy came through with the magic mushrooms.”
Doubt burdens me.
Lacey and I have been talking about trying magic mushrooms for a while now. I was such a wreck after I saw the sex tape that I didn’t know how I would possibly survive the pain. Then Lacey came over, and in a moment of desperation, I brought up drugs. I was talking about the soft stuff, but when Lacey suggested mushrooms, I didn’t correct her.
God, who am I?
Before last summer, I’d never even had a drink.
I went from not even knowing what alcohol tasted like to being exposed to drugs and liquor every weekend. I figured it came with dating a jock. Thankfully, the few times I let myself get peer pressured, Aveena was there to wake me up.
I promised her I wouldn’t touch the hard stuff again. A promise I’ll be breaking if I go through with the mushroom plan. It was easy to blame it on Finn’s lifestyle before, but now that we’re over?
It’s no one’s fault but my own.
“Can I invite Vee?” I ask as we exit the locker room.
Lacey cringes. “Do you have to?”
I wish I could say her reaction surprises me, but Lacey’s mentioned she finds Aveena a bit… uptight? She thinks Vee is a Goody Two-shoes, but I made it clear I was not going to stop inviting Vee on her behalf.
“I don’t have to. I want to. She’s my best friend, Lace.”
“Doesn’t make her fun,” Lacey mumbles under her breath. “Fine, invite the party pooper.”
“She’s not a party pooper.”
“Really?” Lacey raises an eyebrow. “So, you’ve told her about the mushrooms?”
I open my mouth to speak but end up closing it right away. Lacey takes my hesitation as confirmation.
She sneers. “Like I said, party pooper. You’re lying to yourself if you think she’s going to be okay with it.”