I stayed at the diner way longer than I intended to. School finished half an hour ago and I was still sat nursing a coffee.
Franko didn’t drop by, and Jen headed out about forty minutes ago. So, really, I had no idea why I was still sitting here. Leaving a tip on the table I left the diner and headed home.
I was back here in a few hours for my shift.
As I pulled into my driveway my mom was putting cases into the truck of her car. I switched off the engine and got out.
“How come your late home?”. She asked.
“The roads were busy. What time are you leaving?”.
“In the next half an hour now are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?”.
“Yeah”. I nodded. “I’ll be fine. I have homework to catch up on and I have a few shifts at the diner to keep me occupied”.
“Okay”. She nodded. “But you’ll call if you need us?”.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes”. I sighed. “Is dad inside?”.
“He is”. She spoke. “I’ve made you dinner for tonight. It’s in the oven. 30 minutes at 200 degrees”.
“Okay”. I followed her inside. I wasn’t going to tell her that I wasn’t going to eat it and that I’d probably just eat at the diner.
“Dad got groceries for you this morning to last the weekend. Lots of snacks in the cupboard and emergency money under the clock on the fireplace”. My mom spoke.
The fridge was stacked full. You’d think they were going away for weeks not three days. I closed the fridge door and sat at the table.
“Car still treating you good?”. My dad asked.
“Yeah”. I nodded. “It’s perfect”. I wasn’t going to mention the flat tire from this morning.
“Good sweetheart that’s good. Your mom’s left money under the clock along with the number of the hotel we’ll be staying at. But I have a feeling you’ll be fine on your own”. He grinned giving my shoulder a little squeeze.
“Thanks dad”.
…
My mom asked me three times if I was going to be okay before they left. My dad had to basically drag her into the car, but they set off and I now had the house to myself.
I had showered, changed into my work clothes and was now eating a bag of hot chips in front of the TV. It wasn’t weird that I had the house to myself because my parents worked so much, I was used to it.
Maybe it would feel weird tonight when I got home.
I continued to eat my chips and scroll through the TV until Alice burst through my front door with Tommy.
Wait was he carrying a beer keg?
I jumped to my feet my bag of chips falling to the floor. I didn’t like that. She had never just walked into my house before. Yes, she was my friend, but I still wasn’t okay with that.
And bringing Tommy inside as well. Just because my parents weren’t here didn’t mean she could treat my house like her own.
What would have happened if my parents hadn’t left yet?
“What are you doing?”. I frowned.
“Just dropping somethings off for the party tonight”. She grinned.
Party? Why would she be dropping them off here?
“It’s cool you decided to host princess”. Tommy grinned. “Where do you want me to put this?”.
He was referring to the keg he was carrying.
“Host?”.
He turned to Alice. “Thought you said she was cool with the party being here?”.
“What?”. I turned to Alice.
“I did and she is aren’t you, Aubrey?”.
“Are you serious?”. I glared. “There’s no party happening here so you can take that keg and put it back where you found it”.
“Aubrey you-…”.
“Did you really think I’d let you have a party at my house?”. I began to pick up the spilled chips on the floor. “I have a shift at the diner you both need to leave”.
“Don’t need to tell me twice princess and sorry about all this”.
Tommy left without hesitation leaving Alice in my living room.
“You better go in case he leaves without you”. I walked past her and into the kitchen dumping the bag of chips into the trash.
Why were we even still friends? This time I should have listened to Franko. He was right all along, and I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t see it because I couldn’t see past our friendship.
But why? Why would she do something like this and think I would be okay with it? She knew how strict my parents were and how much trouble I’d be in if they ever found out.
Why put me in that position?
She had pissed me off and completely ruined my mood. Now I had to go to work and pretend I was fine when I wasn’t. I was sick to death of being treated like a doormat. She was supposed to be my best friend.
Best friends don’t use each other.
To top off my already sour mood I cursed when there was a knock at my door. If she had returned to plead her case and apologies I wasn’t in the mood. I wanted to throttle her, and I wasn’t a violent person.
“I’m coming”. I snapped as I yanked open the door.
“You good?”. He frowned.
“No, I mean yes. What are you doing here?”. I asked.
“What’s wrong?”. His eyebrows furrowed his expression like stone.
“Nothing okay I’m fine I have to go to work”.
“Hey”. He grabbed hold of my arms.
“What? What is it? What do you want?”. I tried to pull my arms from his grasp and failed.
“Hey, hey”. His voice stern I froze. “What’s happened?”. His grip loosened until he was no longer holding me.
I sighed as my body relaxed. “You can come in”. I walked to the couch and collapsed into it.
“What’s going on?”. He closed the door behind him and sat on the couch opposite me.
“Nothing that’ll interest you”. I smiled.
“Try me babe. I don’t like seeing you upset”.
Upset? I was far from upset. I was angry and pissed off at Alice.
“I’m not upset”. I frowned. “Do you know Alice tried to have a party at my house?”.
“I heard something”. He spoke.
“And that’s why you’re here right?”.
“I only heard in passing darling. You sacking her off yet? She ain’t good for you Aubrey”.
“Ever since she met Tommy, she’s become this person I don’t recognise”.
“Don’t blame Tommy darling”.
“All she does is try to impress him. I can’t believe she thought I would be okay with this party. Has she not met my parents?”.
“She ain’t your friend Aubrey. The sooner you realise that the better”.
Yeah, I was leaning towards agreeing with him, but I didn’t have anyone else. I wasn’t good at making friends. It had always only been me and Alice. But I couldn’t keep being her friend when she saw fit.
I deserved better than that. Real friends didn’t treat each other that way.
“I don’t have any friends”. I shrugged. “I’ve only ever had Alice and it’s a bit late to start making friends now”.
“You’ve lots a friends darling and lots a people like you. You ever think maybe the reason you’ve no other friends around is because of Alice?”.
No, I had never thought about it that way.
“You ever think maybe just maybe she wanted you all to herself?”.
“That’s ridiculous”. I frowned.
“Is it?”. He made a face. “Just promise me you’ll put her in her place once and for all. You want me to take you to work?”.
“I don’t start for another hour. How come you skipped school?”.
“Had a few things to sort out. You wanna go early and grab a burger?”.
“Not really”.
“You wanna go at all?”.
“Not really”.
A laugh fell from his lips. “Want me to sort it so you don’t need to go in?”.
“I can’t do that to Jen”. I shook my head. “And it’s Friday night. Fridays are always busy”.
“Jen ain’t in tonight”.
“Then yes please I can’t be bothered”.
“I’ll sort it”. He winked pushing himself to his feet. “Just give me a minute”.
He could take all the time he wanted. It’s not like I had anywhere else to be. I pulled my legs under my bum and lay my head against the cushion. If I could get out of work, then I planned to do exactly this for the rest of the night.
I could stay up late, order takeout. I could run about my house naked if I wanted to because there were no rules. This was my weekend to do whatever I wanted. I could do whatever I please.
“You had dinner?”. He asked.
“Not yet”. I shook my head my eyes still glued to the tv.
I never got the chance to just chill out in front of the tv for hours. Okay my parents weren’t that bad but there was always something. Whether it be homework or chores I could never just do nothing.
“You wanna come to dinner?”.
“Where?”. I wasn’t sure I was hungry enough for dinner and if I’m honest I didn’t really want to move.
“Clubhouse my mom’s cooking”. He grinned.
“You have dinners at the clubhouse?”. I frowned.
“Aye darling but it’s only for family. Kind of a tradition my mom started, and it stuck so she has it once a month”.
If it was only for family, why was he inviting me?
“Come on princess it must be better than sitting in alone on a Friday night”.
“I’m used to that”. I sighed. “Being alone is my strong point”.
“Fuck that”. He frowned. “You ain’t staying here alone so get changed and I’ll meet you out front”.
He left no room for arguments as he walked out of my house the door slamming shut behind him.
I guess I was going to dinner at the clubhouse.