Anything Goes on a Friday Night (24 page)

“You two need to figure it out because it’s only a few weeks away! I’m going dress shopping next weekend. You should come with me and my mom. It’d be fun!”

I looked at my phone when a text from Finn showed up. Before reading it, I looked at Jane. “Sure. That’d be fun.” I thought I’d be crushed when prom rolled around since my mom and I weren’t talking, but it didn’t. This was her choice. She had done this to us.

Finn: What are you doing?

Me: Sitting outside with Jane. My parents are gone, so we’re hanging out at my place.

Finn: Are we still going to the Stump tonight?

Me: If that’s what you want to do. I’m up for it.

Finn: Okay, cool. I’ll pick you up around 8.

Me: K :)

“Are you and Tryston still going to The Stump tonight?” I asked Jane who was busily texting.

She nodded and looked at me. “Hell yeah!”

I laughed. “Sweet.”

I WAS WASTED. LIKE
tripping over my feet, slurring my words, and non-stop giggling wasted. I looked at Finn who had just cut me off from anymore beer. Before Finn picked me up, my dad had come home. I thought he would be working out of town all weekend, but I was wrong.

We got into a fight about Nancy again, and I was done arguing. I just stood there while he yelled. It made him madder that he wasn’t getting anything out of me. He ended up telling me that if Nancy really had hit me, then I probably deserved it, because I was a disrespectful teenager who thought I knew everything. I stood there and just took it, even though I knew it wasn’t true, and when I heard Finn’s truck pull up, I bolted for the door without a word to my dad.

On the drive to The Stump, I stewed on what my dad said to me. I got angry. Fighting mad. So when we got there, I started drinking. I couldn’t stop. I was telling Finn everything my dad had said while downing one after another. Finn wasn’t ever around me when I drank, so he had no idea how much of a lightweight I was. Three beers later, he figured it out.

He was laughing so hard at me trying to talk that he couldn’t even answer me. I put my fingers on his lips and giggled.

“Youuu are sooooo sexy, Finn Kerr. Like smokin’.” I giggled some more and leaned against a random person. I looked up at the tall guy and laughed. “Heyyyy.”

Finn picked me up. “Okay, it’s time to get you out of here.”

“I don’t wanna go,” I said in a pout.

The movement made me nauseous. I tried to get out of his arms, but he held me tighter. “Finn,” I tried to get down while gagging.

The music was so loud that he couldn’t hear me.
Shiiit.
I was going to puke on him if he didn’t let me down! I hit his chest, and he looked down at me. “Down!” is all I could get out. He set me down, and I stumbled to a spot between two trucks. I hurled everywhere.

Music was blaring loudly from the speakers next to me, while I kept throwing up. I felt hands hold my hair back, and I hoped it wasn’t Finn. This was embarrassing. I didn’t mean to get this drunk. When I was done, I wiped my mouth on the bottom of my shirt and turned to see who was holding my hair. It was Jane.
Thankfully.
But where was Finn? I started looking around for him.

“He went to go get his truck. I was told not to leave your side.” She smiled. “You went overboard, huh?”

I groaned and rested my forehead on her shoulder. Jane was the best. She didn’t shove me away or yell
eww
at my puke drenched clothing. She rubbed my back and laughed while we waited for Finn.

When he pulled up, I got in with his help and leaned heavily against the door. “I’m sorry,” I said with a groan. The cold window felt so good against my cheek. “Can you turn on the air?”

He turned on the air and the radio. I reached over, slapped my hand around until I found the knob, and turned it down. “My head hurts.”

He laughed. “You stink.”

“Jerk.” I smiled.

I looked down at my shirt and cursed. “Gross.” I pulled it over my head, leaving me in just my bra. For a second I forgot I was in the truck with Finn. For some reason, in my drunken state, I thought I was still with Jane. I looked at my shirt in my hand and then over at Finn. It was too dark for him to see me blushing.

I screamed when I looked at the road and saw he was swerving. “Finn, look out!”

He jerked the steering wheel just before we hit a tree. He started laughing so hard he snorted. He had to pull over because he couldn’t stop laughing. My heart was racing. I was still freaked out from his truck almost plowing into the large pine.

With wide eyes, I looked at him. I shoved his shoulder. “You almost hit that tree!”

“You took your shirt off! I got distracted! Technically, it’s your fault!” He was still laughing so hard.

Puking up most of my alcohol and being scared shitless had me sobering up. “Finn, I need a shirt.” I folded my arms in front of my boobs. I felt like such a fool.

“Depends on who you ask.”

“Finn! Shirt! Now!”

He laughed and took off his t-shirt. I put it over my head and glared at him when he licked his lips and wiggled his eyebrows at me.

“Come on! You’re hot, Ellie! I couldn’t help it.”

I smiled when I caught a glimpse at his bare chest. Good thing I wasn’t driving, or I’d be swerving all over the damn road too, and it’d have nothing to do with being drunk. “Just take me home. I need a shower. I have puke in my hair.”

He scrunched his nose, and I laughed when he put his truck in drive and headed toward my house.

I SAT ON THE
couch while Dad stood over me, yelling. Finn didn’t want to drop me off here, but I had nowhere else to go. If I went to Jane’s, her mom would’ve known that Jane was probably drinking too. If I’d gone to Finn’s, his mom would have really hated me. The first and only time we’d met, I was banging on her door, demanding to see her son like a crazed lunatic. The last thing I needed to do was come over as drunk as a damn skunk, wearing her son’s shirt, and asking to use her shower.

“I should’ve known you were up to no good! Are you on drugs too? Dammit, Elena! What’s wrong with you? And you expect me to believe all the horrible things you say about Nancy? I know she might treat me badly, but she’d never treat you that way!”

I put my head in my hands and closed my eyes.
Of course this would turn into something about Nancy.
I had no energy to fight with Dad. I just wanted a shower and to go to sleep.

“You are irresponsible! And were you with Finn, Jane, and Tryston tonight?”

“Yes, but they had nothing to do with me drinking. It was my choice,” I said into my hands, so it came out muffled.

“You can’t see them anymore. As a matter of fact, you go to school, work, and then come straight home! You got it?”

I looked at Dad. “You can’t! I can’t be here alone with Nancy when you’re working out of town! Dad, she’s—”

“Don’t! She’s nothing but good to you and just wants to be your friend! Stop making yourself look like the victim here!”

I opened my mouth to say more, but he pointed toward the hall, telling me to leave the living room. I stood and went to the bathroom.

My tears washed away with the water from the shower. Dad couldn’t ban me from Finn, Tryston, and Jane. I’d be eighteen in a month, and at that point, I could do whatever the hell I wanted. I could get a second, or even a third job if I had to in order to pay for my own place. I got out of the shower and went to my room. I dug in my purse until I found my phone and texted Finn.

Me: Sorry about tonight. I didn’t mean to ruin it.

Finn: You didn’t ruin it. But from now on, I’m limiting you on beer. lol

Me: Finn… I’m so embarrassed. Sorry.

Finn: Stop apologizing! Are you okay now?

Me: Not really. My dad yelled at me for a while.

Finn: How long are you grounded?

Me: It’s not how long I’m grounded, it’s from who.

There was a long pause before he texted me back.

Finn: Who…

Me: You, Tryston, and Jane.

Finn: Dammit, Ellie. No. Not gonna happen.

Me: I’ll figure it out. Just give some time to let him cool off.

Finn: Will I see you before Monday?

Me: Probably not, unless you come see me at work.

Finn: Text me your hours, and I’ll come see you on your break.

I texted him my hours and then turned my phone off. I just needed to sleep.

F
INN HAD TO WORK
longer hours at the shop, so he didn’t get to come see me on my break. I sat outside behind the store and smoked. Smoking was becoming more frequent for me, and as disgusting as I knew it was, it worked to relieve stress.

I had just finished off my cigarette when I heard my name being called. I looked out at the parking lot to my right where H&R Block was and froze when I saw Channing.

Dammit! Who the hell told him where I worked?

The last time I’d seen him was at Dillon’s funeral. We’d left there on good terms, but that didn’t give him the right to come see me.
Ever.
He shut his truck door and came over to me. I looked at my cell phone. I still had twenty minutes left on my break, but I’d cut it short to get away from him.

“Elena? Can we talk for just two minutes?”

“What?” I pulled another cigarette from my pocket.

“No one has heard from you since the funeral. We’re all just wondering how you are? Alyssa said you’re not responding to her texts. I know how close you and Dillon were and—”

“I’ve been busy! And why didn’t Alyssa come instead of you?”