What If... All Your Friends Turned On You (24 page)

Alex opened the door. There stood Perry Miller looking upset and worried, but most of all disappointed. “Haley! What's going on here?” he demanded. “Your mother said you called and told her you were staying over at Annie's, but then Blythe called about an emergency revision to a brief.”

“We were just having dinner,” Haley said as Perry eyed all the candles suspiciously. “I was headed over to Annie's at midnight, my new curfew, remember?”

Perry frowned. “Sure you were.”

Haley caught sight of herself in the hall mirror and understood why her father was skeptical. Her hair was tousled, her cheeks were flushed and her sweater was on inside out. She looked very much like a girl who'd just been caught mid-hookup—not like someone who'd been daintily eating chocolate cake. Her parents weren't stupid.

Haley closed her eyes in defeat. She should have known better. Of course Joan Miller and Blythe Armstrong spoke often and compared notes on more than just their caseloads at work. Joan was bound to find out whether or not Haley was sleeping over at Annie's.

“Come on, Haley. We're going home.” Perry led her out of the house by the arm.

“Sorry Alex,” Haley called back. “Thanks for the birthday dinner!”

She got into the backseat of the car and waved forlornly to Alex as her parents drove away. “Yes, you'd better wave goodbye,” her mother said sharply. “You won't be seeing him again for a long time—if ever.”

“What?”

“You heard your mother,” Perry said. “You're grounded. Maybe for the rest of your life.”

“Well, at least for another year, until you turn eighteen.”

“What?” Haley shrieked. “You can't do that!”

But in fact, that was just what they did.

Haley should have known that her mother would check out her story with Annie's mother. After all, they work together. And as a lawyer, Joan Miller is trained not to take what people say at face value. She has learned to
dig deeper, and it didn't take much digging to figure out what Haley was up to that night. Alex was perfectly willing to take Haley home before curfew, but she let her fantasies carry her away. She won't be making that mistake again
.

Hang your head and go back to page 1
.

DEAD END

A
lex led Haley into the den, which was also filled with candles, and sat her down on the edge of the sofa. “Are you having a good birthday so far?” he asked.

“Very good,” she said. “The best.”

Alex knelt down and kissed her gently, then wrapped his arms around her waist. Haley lay back on the sofa while he snuggled up next to her tugging at her sweater. She sighed happily. Alex's parents and brothers were away for the weekend. This was
the perfect chance to get to know each other better—physically. They still had an hour and a half to kill before Haley had to be home for curfew. She had fantasies of staying the whole night, waking up in the morning to orange juice and coffee, scrambling eggs with Alex, making toast and kissing some more over the breakfast table and morning paper. But Haley knew there was no way her parents would ever buy the story that she had suddenly decided to sleep over at Annie's. It was better to play it safe, and still play around a little with Alex before heading home to her own bed that night.

“What's the matter?” Alex asked.

“I wish we could spend the whole night together,” Haley said.

“Me too,” he said, nibbling her ear. “I'll make sure to get you home in time for curfew. We don't want you grounded so that you can't come over and do this again.”

She smiled at him. “And what are we going to do?” she asked suggestively. Alex's thoughtfulness made her want to spend the night with him even more. She knew she could trust him. She rubbed her nose playfully against his cheek and snuggled up against him. “I don't want to think about going home yet. It's so cold outside and so warm in here….”

“I know,” he said, kissing her lightly. “But we still have a while before we have to leave….”

However much time they had, it wasn't enough
for Haley. She bit Alex's lip playfully. They started making out, hot and heavy. Soon, her sweater and skirt were beside them on the floor, and Alex's pants were undone. Haley had never gone this far with a boy before, but it felt totally right. She knew she could go all the way with Alex and still feel safe, or she could stop short and do just about everything but, and that would be okay too.
So this is what it feels like to be in a real relationship
, she thought.
I could get used to this
.

They continued hooking up, exploring each other's bodies until well after eleven p.m. Alex lay beside her, holding her and touching her hair. He lifted his head and glanced at the clock. “It's almost midnight. Better get you home before you turn into a pumpkin.”

They kissed once more, then got off the sofa and put on their clothes. Alex went outside a few minutes early to warm up the car. “Brrr!” he said when he came back in. Haley was warming her hands on a mug of tea, which she shared with him. “It's freezing out there!” He made sure she was all bundled up before they went out to face the cold.

Haley hurried out to the car, her breath clouding the air. Inside it was toasty warm. Alex got in and drove her home. The streets were quiet and still.

He pulled up in front of her house, keeping the car running for warmth. “We still have five minutes,” Haley said.

“Let's not waste them.” Alex leaned toward her and they kissed until the last possible second. When the clock struck midnight, Haley gave him one last peck. “Good night,” she said, slipping out of the car and running into the house. She peered out the front window and flicked the porch light off and on as a wink goodbye. Alex flashed his headlights and drove away into the darkness.

Haley floated up to her bedroom, feeling happy and right and totally in love. Everything with Alex was turning out to be just perfect, and that was all right with her.

THE END

H
aley looked at Rob, the cutie with the glasses, behind the wheel of his sports car. He seemed like a nice enough guy. And a party at an estate sounded like fun.

It's your birthday
, she told herself.
Live a little
. Besides, the party was only a few blocks away. What was the worst that could happen?

She got into the car. Rob revved the engine and sped away from the curb. Haley grabbed on to the dashboard to steady herself.

“Slow down,” she said. “There's no rush.”

“I always drive like this,” Rob said. “It's okay. Besides, what's the point of having a sports car if you don't go fast?”

In the close confines of the car Haley could smell the liquor on his breath. “How much have you had to drink tonight?” she asked.

“Just that stuff Matt brought to the dance,” Rob said. “Chillax.”

They roared up the street, but before they'd driven two blocks Haley saw flashing lights and heard a siren behind them. She looked back. A police car was tailing them, red lights glaring. “Pull over!” the officer shouted over the loudspeaker.

Rob groaned. “Oh no, not again.”

“Not again?” Haley said. “This has happened before?”

“Every time I drink and drive I get pulled over. It's so unfair.”

He stopped the car. A police officer approached the driver's side and knocked on the window. Rob rolled it down.

“License and registration, please,” the officer said. She leaned into the car and got a whiff of Rob's breath. “Whew!” She waved her hand in front of her nose. “Son, I'm going to need you to get out of the car.”

While the first police officer gave Rob a sobriety
test—which he promptly failed—her partner opened Haley's door and asked her to get out too.

“Where were you tonight?” the policeman asked her.

“At a school dance,” Haley said. “I haven't done anything wrong.”

“Can I see some ID?”

Haley showed him her brand-new license.

“This one's been drinking,” the policewoman said, jerking her thumb at Rob. “We'd better take them both to the station.”

The police officers led Haley and Rob to the squad car and locked them into the backseat. Rob was on the verge of tears.

“I can't get arrested!” he said. “My parents are going to kill me! Or at least take my car away.”

“Maybe they should,” Haley said.

“No! I'm nothing without that car!”

What a jerk
, Haley thought, but then she thought about her own parents. They wouldn't be too happy about this little turn of events either.

At the police station, Rob was charged with a DWI and led away to a holding cell. “Sorry, son,” the officer said. “You're going to night court.”

Haley sat in a waiting room while the other officer called her parents. They arrived minutes later with Mitchell in tow.

“Thank you for calling us, officer,” Perry Miller said. “We'll take her home now.”

Joan Miller took Haley by the arm and practically dragged her out to the car. “What on earth were you thinking? Underage drinking? Driving with a drunk boy you barely know? Who was he, anyway?”

Haley had to struggle to remember his name. “I think his name was Rob.”

“You think?” Haley's mother was livid. “You get into a car with a boy who's been drinking and you don't even know his name? Young lady you are lucky to be alive.”

“Too bad you'll have to spend the rest of your life in your room,” Perry said.

“What? That's a prison sentence!” Haley pro tested.

“It's better than going to jail for real,” her mother said. “I think.”

“That's right,” her father said. “Haley Miller, you are grounded for life.”

“Ha-ha,” Mitchell singsonged. “Haley's grounded forever. Haley's grounded forever.”

“Or at least a full year, until you turn eighteen,” Joan added.

One small slip of judgment and Haley's life is ruined. Of course, it could have been a lot worse—Rob, or whatever his name is, could have crashed the car and maimed or even killed Haley, in which case she would have wished she were only grounded for life. There's
nothing wrong with a little adventure, but you should at least know whose car you're getting into before you zoom off into the sunset
.

Hang your head and go back to page 1
.

DEAD END

“W
hoo! Go Ridgewood!”

Coco cheered as she and her friends filed into the bleachers on the visitors' side. Haley felt weird sitting across the gym among strange Ridgewood students, most of whom she didn't even know, to cheer on her school's rival team.

But that was the idea. Coco's idea, anyway: to really make the Hillsdale bad boys feel it—to show Reese, Spencer, Drew and Johnny how much their ex-girlfriends
did not need them, to show how far the girls had left them behind. The Coquettes were hanging with a new crowd now, Matt Graham's Ridgewood crowd—that was the message Coco wanted to send. Haley saw the logic in it but it still felt wrong cheering against their own school.

The game began and Ridgewood started out strong. Matt scored three points in the first few minutes against a flailing Hillsdale defense. At the end of the first quarter Ridgewood was up by four.

“Yes! Ridgewood rocks!” Coco cheered. Haley, Cecily, Whitney and Sasha joined in, yelling for their new favorite Bergen County team.

“Hillsdale boys are totally lame!” Sasha shouted.