White Girl Problems (3 page)

I winced. “Yeah, I suspected he might.”

“My dad was pissed when he called me. He said your dad knows you got caught shoplifting a lip-gloss and lied about it. He said you can’t sleep over.”

I laughed. “Duh. I wasn’t going to.” I totally was going to. “I just wanted to wait ‘til Dad was sleeping before going home. Sheila has had loads of time to repair the love between them—barf. So she’ll be all gloaty.”

“Gloaty isn’t a word, moron. I don’t think going home reeking of rum is going to help the situation.”

I plucked the cigarette from her hand and took a drag. “Does it make me look cool like you?” Instantly, I started choking and tossed it into the pool. “Why do you smoke? Gross!” It was gross and it was doing something to my already-spinning head.

She laughed. “That was awesome. You just threw that in the pool. You are a train wreck. We have to get you home. You’re my ride or die, but you need to stop being such a hot mess.” I could see her hand wave, but something dire was happening inside of me. I turned and staggered to the prize rose bushes in the corner of the yard. I could smell the flowers Carter’s mom was famous for, for about a second. Then I could smell rum and tacos.

I gripped a branch, not realizing it belonged to one of the thick rose bushes. I felt my hand slipping and the world falling with me, but that was it. I saw stars, real ones. I was on my back and then the lights went out, and I didn’t see the stars anymore.

It’s going down (my GPA). I’m yelling TIMBERRRRRRR…

Chapter Three

Internet Pedos

The pounding headache, the impatient sigh of some jackass in my room, and the bright lights overhead were the first three things I noticed. My eyelids fluttered a few times, but the whole vivid lights/big hangover thing was intense.

“We started a drip to rehydrate her. It actually will cure the hangover.” The voice speaking was an unknown, but curing sounded awesome. Whatever the cure was, I needed it. I felt like I’d been run over.

Then I heard Satan’s mistress. “I don’t think you should rehydrate her. She should suffer for what she’s put us through.” If my mouth wasn’t sewn shut with cotton balls of death, I might have told Sheila to suck it, but I was scared she might have agreed. Bitch would do anything for a buck. Money grubby ho. If anyone was a thot, it was her.

“Are you kidding me? Isn’t she your child?” Thank God for the person defending me. Lord knew it wouldn’t be my father. “She has alcohol poisoning and drugs in her system. We don’t generally let minors just roll with that one.”

I opened an eye as the snooty nurse stormed out of my hospital room.

Great.

Life was getting better by the second. I looked down at my hand and wrist, shocked at the huge bandage that was there. What the hell had happened? What did I remember?

Sheila saw my opened eyes and glowered at me. “Well, well, well, look who’s awake.”

In a feeble attempt at moving, I lifted my middle finger and smiled as best as I could. Her blue eyes widened. “You little bitch!”

What she didn’t see was my father coming into the room behind her. He froze. I lowered my finger before he could see it.

He gave me a look. “Sheila, go home. I will deal with Fin on my own.”

Her face dropped. She turned. “She—”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to hear it. I’m so tired of you two that I could run away. Now get out of here before I have you removed.”

She looked raging angry but never said another thing. She turned and stomped out of the room.

He sat next to me, looking exhausted. I almost felt bad.

He sighed and drank the coffee in his hand. “Fin, what is going on? First the shoplifting and now drugs and the cutting… Sheila showed me the pornographic photos she saw on your phone. We’re taking it away until you can learn to be more mature. You know the fact that he’s under the age of eighteen makes this child porn distribution.”

Shit.

Wait… had he said drugs? Cutting? I opened my mouth, but he lifted his phone. “Don’t try denying it. I saw the pictures of the naked boy, and I have the video footage from the store you stole from. The guard emailed it to me when I called telling him I would have his job.” He shook his head as I tried to avoid the intense disappointment in his eyes. He looked lost, like he wanted to say things he shouldn't. It was making it worse for me until I literally watched his face harden. “You’re leaving tomorrow. We can’t have another summer like the last one. You’re ruining your life and you’re taking mine with it. I don’t have a lot of time for vacations now because I’ve been dealing with you instead of working. Owning the company means I have to work twice as much, not half.”

My stomach dropped. “You’re kicking me out?” I could feel tears in my eyes, but I was so hurt I didn't want to cry.

“We can’t live like this anymore.” He nodded. “I’m sending you to your aunt’s.”

The tears were gone instantly. “Aunt Cheryl’s?”

He chuckled bitterly. “No. I know she is the one who bootlegs the alcohol for you. Of course not her. No, you will be spending the summer with Hattie.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Who?” How did he know Cheryl was my boot? Why was he sending me to a stranger’s house?

“Hattie is the aunt your mother spent her summers with when she was a girl.”

I sighed. “Dad, I’m sorry, okay? I got a little crazy. I’m sorry. I’ll be nicer to Sheila, I promise.”

“You didn’t just get a little crazy, Fin. You did drugs. They found them in your system. Not to mention the cutting. Linna saw you do it. You know, Fin, alcohol is one thing, but the drugs and cutting—I won’t stand for that. I never imagined my little girl would get to this point.”

I shook my head. “Dad, I never did drugs and I wouldn’t cut myself. I don’t even like cutting my nails.” It was true as far as I could remember. I was the only person who NEVER did drugs, and blood made me woozy. Why would I do either?

“You’re a liar, Fin. I have to come to terms with that.” He got up abruptly. “We aren’t discussing this again. You need help. You fly out at ten tomorrow morning. I’ll pick you up at eight and drive you there. The hospital is discharging you then.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Think about leaving here before you’re discharged or leaving your aunt’s house when you get there, and I will disown you.” He let my hand go and walked out of the room.

I lay back and waited for the ceiling in the room to crash down on top of me and kill me ‘cause honestly, what was left?

Sheila had to be behind it all. How could my father pick her over me? I knew I didn’t do drugs or cut myself. Linna was lying and I didn’t know why. The tests had to be wrong. I never did drugs. I hated them. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, blanketed in sadness and confusion.

When the morning came, the nurse gave me a stern look. “I had the launderers clean your clothes. I don't normally do that, but my kid said she knows you. Said you stopped some guy from attacking her at a party last winter.”

I scowled at her. “What?” That didn't sound like me.

She nodded. “You were drunk and you punched him in the face.”

Okay, that sounded like me. I pointed a finger at her. “Andi’s mom?” The image of Andi crying and the dick from the public school telling her she would like it still plagued me. At least I had gotten there in time. Technically, I had gone outside to throw up. I had wanted to drink more, but I was getting full and I didn’t want the calories.

“Yes, Andi’s mom.” The nurse smiled. “Your dad is waiting out in the hallway. That bitch of a stepmother of yours is with him. Keep your chin up, Finley. Don't let her see you upset about this. You made a mistake and you party too much, but she has no right to be that evil.” She turned and left the room.

She was right.

When I was dressed and my makeup was fixed, I held my head high and strolled out into the hallway like I didn't give a shit. I pulled the light jacket I had over my bandaged arm. My heart was racing, and I wasn't entirely sure I could keep my toast down, but the nurse was right. I didn't want Sheila to see me sweat.

I walked up, seeing the funny look on my father’s face again. It was like he was constipated, with a thousand things to say, but again his face grew cold and my heart burned. I looked away, letting it all just happen. So what? I was being sent away. It wasn’t like I was actually part of their little family anyway. And I could party wherever. I could have fun wherever. I could be a blast no matter where I did it.

Sheila smiled. “I packed for you so you’re all set.” I walked past her to the elevators and decided to take the stairs.

“Take the elevator, Finley.”

I ignored her and walked to the door, flashing her a sweet smile and entering. I ran down the stairs as fast as my boots would carry me. When I got to the front entry, I watched as they came frantically scrambling from the elevators. It was funny to watch them.

I could imagine Sheila was terrified I was ruining her evil plan of only having the World of Warcraft nerd for the summer. Her eldest, Suzzy, was going to New Mexico for the summer with her boyfriend from college instead of coming home. Jess and I were all that were home, and she never left her room. I was seriously scared she had a poopsock.

She’d almost had me convinced it was fun to game, the winter before when the ice storms had hit us, but Linna came and rescued me.

I smirked and walked out to the car. He had it parked almost on the curb. My stuff was packed in a shitty old bag I didn't even know we had. I was tempted to unzip it, but the nurse’s words were burned into my head. I was NOT letting Sheila win.

She’d won this battle, and I was being thrown out for the summer, but I would be back and she would pay then. If she thought I’d made it hard thus far, she had no idea what she was in for. And thanks to her, I had all summer to plot.

Hattie’s couldn't be all that bad if Mom had gone there. I recalled few details about my mom, but I did know she had been a true rebel. She was badass. She was a typical East Coast rich girl who had raced the world in search of herself. My grandmother had been worried about her before she met my father. When he got her pregnant, the party ended. I looked out the window and imagined what she would do, being driven to an airport to be sent to Hattie’s. I wondered if it was a “like mother, like daughter” moment.

I ignored both of the bickering jackasses in the front seat on the ride over to the airport and slammed the door to the car, stomping into the building before my father could get out of the car.

When I got to the counter, I felt like I was in a scene in a movie—a bad movie. A Christmas movie maybe. How was it possible that my junior year was ending like this? No big parties or fun to be had. No, I was being sent away.

Was a lip-gloss really worth all of this? A tear fell from my eye as I slapped the envelope onto the counter. The woman gave me a look. “You okay?”

I shook my head, offering no explanation.

She waited for it and when nothing was offered, she smiled; it was plastic and perfect. “Where are you headed today?”

I swallowed hard. “I don't know.”

She cocked a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and took the envelope and my passport. Her bright-brown eyes lit up when she saw the location. “Ohhhhh, you are so lucky. I went here once when I was a kid. What a neat place to go. I haven’t been to Canada in ages. What are you going to Nova Scotia for?”

I shook my head. “My father is sending me away.” The answer came out harshly. Canada? Was it a joke? What the hell? How could he send me to Canada, the other side of the continent? God, he did hate me.

She looked horrified, finally a normal response. “To Canada? Wow. What did you do?”

I started to laugh. “Stole lip-gloss.”

She stepped back. “No.”

I laughed harder. “I did. From MAC, and I lied about it.” I didn’t even know why I was telling her.

Her hand crept to her lips. “Honey, he’s sending you to Canada for that?”

“Yeah.”

She took the ticket. “I am so sorry. I didn't know that was even allowed. Are you okay?”

My head seriously shook itself, I swear. She stepped back to the counter and lowered her voice. “This is going to sound very forward, but if you need help—here.” She pulled a card out of her pocket and passed it to me. “If you have nowhere to go and you want to come back, call me.”

I looked at the white card with the airline’s logo on it. I was stunned. The lady didn't know me at all and she was scared for me. Maybe she was a human trafficker or an Internet pedo. I placed the card in my pocket anyway. She was the first person to be nice to me in ages. “Thank you.”

She passed me my boarding cards. “Canada is nice. Canadians are nice people, but I have a sister your age. I would be worried to death if she were being sent away. I know how hard it is when you don't get along with your parents. If you have a problem, call me.”

I nodded. “Sure.” I clutched the boarding pass and stalked off to the security checkpoint, rubbing where the bandage was on my wrist.

Why does my manicure chip at all the wrong moments?

Chapter Four

Thot’s
a Lotta Old Booty

Hattie was an old woman, not like “Susan Sarandon who still shags twenty-year-olds” old—no. Hattie was like a thousand. She talked funny and wore a weird sunhat. She had silver-white hair in a bob, and I could tell she was feisty. She had a large midsection but was skinny everywhere else. She walked up in the small airport and gave me a look. “You must be some tired.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Hattie?”

“Aunt Hattie.” She said it like she was British. I said aunt like I was talking about the insect, ant. She said it like we might have to have tea with the queen.

She pointed. “Let’s go. I have a busy day and you need to sleep.” She looked back at me as we stomped out to the car. Something was in the air, beyond the cold. It was damp, really damp. There was a weird ocean smell maybe. I wasn’t technically sure how close we were to the ocean. I knew sweet eff all about Canada, except where Vancouver was. My fake ID had gotten me into a bar there.