by D. K Lake
Blue Madness
(Blue Raspberry Series)
Book 3
Copyright © 2018 by D.K. Lake
Cover image by © creativecommonsstockphotos
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
45
I stand in the kitchen like a zombie, staring at the wall. Is this really happening?
Nebraska?! I quickly Google Prairie, Nebraska, and nearly fall over when I read it's nearly a six-hour drive away, and that it has a population of under four thousand and from all the photos I find, Prairie consists of mainly farms, fields, more farms...and lots of cows. OMG!!
The screaming match upstairs is still going on. Paige has shut herself inside her bedroom and Mom is at the top of the stairs, and they're shouting at each other through the door.
I hear my name mentioned, more than once. I blink out of my daze and find Nessie's number and press the call button.
"Hello." Nessie answers straightaway.
"It's me."
"Well, duh. I already guessed that 'cause it was your name that popped up on the screen."
"What ya up to?"
"Uh, just finishing up here. Coach called us in for a quick cheer meeting. And guess who's the new head cheerleader?"
"No way?!"
"Yes, way! It's official, Amber's gone for good. Phoebe was the next in line for the position but she's not coming back from what Coach was saying about her leaving the squad, and I'm the lightest to be at the top of the pyramid now, so yeah...remind me to thank JT when I next see him. Sorry, I didn't mean to...you know what I mean, he did do us a favor getting rid of her."
"It's ok, I know what you mean. I saw him today."
"What? When was this?" Nessie asks, curiosity getting the better of her.
"After school. He found me on the way home and we talked."
"About what?"
"Stuff."
"Stuff? Care to elaborate?"
"Family stuff."
"Hmm. Why do I sense a hint of concern in your voice?"
I sigh. "Can you pick me up, like now?"
"Yeah, 'course. Where are you?"
"At home. Mom's here so I'll meet you on the corner."
"Is she letting you out?"
"Not exactly, but it's not like it matters anymore."
"Why? What's happened?"
"Just come and get me."
"I'm cheering tonight."
"That's fine, I'll come with you."
"Ok, I'm just leaving the locker room. I'll see you in a bit. K...bye."
I hang up and quietly let myself out before Mom catches me.
I don't even think about how much trouble I will be in when I get back. I mean, what else can she do to me? She's already moving me away from everything I know and love, and just when things are starting to look up.
And to think I was actually looking forward to next week with no Amber or Phoebe, and then there is Mitchel. I was hoping we could sort things out but now what's the point? I'm leaving, moving away to a new town, a new school, a new life.
And Nessie, my best friend, my favorite red-head. How will I survive without her? Life is so unfair.
I know I sound like a whiny teenager, but seriously, life is so unfair!! I don't care if Mom grounds me. I don't know anyone in Prairie anyway so I won't ever need to leave the house, not unless I want to make friends with the cows. Moving?!
I still can't get my head around the idea. Maybe Mom is playing a horrible prank on us. I stand on the corner and wait for Nessie while I read a few of the messages from Mitchel, there's so many.
Mitchel: Please talk to me. Let me explain everything. x
Mitchel: Kelse, please talk to me.
Mitchel: You were never a part of the bet.
Mitchel: I miss you.
Mitchel: I need you.
His messages tug at my heartstrings. The next message not so much.
Nessie: Do apples have calories in them?
I laugh out loud. That girl.
I ignore Nessie's messages from the beginning of the week and read through a few more from Mitchel, they're all the same, begging me to talk to him and let him explain.
I decide to delete the whole lot.
He doesn't need to explain. I already know the truth now and I'm not mad at him.
My phone beeps with a new message.
I expect it to be from Mitchel but it's from Paige.
Paige: I hate you. Don't come home. Ever!
Me: Feeling's mutual. I wish I was an only child.
Nessie pulls up beside the curb and my phone beeps again but I don't read the message. I know it's Paige, and she's probably sent something along the lines of I hope you get run over by a bus.
"Hi." Nessie smiles, I can tell by the way she is looking at me that she knows something is wrong.
"Don't ask." is all I say.
She just nods her head and starts driving. I can't tell her. Not yet.
My phone beeps again with two messages.
"Ooooh someone's popular." Nessie grins.
"It's just Paige." I mutter, reading the messages, but the first one is from Mom.
Mom: GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!
No thanks.
The second one is from Paige.
Paige: I hope you choke and die.
Close enough.
"So I have to go home and glitter myself up before the game. And maybe we can turn that frown upside down." She pokes me in the arm.
"Hmm." I look out the window.
"Stephen's throwing a party at the cabin tonight."
I turn to look at her. "That place is over an hour's drive away."
"I know, but it's in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lakes, the perfect place to throw a party without disturbing anyone. And he just got given his trust fund early and he wanted to blow it on this. There's going to be fireworks and everything."
"Why did he get his trust fund and not you?"
"Stephen's grades are spot on, and he's already picked out the college he wants to go to."
"You're still undecided?"
"I was thinking about taking a gap year." She nudges my elbow. "But it's cool either way, if you want to go to college or not, I'll follow you wherever."
"Ness, you can't wait for me to make up my mind. You'll be waiting forever. You know I hate to even think about the future let alone pick which college I want to go to."
"Perfect excuse for a gap year so you can figure out what you want to do."
"But your dad won't let you have your trust fund if you don't go."
She shrugs like it's no big deal. "It's only money, Kelsey. You're more important to me."
How am I going to tell her about me moving now? I think she needs me as much as I need her.
"So this cabin thing?" I query.
"You know, just the usual, vodka, loud music, hotboxing the garden shed, party games, terrible decisions, jelly shots, people too drunk to dance, skinny dipping in cold water, naked Twister, and I can guarantee there will be a few people expressing themselves by getting completely naked and leaving their ass prints all over the glass doors, and did I mention there's vodka?
"
"Actually it sounds like fun."
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with my best friend? You normally hate all of those things."
"Not true. I love jelly shots."
"Are you being serious? You want to go?"
I shrug. "Why not? You only live once, right?"
"Butterflies kinda get two lives, they start off as an ugly-ass caterpillar then turn into a beautiful butterfly."
"Well, maybe I'll grow taller, slimmer, and be a better version of myself by next year." I mumble.
"You're already the best version of yourself." Nessie smiles then her smile falls as we pull into her driveway.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
There was something bothering her and I hadn't noticed before.
"Cole broke up with me." she laughs.
"He broke up with you? Why? What was his reason?"
"He's back with his ex. He'd been seeing her behind my back. I think he only went out with me to make her jealous."
She waves her hand at me as if it's nothing.
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not. You hated us together. I should have listened to you."
"Well, at least you didn't get too involved with him, right?"
"No, it was mainly kissing and some heavy petting. He did try it on a few times but I said it was too soon."
"Good choice." I tell her.
"Right. Are you ready for your makeover?"
"You are not dressing me up tonight."
"But you look so good in my clothes. They actually fit you." She pulls on the hoodie I'm wearing.
"I like my clothes. Give me jeans and a band t-shirt any day over tight tops and ass-skirts."
"Ass skirts?"
"Ass skirt is when you see a girl wearing a skirt that's too short and you can see half her ass."
Nessie laughs and I'm glad to see her smiling again.
"What about when you see a girl with her boobs falling out of her top?"
"I don't know, I think I'd just scream avalanche!"
Nessie is still laughing as she opens her door.
While Nessie showers and changes, I help myself to the food in the fridge. If I'm going to be drinking tonight I want some food in my stomach. Her parents aren't at home and Stephen is out, so it's just Nessie and me, and I spotted a gardener outside and a maid in the laundry room.
She tries to get me to change into a different pair of pants and a sparkly black top but I refuse and let her braid my hair instead to keep her happy. She does a good job, putting two small braids on each side of my head and tying my hair up into a high ponytail. I fix my makeup and reapply mascara and sort my flicks out just to perk myself up a little. It's surprising how different someone looks with just a little eye makeup. Nessie insists on a little glitter and before I can object she's dusting my eyelids to match her own and I end up with dark blue glitter on both my eyelids.
"Makes your eyes pop." she tells me.
"It will also make me blind if it falls in my eyes."
"Try not to touch it too much."
"My eyelids feel heavy." I half joke.
"Deal with it." she smiles, throwing a few things in her overnight bag for the both of us. I've already told her I won't be going home until late on Sunday night and she doesn't ask questions.
I will tell her.
I will.
Soon.
But not tonight. Tonight is all about having fun with my best friend and hopefully creating some good memories for me to take with me.
46
I sit in the bleachers, squashed between a group of boys from my year, and unfortunately, I get stuck next to Richard.
Every time Richard looks away I steal his fries. He's probably wondering where his fries are disappearing to. He even checked under his seat. Lol.
At halftime Nessie does her cheer routine, they had to change it up a bit to accommodate for losing two main cheerleaders, but Nessie looks good at the top of the pyramid. One of her goals in life was to be at the top of that damn pyramid.
My goal has always been to make sure I can still fit into my clothes after summer break. I'm not naturally skinny, but skipping meals keeps my weight down, but it's not like I'm skipping meals to lose weight, it's because I don't have the money or there isn't ever any food in the house. That's probably why my eyes light up when I see free food. Like right now, there's free food sitting right next to me.
"Did you...did you just take one of my fries?" Richard accuses me and I gasp in horror of being accused of such a crime
"As if I would want to eat something you've touched."
He scowls at me and turns his back on me and looks the other way and I take a quick sip of the Coke he left unattended.
The second half starts and our school is dominating the other team, one boy even left the field in tears. I get bumped from side to side as the boys cheer and jump up and down.
Yay, school spirit. Not.
This isn't me. Maybe because I never got involved with anything. If I stayed Nessie would find a spot for me on the cheerleading squad, but I can't see myself kicking my legs in the air and threading ribbons in my hair. I wonder what the high school in Prairie is like.
They probably race tractors for fun.
I snort at my own silly brain and blow bubbles into Richard's drink through the straw and he turns to see what I'm giggling at. Busted.
"Is that my drink?!"
"What, this? No, this is mine."
"No, it's not, it's mine!"
"Well, finders keepers." I say, draining the last few drops.
Richard stares at me for a minute too long before looking back at the game. We've always been like this with each other, ever since kindergarten. Amber started it and Richard was in with the cool kids so he used to pick on me as well, but Richard is a mouse compared to Amber who walks around devouring humans like a hungry tiger. I'd rather bicker with Richard than deal with Amber, and lucky for me she's not a problem anymore.
I decide to head back to the parking lot and wait in the car. Nessie let me hold onto the keys. I'm still laughing about the fact that she's had the car sprayed pink to keep Stephen away. It's like boy repellent because he rarely uses it. But now he's got access to his trust fund he can buy what he wants.
I stand up and squeeze past Richard and he grabs my wrist.
"Are you going to the after-party?" he asks.
"Uh...yeah, why?"
He doesn't answer and lets go of me and casually shrugs like it's no big deal. Whatever.
I manage to make it to the steps without falling into anyone's lap, and jog down the steps and turn the corner between the bleachers and walk straight into a tall hooded figured wearing a denim jacket. A very familiar denim jacket. He turns to look over his shoulder at me and I freeze. Mitchel.
Our eyes connect and he momentarily forgets what he's doing and the other boy who I recognize from my history class taps his arm to get his attention, and then hands Mitchel what looks like money and Mitchel slips him a packet of something from inside his denim jacket and I see that he's wearing a cast on his left hand. The boy gives me a quick nod and scurries off in the other direction. I stick my hands in my pockets and step closer to Mitchel.
"Hi," I speak first.
"Hey." He runs his good hand through his dark inky hair and pushes it off his face.
We stand in silence and a group of loud boys fill the entrance so Mitchel nods his head for me to follow him and we wander across the grass to the parking lot.
"Mitch-"
"Kel-"
We both try to talk at the same time and end up smiling at each other and he looks away awkwardly.
"I spoke to JT earlier. He explained a few things and cleared up the whole Amber and Phoebe thing."
Mitchel stops walking and turns to face me.
"What did he say?"
"He told me the truth, and he also told me you've spent the week at home, hungover. I missed you at school."
"Did you?" he says
with an edge to his voice that I can't detect, and he frowns and I look down at the grass. He sounds sort of annoyed with me which is ridiculous because I'm the one that should still be mad at him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that, it's just...you've ignored me all week and not replied to any of my messages. I didn't think you wanted to have anything to do with me anymore." he explains.
"I know and I'm sorry too, but you hurt me and I didn't know what to believe after the whole assembly thing. So I switched my phone off. I couldn't deal with it. The idea that you only got close to me to win some bet-"
"That's not what happened." He steps closer.
"I know that now, but what did you expect me to think when it happened? JT found me after school today and he apologized and it's ok. I'm over it now."
"You're not mad at me?"
"No. Not anymore."
The corners of his lips twitch and I fake a smile. I feel so miserable about moving but I don't want to have to tell him just yet.
"Are you here with Nessie?"
"Yes, just waiting for the game to finish then there's this party at Stephen's, or more accurately at his parent's cabin. Have you heard about it?"
"Uh, yeah. Stephen mentioned it."
"You going?"
"Are you?"
"Uh-huh."
He smiles at me and looks at me with those blue eyes and I forget about everything else that has happened and just want to be near him. I close the distance between us and throw my arms around his neck and crush my lips to his.
He's a little surprised but he soon catches up with me and wraps his cast arm around me and brings us closer together.
I hear the buzzer for the end of the game and the crowd erupts into cheers. I guess we won. It all fades into the background as I get lost in the kiss. I know it's wrong. I shouldn't be kissing him, giving him false hope, but just for tonight, I want to pretend everything is normal and try to forget about the fact that I'm moving away. But I don't know how he'll take the news.
I tell my stupid brain he'll get over me by next week and replace me with another blond, but I don't want to think about it. I know I won't be able to replace him. How do you replace someone you think is the one for you. OMG.
I pull away when I have this revelation.