“It’s nice…peaceful,” she replied.
Rachel suddenly remembered that she had to get home. It was 11:15 and she knew it was going to take fifteen minutes to drive all the way back. She wasn’t sure what time her parents’ movie was letting out, but she knew she had to get back right away.
“I have to go,” Rachel said abruptly, letting go of Rob’s hand.
“Why?” said Rob.
“My parents expect me home at 11:30 tonight,” Rachel said.
“Why so early?” Rob asked.
“Big day tomorrow,” Rachel said, “Some family things to do,”
“Ok, I’ll take you home now,” Rob said as they began to walk back to his car.
“Thanks, sorry,” Rachel said.
“No worries,” Rob said.
As they drove back towards her house, she began to get really worried. She hoped desperately that her parents weren’t back yet, and she hoped that she could make it into the house before they arrived. She imagined herself pulling up at the same exact time and then having to face their wrath. They would be furious with her and she didn’t even want to let her mind think about what they would do.
The minutes felt like hours as they continued driving down the back roads of Bedford.
“So, when am I going to see you again?” asked Rob.
“I’ll see you in Mr. Allen’s class,” she laughed.
“No, I mean, really see you, I want to hang out more.”
“Oh, well, I guess I’m free after school on Monday,” she replied.
“It’s a date,” Rob said, in a cute voice.
“Great,” she said, trying not to sound too excited.
As the car pulled down Pine Road, Rachel was shocked at what she saw. Her parent’s car was in the driveway. How could she have gotten home later than them? They were supposed to be out at the movies until 11:45ish. Rachel wondered how long they’d been home, and she hoped they hadn’t gone up to her room to say goodnight. Rachel told Rob to let her out on the street and not to pull into her driveway.
Rachel quickly said goodbye to Rob giving him a hug and hopped out of the car. She quietly shut the car door and headed around to the back of her house. She knew she had a better shot of getting back in without getting caught if she went in the back door.
She crept up the steps of the back porch and saw the kitchen light on, but nobody was in the kitchen. She quickly walked across the porch and opened up the sliding glass door.
She was inside. She heard her parents’ voices coming from the basement and quickly ran up to her room. She took off her party clothes and changed quickly into her pajamas. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and walked back out of her room to the staircase.
“How was the movie?” she yelled down to her parents.
“Rachel?” her parents shouted. “Where were you?”
“What do you mean?” Rachel said.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” replied Rachel’s mom.
“I was in the bathroom,” said Rachel.
“No you weren’t, I checked your bathroom,” said Rachel’s dad.
She racked her brain trying to come up with a response.
“I was in Mark’s bathroom,” Rachel said. “Mine was all out of toilet paper.”
“Oh,” said Rachel’s mom. “I thought I checked there, but I must have been wrong.”
“Well, I was in there, sorry I didn’t hear you guys.”
“It’s OK, sweetie,” said Rachel’s mom. “We thought something happened to you, that’s all.”
“Nope, I’ve been here the whole time,” Rachel said.
“How was your show?” Replied her dad. “You didn’t mess up the Phillies recording, did you?”
“Nope, it’s fine, should still be recording,” Rachel said.
“Well, I’m heading to bed,” Rachel said, as she began to turn and walk towards her bedroom.
Rachel heard her parents’ footsteps behind hers. She didn’t want them to get close to her, because they would definitely smell the alcohol and smoke on her. Rachel didn’t know what to do. She started walking faster and then shut the door to her room as she said, “Goodnight!”
Rachel waited, as she stood with her back to the door. She heard the footsteps get closer, and closer and then stop. She hoped they weren’t going to come in. Then all of a sudden she heard her parents whisper something to each other and the footsteps started going down the hall.
Chapter Eight
When Rachel woke up the next morning she rubbed her eyes and sat up feeling confused. She thought about her night and wondered if it had all been a dream.
Did that all really just happen?
She got out of bed and saw her party clothes on the floor of her closet and knew it was not a dream. She picked up the denim skirt, brushed the wrinkles out, and brought it back into Sarah’s room.
As Rachel was hanging the Gap skirt back on the hot pink hanger, her mom walked through the door of Sarah’s room, holding a laundry basket.
“What are you doing in here?” Rachel’s mom asked, sounding surprised.
“Oh, I, was just returning a skirt I borrowed from Sarah,” said Rachel.
Rachel looked at her mom as she stared back at her with questioning eyes. Rachel worried her mom would ask why she borrowed the skirt, and where she wore it. She knew she was busted.
“I don’t remember you wearing that skirt,” her mom questioned her.
Thinking quickly, Rachel knew she had to come up with something fast.
“Oh, I wore it the other day to school, you must not have noticed,” Rachel answered.
“That’s nice, dear,” her mom answered, “It’s so nice you girls share clothes.”
“Yeah.”
“Come downstairs, I’ve made pancakes for breakfast.”
“K, I’ll be down in a few,” Rachel replied. “Thanks, Mom.”
Phew, that was close.
Rachel smiled at her mom and walked back into her room.
Relieved, she sat on her bed and thought about how happy she was. It had been almost a week since their move, and she already felt like she belonged at AHS, and in her new town of Bedford. She didn’t feel like an outcast anymore, and she was surprised at how quickly things turned around for her after her terrible first day. Rachel felt lucky to have Emily and Rob. She thought Emily was quickly entering the best friend zone, and she felt that Rob was going to turn into her boyfriend before she knew it. She really wanted Emily and Rob to become friends but she knew that would never happen. Despite this, she felt like the luckiest girl on the planet.