Free Turtle Bay by Tiffany King

even pulled any pranks like I'd done in the past.
    "You okay?" Buttercup asked, taking stock of my appearance. "You don't look drunk or disorderly."
    "I'm neither. I was—" I became distracted by the sight of Evan standing across the room next to a professionally dressed man in a suit. Probably a lawyer by the looks of him. Evan nodded at me and smiled, seemingly unconcerned with anything that had happened. I shook my head in disgust and turned away. He had been such an ass I didn't even want to look at him anymore.
    "Wait, drunk and disorderly conduct? Is that what they charged me with?" I asked, suddenly comprehending Buttercup's previous question. We made our way through the herd of worried, impatient parents in the waiting room and out into the parking lot.
    "Possession of alcohol by a minor and destruction of public property," Butch said. "At least you're consistent." I could read Butch like a book, and his words were laced with disappointment.
    "I didn't destroy anything," I insisted, climbing into the back of the van. "I promise. I was in the process of putting my beer bottle down when the cops showed up. You know me. I wouldn't trash a beach. That's not a prank."
    Buttercup turned to look at me, her eyes searching mine like only a mother could. She had always said she could tell if I was lying by looking into my eyes. This time I didn't need to turn away. I had nothing to hide. After a moment she turned back around, satisfied with what she had seen. "The breathalyzer test you took showed small traces of alcohol in your system, and since you're a minor you'll get no leeway there, especially since you were holding the evidence. We'll have to see about the other charges. You go in front of a judge on Monday."
    Great. I was supposed to start work at Tasty Freeze in the morning and I was scheduled again on Monday. What would my new boss say when I told him I needed the day off? "I wonder if I'll lose my job," I asked, gnawing on my bottom lip. I could see my new school wardrobe for the fall circling the drain.
    "You might have to give it up anyway if the judge hits you with community service," Buttercup said nonchalantly. Ever since I mentioned wanting new clothes, she seemed to be against me getting a job. It would be icing on her cake if I had to quit my job before it even started.
    "That would suck. I'm actually more worried that they might throw me in juvenile hall or something." The judge in Huntsville had threatened it after my last stunt. The idea of going to jail, even if it was juvie jail, was enough to twist my stomach into knots. Butch and Buttercup tried their best to reassure me, but their faces did little to hide their real concern.
    I woke early the next morning and headed out of my room feeling groggy from a lack of sleep. Butch was in the breezeway cutting wood for my new bathroom when I staggered past him in search of coffee.
    "Did I wake you?" he asked, looking up from his saw.
    "Yeah, but I'm glad you did. I'm supposed to be at Tasty Freeze by nine. Are you going to be in my room all day?" I asked, looking longingly back toward my bed.
    "Pretty much. Tim plans on installing your toilet while I get the walls up."
    "Yay, I can't wait," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. I really was glad, but I had a splitting headache that had more to do with stress than the couple of beers I had the night before.
    "Will you put Player in flower puke room before you get in the shower?" Butch asked, starting his saw.
    "Sure," I said loudly so he could hear me. The screaming sound of the saw pierced my head. It felt like someone was pounding nails into my skull with a hammer. After three trips to carry Player, his litter box, toys, and a few other items I needed, I was able to get into the shower. The warm water was just what I needed to wake me up and ease my throbbing head. Well, that and the two cups of black coffee I drank afterward.
    A little more than an hour later, I walked the short distance to the Tasty Freeze