Free Intrigue by Stacey Rychener

was with you, but that does not mean that you have to put up with all the shite he has thrown your way. He was lucky to get you, not the other way around. When are you going to realize that?”
    It was my turn to laugh, “When I live in bizzaro world, not the real world. And when I don’t see girls constantly throwing themselves at Thrace whenever I turn my back.”
    She thought about it for a second and fired back, “Thrace slipping something in your drink is Kreepy with a capital K. It’s stalker, Kreepy. It’s peeping tom, Kreepy. It’s stranger with candy, Kreepy. This might be the best time to break it off if he is pressuring you about sex and booze. I find that guys always need to push you about something, but two things is one too many. I want you to think long and hard about why you love him if he treats you this way before you let this slide.”
    I promised her I would think about all her sound advice before I did any forgiving and forgetting. Luckily, she then got me up to speed on her life and her summer romance. Just as I was about to grill her for more details, I heard my parents come in the door. It was after eleven, so I was a little surprised. I alerted her to their presence and started heading downstairs as I heard my dad bellow my name. Clio ended with, “Tell em I said I miss em and call me soon, sweetie.” I replied I would do just that and got off the phone as I walked in the kitchen.
    My parents looked suspiciously at my pjs, wet head, and phone in my hand. My best guess was that they just busted Thrace and thought I ran away to avoid detection.
    “Clio says hi and that she misses you,” I remarked. Then I asked innocently, “How was dinner?”
    My dad got his suspicious face back on and said, “It was fine til we came home and found Thrace throwing a rager.”
    I put on a confused face. “Seriously? Jazz, Key, and I were over at his house til about 7 hangin at the pool and grilling out. There were some people around when we left, but it was definitely not a ragin party. How much trouble is Thrace in?” I asked in a concerned manner.
    “At least 30 kids, Thrace drunk off his ass. We had to grab everyone’s keys and call their parents to come and get them. Every room was occupied, but the house wasn’t too bad. Someone managed to keep the trash under control, the furniture covered with sheets, and the table had an outdoor tablecloth on it.”
    “Well, the tablecloth and the trash bags were definitely me from this afternoon’s grill out. I didn’t want to get anything on Honey’s kitchen table, so I bought an outdoor tablecloth when I went to the grocery store this afternoon. But Thrace and I got in a tif, and it had been a long day and I didn’t feel like dealing with it so I bailed with Jazz and Key. I’m sorry guys, if we had stuck around it probably wouldn’t have gotten out of hand.”
    My dad was satisfied, but of course, my mom seemed curious. Dad finally replied in a gruff manner, “Well, I’m glad one of you is capable of using the common sense that God bestowed on you. And you won’t have to worry about making up with Thrace anytime soon, cause that boy is not leaving the house for any reason other than school for a while.”
    Mom came over and put her arm around me as she said, “What was the fight about, sweetie?”
    I laughed and replied, “Mom, when have I shared those kind of details? It’s bad enough you and Honey trade notes without me giving you gossip for free. You’re just gonna have to find my diary for those kind of secrets.”
    She just shook her head and said, “You know you can share those details whenever you want, dear. We will always be on your side no matter what!”
    I smiled at her sweetly and replied, “I know, mom, and thanks for the support, but if you don’t mind I am ready to crash.”
    I went off to write in my journal and sleep my problems away.
     
    Hermes Field Log: August 2007
    I have definitely established a presence in the life of