Free ThinandBeautiful.com by Liane Shaw Page B

Suzanne’s garage.
    â€œHey, kid, you’re moving up in the world. Be careful and don’t do anything that I would do.” Steve ruffled my already messy hair and I slapped his hand away. I gave a quick prayer of thanks to the weather gods that it was too cold for swimming. I was still too gross to go out in public in a bathing suit.
    â€œThat whole silent routine is very attractive, kid. Anyway, I’ll pick you up at exactly eleven, Mom’s orders.” I smiled a little and nodded as I got out of the car and stood for a minute watching the car drive away.
    I remember I stood on the front porch for what seemed like forever. Time playing his little tricks again. I could hear music that I didn’t recognize and lots of yelling and laughing. I looked around the yard a bit, wondering what I was supposed to do. No one would hear me knock but I didn’t know anyone well enough to just walk in. I didn’t want to stand on the porch for three hours waiting for Steve to come back and rescue me. My problem was solved – or maybe it was just starting – when the door opened and Suzanne came out with her perfect boyfriend, Sean. He was probably the quarterback on the football team or something equally impressive that I can’t remember right now.
    â€œTwelve should be enough,” Suzanne was saying to him as she kissed him full on the mouth. I tried not to stare. I had onlyever kissed my pillow on the mouth and it was always kind of dry and unresponsive. Sean’s mouth looked a lot wetter and more enthusiastic.
    â€œSure, babe, back soon,” he said, breaking the clinch and running past without noticing me. I wasn’t surprised. Boys never seemed to notice me. He hopped into a tiny red car and roared off with a loud squealing noise. I’ve often wondered why it seems that only teenage boys are able to make that precise sound when they drive. Do they learn in it Driver’s Ed?
    â€œOh, hi, um, Marty, is it?” Suzanne finally registered that I was there. I nodded like an idiot. Marty’s a nice name too. Of course, it wasn’t my name, but I wasn’t going to quibble.
    â€œHi,” I said, relieved that I could still, apparently, talk.
    â€œCome on in. Sean’s just gone home to snag some more beer. His parents stock-pile the stuff. They don’t notice when he borrows some, so long as he takes a little at a time. He’ll be legal in a month, so we won’t have to do this anymore. I can’t wait!”
    I followed her into the living room, which was completely full of bodies. Every surface seemed to have someone on it, drinking or talking or making out. I saw a few people I recognized from school. Not too many band nerds there. Actually, none that I could see.
    Many strangers. I felt instantly and totally out of place and wished with all of my heart that Annie or Ruth or Devon or Alyssa was standing beside me.
    â€œHelp yourself,” Suzanne was saying, holding an open bottle of beer towards me.
    I looked at it in a blind panic. I had never had alcohol in mylife. I know that sounds hopelessly nerdy, but it was true. My mom had pounded it into my head that booze was dangerous for young ladies, leading to a loss of control and the possibility of finding oneself in a compromising position with an equally out-of-control boy. She also told me that I would say things I would regret and act like an idiot. Since I already felt like an idiot, I didn’t want to start talking like one too. Not that I believed most things my mother said about life anymore, but at the same time, I couldn’t be absolutely sure she was wrong about this one. This was not the time or the place to test the theory for the first time. What was I supposed to do? Saying no made me look like a baby and saying yes could make all of my mother’s predictions come true, which would give her the ultimate “I told you so” moment and mark the end of my already