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Chapter Twenty Four

The next two weeks were bareable, mostly because I had use of Ally's cellphone. But, they were also bareable because I filled out the smoothie application and actually got hired. I was standing outside the mall in my official blue Rooty Tooty Smoothie shirt waiting for dad to pick me up. It had been my first day. Orientation day. Truthfully, I had almost fallen asleep during the so-called 'training' videos. I mean, really. How hard is it to throw fruit, ice, and sugar in a blender and mix it up?

Dad's car pulled up and screeched to a stop. I smiled and slid in.

"You won't believe how stupid--" I began. The look on dad's face stopped me short.

My heart almost burst out of my chest and ran screaming down the street when he held up Ally's phone.

"What is this?" he asked.

I had two options. I could blubber like a baby or play it cool.

I went with option two.

"Ally's phone?" I guessed.

"Shelby, don't play dumb with me because you know it's not going to work."

"I don't know what you mean," I said tensely. Dad frowned. He slung his arm over the steering wheel and faced me eye-to-eye.

"So you don't know how Mason's number just happened to get programmed into Ally's phone."

My eyes widened. "It did?"

Dad closed his eyes and sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?"

I folded my arms across my chest and stretched out my legs.

"You could let me talk to Mason."

"It looks like you've found a way to do that already. Do rules have no affect on you?"

"Did they ever have an affect on you?" I spat angrily.

I had crossed a line. Dad pocketed the phone and took off.

"You're grounded."

"I just started my job."

"You're grounded except for your job. And your phone and laptop privileges are suspended another month. And when school starts, you're grounded from doing anything except for school and work. Your paychecks will go in your savings account for college."

I popped my jaw purposely just to hear the annoying sound.

"I don't want to go to college."

"Then what do you want to do with your life?"

All I could honestly see was Mason. And canvas.

"Paint."

"The you can study art in college."

I made a face. "Teachers don't understand my art."

"Well, make them understand."

He made it sound so easy. Like it was cut and dry. He had no clue. He didn't go to college.

"Why don't you like Mason?" I asked bitterly.

"I just don't think you're ready for a boyfriend," dad said simply.

"I'm sixteen. And a half."

"And you've lied to us. Plus, you've made Ally a part of your lie. Shelby, you're supposed to be a big sister. I want you to be a good influence."

I turned towards the window. It wasn't my fault I had landed the job as big sister. I had kind of gotten stuck with the job after mom shacked up with---

"Did you think it was right to sleep with your employee?" I asked. Dad pulled to a stop at a red light and looked at me.

"What?"

"You slept with mom while she was your 'nanny,'" I said, placing quotation marks around the word for emphasis. "Weren't you breaking some rule?"

Dad frowned. "We were both consenting adults Shelby. This has nothing to do with the example we're trying to set for you."

I snorted. The word 'hypocrite' was dancing on my tongue.

When we got home I didn't waste any time getting out of the car. I slammed the door and headed up the steps. Mom poked her head out of the kitchen but I just continued to my room. When I got there, I flung myself down on my bed.

I had twenty minutes of quiet before the door opened and mom came in.

"Did dad talk to you?"

I snorted. "Yeah, I guess."

"You know that it's not okay to lie."

"Everyone lies mom. I didn't lie. I just didn't tell you I programmed the number."

"Fine. Maybe lie's the wrong word. You disobeyed."

I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't of had to disobey if you guys didn't make up such stupid restrictions. Isn't it bad enough that Mason and I are states and states apart?"

"Shel, this Mason issue isn't even really about him," mom explained. I looked at her in confusion.

She had lost her mind.

"You're sixteen and you're young and you should experience a little bit of the world before making Mason the sun, the moon, and the stars. Plus, sex can wait. It's not all it's cracked up to be at your young age."

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her it was way more than it was cracked up to be, but I decided that I wanted to live to see my seventeenth birthday.

I put on the 'innocent' virgin face.

"But, Mason and I have been friends forever and--"

"Just trust your dad and me. Both of us did things we're not proud of and our parents let it slide. Grandma Denise is the best of the bunch, but even she realizes she let dad fly a little too far and it was hard to get him back. I just want to make the right decisions for you now instead of later."

I just shook my head. I wasn't mom. And I certaintly wasn't dad. I mean, he was my dad, but not in blood. Not that I would ever use that as an attack against him.

That was just wrong.

Mom kissed my forehead and stood up. "Listen, between work and school your punishment will be over in no time. We'd really like to see you get more involved in school."

She waited for an answer, but I didn't give her one. She left and as soon as the door closed, I sat up.

I didn't want to get involved with school. I hated the girls at school and the boys...well, they had all been raised to be snobs or pigs. Or both.

They weren't like Mason.

Which reminded me...I had no way to contact Mason. Ally's phone had been my last hope.

Now all I had to look forward to day after day was the sight of fresh fruit and impatient customers. I couldn't even look forward to the paychecks.

Life sucked.

I thought about the last time I had talked to Mason. He had passed his driver's test. He was an official licensed driver. I had been talking him out of doing something stupid...like driving down to see me.

But now I hoped he wouldn't listen.

I wanted to run away.

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Author's Note: This is one of my last updates for the weekend. I leave early tomorrow morning for the BSB concert in Cincy. Expect maybe one more chapter (or if I'm REALLY on a roll, two). That will be it until Sunday night / Monday morning. KTBSPA!