House Party Read Free

person I’d invite. But my mother never goes away, and if she did, I’d have to stay at my father’s.” She paused. “So?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œYou have to admit it would be fun being on our own, right?”
    I nodded. It
would
be fun.
    â€œAnd it doesn’t have to be big. Just a few people. What harm would it do to have a few people over?”
    I sighed. “How about if we get down to studying?” I asked.
    â€œI’ll help with your homework on one condition,” she said.
    â€œWhat’s the condition?”
    â€œI want you to just think about this. You don’t have to say yes, but don’t say no. Just think about it. Okay?”
    â€œI could think about it.”
    â€œAnd just think about it being a small gathering. A few people…maybe eight or ten or so. Not a party…just a small gathering. Would that be okay?”
    â€œI can think about it.”
    I didn’t like any of it. But what harm would there be in thinking about it? And even if I did agree, what would be bad about having a few people over?

Chapter Three
    â€œNow, girls, you’re sure you don’t want a ride over to Jennifer’s house?” my mother asked.
    â€œNo, it’s better if we study here,” Jen said. “It’s quieter.”
    â€œEspecially with you and Dad gone,” I said. “We can get more done here.”
    â€œAnd then I’m going to watch Casey’s soccer game, and then we’ll go over to my house.”
    â€œOkay. There’s food in the cupboards, leftover meat loaf in the fridge, and here,” my mother said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “I want you to order pizza tonight so your mother doesn’t have to cook.”
    Jen reached out and took the money. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Bennett.”
    â€œNo, thank you. It’s nice of you and your mother to have Casey stay with you tonight.”
    â€œIt’s my pleasure,” Jen said.
    â€œMaybe I should phone your mother and thank her for letting Casey stay with you.”
    â€œNo!” Jen said loudly. “Um…my mom isn’t home right now…she’s out…you know…shopping. But I’ll tell her for you.”
    â€œYou have your key?” my mother asked.
    â€œYes, I have my key,” I said.
    â€œBe sure you lock up when you leave.”
    â€œI’ll lock up.”
    â€œI know you will. It’s so good that we know we can trust you.”
    I had to work hard not to look down at the floor.
Trust
wasn’t the word that came to mind. Neither did the word
good
. Instead I was feeling guilty and deceptive.
    Not just about what I was doing to my parents, but because, in the back of my mind, I had thought that if anything went really wrong I could always blame Jen. It
was
her fault. She’d made me do it, even when I really didn’t want to.
    But I knew that wasn’t true. I wanted to do this as much as she did. I was tired of being on the outside too. I wanted to be on the inside, the way I’d been before we’d moved.
    I knew that no matter what happened, this was just as much my doing as hers. We were in this together, for better or worse.
    â€œYou have my cell phone number,” my mother said, “and of course you have your nana’s number. She was so sad when she heard her favorite granddaughter wasn’t coming along.”
    â€œI just have too much work to—”
    â€œI explained it all,” my mother said.“We even told her how you were staying home because you wanted to study and how proud we are of you for doing that.”
    If only they knew.
    â€œNow, no candles. Please be careful with the stove, don’t open the door to strangers, don’t—”
    â€œDon’t play with matches, run with scissors or eat anything that you find on the ground,” I said, cutting her off.
    â€œUnless