Disclaimer: I don't own anything you…you know it's getting harder and harder to say that?
A/N: I am back up and running electricity wise and I cannot seem to put my pen down (curser?) regarding this fic. It's literally pouring out of me.
P.S. Thanks for all the support of my reviewers.
*HTR**HTR*
Stevie dropped her keys into the bowl by the door.
"Honey? Can you come here a sec?"
"Mom? Is that you?" Stevie called out, her mother was usually never home on Fridays. "I didn't see your car."
"It's in the garage. I thought it would rain today. I need you to come zip this for me. I'm so late."
"Another date?" Stevie asked grimly as she treaded the stairs to her mom's room. Her parents had split up 3 years ago due to irreconcilable differences. Which pretty much equated to her Dad's cheating problems.
"Well don't be like that Stevie, I should be happy too," she answered, smearing on a thin coat of pink lip gloss.
If Stevie could credit her mom one thing, she didn't try too hard. She wasn't a mall mom who was more interested in being her child's friend rather than her parent, and she acted and dressed her age, hating too much make-up and anti-aging treatments. Plus it helped that her mother was naturally beautiful; Stevie had inherited her hazel eyes and dark hair.
"You should. But don't you think it's too soon?" Stevie moped as she zipped the back of her mom's dress. "You were just out on one last week."
"Do you hear yourself sweetie?" crossing her arms Stevie hoisted herself on her mom's dresser and kicked the nearby chair. "And here I thought temper-tantrums were for 5 year-olds." Her mom scolded gently.
"I'm not throwing a tantrum mom. This whole thing just sucks."
"I agree sweetie. It does suck. But we've got to pick up the pieces and move on with our lives. Your father certainly has." Stevie's dad had remarried the same year they finalized the divorce. What's more, instead of expecting some evil wicked witch of the west step-mom, she had turned out to be really sweet. The whole thing made Stevie sick to her stomach.
"He's not my father," she growled.
"Like it or not, he still is your father. I wish you would call him sometime; you've got him thinking I've poisoned you against him or something."
"Serves him right," she snarled under her breath, as her mom kissed her forehead.
"I'll be back before midnight and if I'm not, I'll call. Sound good?"
"I guess," Stevie relented as she watched her mom gather her purse and house keys. "Hey mom, can I have friend over?" Stevie ignored the shocked look on her mother's face. "Just for the night maybe? I promise to lock up and everything."
"Well, as long as it isn't a boy.."
At this point, I don't think its boys we need to be worried about mom, she thought. "It's a girl from my school."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, her names Kacey. She's our lead singer."
"You're still serious about that silly band?" Stevie tried not to groan, "Come on, and walk me to the door."
"It's not a silly band mom. We're gonna be famous." Stevie proclaimed as she hoped off the dresser and followed her mom downstairs.
"You're going to be my daughter, the rockstar."
"Mom, I'm serious."
"Of course you are honey. I know exactly how talented you are. You can have your friend over but just her, I don't want to come home to a house full of teenagers, you hear me?"
"I hear you," Stevie nodded as she received a kiss on her forehead. She then spotted the car keys on the coffee table. "Mom."
"I can't find my keys." she eked out, "I'm so late..."
"Ma!" Stevie yelled, as she turned around. "You're going to need those if you have any intention of leaving the house."
"You're a life saver, sweetheart."
"Yeah, yeah." Stevie mumbled, checking her phone for any word from Kacey.
"I love you."
"Love you too ma," Stevie called out as she heard the back door shut.
Meanwhile
"Mommm!" Kacey called out, "Dad?"
"In the kitchen sweetie."
"Mom, can I sleepover a friend's house?" Kacey asked as she sat down on a barstool.
"I was wondering when you girls would go back to having your Friday night sleepovers again."
"Mom, I told you," Kacey sighed, "I'm not friends with Molly and Grace anymore."
"But you girls used to be so close—"
"Yeah, for the wrong reasons," Kacey grumbled.
"I just hate to see that happen to such good friends—"
"They were never my friend's mom. I've made some new ones, and speaking of them, I was wondering if I could stay the night at my friend Stevie's house?"
"You know I don't allow any boys—"
"Stevie is a girl mom."
Well," she paused, "That's a peculiar name for a girl. What's it short for?"
"I…don't know actually." Kacey knit her eyebrows together in deep thought, all the more reason why you guys need to spend more time together she thought.
"Surely that can't be her first name—"
"Mom! Stop obsessing over her name okay?" Kacey interrupted, "Can I go or not, please?"
"Yes, I suppose."
"Thanks mom," Kacey chirped planting a kiss on her cheek and heading toward the refrigerator and removing a bottle of flavored water, and then opening the adjacent refrigerator to grab a fruit cup. Kacey always thought separate refrigerators were a little much but who could argue with a mothers OCD tendencies?
"Did you pick up my dress?" she asked while she figured out how she would text Stevie. Do I just say it straight forward or…be flirty? she thought silently.
"Dress?"
"Dress. Prom." Kacey hinted.
"Oh. I forgot. No matter, I'll just leave it for the maid."
"You know her only job is to is to wash the towels right?" Kacey untwisted the cap off the bottle and took a discreet sip.
"People do anything for a raise honey."
Kacey giggled, "Lemme get out of here before Stevie thinks I'm not coming."
"Have fun," she heard as she skipped up the stairs.
"I hope so!"
A/N: I really debated on cutting the chapter here and just posting the sleepover in a later on, but then I decided not to. Who suffers through salad only to be denied dessert? No one.
Stevie was just finishing cleaning her room when her phone vibrated angrily. Without checking the caller ID she breathlessly asked, "Kace?"
"Are you having a near death episode or something?" Kacey questioned with a hint of playful sarcasm in her voice.
"Oh yeah, I love to live on the edge," Stevie retorted as she fell back on her just made bed.
Kacey tittered, "Well, I'm on my way and I'm thinking about stopping at the video store, do you have anything you want me to pick up?"
"Get The Hangover, Superbad, and Pineapple Express." Stevie rattled off, "Those are my favorites."
"Those are all about weed and alcohol!"
"Well bless your little honeysuckle heart for noticing Kacey. Of course if the movies are a little to coarse for you we can watch Mean Girls or something.." Stevie sneered.
"Hey, Mean Girls influenced pop culture," Kacey countered.
"Mean Girls was only good for telling us what we already know. Most popular girls are slutty, vindictive, and manipulative. You will lose yourself at least once in high school and nothing ever stays a secret."
"Wow," Kacey whispered. "You should be a movie critic or something."
"Eh, the pay isn't that great compared to being a rockstar."
"Gravity 5 yeah!" Kacey shouted.
Stevie smiled, things were really starting to come together between them. "I need to get off the phone and finish setting up. I'll see you when you get here."
"Seeya," Kacey replied, hanging up.
Stevie dropped her phone next to the bed like it had been hot coal. She closed her eyes and tried to shake that warm fuzzy feeling from her body was vigorously as she should. If she didn't it was going to consume her, and she couldn't let that happen, not yet.
As she laid there she contemplated whether she should set out a sleeping bag or not. Kacey and I can fit into a full size bed but would that imply anything? Would she laugh? Stevie sat up and sighed.
"Screw this. Shit happens," she whispered angrily to herself as she hung up her last pile of jeans and bounded downstairs to the living room to set up the DVD player and pop some popcorn. She thought if she kept busy, it would keep her mind from wandering about Kacey. It didn't.
The house looks presentable but do I? she self-consciously touched her hair, and smelled her shirt, Do I have enough time to take a shower? I don't smell or anything but I'm not fresh either… I'll just go brush my teeth and put my hair up. It couldn't hurt.
Stevie raced up the steps and barricaded herself in her bathroom as she looked for her toothbrush and began brushing. After about five minutes of this she heard her phone vibrate. It was a text from Kacey.
1 block away. Get your lazy ass up and let me in! ;)
Stevie swiftly rinsed out her mouth and wiped her face with a towel. She pulled a rubber band from her wrist and put her hair up in a messy ponytail while racing down the steps. "You're going to break an ankle one day," she said aloud.
Do I sit on the couch and wait or sit on the curb?
Just then headlights appeared in the driveway and Stevie stood frozen like she had been caught doing something unthinkable.
Get a hold of yourself girl! she scolded as the doorbell rang. She sauntered over to the door it after taking a deep breath and counting to three.
"You know texting and driving is illegal right?" she raised an eyebrow as she opened the door, pleased that some her normally cool demeanor had returned if only for the moment.
"Bite me crouching tiger," Kacey rolled her eyes in that cute way of hers. "Are you going to let me in or am I going to stand out here all night?"
"Hmmm… I'm still thinking about it."
"Simon says move," Kacey retorted as she playfully pushed Stevie out of the way. "Cute place," she observed.
"Thanks, it's only been around since my grandma was our age." Stevie countered with a smirk.
Kacey shot her a look, "It smells like lemon scented pine cleaner in here…. Did you clean just for me?"
"Maybe," Stevie shrugged.
"Well aren't you just sweeter than honey." Kacey cooed.
"Anything for Kacey Simon," Stevie relented with a shy smile. "Did you bring my movies?"
"I did. I also brought a something else."
Stevie peered over Kacey's shoulder as Kacey went through her pink Kate Spade tote and pulled out a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka.
"What is that?" Stevie laughed.
"A little something to kick off our first sleepover of being bffs," Kacey said with wonder before turning to Stevie, "But if it's a little to coarse for you I guess I could—"
"No. Bring it Miss Perfect." Stevie challenged as Kacey poured a shot for each of them.
"Cheers to the freakin weekend?" Kacey smiled.
"I'll drink to that." Stevie giggled as they clinked glasses and downed their shots.
Okay my monsters. There you have your chapter four. Business is booming incredibly right now, especially after the last HTR episode on Saturday. This chapter was also equally hard to write because I didn't know where to take it and when to stop but your feedback really helped so….thank you :) Chapter 5 is around the corner I promise.
