Disclaimer: I don't own the BSC or any characters.
Changing Lanes
Chapter 6: Open Your Eyes
/
"Kristy, Claudia called." Was the first thing my mom said to me after I walked downstairs on Saturday morning. Well, it was technically one in the afternoon, but it felt like morning to me.
"Already?" I asked as I opened the refrigerator. Karen had labelled everything that belonged to her with her name on it. It annoyed me. Half the freaking fridge was labelled with "Karen's, do not touch or death!" on it. I was just tempted to eat something that belonged to her.
"She only called about an hour ago." Mom said. "Are you going out tonight or something?"
I nodded. "I'm staying over at Claudia's tonight. I should be back sometime tomorrow afternoon."
"Well, don't do anything dangerous. The both of you." I guess after everything she went through with Sam and Charlie when they were in high school, Mom's become a little more... lenient? It was kind of scaring me. "I don't want to be woken up at 3am in the morning with a phone call from the police telling me that you've been arrested."
"Mom, you know I wouldn't get arrested."
"Kristy, sometimes people surprise you." She said, raising her eyebrow. "Believe me, I would know."
"Okay, I promise not to get arrested." I said as I picked up the cordless phone. "Or dangerous. Claud promises too. I'm gonna call her back now."
"Okay honey. Let me know when you want me to take you over there."
"Okay." I dialed Claud's personal phone number, which she's had since she was 12 and walked up the stairs.
"Hello?"
"It's Kristy."
"Hi! I have a question?"
I frowned. A list of possibilities ran through my head. "Yes?"
"What alcohol do you want for tonight?"
Not exactly what I imagined. "Um...Vodka?" I said. "What are you getting?" Please don't say tequila, please don't say tequila...
"What do you think? Tequila baby!"
I shook my head. "Claud..."
"I promise it won't get like last time." I felt like saying, you say this everytime. "So, what you wearing?"
"Um, something?"
"Can I dress you? Please Kristy? I will make sure you look good for Cary!"
Cary. I pause and stare at my English notebook. "MK" in red is sitting in the top right hand corner. I smile. "If you think you can do it, then yes."
"Well come over soon. I'm bored as and I need some entertainment."
"Why don't you call over Mary Anne as well?"
"I already tried. According to Sharon, she's with her dad in Stamford."
"Oh, well, I'll have a shower and I'll be over."
"Okay! See you soon!"
"Bye" I dropped the phone onto the desk and turned around. I was kind of scared. Claudia had always been into wild and wacky clothes as were growing up and it kind of transitioned into high school – with shorter hem lines. I picked the phone up and walked back downstairs. "Mom?"
"Yeah, Kristy?" Mom called from the family room.
I hung the phone up and walked into the family room. "I'm going to have a shower and then is it okay if you drop me off?"
Mom looked up. "Yeah sure, just call out."
I walk back upstairs, took a shower and threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans. I packed a few clothes, shoes and the tiniest bit of make up that I owned. I pulled my trainers on and walked downstairs. "I'm ready!"
Mom grabbed her keys, told Nannie that she was taking me over to Claud's and we hopped into Mom's SVU, a present from Watson last year. "So, what are you doing at Claudia's?" Mom asked,
"I don't really know. Normal stuff I guess."
"I can't believe you're going to college next fall."
"Yeah, I know. Me either."
"Soon, I'll be saying it to David Michael."
"Now, that's a scary thought." David Michael at college is a scary thought. It shows how much time has gone by.
"Have you thought about what college's you want to go to?"
I looked out the window and watched as we drove through Stoneybrook. "Michigan State."
"Still?"
"Yeah."
"You don't want to go to an Ivy League?"
Watson had tried talking me into applying for Yale, Princeton or Harvard last year. Something about it sounded pretentious, plus I didn't know whether or not I'd have good enough grades. "Yeah, I just don't know. Michigan State sounds pretty good."
"Whatever you want Kristy. Remember, to apply though. It will make Watson very happy."
I nodded. "I won't." Mom pulled up against the curb outside Claudia's house. "Bye! I'll be back tomorrow afternoon!"
"Be good and safe!" Mom called as I hopped out the car.
"I will." As mom pulled away, I wondered if she knew I was going out to a party and drinking? I wonder if she knew all along. I walked up the path to the Kishi's door and before I even raised my fist to knock, the door swung open.
"Yay! You're here!" Claudia said as she grabbed my arm and pulled me into her house.
"Wow, you must have been really bored." I said as we walked up the stairs.
"I was bored I even did my homework!" Claudia doing homework, without being pushed, is a miracle. "I can't wait for tonight. I have a feeling that for some reason that it's going to be a good night!"
Claudia's room hadn't really changed much in the years since the BSC. There were new paintings on the walls, a dark purple curtain and more mess, if that was possible. "Yeah, I've got that tingly feeling in me too." I looked over at the photo of Claudia and Alan. I wondered if I would soon have photos of Cary and me around my bedroom. "Not that I ever excited to go to a party at Cokie Mason's."
"I know, but..." Claudia sat down on her bed and looked up at the mural of a rainbow, clouds and stars. Claudia had painted between the summer of ninth and tenth grade. "Everything is looking good now. Everything is falling into place." She clapped her hands. "And you're going out with Cary!"
I smiled. "I know." I said. "I guess I didn't see that one coming."
"I did." Claudia said, smiling.
"You did?"
"Yep, even all the way back in the eighth grade. There was always something between you two."
I laughed. "I didn't really think that anything like this would happen. That Cary and I would end up dating. If I had known this back then, I would've thought that my head was falling off or something." I laughed a little bit. "I've been wondering that a lot lately."
/
Claudia makes me wear a purple dress and black strappy sandals. She puts my hair up in loose bun and puts make up on my face. I'm staring at myself in the Kishi's bathroom when Claudia walks in. "Where is the rest of your dress?" I asked, turning around to properly look at Claudia's dress which is barely covering anything.
Claudia shook her hair up and pulled a face. "Sorry mom. It got caught in the paper-shredder." We giggled. "I hope Alan's impressed."
"Oh, I think he will be."
"I think Cary's going to take one look at you and then poof!"
"Poof?"
"You two will have disappeared." She said, giving me a wink. "All ready? I just rang Mary Anne, she's on her way over." I nodded. The doorbell rang. "Ooo, she's here." We made our way downstairs and Claudia opened the front door. Mary Anne stood in dark blue sundress with black cardigan over the top.
"Hi." She said, smiling. She looked at the bottom of Claudia's dress. "Um, where's the bottom of your dress?" She asked.
"Claudia giggled. "The bottom got caught in the paper-shredder. Woops."
"Have your parents seen this dress?" Mary Anne asked, shocked.
"Nope and they will never ever see it." Claudia said. "Okay, let's go!" She closed the front door and we took off down Bradford court.
"Can you believe that Nicky Pike will graduate middle school this year?" Mary Anne said. "I think that makes me feel like time has really flown past."
"That is a bit scary. Or what about Claire Pike being in the sixth grade next fall?" I suggested. I remember when I was 13, little Claire Pike, the baby of the Pike family was only five years old. She was now in the fifth grade and ten years old. Whenever I thought of old charges being around the age I was when the BSC was running, a chill would run down my spine.
"Seeing Mallory again is just a little too weird." Mary Anne said. "She's not the Mallory we grew up with."
"You can say that again." Claudia said. "She looks she belongs at a Grateful Dead concert."
"Do you think she's going to be at the party?" Mary Anne asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Probably, You know what Cokie's parties are like, everyone will be there until the cops show up. Remember her Halloween party last year?" Claudia, Mary Anne and I had attended and we hadn't even been there for more than half an hour before the cops turned up. We had all managed to get away without being caught and spent the night, drinking the last of whatever we had left and having some of the best conversations we'd ever had.
Claudia giggled. "Remember when you decided you wanted to go for a run, Kristy? And you totally face planted it."
I laughed at the memory. "But that was after you fell off the rocking horse." I shot at Claudia.
"That was after Mary Anne ran into the ditch and got mud all over her white tights!"
Mary Anne's face flushed. "Oh god." She muttered in shame. "That night was one to remember."
"I wonder what Halloween will bring us this year." Claudia said as we turned into Cokie's street. "I hope many more great memories!" She reached into her handbag. "And tequila!"
"Not the god damn tequila!" Mary Anne said, trying to snatch it out of Claudia's hands. "Tequila is your worst enemy."
"Tequila is my best friend!"
"Excuse me, I thought we were your best friends?" I asked as we passed two freshman girls try to light cigarettes.
"You are, you just have to share a spot with Mr Tequila." Claudia said, clutching the tequila bottle to her chest. With her spear hand, she reached into her handbag and pulled out another bottle. "For you, Miss Thomas."
I grabbed the bottle of Vodka and cracked open the seal. "Thanks!" I said, taking a sip.
"Are you drinking it straight?" Mary Anne asked as Claudia handed her a bottle of peach schnapps.
I nodded, my eyes watering slightly and my throat burning. I was regretting it instantly. "Yeah, I forgot to bring a mixer with me."
"I grantee I'll find you a mixer! Just follow me!" Claudia grabbed my free hand and I felt Mary Anne grab my elbow as we made our way through Cokie's house. A lot of people had turned up, probably because there wasn't anything else to do on a Saturday night in Stoneybrook. Claudia made her way through the crowd of kids into Cokie's kitchen, which had less people in it. Claudia opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of juice."There you go, princess!"
I took the bottle off Claudia and found myself a cup. "Thanks, darling." I said as I poured myself a drink. "Have you seen Alan or Cary?"
Claudia took a swig of the tequila and shook her head. "Not yet." She said, gasping. "Man that burns."
"Sexy lady!" I heard Alan yell over the music. "Claudia babe!" Alan walked into the kitchen, followed in by Justin Forbes and Cary. I felt my cheeks burn as Cary looked over at me. He walked over with a little smirk on his face.
"You look very sexy." He whispered in my ear.
My cheeks burned even more. "Thanks." I replied.
He took the cup out of my hand and took a sniff. "What are you drinking?" He asked.
"Vodka." I said as he took a sip.
He's face grimaced as he handed me the cup back. "It's a little strong." He wrapped his arm around my waist.
Claudia pulled out six more cups. "Time for shots!" She exclaimed as she began pouring.
"Aren't you meant to do tequila shots with salt and limes?" Justin Forbes asked.
Claudia nodded. "Does it look like I have any of that?" She asked, handing him a cup. I took my cup and sniffed it. Tequila didn't smell so good. "Okay! 3-2-1!"
It burned. It felt like I just did a shot of oil. "Ack!" I exclaimed. I downed the rest of my drink just to get rid of the taste. "It's horrible!"
Mary Anne looked like she was about to vomit. "Claud, how can you drink this without wanting to vomit?" She asked, her voice a little shaky. She took a sip of her peach schnapps.
"Do you think it tastes like oil?" I asked her as I poured another drink.
"Whatever it tastes like, it is horrible!" Mary Anne said, taking a large swig of the bottle. "I need to get rid of the taste!"
I quickly drank my new drink. "We should do vodka shots!" I said, getting a little giddy from all the alcohol.
Claudia squealed and clapped her hands. "Oh my god! Yes! That's the spirit, Kristy!" I poured everyone a shot.
"Adam!" Justin yelled. "Jordan! Come join us, bro!"
Adam and Jordan Pike were two of the triplets of the Pike family. Adam, Jordan and the third triplet, Byron, were the brand new stars of the SHS basketball team. Both were tall and lanky and all the girls were going gaga over them. Including Claudia and Mary Anne, who seemed to be staring at Jordan Pike. "Yo." Adam said. "What's going on?"
"Shots!" Claudia exclaimed. "Want one?"
"Yeah, sure." Jordan said. "As long it's not tequila. That shit is gross."
Claudia scoffed. "No way!" She said as she poured more vodka shots. "Here, everybody got one?" Everyone nodded and then did the shot.
"Wow, my head's spinning." Mary Anne said.
I looked over at her. "How much peach schnapps do you have left?" My vodka was almost gone because of all the shots. Mary Anne slowly held up a empty bottle. "Mary Anne!" Mary Anne isn't exactly the biggest drinker.
"I got a bit thirsty." She said, before we dissolved into giggles.
"Come on, I'm in the mood to dance!" Claudia said, dragging us both out into the living room.
As we began to dance, I felt a pair of hands on my hips. I looked behind me and there was Cary. I turned around, stumbling a little bit. Everything felt great. Cary's lips found mine. He pulled me closer.
"Get a room!" Claudia yelled.
I pulled away. Claudia poked her tongue out at me. "Like you can talk!" I looked over at Mary Anne, worried that she was just standing awkwardly. Instead, meek, shy Mary Anne was dirty dancing with Justin Forbes before moving towards Jordan Pike. I tapped Claud on the shoulder. "Look!"
Claudia's jaw dropped open. "Go get it girlfriend!"
"COPS!" I froze. Shit, the cops were coming.
"Come on!" Cary said, grabbing my arm. I grabbed the nearest person, Alan, and tugged them along. We crammed through the crowd of kids, all trying to scram out through the back door. The air was cold. I stumbled as we ran across the Masons' backyard.
"Where are we going?" Mary Anne asked.
"I don't know!" Cary replied as he stopped in front of the fence. "Here, I'll help you over." He grabbed me and boosted me over the fence. I dropped to the other side, landing on my ass rather than my feet. Claudia and Mary Anne didn't land to well either. "Come on." Cary grabbed my wrist and dragged me again. My head was spinning. I had no idea whose backyard we were in but Cary led us against the side of the house.
"We should go somewhere good." Alan said, checking his watch. "The night is still young."
"How about the elementary school? It's only like three blocks from here?" Claud suggested. I guess she was thinking about Halloween last year.
"Yeah, we should go there!" I said, grabbing Claud. "Remember when we spun around on the merry-go-round and then got off and ran into each other?"
Claud and Mary Anne laughed. "Oh my god, I had the worst head spins!"
"I thought I was going to vomit!"
"Come on! Last one to the school is a rotten egg!" Claudia yelled, taking off.
"Oh no you don't!" Alan ran past us, taking off after Claudia.
I turned around. Jordan was staring at Mary Anne. I looked at Cary, smiling goofy. "Are you coming?" I asked as he grabbed my hand.
"Of course." He said, pulling me close as we started to follow the others. "So, what happened last Halloween?"
I smiled. "Cokie Mason had a party and we went and got drunk and the cops showed up and we split and chilled out at the elementary school, like tonight. Mary Anne fell into a ditch, we spun around on the merry-go-round and I decided to go for a run and tripped over my own feet and landed on my face."
"Sound very graceful." He said, laughing.
"It was one the best nights of my life. I was with my two best friends, having a good time and one of the best meaningful conversations of my life. That night is always my reason to never give up hope on my friends."
I heard Mary Anne squeal as she and Jordan ran past. "Why did the BSC break up?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess because of high school. And maybe because we grew up. I think Stacey and Claudia felt it was going to be too babyish for their image. And plus, we really didn't have the time to keep it going. It was good while it lasted."
"Do you miss being friends with everyone?"
"I do but then, I don't. Have you seen Mallory Pike since she got back?"
"She looks like a Marilyn Manson reject fan." Cary said as we stood next to the edge of the playground.
"Everything's changed in the last four years. I don't exactly like change."
"Well, some change is good. Like, me coming back?"
I looked up at him and smiled. "Of course." Cary's lips found mine.
"I already told you to get a room!"