Deception

Dad leaps up from the chair glaring at the two boys. "What do you mean she's at the hospital? What happened to her? I demand to know!" He grabs Alex by his white shirt collar. "What have you done to my daughter!?"

"No-nothing, sir, she...she fell on some broken glass--my friend here wasn't very careful with the wine glasses--"

"Joseph, calm down; you're hurting the poor boy." Liz pats my dad's arm, and he releases Alex from his iron grip. Did I mention Dad works out three times a week? Yeah. "Where exactly is she? May we go see her?" Liz flips her blonde hair over her shoulders.

"She's most likely on her way to the hospital with several other waiters with her. Miss Wagner is in good hands, I promise." Jack smiles his best with his arm draped around his best friend's shoulders. "Mr. Wagner, please sit and finish your dinner; everything will be taken care of; the bills will be on the house. After all, it was our stupid mistake."

"...Better be. Stitches and everything," Dad mutters, stabbing his steak again. "Once we finish our meal, we'll be making our way down to the hospital."

Oh shit.

"By then, she'll be on her way home," Alex points out.

"I'm still going to the hospital," Dad grumbles.

"We're sorry, sir."

"Very sorry."

"Leave, before I strangle you." They mutter several more apologies before sprinting down back towards me. Liz frowns as she watches the boys, and I glare. Was it just me, or was she hitting on Alex and Jack? The hair flip seemed like something out of an Herbal Essences commercial, smile and all.

"Hey, your mom's hott."

"Step mom," I correct, the urge to smack Alex very high. However, I hold my anger in, taking in deep breaths. "When are we leaving?"

"After I text Rian to sign you up on the check-in list at the hospital. He's volunteering there." Jack winks. "See? I've got connections." This is going to be a bumpy ride, and Dad is going to murder me.

"C'mon, Kaleb; let's go to my van." One could call it the pedophile van. I'm being nice to day, so I don't say anything when Alex swings the passenger door open proudly for me. Jack and Alex sit in the front and debate on where to drive to.

"We're going mini golfing, man. I haven't done that in forever."

"Dude, I don't have any money!"

"Well, that's a dilemma, isn't it." They sit there quietly, and then Alex opens his mouth. "I've got my dad's old clubs and some leftover rocks from Jessie's weird APES project. We can just go out to the lot and hit 'em around."

"...Fine. As long as I don't have to pay for anything."

"The remedy is the experience.
This is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that it's serious--"

I pick up my purple Razr: Dad, it flashes. "Hello?" I wince.

"Kale, are you all right?" Dad's concerned voice rings in my ears. Guilt trip time. "Are you in pain? What did the doctor say?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Don't worry about me. I'm going to be out in a minute, and the waiters are going to take me out for something to eat." I wince again, knowing I shouldn't be lying so much right now. God, I feel so guilty. "Gotta go, Dad. I'm not allowed to use my phone in here." Click.

Alex parks the van off to the side, and Jack jumps out of the car in search of the golf clubs and rocks. He throws a club and me, and I flinch, watching it clatter on the floor. "Oh, c'mon. Don't the guys throw your pole at you?" Jack asks, making a face.

"No!" That stupid pole weighs a lot; if they hit me with it, I'd be out all season.

"You gotta work on your catching skills." Alex drags out a sack of rocks from the trunk. He drops one on the floor, winds back, and smacks the stone. Jack and I watch it fly through the trees. "Who else is up?"

Jack raises an arm and does the same. After seeing it sail into the night sky, they attempt to teach me the proper stance in golf. Of course, they learned this through that golf game with Tiger Woods in it. Alex fixes my hands in the correct position, Jack placing the rock in front of the club. I swing the club and miss the first time.

"Think of this as putting the pole in the box."

"Not helpful!" I swing again, and catch a glimmer of the stone hitting the sidewalk.

"Girl, you really need to work on that swing of yours."

I always sucked at sports that involved balls.

We hit all the rocks in the bag, and search for more. Alex pauses to check his watch. "It's around...oh shit! Shouldn't we get you home?" Jack panics, dropping all the stones in his arms. "Your dad's going to whip us!"

Alex hustles me into the car, and Jack slams the door shut. Alex speeds down the streets, trying his best to drive and listen to my instructions over Jack's high-pitched hyperventilating. By the time I'm home, it's around ten something, according to my phone. I entered my home through the back door, waving goodbye to the guys. They accelerate off home, and Dad waits at the kitchen table.

"Where were you?" he interrogates, arms crossed. "I called your cell phone a total of fifteen times, and you only picked up once, Kaleb."

"The waiters stopped by McDonald's to feed me something. We ended up talking for a while...and I couldn't hear my phone--I must've left it in my bag."

"And where did you leave your bag?" Arms still folded against his chest.

"In the car. Dad, I'm really worn out...we can talk about this tomorrow." I march upstairs, and Liz catches me. She frowns. "What?"

"...I'm just worried about you." Stupid pail of sunshine; go away. "Kaleb, I care; you know that right, hon?"

I shut my door. "Yeah. Whatever." I stare at my palm.

...How am I going to fake a glass injury?