Be Free, Be You

“I’m sorry I didn’t sit with you at lunch and that I was all weird at Glee Club.”

I looked over at Puck, who had been completely silent almost the entire ride back to my house. I’d felt kind of sorry that I had to call and ask him to come back to the school so he could give me a ride home, but considering the fact that the Queen Bitch had left me to rot in the parking lot, I really had no choice.

“It’s fine,” I answered once the shock wore off. “I understand why you’re doing it.”

“I just don’t want Val to get more irritated at you. I figure if she doesn’t know that we’re still going out…”

“Then she’ll stop getting her panties in a bunch over it,” I finished with a nod. “I appreciate that. You’re sure you don’t care that we’re going to have to keep everything a secret?”

“Of course not,” he agreed. “Do you know how many secret relationships I’ve been in?”

There was an awkward silence as I pondered how, exactly, I could know that, if they really were secret. But he didn’t seem to catch on, so I just let the whole subject drop. “Okay, so we’ll just do that then. Which means no sitting with me at lunch, stop sitting next to me at all in Glee Club, and…I guess you can’t drive me home anymore.”

“That’s okay,” he replied as he pulled into my driveway. “We’ll figure out a way to get together. Like at nine o’clock tonight after you sneak out of your bedroom window and meet me four houses down from yours?”

I bit my lip to hide my smile as I glanced over at him, seeing his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Okay,” I agreed. “I don’t know how I’m going to do it, since my room is on the second floor, but I’ll figure it out.”

Without saying another word, he leaned over and pressed his lips against mine.

A fire spread through my body as I fought the urge to climb over the compartment between us and onto his lap. There would be time for that later, once we weren’t sitting outside my house while my parents were home.

“I’ll see you later,” I whispered against his lips, running my thumb along his slightly scratchy cheekbone.

He pressed his mouth against mine one last time before leaning back and sighing. “I almost don’t want to let you go.”

“Too bad that’s not up to you,” I laughed. “Nine o’clock. Don’t be late.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shooting him one more parting smile, I climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut behind me, making my way into the house.

Mom and Dad were both sitting at the table, looking pissed beyond all belief. I opened my mouth to ask jokingly what Val had done this time before Mom said, “Steph, why don’t you take a seat?”

Oh, shit. My mind started to race with anxiety, along with my heart, as I sat down in the seat across from my parents. It felt strange, that they needed to talk to me. I was their good kid, their golden child. I’d never done anything wrong, never drank, never dated, and always got the best grades. Everything parents ever wanted in a daughter.

“Who was that, who just drove you home?” Mom interrogated, nodding toward the window. “Was it Puckerman? I’d guess it was, with that beaten-up truck.”

“What?” I gasped. “Um, yeah, it was, but that was only because he was the last person in the parking lot after Val sped off and left me. I had no choice.”

“Are you sure that’s the truth?” Mom asked pointedly.

“It’s come to our attention that you’re in a relationship with that boy,” Dad broke in, getting straight to the point. He looked far angrier than Mom did, probably because he liked me less.

The second the sentence was out of his mouth, my adrenaline started to pump faster, anger replacing fear. “Did Val tell you that?” I borderline shouted.

“It doesn’t matter who told us,” Mom whispered, her eyes locked on the wooden table in front of her. “Is it true?”

I felt no guilt as I answered, “No. No, it’s not true. Puck and I thought about having a thing for a while, but nothing came of it, and we’re over. So maybe Val should stop sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong.” I knew she was listening in to hear what I answered, and I wanted to make sure she took the not-so-subtle hint.

“Your sister was just looking out for you,” Dad assured me, patting the top of the table. “She wanted to make sure you weren’t putting yourself into a compromising situation.”

“Or she’s delusional because she hasn’t kept a bit of food down for years,” I responded before I could stop myself. “You do know that she’s bulimic, right?”

They looked downright horrified at the possibility. “Stephanie, this better not be a ploy to get back at your sister for making a mistake.”

“It’s not.” I stood up harshly, shoving my chair back behind me. “She’s been making herself puke every night before she showers. Guess you don’t know your daughters as much as you thought you did, do you?”

Without waiting for a response, I darted up the stairs and, unsurprisingly, found her standing at the top. She’d been listening. She heard me tell Mom and Dad the secret that she’d been so desperate to hide.

“How does it feel?” I hissed with as much hatred as I could muster. “You turned the one guy who ever cared for me against me, and then you told Mom and Dad that I was dating him when I’m not.”

Her eyes narrowed as she spit, “Fuck you, Stephanie.”

“Feeling’s mutual.” With another sassy look, I hurried down the hallway and slammed my bedroom door behind me.

Instead of dwelling on the blow-up argument, I focused my energy on finding a cute dress to wear that night when I went out with Puck. Because he was more important than my spiraling-into-insanity sister.