L I A M
I paced back and forth in my room, looking at the clock on the wall for the millionth time. Emily’s party starts in an hour, and I was still grounded and forbidden from seeing her.
My phone buzzed on my bed, and I picked it up. It was Emily.
*Emily: Are you still coming?*
I stared at the text message, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. How could I tell her that my mother had forbidden me from seeing her? That she thought Emily was some kind of monster who was corrupting me? The thought of her face, the hurt and disappointment I would undoubtedly see there, made my chest ache.
*I'm on my way.*
I typed the lie, my finger stabbing at the send button before I could second guess myself. It was a reckless, stupid move.
But the alternative, telling her the truth, felt impossible
