Perception by Kim Harrington

Author:Kim Harrington
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780545393065
Publisher: Point
Published: 2012-03-01T08:00:00+00:00

MOM NEARLY FELL OVER WHEN I TOLD HER I WAS going to a party. You’d think I’d said I was secretly an alien from the planet Vespar. But I understood her reaction. This was a first in Clare Land.

When her voice returned after the initial shock, she went into Mom mode. Her eyes narrowed. “How are you getting there?”

We were in my room, and I was looking through my closet. “Brooke’s going to pick me up.”

“Are this girl’s parents going to be home?”

I considered lying, but if Mom listened to my thoughts and caught me, I’d be grounded. So I went with the honest approach. I turned to face her. “I really don’t know.”

She folded her arms. “Will there be drinking at this party?”

“I assume so, but, Mom, you know I won’t.” Drinking meant a lack of control and I wasn’t putting myself through that. Especially considering my admirer-slash-stalker could be at the party.

After a mini-lecture and a double-pinky-swear promise that I wouldn’t get in a car with someone who’d been drinking, and that I would call her if I needed her, Mom agreed to let me go. Then she immediately transformed from nervous to thrilled. She said she was happy to see me getting out there and doing normal teen stuff instead of spending another weekend in with Perry and Nate.

She tore through my closet, picking out five different outfits and forcing me to put on a little fashion show for her. All five elicited responses along the lines of “Boring,” “Yawn,” and “Don’t you own anything that isn’t black or brown?” Eventually she approved of a shirred violet top and my skinny jeans.

Mom was enjoying herself so much that I even let her do my makeup. I usually never wore anything but lip gloss, preferring the natural look. But I had to admit the liner, mascara, and shadow Mom ringed my eyes with really made the blue pop. I let my curls hang loose down my shoulders and put a little extra anti-frizz serum in for some shine. Then I stepped back and looked in the full-length mirror.

“Wow,” Mom said.

And I kind of agreed.

“Now, remember.” I smirked. “This means the next time Phil asks you out, you have to say yes.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Mom replied, but she didn’t seem too put out. In fact, I think I saw a hint of a smile at the edges of her mouth.

I sat around flipping channels while waiting for Brooke, who’d texted me to say she was running “a little late.” Finally, she beeped the horn and I was on my way to my first party. A concoction of equal parts excitement and terror swirled in my stomach.

Kendra’s giant McMansion was set at the end of the dead-end road, up on a hill. It seemed to glower down at the rest of the more modest McMansions with its judgy little window-eyes. The driveway looked like a freeway in one of those apocalyptic movies where everyone’s gone, but their cars are left behind, haphazardly parked this way and that.

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