Maybe I Will by Laurie Gray Read Free Book Online

back and took a swallow.
    â€œSend it this way,” Aaron said, reaching his right arm out toward the bottle.
    â€œNot while you’re driving, Aaron,” answered Cassie.
    He tickled her side. “Aw, come on. I’m cold, too.”
    Cassie laughed and slapped his hand away playfully. “You get Sandy home safely, and then I’ll be happy to warm you up.”
    Aaron laughed and put both hands back on the steering wheel. He was still watching me in the rearview mirror. “Oooh, baby! I like the sound of that,” he said.
    I could feel the tears starting up again behind my eyes. I sniffled and wiped my face on my coat sleeve. Then I motioned for Cassie to hand me the bottle again. Two more big gulps kept me acting like nothing had happened all the way home.
    By the time the Mustang pulled into my driveway, it was dark out.
    â€œSeriously, Sandy, are you going to be okay?” Cassie asked.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” I said. “Thanks for the ride home.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” Aaron cut in, like he actually believed I was talking to him.
    My heart rapid-fired like a submachine gun spitting out beats like bullets as Cassie slowly opened the passenger-side door, climbed out and put the seat forward for me. I could barely breathe, but I leaped out of the car as soon as the path was clear.
    â€œHold on,” Cassie said to Aaron and then slammed the car door shut behind her. “Sandy, what’s going on?”
    A cold wind had us both bundling ourselves up and made it easy to avoid any real explanation.
    â€œNothing,” I said. “I’m fine.”
    Cassie opened the car door. Before she ducked back inside she said, “Call me later.”
    I nodded.
    â€œPromise?”
    I nodded again. “Later,” I said.
    My parents were at some business dinner with one of Mom’s clients, so I had the house to myself. That was lucky for me. I’m not sure how I would have dealt with my parents. They would haveknown something was up and probably would have figured out that I’d been drinking, too. My parents could be cool, but they definitely would not be cool with underage drinking.
    I went into the kitchen and found a note from Mom. They would be back late, and there was a casserole in the refrigerator I could reheat if I hadn’t eaten with Troy and Cassie. I opened the refrigerator. I saw the casserole, but I really wasn’t hungry. There was an unopened jug of chardonnay on the top shelf by the milk and a half bottle of red wine with the cork stuck back in it. Mom always put the red wine on top of the refrigerator, but Dad always put it inside the fridge. It was an ongoing battle and the only thing they seemed to genuinely disagree on.
    I pulled out the open bottle, removed the cork and poured a little in a juice glass. I’d tasted wine and beer in Mexico last year. My parents didn’t mind because it was legal there, but I didn’t really like the way it tasted, so I didn’t actually drink much—just a taste of whatever Mom and Dad ordered.
    I smelled the red wine in the juice glass and wrinkled my nose. Then I just downed it. It made the sides of my tongue tingle like a sweet tart, but there was no sweet, only tart. I put the cork back in the bottle just like it was before and stuck the bottle back in the refrigerator.
    I rinsed out the juice glass and wandered into the formal dining room where my parents kept a cabinet full of liquor. Way in the back I found an old bottle of peppermint schnapps. No telling how long it had been there. I’d never seen my parents drink it. It was probably older than I was. I turned the bottle around and examined the label. There was no expiration date so I unscrewed the lid and poured about an ounce into the juice glass.
    It smelled just like the stuff I had earlier, so I drank it. It tasted just like the other stuff, so I poured some more in the glass and took a big drink. It felt like