So Shall I Reap by Kathy-Lynn Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

one shoulder and convince me every time. “What the hell, you’re not even going to be out that long. Your parents are out of town, go on, have a good time.” Our night ended with the smell of burnt rubber after my mom shocked us with a text. She was almost home, my father about twenty minutes behind her. Together, my friends and I raced back to my house at two in the morning only to see both my parents’ cars in the driveway with the interior lights off. With the impression of a sporting chance, the evil angel whispered, “Maybe they went straight to bed?” So, I snuck through my second floor bedroom window.
    Backup Plan D was a ladder buried in the bushes on the side of the house hidden from the street. If anyone wanted to steal anything, they would only make off with a few TVs, two computers that were about six years old, and a game system I was willing to sacrifice.  My mom and dad took their laptops everywhere, so anything worthwhile would be on their person.
    After I had climbed through the open window, my hip bumped the side of the vanity table, causing me to lose balance and face-plant into the carpet. A couple of eyeliners and a base makeup case landed on the hardwood floor by the rug. Luckily, those items and my thigh, which sported a three-inch gash, were the only causalities. The black Guess jeans I was wearing came through unscathed. Much to my surprise, even with all the commotion, my parents never asked about anything the next morning.
    Gigi sneezed making my body jolt. Perched in the corner by the dresser was a gift from dad. A hand-blown hourglass filled with fine onyx sand was emptying its used seconds. Another reminder that time was of the essence. Scooping up the blue-black eyeliner from the floor, I added the finishing touches to the glass portrait. I pressed up close to the full-length mirror to get a better view of my ever changing eyes and traced a thick black line around the upper and lower lids.
    Only a mother such as mine could say she loved my eyes because they acted like a mood ring, always changing colors to match my disposition. Ordinarily, my eyes were a bright sky blue that faded to a ring of dark green around the pupils. But geez, talk about being cursed with open windows to the mind. I brushed the thought away with the glitter powder I put on both eyelids. This particular design made them appear more catlike. Then, I used my right ring finger to swipe lightly under the lower lashes to remove any smudges.
    Content with the bold look, I snatched the wayward mascara again, immediately opening my mouth to begin the last process. Carefully, I applied it to each feathered row of thick, long lashes. “Thanks, Mom,” I thought while concentrating on the right lower rim when I heard the muffled tone to “Shout at the Devil.”
    A short gasp came from between pale rose-colored lips. My poor cell had been buried alive and was now somewhere in the pile of discarded clothes singing for help. While waving all ten silver tipped nails in the air, I walked over to the bed in a huff of frustration.
    “Great. Now he calls,” I mumbled as I tossed myself onto my bed to dig out the beckoning cell phone. Slipping fingers under the purple and black zebra print pillow, I wrapped them around the slender, metallic green cell. It fell silent as it started to vibrate. Tod had left me a text message instead.
     
    Tod: In driveway Rdy 2 go?
    Me: B in a jif
    Tod: Stopping 4 beer – get your a$$ moving
    Me: B thr in 5. Need smokes 2
     
    His reply came with the monster truck’s deep revving engine, demanding my presence. Damn, he needs to cool off with a beer soon or our night’s gonna be hell. We didn’t need to start the date with a fight.
    I gave my mirror the once-over to make sure the look was presentable before running down the stairs to my parents’ room. Rae-Lynn considered it off limits to me. Busting through the door, I slammed the door knob into the wall making a hole the size of a small fist.