The Good Girl's Guide to Being Bad

by O'Gorman, Cookie

  And I couldn’t regret that.

  The new dance I was working on was a mix of styles. Ballroom-meets-Contemporary with a bit of theater thrown in for good measure. And it definitely wasn’t “nice.” One of the things I always tried to do was tell a story. A wise woman once said: A dance should tell the story of the music. My aunt had said those words to me, and I’d never forgotten. I had no idea if this particular idea would work, but I’d found a song that I hadn’t been able to get out of my head. It made me think of light and dark, softness and intensity, a push and pull between two opposites. It was sensual and aggressive…and there was so much passion.

  In my head, I pictured a woman being torn by her feelings for two men.

  Ooh yes, I thought, moving through the song as the idea bloomed fully to life.

  One woman.

  Two men.

  Their fierce battle to win her affections.

  Neither of them knowing that she’s the one in control the whole time.

  Now, if I could tell that story through movements, I felt like I might really have something.

  I re-started the song, sat on my bed to take some more notes—but when I opened the journal, my list fell out. The lopsided daisy teased me. I frowned, tried to concentrate harder on my choreo, but it was no use.

  Colton had flaked out on me. He’d avoided me all day at school Wednesday and again on Thursday. When Friday rolled around, I’d finally caught up to him, and he said he was working at the garage again tonight—I hadn’t even known he had a job, but apparently, he’d been doing it for three months. He was supposed to call when he was done so we could work on the list.

  But guess what?

  He didn’t call.

  Surprise, surprise.

  Guy promises to call and doesn’t. Girl waits and waits and waits. Girl finally gives up and feels disappointed even though she should’ve never put her faith in Guy in the first place. Tale as old as time.

  When I’d called Kyle to see if he wanted to hang out, he said he had to work on a big project for school—which sucked because I felt like I hadn’t seen my best friend in forever.

  Guess I’d be spending another Friday night at home.

  I frowned harder. So, what? I thought. Because the twins weren’t here, I couldn’t move forward without them? Just because Colton and I had checked off three items didn’t mean we had to do everything together. Ever since that kiss, my mind hadn’t been right where Colton was concerned.

  It was time for me to take back control of my list—and my life.

  With a nod, I wrote the last of my choreography notes then shifted my focus, opening my list and skimming the paper. There had to be something on here that I could do right now. I spotted it almost immediately.

  9) Sneak out of the house.

  My eyes shot to my window, and I bit my lip. Mom was in her room, probably reading, far enough away that she wouldn’t hear anything. It was a small neighborhood and late enough that I shouldn’t run into anyone outside. Tree climbing was not a skill I’d mastered—but I’d seen it done a ton of times in movies. Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) made climbing things look easy. And he did it wearing a spandex unitard. If I was careful, I was sure I could make it from the second story to the ground.

  Pulling on a cardigan and my Corner Street Ballroom jacket, I put my phone in my pocket (after I checked my messages one last time. No, Colton hadn’t called. I kinda hated myself for checking.) and opened my window.

  Man, it was dark out there.

  Kinda cold, too.

  And had the second floor always been this high up?

  But Spiderman wouldn’t let that stop him, and I didn’t either. Swinging both feet over the ledge, I eyed the tree that’d always been just outside my window, took a deep breath—and jumped. Or at least I tried to jump. To be honest, it was more like a controlled chest/belly bump with the wood, and all of the air left my lungs in a whoosh.

  Okay, so yeah, tree climbing? Not as easy as it looks.

  I was gripping the trunk of the tree with my hands, feet, thighs, and I was sprawled out like a great big X, going nowhere fast. Basically, I looked like a sloth. Just not as cute. It took me forever to even move, but my muscles were starting to ache. Inch by tortuous inch, I made my way down. It was slow going. The worst part was when my foot slipped near the bottom. I fell the last three feet to the ground, and I gasped, stumbling to regain my balance.

  “Holy smokes,” I breathed, looking back up to my room as I fished the paper out of my pocket. I couldn’t believe I’d done it. It hadn’t been graceful at all, but still. I couldn’t believe how awesome it felt to mark off another item on my “Carpe Diem List.” One I’d completed all by myself, thank you very much.

  The sound of applause had me whipping around.

  “Wow,” Colton said grinning, appearing seemingly out of thin air. With one final clap, he put his hands in his pockets. “That was awkward as hell, Sadie. What did that tree ever do to you?”

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I told you I’d call when I was done. I was about to text when I saw you leap from your window.” He cough-laughed. “It seemed like a bad time. You were struggling, and I didn’t want to startle you.”

  He was right on that one. If Colton had texted me as I was shimmying down that tree, I would’ve probably ended up on the local news: Good girl, Sadie Day, tries to sneak out, breaks tailbone instead, leaving her mother heartbroken. A witness, Colton Bishop, says it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.

  “Humph,” I said, crossing my arms. “So, you’re telling me you just got finished with your so-called ‘job’ at the garage? It’s after midnight.”

  “Yeah,” he said, brows contracting. “We had to get all the cars done by Saturday, so it was all hands on deck.”

  “Oh,” I said. He didn’t sound like he was lying. It was a legitimate excuse, but he still should’ve called. “I didn’t appreciate waiting around all night with no word.”

  “I didn’t know we were going to be this late.”

  “And you couldn’t have called?”

  Colton looked like he was gritting his teeth. “I would’ve if I’d known spending quality time with me was so important to you.”

  I stayed silent. Jerk.

  “Sorry,” he said after a beat. “You’re right. I should’ve called.”

  “It’s fine,” I said with a sniff. “Turns out I didn’t need you anyway. I snuck out of the house all by myself.”

  Colton nodded. “I saw. Now, are you going to stay pissed at me, or do you want to go mark something else off?”

  Ignoring the way his lips twitched, I shrugged. “I guess that would be alright. It’s midnight, though, so not a lot of things will be open. What did you have in mind?”

  “Sadie, it’s the weekend,” Colton said, tugging on my hand and leading me to his car. “Everything’s open. The night is young.”

  Rolling my eyes, I got into his car and pulled out my phone.

  “Who are you calling?” Colton asked as he settled in beside me.

  “My mom,” I said, and as Colton sputtered, Mom picked up. “Hey Mom, is it okay if I go out?”

  “Sure,” she said, and I could hear her surprise through the phone. “But Sadie, do you know what time it is? I trust you. You know that. But I wouldn’t be a good parent if I didn’t ask where you’re going, and who you’re going with.”

  “I’m with Colton Bishop, Mom, and I just snuck out of the house.”

  “Excuse me? Did you say you just snuck out of the house?”

  Colton groaned beside me, but I ignored him. “Yeah, I did. We’re in his car now, parked out front, and I don’t know where we’re going, but I’m sure it’ll be okay. I…I trust him, Mom.”

  Mom laughed on the other end of the line, and I saw her blinds shift as she looked out from her window on the opposite side of the house.

  “So, this is it, huh?” she said almost to herself. “You decided to become a wild teena
ger, and now I’m going to sit up worrying all night.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Mom. I’ll be fine.”

  “Wait, did you just say Colton Bishop? I thought you two hated each other.”

  “We did. I mean, we do,” I said then sighed. I could feel Colton watching me, but I refused to look at him. That would just make this ten times harder. “It’s complicated, okay? But I’m going out, and I just wanted to let you know.”

  There was a beat then. “You be safe, Sadie, and have your phone on at all times. I want you to be able to call if you need me.”

  “I will, Mom.”

  “Call if you need anything, okay? Anything at all. Do you have on a jacket? It’s cold out.”

  I smiled, my heart filling at the concern in her voice, but I didn’t want her to worry. “Yes, and I promise to call if I need anything. I love you, Mom. Don’t wait up.”

  “Oh Lord,” she said on a heavy exhale. “You sounded just like me for a second. I love you, too, Sadie. Have fun and be safe. I want to hear all about it when you get back.”

  “Alright. Bye, Mom.”

  “Bye, Baby.”

  I hit end and waved to her in the window, smiling as she waved back. I couldn’t be sure from this distance, but it looked like her eyes might’ve been a bit misty.

  When I finally turned to Colton, he was staring at me with an odd expression.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Did you just…call your mom to tell her you snuck out of the house?” he said slowly.

  I nodded as I pulled on my seatbelt and clicked it into place. “Of course. I didn’t want her to worry.”

  “You know that’s not how it’s usually done, right? The whole point of sneaking out is so your parents won’t know and get on your case about it.”

  “Yeah, but my mom’s cool. We have an understanding.”

  Colton shook his head in amazement. “You’re something else, Sadie Day.”

  I shrugged, starting to feel self-conscious as he continued to stare. “Can we get going now?”

  “Sure thing,” he said, then with a shake of his head, we were off.

  It was quiet in the car, too quiet. The silence made me all too aware of the boy sitting next to me. Colton seemed cool as a cucumber over there, occasionally drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, making shifting gears look effortless—which I now knew for a fact it was not. But I was a jumble of nerves. If I was going to get through tonight, I needed a distraction ASAP.

  “Can we turn on the radio or something?” I asked.

  Without saying a word, Colton pressed a button and music filled the car. It was a song I’d never heard, sounded like an indie rock band, and I found myself beginning to relax right away. Music really did make things better.

  “You good with this?” he said.

  “Yeah, thanks,” I said. “I’ve never heard this song before, but I like it.”

  “What do you like about it?”

  Hmm, I thought for a minute. “The lyrics and the singer’s voice are nice, and that bass is killing it. It sounds kind of like The Killers meets Bruce Springsteen”

  Colton chuckled. “Glad I have your approval.”

  I glanced at him. “So…where are we going?”

  “Eric’s parents are out of town, so he’s throwing a party tonight,” he said. “I thought we’d go crash it. Get that one done and maybe a few other list items while we’re there.”

  I swallowed thickly. “You mean, Eric Greene?”

  “Yeah, and don’t worry, Sadie,” he added, shooting a grin my way. “Eric’s parties never end at twelve o’clock. That’s usually when the fun starts.”

  Oh, I’d heard all about Eric Greene’s infamous parties. Everyone in school knew about them. I had no idea where they went, but it seemed like his parents were always gone, traveling to one place or another. This left Eric free to do whatever he wanted, and all he seemed to want to do was party. The last time I’d been to his house I’d been there to pick up my drunk best friend, who by night’s end had puked on me. Thank you for that, Kyle. Ugh. Even the word “party” made my eye twitch, but I wanted to experience a real high school party at least once before I graduated which was why I’d written it on my list.

  “Awesome,” I said, though I didn’t mean it.

  “Don’t sound so excited,” he said on a laugh.

  “I guess it’s a good thing I learned how to drive stick,” I said. “In case you get drunk, I can drive your car home.”

  Colton’s laughter dried up quick after that. “No way,” he said. “You’re never driving my car again, Sadie. And for the record, I’ve only been drunk once in my life.”

  “Seriously?” I asked.

  “I’ll try not to feel insulted by your tone of surprise.”

  “Sorry, I just thought…” I trailed off because what I’d been about to say would’ve been an insult. I had thought Colton was one of those party boys, like Eric, who loved to get wasted on the weekends. He went to so many parties. It was a valid assumption.

  “It only took me one hangover to know that drinking to excess wasn’t for me. Not everybody goes to parties to get drunk,” he said. “Though a lot of them do, so watch your back. Drunk guys’ll hit on anything that moves.”

  I sniffed. “I’ll try not to feel insulted by that.”

  “Don’t,” Colton said. “Despite the hair and your clothes, you’re not too bad to look at.”

  I could feel myself blushing. Was that his way of saying I was pretty? If so, there was only one appropriate response.

  “That was the worst compliment I’ve ever heard,” I said, trying to play it off. “I don’t get it. Do girls really fall for that, Colton?”

  “Only when I want them to” was his response.

  I turned up the volume, and we listened to a few more songs without speaking. They were just as good as the first one, and I found myself trying to memorize the lyrics, so I could look them up later. I also tried not to think about how Colton’s crappy compliment was still running through my head. How pathetic was that?

  “We’re here,” Colton said a few minutes later.

  We’re not the only ones, I thought, noticing all the cars. They were parked up and down the street and driveway, several people standing outside, some in bathing suits—and was that a slip n’ slide on the front lawn? Geez.

  Getting out of the car, I was nearly nailed with a water balloon. It sailed mere inches above my head and landed with a splat somewhere on the street. The game was fierce, balloons flying everywhere. To get out of the line of fire, I met Colton at the front of his car, and we walked up to the front door.

  “It’ll be okay, Sadie,” he said. “There’s no need to look so freaked.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “I’m fine.”

  He shrugged but didn’t call me on my lie.

  When we walked in, I took in the scene. Everyone was carrying one of those red Solo cups, several of which littered the floor and every available flat surface, so I was betting at least half of the party population was already tipsy. I saw a lot of people I recognized but no one I would really call a friend (which proved how much of an introverted social outcast I was, I guess). Girls and guys were talking, kissing and/or grinding on the dance floor. My eardrums were probably going to explode from how high they had the music playing.

  Which was something George Trask from Sandy Grove would’ve said.

  Dang, I had been born 80, I thought. Le sigh.

  “What do you think?” Colton asked loudly.

  “I think my eardrums might burst,” I said back.

  “What?”

  Instead of trying to yell over the music, I led him away from the living room (and the twerking) and into the kitchen (with the alcohol) which was somewhat quieter, but not by much. There was some kind of drinking game going on, and every time someone landed a ball in a cup a loud cheer would arise. I saw a girl with mint green streaks bounce two balls off the table
, one after the other, so that they dropped perfectly into cups, which earned her wild applause. Had to admit it was pretty impressive. She laughed, telling another person to drink up.

  “I said I think my eardrums might burst,” I repeated to Colton.

  “Nah,” Colton said and lifted a strand of my hair. “All that hair would act as a buffer.”

  “Ha ha,” I said, shaking my curls out of his reach. “Is this all there is? Twerking, drinking, making out and a slip n’ slide? Honestly, I feel disappointed.”

  “Pretty much,” he said. “But hey, there’s probably someone upstairs smoking weed, and then there’s always the prank later. It’s usually pretty fun.”

  That got my attention. “Prank?”

  “Yeah,” Colton said, “Eric and some of the guys were talking about pulling a senior prank on Principal Wexler. You in, Sadie?”

  “Heck yeah,” I said in excitement. That was #20 on my list! “I’ve always wanted to pull a prank on someone. What are they going to do?”

  “They’re going to TP his house. No big deal.”

  I frowned. “Won’t that take a long time to clean up? And who’d want to waste all that toilet paper?”

  Colton stared. “Are you the toilet paper police?”

  “No, but—”

  “There’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing, Sadie. Calm down, okay? It happens every year. The principal knows about it, so there’s no need to be so uptight.”

  I tilted my head. “Huh. Well, if he knows about it, I guess it’s alright then. Although I do feel bad about him having to clean up later.”

  “You’re hopeless,” Colton sighed, but as another cheer rose from the drinking game he smiled. “Hey, there’s someone I want you to meet. Athena!”

  At the sound of her name, the girl with mint green streaks looked our way and walked over to hug Colton. She embraced him smoothly, looking edgy and cool with her tattoos and nose piercing. Her makeup was perfection, too, eyeliner applied just right to give her a cat-eye look.

  “Hey, Colton,” she said with a smile. “How’s it going?”

  “Not too bad.” He gestured to me. “Athena, this is Sadie. She’s Kyle’s best friend and my…pupil. I’m teaching her how to be bad and brought her because she wanted to see what a real party is like.”