Mom frowned. “That neighborhood has a lot of crime activity,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go.”
Something snapped inside of me. I knew I shouldn’t argue with my parents, but I’d had enough. It felt like every time something good happened to me, Mom and Dean had to step in and snatch it away.
“That’s not fair,” I said hotly, standing up from the table. Mom and Dean both looked at me in shock.
“Kristin, sit down,” Mom said sharply. “We’re still eating.”
“I’m an adult!” I said loudly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I’m twenty-two years old! I’m not a little kid anymore!”
Mom’s eyes burned with anger. “Yes, and you’re living under this roof,” she said hotly. “You don’t get to make demands like this.”
“But I’m not a child! You can’t keep me here!”
“Well, Kristin, if you feel that way, you’re welcome to move out,” Dean said. “You’ll need to find a job so you can pay for school, and housing, and your cell phone, and utilities, and insurance, and all of your other bills.” His calm smile infuriated me. “And as soon as you do that, you’re free to do things like visit Boston for the weekend. But until then, it’s our rules.”
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock.
“This is why Andrew acted out,” I cried loudly. “You didn’t give him any room to breathe!”
Before Mom and Dean could say anything else, I spun around and stomped up the stairs. Hot tears leaked from my eyes and I slammed my bedroom door behind me, throwing myself on the bed and sobbing.
It’s not fair, I thought angrily. I hate them for doing this to me! The tears burned my eyes as they streamed down my face and my nose was filled with gluey, wet snot.
Eventually, I cried myself to sleep.
The next week dragged by. Christmas was the usual family affair – we went to Mom’s parents’ house first, then to Dean’s father’s for a second dinner. Both events were full of cousins whom I’d rarely spoken with before, and I didn’t exactly have high hopes for gifts. I’d worked hard to knit Mom and Dean scarves. They seemed to like them okay, but honestly, I was still angry over the whole Boston thing. I
was starting to realize that being sheltered wasn’t exactly a good thing.
Andrew hadn’t come home. I hadn’t exactly expected him to do so, but it still felt like a loss. When we were at Dean’s father’s house, I snuck into the hallway and looked at pictures of Andrew as a little kid. With his big eyes and curly dark hair, he gave every indication that he’d grow up to be a real devil.
When class started up again, Megan was in my biology seminar. After class, we got coffee in the student union. It was the first time I’d seen her since the previous semester, and I felt like we had loads to talk about. Or at least, she had loads to talk about. The most exciting thing I’d done all break was help Mom bake cookies for the annual church bake sale.
“Oh my god,” I gushed when I saw Megan. She’d cut her butt-length straight red hair into a chic bob that showed off her jawline. She was wearing a black leather jacket and sleek leggings – she looked at least five years older.
“Santa really hooked me up this year,” Megan said with a smirk. “How was your Christmas?”
I rolled my eyes. “Horrible,” I mumbled. “I’m so sick of Mom and Dean right now. They keep treating me like such a little kid.”
Megan nodded sympathetically. Like me, she’d grown up with strict parents. But her parents had gotten a divorce while she was in high school, and after that, Megan’s mom turned out to be pretty wild. She lived at home, too, but unlike me, she had basically free reign. She also had her own car, and she’d had three boyfriends. I was worlds below her in terms of experience.
“Well, I’m going to Boston again this weekend,” Megan said. She smirked. “Why not tell your parents that you’re staying over with me and come with? Amanda is so much fun,” she gushed. “When we were there, she took me to this brewery and there were so many hot guys working. I got like, six phone numbers.”
My palms itched at the thought of getting even one phone number.
“Wow,” I said. “And, um, I don’t know. I feel really weird lying.”
“Kristin,” Megan said dryly. “You have to do this, girl. You owe it to yourself.”
I slumped down in my seat and sipped my coffee. “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “It really seems like a bad idea. You know how strict she is.”
“If you don’t lie to your parents and sneak out, I’m coming over there and kidnapping you,” Megan said. “Okay?” She smirked at me and suddenly, I was reminded of why we were such good friends. She’d always been able to read me like this – it was one of her best qualities.
“Okay,” I agreed. “But if I get in trouble…”
“You won’t,” Megan promised. “Trust me. We’ve got everything taken care of, and you’ll be home right after breakfast the next day.” She giggled. “I hate driving with a hangover, but it’ll be worth it.”
That night, I went home and told Mom and Dean that I had a big test in biology the next week, and that Megan and I would be studying together over the weekend. It didn’t hurt that her older brother, Michael, was in med school. Mom bought the lie immediately. I didn’t even have to sweat too much. I guessed they were still distracted about Andrew, because normally, I would have had to face a lot of questions if I told my mom I was just going to leave like that.