Her Teen Dream Read Online Free Page B

napkin. “Looks like your friend’s
friend won’t have to face charges for destruction of property and
his otherwise poor behavior.”
    Karin was elated though, oddly enough, she
and Marcus had never even spoken. But at least she had done Reese a
favor and felt pretty good about it.
    “That’s great,” she said sincerely.
    “Well, he’s not totally out of the woods,”
her father cautioned. “Marcus needs to pay the Hathaways for the
damage he caused and attend a substance abuse seminar. Once these
are completed successfully, the Hathaways have promised not to
pursue formal criminal charges.”
    “Sounds to me like this boy’s getting off
pretty easy,” Josephine tsked while buttering a biscuit.
    “Maybe he’ll live and learn,” Greer
suggested.
    “This is what happens when kids drink,” her
mother said. “They get into all types of trouble. I hope you use
this as a lesson, Karin.”
    “I don’t need to,” she said, as if being made
the guilty party. “I know that drinking—especially getting drunk—is
stupid.”
    “It’s more than just stupid, it can put you
in a hole you can’t climb out of. That includes STDs, pregnancy,
and worse.” Josephine leveled a gaze at her daughter. “I hope you
understand what I’m saying, Karin.”
    “How can I not?” Karin batted her lashes
defiantly. “You tell me that all the time.”
    “That’s because I don’t want you to ever
forget, young lady. Your cousin Wanita made such mistakes and now
she’s paying the price.”
    Wanita was just seventeen and already had two
children. Both were by different guys and neither one was in the
picture anymore. Karin had no intention of following in her
cousin’s footsteps. Even if her mother seemed to think it was only
a matter of time before she did.
    “Why is this all of a sudden about me ?” Karin moaned. “All I did was try to help someone. Is
that so wrong?”
    “It’s not wrong, baby,” her father
intervened. “You did a good thing to help Marcus out of a jam,
whatever your reasons. Your mother realizes that, too. We’re both
proud of you, honey. Isn’t that right, Josephine?”
    Karin watched her mother’s pursed lips
soften.
    “Of course we are,” she said with feigned
sweetness. “I’m not attacking you, Karin. Just trying to protect
you.”
    “You can’t protect me from everything,
Momma.”
    “It doesn’t mean I can’t try, does it?”
    Karin sneered. In spite of her mother’s good
intentions, she felt as though the mood had been spoiled. She tried
not to let it get her down. Instead, she focused on what Marcus’s
dodging a bullet could mean for her new friendship with Reese.
    By the end of dinner, her mother seemed to
have gotten past this and moved on to her next agenda. “The Fishers
are coming over on Sunday,” she said to Karin. “I’d like you to
hang around, as I know they want to see you. They’re bringing
Pia.”
    John and Althea Fisher were her parents’
longtime friends. They were neighbors when they got married and had
remained friends ever since. Pia was their twelve-year-old
daughter. Karin always felt she had assumed the role of a
babysitter whenever they were together. Maybe they would change
their minds about coming.
    “Well I hope they come early,” she told her
mother. “Lesley and I were planning to run in the afternoon.”
    “Actually, they’ll be here after dinner,”
Josephine said with a smile. “So it looks like that will work out
perfectly.”
    Karin frowned, feeling as if she had been
sucker punched into a babysitting role without pay.
    * * *
    Later that evening, she texted Lesley with
the good news about Marcus. Lesley texted back, telling her that
this was going to be the start of good things for both of them,
assuming Karin carried her along for the ride.
    Karin assured her that she would, provided
that good things actually did happen with Reese. Which was a big
question mark at the moment.
    As soon as Karin ended the texting, her cell
phone