Glamoured: A Modern Fairy Tale

16. Parties are Better without Monsters

Eleanor tugged on a navy tank top and a pair of slim-legged jeans. She grabbed a sweatshirt, knowing it would be too cold for a tank top outside, but house parties had the temperature of a jungle-funk locker room inside. It didn't matter how nice this guy's house was, it would smell like B.O. and feet after the first beer was poured.

She threw a cross-body purse on and looped downstairs. She'd begged out of Friday climbing with Jo and Brendan. It sucked not to climb tonight, but she'd made a promise to Virginia.

Oh, and she had a more-or-less official hot hook-up planned. On second thought, Eleanor added a necklace and eyeshadow. She hated foundation rubbing off on sheets, and she didn't want smeared eyeliner, so she skipped those, but eyeshadow added a touch of no-mess mystique. The mossy green made her eyes pop, and she checked out her stomach in the mirror.

Doesn't matter if you're fat, you'll be drinking beer anyway, she thought.

Eleanor looped downstairs. Her mom sat in the living room but rose to block the doorway.

"Where do you think you're going after that stunt yesterday?"

Eleanor squared her shoulders. "Virginia is around this weekend. I already made plans."

She hadn't talked to her mom since shed admittedly made a scene. What was there to say? Her mom pushed all the buttons, and she'd doubled-down. Neither of them were winners, and feeling like a slimy worm on the inside wasn't going to keep her from going out tonight. Besides, she needed to blow off steam. A lot of it.

"So you get to have plans, now, hmm?" Her mom's glare could've frozen burning logs. Fortunately, Eleanor matched her gaze—she was her daughter, after all.

"I'm too old to be grounded," Eleanor snapped. "I'm not sixteen and sneaking out. I'm leaving through the front door."

Eleanor shouldered past her mom, who didn't say a word. The guilt tickling her insides at least kept Eleanor from looking at her mom's face. She didn't want to apologize, just get out of the house. She slammed the door, jumped over the four steps, and sprinted to her Tracker.

It felt like she ran everywhere these days...away from her mom to school, away from vampires...and to parties to see her friend and have a hot hookup.

Eleanor connected her phone to her car speakers before pulling out of the driveway. She put on her EDM playlist to get in the right mental state. The Higgins' lived ten minutes away, and when she pulled in, the police chief, his wife, and Virginia's youngest brother were loading the van.

"Eleanor!" Mrs. Higgins said, giving her a hug. "I haven't seen you in forever! We're going to see Bryce play football tonight, but Virginia said you two were going out."

"Yeah," Eleanor said, disentangling from Mrs. Higgins, who had all the Southern charm her own mom lacked. Mrs. Higgins grew up in Virginia, and she'd named her daughter after the place—much to Virginia's embarrassment growing up. They'd teased her about it, but Mrs. Higgins would let Virginia throw parties for her entire class at water parks, movie theatres, and the bowling alley. It was amazing how much nicer people became to Virginia then. Eleanor's own mom capped the number of people she was allowed to have over to the house at five.

A squeak from the porch announced Virginia's arrival. Eleanor disentangled herself from Mrs. Higgins and threw herself around her friend. They giggled like they were little girls in pig tails again.

"Hey, you," Eleanor said, pulling away, "how was the drive?"

Virginia rolled her eyes. "Long."

"Remember," Chief Higgins called, slamming the van trunk, "don't let any of your friends drive drunk. Have fun, but be safe."