A few weeks later, Isis and Jackie had become inseparable. One afternoon, Jackie was over at Isis’s house, and the two of them were swimming in the pool. Isis’s parents were both at work, but she’d called and gotten permission for Jackie to come over.
Isis’s dad, Alec, had taught her how to make all kinds of mocktails, and she was excited to show off her skills. Jackie sat down on a barstool while Isis hurried behind the outdoor bar to act the part. “Hi, miss. What’ll you be having today?”
“Rum and soda, please. Make it a double.” Jackie replied in the confident tone that Isis admired. Isis poured the soda into a glass and was adding a colorful paper umbrella when Jackie hopped off her stool. She came around and opened the mini fridge behind the bar. Her green eyes lit up as she reached for a bottle of rum.
“Jackie! Put that back!” Isis exclaimed. “I’m not allowed to use the real alcohol.”
“Oh, come on,” Jackie said. “You’re telling me you’ve never tried it? Just a splash. Nobody will know.”
Isis hesitated. She had never touched her parents’ alcohol before, but they had talked about it. Her parents were pretty relaxed about those things. They’d always told her that if she wanted to drink when she was older, she could try it with them. She’d never really been interested. Until now.
Part of her was nervous. Another part was curious. “Okay, okay,” she said finally. “But seriously, just a little bit.” Jackie squealed excitedly, her curls bouncing, and unscrewed the cap. She told Isis to pour out some of the soda then topped off the glass with rum.
Jackie took a generous sip and a barely perceptible twitch passed over her face. She grinned and handed the drink over. “Cheers, babe!”
Isis took a cautious sip. Heat immediately burned its way down her throat. It wasn’t terrible, but her face scrunched up uncontrollably. Jackie burst out laughing. “You get used to it.”
For the next hour, they shared the drink and giggled about boys. Isis could hardly believe some of the stories Jackie told her. Jackie had already kissed boys and even admitted she’d let one touch her all over. As time passed, Isis noticed she felt warm, light, and happily carefree.
When she realized her parents would be home soon, Isis cleaned up the bar and they headed inside. Once they were in Isis’s room, they got dressed and Jackie grabbed some gum from her backpack. She took a piece and handed Isis one.
“Isis, your house is so nice,” Jackie said. “You’re practically rich.” Isis had never thought of her parents as rich. They worked a lot, and her dad was occasionally on TV whenever his soccer team made the playoffs, but that all felt normal to her. “I guess,” she replied awkwardly. “I wanna come to your house sometime!” Jackie scoffed “It’s nothing like yours, that’s for sure.”
A little while later, Isis walked Jackie to the front door. As they reached it, her mom, Trella, stepped inside. “Oh, hi, Mom!”
Trella set down her purse and immediately wrapped Isis in a hug, softly murmuring “I love you” into her dark hair. Then she turned toward Jackie with a warm smile and gave her a hug too. “Nice to see you, Jackie. Hope you girls had fun by the pool today.” Trella smiled and headed toward her bedroom.
The moment she was out of earshot, Jackie leaned into Isis. “You’re rich AND your parents are so nice! They’re hot too. I mean your mom is gorgeous, but your dad is smokin.”
“Ew, Jackie!” Isis burst out laughing as she hugged her friend and said goodbye. As she closed the front door, Isis felt another wave of warmth wash over her. Whether it was from the alcohol or from getting away with it, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she was absolutely thrilled that her mom hadn’t noticed a thing.
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