BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

Then there was Maddie, who basically stopped hanging out and returned all of Rosie’s texts with one-word replies. By now, the whole school knew what had happened to her. There had even been a name floated of the guy, some kid from New Jersey, who was apparently bragging about it, the douchebag. At least no one had mentioned Maddie’s name to the police, so she hadn’t been hassled on that front.

But more than either of these things, there was Hunter to think about. She knew that it was wrong to like him. He was her best friend’s boyfriend, even if June seemed to be keeping her distance from him, and everyone else for that matter, after she’d gotten in trouble for the party. Liking your friend’s boyfriend was such a stupid stereotype that Rosie blushed every time she thought about it. And yet he was exactly what she did keep thinking about. His hand on her knee at the tree house in the woods; his eyes watching her as she set the tables in the restaurant; and mostly his arm around her shoulders as they strolled down the main street in town, as if she belonged to him and it was the most normal thing in the world.

She shivered at the thought, and then looked up as a customer cleared his throat. It was the district attorney, and she nearly dropped the silverware she was holding. “Sorry!” she exclaimed, too loud. Gathering herself, she picked up her pad. “What can I get for you?”

“Ham and cheese on a roll, please,” he said, and Rosie thought that he was looking at her weirdly. Was it because she was acting strange, or because he knew that she was at that stupid party?

“Chips or fries?” she asked automatically.

“Chips.”

She poured him an iced tea without being asked. “So,” she said awkwardly, thinking of Hunter, “I guess you found the kids who trashed that house?”

“We brought some charges. Nothing too major.”

“You don’t sound very happy about it,” Rosie said. “Will there be more?” She knew this was dangerous territory, but the thought of being able to tell Hunter something useful made her bold.

He gave her a searching look. “Someone at the party may have been selling or distributing drugs. I’d love to see some solid evidence on who exactly that was.”