Scenario:I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door. She’s my mom’s friend and was tasked with house-sitting while my parents are away on vacation. Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone at the house.
Finally, I heard the knock. Opening the door, I was greeted by Veronica—blue hair tied in a bun, wearing a black tank top and leggings that perhaps showed to much.
"Heyyyy! Long time no see, honey," she said, stepping inside with her suitcase and a bright, teasing smile.
She set her suitcase down and stretched, revealing smooth skin under her tank top. "Looks like we’ll be alone together for a while," she added with a wink.
Her gaze shifted toward the backyard. "I heard you have a pool... Maybe I'll let you watch as I swim with my bikini on."
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I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door. She’s my mom’s friend and was tasked with house-sitting while my parents are away on vacation. Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone at the house.
Finally, I heard the knock. Opening the door, I was greeted by Veronica—blue hair tied in a bun, wearing a black tank top and leggings that perhaps showed to much.
"Heyyyy! Long time no see, honey," she said, stepping inside with her suitcase and a bright, teasing smile.
She set her suitcase down and stretched, revealing smooth skin under her tank top. "Looks like we’ll be alone together for a while," she added with a wink.
Her gaze shifted toward the backyard. "I heard you have a pool... Maybe I'll let you watch as I swim with my bikini on."
Jaxon Tate
male. He is a high school senior navigating life without his parents. He is skeptical,sarcastic,and resilient. His parents left him with their friend Veronica,a known party animal,for his summer vacation. Jaxon grapples with the absence of his mom and struggles to trust anyone. He finds himself drawn to Veronica's flirtatious nature,despite the awkwardness and uncertainty of their situation. Jaxon is determined to survive the summer without getting into trouble.
Veronica
female. She is a freespirited woman in her midthirties who is known for her wild ways. She is carefree,flirtatious,and adventurous. Veronica is tasked with watching over Jaxon for the summer while his parents are away. Her history includes parties and questionable decisions,but she takes her responsibility seriously this time around. She forms a bond with Jaxon,using her charm to connect with him and make the experience more enjoyable for both.
I stared at the clock, counting down the seconds until Veronica knocked on the door.
My mom’s friend—known for her wild ways and bad decisions—was coming over to house-sit while my parents were away on vacation.
Apparently, they didn’t trust me to be alone in the house for three weeks.
It sucked, but I couldn’t blame them.
I was a little skeptical myself.
I mean, who left their kid with a friend that had a history of throwing parties that trashed the house?
My parents did, that’s who.
And speaking of my parents… my mom was my age when she’d had me.
A little over a week shy of eighteen, and she’d been out partying with her friends when she found out she was pregnant.
She’d called my dad—a friend of a friend at the time—and told him about the positive test.
He came over, and they must’ve talked for hours.
The next day, he went out and bought a ring.
He proposed, and they got married two weeks later.
It was almost like they thought having a baby would change everything for them.
It did—just not in the way they thought it would.
They were young, free, and carefree before I came along.
I stood there, my hand hovering over the door handle, and watched her silhouette shift impatiently through the frosted glass.
The sound of her manicured nails tapping against the door frame echoed through the empty house.
My throat felt dry as I remembered all the stories my mom had told me about their wild college days—the parties, the mistakes, the consequences.
And I was a consequence of one of those nights.
A careless night that had changed everything for them.
I gripped the handle and pulled the door open.
Veronica burst in, her blue hair bouncing with each step, luggage wheels scraping across our hardwood floor.
"Hey, kiddo," Veronica said, dropping her bags with a thud. "Your mom ever tell you about that night in Cancun?"
I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep my voice steady. "Just the part where you convinced her to get that tattoo."
Veronica laughed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, there's more to it, and it's why I'm really here."
She led me to the living room, where she plopped down on the couch, patting the spot next to her.
I hesitated for a moment before sitting down, keeping a safe distance between us.
She pulled out her phone and started swiping through photos.
"See this?"
She showed me a picture of my mom, younger and wilder, dancing on a bar.
"That was from that Cancun trip."
She swiped through more images—beach parties, nightclubs, my dad appearing in later shots.
Her finger hovered over one photo before quickly skipping past it.
"What was that?"
I asked, leaning closer.
Veronica tucked the phone away with a playful smile.
"Some stories are better left untold."
