Chapter 14

I could have cried, but I didn’t. I could have said anything, but the anger locked my tongue. A huge hatred rose inside me, the kind you feel deep in your bones, hot and poisonous. Nani was gonna pay for that slap.

I grabbed my backpack, left my panties behind, and walked out without looking back. The moment I stepped out, she realized she fucked up and tried to talk to me.

“Lelly, wait…”

“Don’t follow me!”

I cut her off, sharp and cold.

My face must’ve looked like a demon, because Nani stood there, pale, with that look of someone who knows they screwed up. I wasn’t gonna forget that.

I passed through the kitchen without hurry, my head pounding with rage. I opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of vodka, cold in my sweaty hand. I took a long swig, feeling the drink burn my throat like fire. I made a face and swallowed. Then I spilled some on my blouse, rubbed it to spread it well, and let the smell rise.

There. Now we’re set.

Nani was gonna see what was good for her.

I went out the door, feeling the cold air hit my face. My heart was racing, but I forced myself to walk slowly, without running. I peeked from the corner of my eye to see if she was coming after me. Nothing. Great. I grabbed my phone with trembling fingers and called home. On the second ring, my mom picked up. I closed my eyes for a second and got into character.

“Mom… Oh moooommm…”

I made my voice slurred, mumbled, dragged the words like my mouth was heavy. I let out a stupid little giggle in the middle, the way drunks do when they’re trying to act normal.

“Letícia? Honey? What’s going on?”

I made a dramatic pause and let out a fake sob.

“Everything’s fiiiine! Hehehe… I’m so haaaappy, mom… Is the lady home? Hic!”

“What? What lady, Letícia? Where are you?!”

I shook my head like she could see me, letting my voice slur even more.

“Ahhhh I dunno, I was at Nani’s place, right… but then… I… oh, I left… in the Uber! Hic!”

“What?! Where’s Juliana? Why aren’t you with her?”

I made a noise like I was trying to focus but couldn’t.

“Ahhhh Nani… Nani… oh, mom… I dunno, I don’t know anymore…”

And I hung up the phone.

It was part of my plan. I wasn’t drunk at all, but I wanted to make my parents tense, really nervous, really worried. Create the perfect atmosphere for my big performance.

When the elevator opened, I could barely take a step out before I heard the door to my house fly open. My parents appeared at the door, side by side, stiff as rocks, looking at me in a way that almost made me laugh.

They didn’t make scenes in public. They weren’t gonna drag me by the hair in the hallway. So, I walked in laughing, stumbling lightly on the rug on purpose, like I hadn’t done anything wrong.

The door slammed behind me, and my mom came at me full force:

“Letícia, did you drink?!”

I blinked slowly, tilting my head to the side, forcing a heavy tongue.

“Drink? Hehehe… Mooom, just a liiiittle… But look… hic! I got sick, you know? I threw up eeeeverything, it was hoooorrible!”

I dragged my voice, twisting my face into a dramatic grimace, waving my hand like I was warding off a bad smell.

My mom crossed her arms.

“Who gave you alcohol?!”

I opened my eyes wide, put my hand on my chest, and gaped like I was about to share a big secret.

“N… Nani…”

I said softly, like it was a very serious revelation.

“She said… that if I drank, I’d be a cooler person! And I just wanna be a cool person, moooom…”

I pouted and leaned my head on her shoulder, like a needy kid.

“You’re a cool person, mom?”

She pulled away, taking a deep breath. I knew what I was doing. I knew exactly what to say to get under their skin. How many times hadn’t they given me the lecture about “when someone offers you a drink, it’s to make you cooler”? Yeah.

My dad grabbed his phone and started dialing.

“I’m calling her parents.”

I threw myself on his arm, holding the phone with both hands.

“Nooo, dad! She’s gonna call me a snitch!”

My dad huffed and let me go. My mom sniffed the air and made a face.

“Juliana, you reek of booze! How much did you drink?!”

I furrowed my brows, pretended to count on my fingers, then spread my arms wide in exaggeration.

“Uh mom… I dunnooo… A bottle? One of those… big oooones?”

Her eyes widened, and she clasped her hands over her mouth.

“Oh my God… Go take a shower, honey, Dad’s gonna get something to line your stomach.”

No. I didn’t want them worried. I wanted them pissed.

I took a step back, stumbling on my own foot, and murmured, whiny:

“I caaan’t, dad… I have to… hic! Go baaaack there…”

My dad exploded.

“You’re not going back, Letícia!”

There it was. My cue.

I made a worried face, widened my eyes like I’d remembered something SUPER important, and pulled up my skirt, showing off the lack of fabric down there.

“B-but daaaad… I… I… forgot my paaaanties thereeee!”

My dad turned his face away immediately, my mom put her hands on her face.

“Letícia, why are you without panties?!”

I pouted, shrugged.

“Uh… Because I forgot them there, rightttt?”

“But why did you take off your panties?!”

My dad was already boiling.

I crossed my arms, made a thoughtful face, and said, like it was obvious:

“They toooook them off, duh.”

The silence hit the room hard.

My mom approached slowly, like she was stepping on glass.

“They… took them off why, Letícia?”

I blinked slowly, shrank a bit, and said in an innocent tone, dragging the words like it was no big deal:

“T-to suuuck my puuussy…”

The air vanished.

My dad gripped the phone so hard I thought it would break. My mom went rigid, mouth open, blinking fast like she hadn’t heard right.

“And you let that shit happen?!”

My dad yelled.

I made a very offended face, like I’d been wronged.

“Nooo, daaaad! I said… hic! that I didn’t want to, and Juliana slapped me to behave…”

My mom gasped.

“Honey… is that why your little face is red on that side?”

I hadn’t seen that yet. I turned to the entryway mirror and… wow. It was swollen, really marked. I’m too pale, anything shows up.

My dad clenched his fists, seething.

“And after that, honey? What happened after?”

I looked at him, blinked slowly, made a little pout, tilted my head like I was thinking… and then smiled.

“After? I… I beha aaaaved!”

And I let out a silly giggle.