Friday, September 19, 2008

LATTE 2 - STEPHANIE HALE

We're starting off the day with true confessions from Steph Hale, author of the Aspen Brooks series. A party story! (Don't do this at home...)

Do you remember that scene in Home Alone when Kevin realizes he made his family disappear? Remember how he was so excited jumping on his parent's bed, eating giant ice cream sundaes, and watching filthy movies. At the exact same time that movie was showing (1990), I was living out a bit of my own Home Alone fantasy.

My parents were going away on a ten-day cruise. My little brother was going to stay with my aunt while they were gone and I, although seventeen and hardly in need of a babysitter (yeah, right!), was left to account to my grandma. She was supposed to come over that first night and stay with me until my parents got home. I waited and waited and she never showed. I called her and asked if she was coming over and she said yes. She never came. I really, really love my grandma but she does some really strange things sometimes. Like the time she turned off my alarm clock the morning of my geometry final (because I looked so peaceful) and I flunked the entire summer school course. Yeah.

Two days passed. I went to school and work like normal never revealing to anyone (except my boyfriend) that I was home alone. Then my mom called. I LIED and told her that grandma was in the bathroom and that things were going swell. What? Like I was going to miss out on having the house to myself and no curfew for eight more days? As if!

The weekend rolled around and I invited a few people over. I live/lived in a very small town. Everyone knows when someone is having a party. Everyone I knew, and even some people I didn't, showed up. Did I mention that our house had just been built the year before? I was frantically chasing people with cigarettes outside and collecting beer cans. It was a nightmare. The last straw was when I went into my room to get away from everyone for a few minutes and found about eight guys sitting on my bedroom floor playing cards while wearing my underwear on their heads. I pretty much snapped and the party was soon over.

The next few days weren't nearly as fun. I kept getting spooked by noises in the middle of the night. Just like Kevin, I couldn't wait until my family reappeared. I had lied to my mom before but this was the biggest and dumbest lie I ever told. I also learned that it was way better to go to a party then to have a party!

I was thrilled when my family finally came home. My mom never even asked how things went so I didn't have to lie again. I was home free.

Until a few months later when she found an empty whiskey bottle in our coat closet. I tried to blame my brother, he was nine and you know how nine-year-olds love their whiskey. My grandma also decided it would be a good time to tell my mom that she forgot to come stay with me. Yeah, I was so busted. I don't think I ever lied to my mom again. Okay, that's a lie. :0)

Were you the hostess with the mostess in high school or just a party crasher? Tell us about it and be entered to win a copy of TWISTED SISTERS.