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people, the music was deafening, and there was a keg getting tapped right in the center of the living room. This was exactly what I needed.
     

 

CHAPTER FIVE
    PAIGE
     
    Pressing the “next” button on my phone to skip the current song playing, I frowned as the station played another I didn’t care for. After flipping through a few more, You and I by Lady Gaga came on, and I went back to changing my nail polish from its current chipped pale pink to bright orange. Regardless of how controversial Lady Gaga’s clothing choices could sometimes be, the girl had a voice.
    After my nails dried, I braided my hair into a side braid, and then slid a few chunky bracelets on my wrists. My eyes skimmed over my reflection in the mirror, and I twisted my lips together in disgust, mentally listing all the flaws my mother would be sure to point out upon seeing me. After dabbing a few more dots of concealer beneath my eyes, I smeared it around, and then headed to the catchall area in the kitchen for my purse. Blaire was leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee, when I walked in.
    “You’re up early.” She eyed me.
    “I have that brunch thing with my parents this morning.”
    Her blue eyes widened. “Oh, right. I forgot about that! Are you planning on telling them what we talked about?”
    I licked my lips and leaned my hip against the counter. The desire to flat-out tell my parents of my new idea to drop out of school and open up a clothing store was compelling, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually be able to go through with it. My parents were extremely critical of me, and any decisions I made. They had little faith in the things that I did, and there would be no way they’d agree to me dropping out and using the remaining money for college to open up a clothing store. Their first line of defense would be to point out my current track record for holding a job.
    Yeah, going up against the two with this idea would not be easy.
    “I’m not sure. I want to, because continuing to go to school is pointless. It really has been since the beginning. I mean, I never knew what I wanted to major in.” Saying this reminded me of Craig’s words from last night; maybe he had a point. I crossed the kitchen to make myself a quick cup of coffee in the hot pink travel mug I’d bought the other day specifically for this car ride home. “I don’t know if I’ll have the guts to go through with it though. You know how my parents can be.”
    “You can do this, Paige. I know you want to. Treat this brunch as an opportunity to pitch your idea to them. You watch Shark Tank all the time, talk to your parents like they’re your investors,” Blaire insisted.
    I stirred creamer into my coffee and glared at her. “They are my investors.”
    “Then pitch the idea to them like those people always do on that show. I know you’ve got some speech planned out in your head, right?”
    I bit my bottom lip. I hadn’t even thought of a single thing to say, because I couldn’t decide on how to begin. “Sort of.”
    “Spill it to them and be sure to offer a portion of the company, if you think it will sway them into letting you do this. A clothing store would be your niche, seriously. There’s no one who knows more about fashion than you. I can really see you becoming passionate about this and being a huge success.” She smiled.
    Her enthusiasm was infectious. I should sit down and lay it all out for them. There was nearly a forty-minute drive to plan a speech in my head. I could do this. “Okay.”
    “Okay, what?”
    “Okay, I’ll pitch the idea to them.” I smiled, the entire idea exciting me like nothing work-related ever had before. “I’d better go. I don’t want to be late.”
    “Good luck!” she called as I scooped up my purse and headed for the door. “Oh, are we still on for dinner tonight?”
    “Yep, Lauren and I have the perfect place picked out.” I winked at her from over my shoulder and closed the door.
    Lauren