One Minute, And The Next || l.h [COMPLETED]

Chapter 9

“So, Luke… How long have you known Riley?” My father stars the conversation as my mom places different bits of food on our plates. I clench my jaw. Luke is completely unpredictable. He will either answer in a way that will please my parents and I can leave this table as quick as possible, or he’ll be a complete dick and just make matters worse. I’m hoping for the first one, but I won’t be surprised if Luke goes with the second choice.

“Like a week.” He shrugs, starting to devour the food my mother placed on his plate. Okay. Good answer… I guess.

 “So this party that you so desperately need to go to, will there be alcohol?” My mother decides it’s her turn to speak and of course, it’s something stupid that she asks.

“Why, want me to bring you back some?” I mumble, loud enough for her to hear. I see her grip tighten on her glass of water as she raises it to her mouth and takes a sip… Hold on. Water? You have to be kidding me. She’s trying too hard to keep this act going.

“I mean, it’s a high school party… It wouldn’t be a party without drinks.” Luke answers, looking from my mother to me, and he gives me a stupid grin. Great, looks like we’re starting with the second choice.

“Drugs?” My mother adds.

“Possibly.” Luke answers, with no hesitation.

“Sex?”

“Mrs. Harper, I think you already know the answer to that one…” Luke starts. “If you have a bunch of stupid, drunk, hormonal teenagers in one room together, I wouldn’t be surprised.” He finishes and smiles, leaning back in the dining chair. I put my hand on my forehead and rest my arm on the table, sighing audibly.

“Drugs, sex, and alcohol. Why should we let you go to this party again Riley?” My mother asks, directing the question towards me.

“Well you’re not going to stop me.” I answer. It was true. She wasn’t going to do anything about it, and she couldn’t stop me even if she tried. Believe me, I don’t want to go to that stupid party anyways, I couldn’t care any less about it. I just had to go and get this stupid deal with Luke over with as quickly as I can.

“Don’t worry, Mr. And Mrs. Harper, I’ll keep an eye on her, and make sure she gets home safely like I did this morning.” Luke steps in and I want to punch him.

My father’s fists clench. “She spent the night at your house?” My father says as a more of a ‘Hell no, she better not have’ tone, rather than a questioning one.

“Yeah, she was completely drunk last night, literally falling all over the place.” He says with laughter behind his voice. “She passed out on the floor so I put her down on my bed and she slept there the whole night. So I brought her back in the morning; safe and sound without a scratch.” Luke says, scooping a spoonful of mashed potatoes and eating it.

“I still cannot believe you were drinking that much last night Riley.” My mother says, shaking her head in disappointment.

“I learned from the best.” I say at the exact same time Luke says “She learned from the best.”

The reaction on my mother’s face is priceless. I will have to pay Luke back for that one. Or does this make us even? I don’t even know anymore. I can’t keep count with him. One minute he’s a complete dick, and the next he’s almost tolerable to be around. Almost. 

We both sit in silence as I can practically feel the steam fuming from my mother and fathers ears, and yet, Luke and I can’t help the smile on our face.

“Look, I think we started off on the wrong foot. Luke, you seem like a great guy… on the inside.” My father starts and I raise my eyebrow at how easily he could lie. “And if Riley would like to date you, I think me and your mother…” He says, turning to me, “Will just have to live with that.” He finishes, and glances at my mother.

I run my fingers though my damp hair and look at both of my parents. “I don’t know any other way to tell you that I am n-”

“Madly in love with me.” Luke cuts me off, and I kick his stupidly long legs from under the table which I may add, doesn’t even make him flinch. I was in the middle of telling them that he’s not my fucking boyfriend and no matter how many times I tell them that, they can’t seem to get that through their heads. And now with Luke being the complete asshole he is, had to cut into my sentence and say that, of all things.

I look over at the clock on the wall, it was almost 8. “Oh, look at the time. I need to go get ready for the party…” I say standing up, glancing at my plate which I only took a few bites of food from.

“But we’ve only been at the table for 20 minutes…” My mother says, a little confused.

“There will be food at the party.” I counter, wanting to just leave this table, and all the awkwardness that comes with it as quickly as possible.

Luke stands up as well. “Thank you for the lovely dinner Mr. and Mrs. Harper; you are a very lovely, well-kept family.” Luke says smiling, and I can tell he is completely lying just so he can save his ass.

“Thank you Luke.” My father answers, and sighs slightly. I can basically read his mind.  He knows that we are completely not well-kept. We are ripping apart.

“Maybe you can come back for dinner another night.” My mother says, with a kind fake smile on her face. The one she usually has on when she is trying to get a good deal on expensive clothes at the mall.

He nods, “I’m sure Riley would love to invite me again sometime.” He says, turning to look at me and smirks as usual.

“Yeah, well enough talking. I’ll walk you to the door Luke.” I say, pulling him by his arm and to the door.

“Feel free to leave anytime...” I say sarcastically as I lean on the wall by the open door waiting for him to leave.

“Aren’t you going to give me a goodnight kiss?”

“I’m going to see you again in 5 minutes.” I say annoyed.

He shrugs. “Then you can give me a hello kiss when I come back.” He tries, but there is no way I’m kissing him right here.

“My parents are right there… I’m not kissing you.” I say, gesturing to my parents who were cleaning up the dinner plates.

“We have their blessing, plus you’re going to have to kiss me at the party anyways. Better sober than drunk, right?” He says, with his arm stretched out next to my head with his hand pressed to the wall like it was when we first met.

“I choose drunk, I won’t feel, or remember anything.” I say, pulling his arm down from beside me, and leading him out the door.

“Hey, don’t forget, I have your dress in my car.” He says, stopping me from closing the door in his face.

“What?”

“Your dress, remember? I told you not to bother finding what to wear, I’ve got the perfect thing.” He says and winks, jogging to his car, motioning for me to follow.

I sigh, remembering what he had said earlier and walk out into the cool evening air to his car trunk. He takes his keys out his pocket and opens up the trunk, revealing the dress inside and I look down at it.

“You have to be fucking kidding me…” I sigh.