Eighteen Going on Dead

Chapter Fourteen: Prisoner on Parole

The ride to school was long, silent, and uncomfortable. I wanted to scream at the justice of one mistake, at the known fact this was my first strike. What was the use anyway? No adult listens to anyone young then them, even if their words were true and pure. I sat in the passenger seat, pouting, arms crossed while staring out the window looking at the trees passing.

"Being upset at me won't help." Aunt Joyce spoke up with another huff after ten minutes. "This is for your own good."

"Keeping me prisoner is for my own good? After one mistake..."

"There were more mistakes than one, Zaire. You weren't caught on the others, and that act you did last night- you broke the rules of my household and I'm tired of pushing it away. I never wanted to be a strict parent, that's not me, but if you ever do this again there will be more than being a helicopter parent."

"You're not my mother." I mumbled, the car was so silent and small, my words were loud and clear. "Stop being what you're not, stop being a cop for once and understand me."

"You stop being a bratty child and I stop being a cop. How about that, is that good for you?" Not only were the ride uncomfortable, it held an unbreakable tension that made us both want to scream in frustration and anger. I didn't let her park in front of the school, I jumped out as soon as I could with no hesitation; no goodbye or a simple gaze.

Walking into school wasn't any better, I was ambushed by pink and purple decorations on the wall, hanging from the ceiling and taped to the lockers. Winter dance- the most deadly or fantastic night in a teenagers life. I never fandom about the one night of bad music, dancing, expensive dresses, and drunk idiots; right in the school gym (budget cuts, of course).

I passed by everything, brushing off the pink streams and purple balloons; all that make me sick to the stomach. Along with the site of the cheerleaders gather around hanging these decorations in their uniform; it didn't help the fact it was a football game tonight, last game of the season.

"Hey," Gabriel stepped out of the shadows of giggling teenagers and loud jocks. "How did it go?"

I huffed while pulling the locker open with much force, luckily my anger gave me another strength like she-hulk. "I'm on fucking parole, grounded for one mistake."

"Mistake?"

I sighed heavily and caressed his cheek while looking him deep into the eyes. "It wasn't a mistake, it was the best night of my life." I adjusted the thick hoodie by pulling out the string. "I have to sit in the station, bored out my mind while under supervision. How about you? Did the sheriff crack down on you?"

Gabriel blew raspberries while running his hands through his long hair, "The usual, being yelled and cursed at until he left for work. He knew that I slept over your place but he didn't know about the things we done."

"Aunt Joyce made sure not to include that when she calmed him down last night. What are we now?" What the hell am I saying? I sound desperate like a chick of a romance movie in need of love or some shit like that. It my a sour taste form on my tongue and my stomach churn, gosh, I hate romance.

"We're together."

"So you forgive me? I'm really am a bitch..."

"Zaire..."

"Gabriel seriously. I was thinking this morning..."

"While you were watching me sleep." He stepped closer, dangerously close that would be misconduct in the student handout.

I blushed in embarrassment and nod my head in agreement. "I was fascinated by your physique. I never seen you naked before, I gotta say it was tight. I put myself in your shoes for once and thought: if I saw my girlfriend climbing out of a strangers car in the middle of the night, I would be highly pissed off and for her to dump me; I wouldn't forgive her. Not even if we did have relations."