“Hurry up,” I tell her when she’s not moving fast enough to get out of the truck. I practically drag her to her front door, leaning in for a quick goodnight kiss, and then I’m out of here.
“You’re pretty uptight for a guy who just got laid.” She stops me.
I shush her. “Keep your voice down.”
She rolls her eyes. “ Love you, too.”
“Love you.” I run back to my truck knowing I’m already two minutes past curfew. Now to try and guess who’s gonna whoop my ass first, Mom or Dad.
I manage to get upstairs successfully without running into anyone. The second I close the bedroom door, Cody’s voice calls out, “Why’s your hair wet?”
I turn around to see him sitting up in his bed. It’s nights like these I wish we didn’t share a room.
“Why are you still up?” I counter.
He looks at the clock. “Why are you late?”
“I’m not.”
“It’s 12:20.”
“Okay, I’m twenty minutes late,” I concede.
“Why?”
“You’ll know why when you get a little older.”
“I’m fifteen, not stupid.”
I shrug and start to get undressed. “Well then, there ya go.”
“So you were with Ella?”
I laugh. “Does a bear shit in the woods?”
“Okay … so why is your hair wet?”
“Because we were swimming.”
“Where?”
“The creek.”
“Did you fall in?”
I can’t help but laugh. “Something like that. Yeah.” I climb into my bed and pull the covers up over me, facing away from Cody so he quits pestering and lets me go to sleep.
In the morning, the footsteps coming up the steps wake me. It’s Dad, and by the sound of them, there’s no doubt he’s a man on a mission. I glance at the clock. It’s 7:30.
He bangs on the door. “Jesse! Downstairs! Now!” he hollers and then retreats.
His bellowing voice will always get my heart pumping. Did he know I was late last night? Why wouldn’t he just yell at me then, though?
I jump up out of bed, recalling all the events of last night for a moment before I have to put a game face on and see him.
When I get downstairs, I walk through the kitchen. Addison’s eating a bowl of cereal at the table. Mom’s doing the dishes, but she doesn’t acknowledge me. Turning the corner to the living room, Dad’s in his recliner, waiting.
“You two.” He points to Cody and Mason on the couch. “Out,” he demands, and they scurry.
