Burn My Paranoia One Last Time

9. Academia

"Is this what you like?" Shelby said softly, slowly lowering the strap of her tank top down her shoulder. She lifted her head teasingly to watch his reaction.

Sitting impatiently across from her on the edge of the bed and lit by the soft moonlight outside her window, he nodded. His pine green eyes were wide with anticipation.

"If you want me that bad, maybe you can pull down the rest," she looked him up and down before locking him into her steady gaze. She crawled to him slowly and seductively. Once close enough, she held his chin and kissed him deep.

He pulled her closer, sitting her on his lap as he caressed her silky hair. His firm hands traced down her neck, shoulders, and slim waist.

"Gosh, you're so hot Thatcher," he whispered warmly into her neck, beginning to lift her shirt. "I'd kill to hear you moan right about n—"

A door downstairs slammed closed and keys jingled.

"Shit," Shelby jumped off his lap. "You gotta go, Chad."

"I thought you said no one else would be here tonight!" He whispered aggressively, scouting the dark floor for his jersey.

"She wasn't supposed to be home til tomorrow morning!" Shelby quietly argued in her defense and tossed him his jacket before getting up to open the window.

Chad threw it on without bothering to zip it and lifted himself over the window irritatingly.

"Sorry, we'll continue next time," she blew him a kiss and shut the window quietly, not waiting to hear what he responded with. Not that it mattered, she knew he'd come back another day.

Shelby snuggled herself under the covers and pretended to sleep, listening to the sharp footsteps of her mother as she stopped outside her door.

She heard the door open slightly. Her heart began beating with terror. She knew the lights were all off, but she wouldn't dare open her eyes to confirm. Shelby kept her breathing slow and steady, feigning deep sleep. A couple seconds of silence passed before the steps retreated and the door finally closed.

***

"Shelby!" Amber waved her over as she walked out of her two story suburban house. "Hop in. We only have five minutes to get to school!"

"Shoot," she mumbled as she tossed her orange tint lipgloss back into her purse and crunched down her red leaf covered lawn.

"You look tired, what were you up to last night?" Amber lifted an eyebrow and curled her lips suggestively.

"Oh shut up," Shelby laughed, slamming the door shut and settling into the passenger seat of her friend's vintage teal Ford Mustang. "Do I really look like I missed sleep?" She pulled out a compact mirror and surveyed her eye bags.

"Nah, only if you look really close," Amber assured her.

"Where's Carmen?" Shelby asked, glancing at the empty backseats.

"I'm not picking her up today. She texted 'C U AT SCHOOL'." Amber pulled away from the curb and drove down the street between rows of matching picket fence houses behind lines of maple trees.

"Do you think she's still mad?" Shelby bit her lip apprehensively.

"Gee, I hope not.. I think we might have forced her too much."