The John Hughes Club

Chapter Thirty One

"Mum?" I startlingly mumble, my body peeling itself away from Chas. "We're...um...we were just...."

"I can see for myself exactly what you both were just doing," Mum furiously states, her face reddening with temper.

Nervous and embarrassed, my chin dips as I swallow down my nerves and discomfort at being caught in the act of making out with Chas. Mum looks so disappointed in me. So blatantly angry and disappointed. Her glaring brown eyes are fixed on mine, protruding with the displeasure of what she's just intruded on in the garden.

Like the brave boy he is, Chas stands taller beside me, wanting to make things right. "Mrs Diaz, I'm sorry for you..."

"Be quiet! I'm not interested in what you have to say right now, Chas." Shooting him down, mum's angry and disappointed glare is now fixed on only him. "You've done enough for the night, thank you very much. I'm not interested in anything you have to say...nothing at all."

It's one thing for her to be upset with me, but I'm not liking her contemptuous tone and her icy disdain present in the stare that she refuses to remove from Chas. Which is why my nerves and embarrassment get completely overshadowed by my protectiveness for him. "Don't talk to him like that! We were kissing, nothing more!"

Mum sneers now, shaking her head from side to side with the force of her anger. "You were doing plenty!"

Okay, she's probably not glad of seeing her daughter being kissed, but her reaction is waaaaaaay too melodramatic, waaaaaaay too over the top on account of a kiss...god, it's not like we were creating a porn or anything!!! "We were kissing, Mum! That's what people do when they like each other. It's not like we were in the shower, were we?" I sarcastically hurl at her, very much referring back to the time I caught her getting it on with shower guy.

"I'm an adult, Mindy, and this is my house. You are a teenager, living under my roof and you follow my rules."

Furious heat starts flushing through my body. I'm angry, now totally disappointed in her. With burning, reproachful eyes, I am ready to stand up to my mother, I'm ready to have this out with her. Just as I'm about to, Chas clutches onto my hand. "Your mum is right, Mindy. I think it's better if I just go." Affection, so stark and so vivid, glitters in his eyes. His thumb, that's so softly caressing my hand, is caressingly asking me to calm down, to rein in my teenage rebellion.

Although my lips pucker with their obvious annoyance, his sweet touch and his calm words, do indeed tame the teenage storm raging inside of me. Straightening myself with some dignity, calming relief allows me to finally address my mum, "Ella's dad will be picking everyone up soon, we'll wait in the living room until he does." Not letting go of Chas's hand, refusing to let go of it, I stalk past my mum with much defiance.

Just as we pass her, she has her bemused eye on us both, particularly on our hands that are still unitedly clasped so tightly together. "You can wait in the living room, Chas...but be sure to leave my daughter alone." Dragging her combative stare away, I know that the war with my mother is only just beginning.