I am his

48

Two days had passed since that fateful night at the party, and I found myself engrossed in a video game down in the living room. As if on cue, Mia stormed into the room, her entrance so forceful that it shook me out of my virtual world.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my cool and let her know I was there.

She walked towards me, her arms crossed with unmistakable anger in her eyes. "You know that girl you slept with at the party?" she said in a tense tone.

"Yeah, I know I slept with a girl, and you're angry. Oh, no," I said, chuckling nervously, hoping to defuse the tension.

"Kaden," she said, snatching the remote from my hand, "I was playing."

"Mia, I was in the middle of something," I huffed, feeling a bit annoyed.

"Well, listen to me now," she snapped back, her anger evident.

I rubbed my eyes with my index fingers, growing a little exasperated. "Oh, my god, what do you want?"

"You slept with my best friend, Kaden!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with hurt and fury.

"No, I didn't," I lied, attempting to look her in the eye.

"Yeah, and now she's not a virgin thanks to you. YOU DID SLEEP WITH HER!" Mia's emotions were running high.

"If I did, Mia, it's her decision if she wants to lose it. It's her choice," I argued, trying to reason with her.

"I'm going to kill you," she said angrily, and I couldn't help but laugh nervously at the intensity of her reaction. Big mistake.

Her slap caught me off guard, and then she started hitting me repeatedly. I quickly shielded my face, exclaiming, "Hey, not the face!"

Amidst the chaos, my mom's voice boomed, "HEY, YOU TWO, STOP!" Mia paused, stepping away and crossing her arms defiantly.

"What's happening here?" my dad asked, his stern presence adding to the tension.

"Stop," I urged Mia, my frustration creeping in.

"Don't tell them, you asshole. I was actually starting to like you as my sister," I said, feeling annoyed.

"No, I'm telling them, and I hate you! Kaden slept with my best friend!" Mia declared loudly.

"Kaden," my mother's voice softened but sternly called my name.

"So what? I didn't even know she was her best friend," I lied, trying to deflect the blame.

"Yes, you did, you ass," Mia retorted, slapping my arm again.

"Sex is a two-way thing, Mia. You've both got to consent to it," I smirked, pushing her buttons further.

She lunged at me, ready to punch me, and I instinctively pushed her away to maintain some distance.

"Kaden, you're grounded," my mom declared firmly, her voice leaving no room for negotiation.

"What? No, that's ridiculous! This happened ages ago," I protested, glancing at my mom with irritation evident in my eyes.

"It was three days ago," Mia interjected, adding fuel to the fire as she raised her middle finger defiantly.

"Sorry, I tend to forget the girls I sleep with while I'm drunk... and screw you," I retorted, flashing my middle finger back at Mia.

Before things escalated further, our parents announced they were heading out, leaving some money on the table for us. "Maybe you two will stop arguing," Mom said, and with that, they left the house.