Cupcake Kisses

Chapter 17: The Girl With The Green Hair

Author's note: Dedicated to neonlightss_ for the sweet messages :-)

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Chapter 17: The Girl With The Green Hair

"Do you have a reasonable explanation for why you got home so late last night or should we skip to the part where I punish you?" My dad put his cup of coffee down on the kitchen table and raised an eyebrow at me.

Due to my half awake state, it took me a few seconds before I even realized what he was talking about. The party.

"George!" My mom interrupted, narrowing her eyes at my dad. "Stop overreacting, it wasn't even that late."

"It was almost one o'clock," my dad frowned. "In the morning!"

I simply raised an eyebrow at the two of them as I took my place opposite him on the kitchen table.

I mean, it wasn't like I could deny his accusations. Last night I'd gotten home almost two hours after I said I'd be back, and upon my return I had immediately retreated to my bedroom, thankfully escaping the wrath of my worried father.

Despite how I exhausted I'd felt, I ended up spending most of the night tossing and turning. Everything that had happened at the party kept replaying itself in my head, like a DVD stuck on repeat. The music, the atmosphere, the ridiculous amount of people, just thinking about it had made my head start spinning again. But then there was what had happened in the garden, after I'd escaped the party.

Luke.

That was the real reason I'd been kept awake all night.

"She's a teenager, George," my mom said, shrugging as she interrupted my thoughts.

"Being a teenager doesn't mean she can come home in the middle of the night and escape without so much as a punishment," my dad responded, narrowing his eyes at my mom as if to say 'Come on, back me up here'.

This was the first time I'd ever done anything that could be considered even moderately rebellious and it was incredibly strange to see the two of them discussing whether or not to punish me. Usually, it was Sam that they had to have this conversation about.

As if on cue, Sam himself walked in, a big grin on his face. "What did Ella do?" He asked, eagerly.

"She got home a little late last night," my mom answered, quickly, before my dad could beat her to it.

"Oh," Sam said, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Is that it? I thought you got knocked up or something."

"What?" I cried, at the same time my dad started choking on his coffee.

"Are you alright, honey?" My mom asked, placing a hand on his shoulder as she attempted to hide her amused smile.

"I'm fine," he finally managed, narrowing his eyes at Sam. "And let me tell you now young man, your sister won't even be thinking about having children until she is married and has a stable job."

Oh dear.

I could feel it coming.

"Speaking of which," my dad said, turning to look at me. "Have you decided what you're going to do with your life, Ella?"

And there it was.

The dreaded career conversation.

"Uh," I began.

"Yeah, Ella," Sam joined in, taking his seat at the table. Sam knew exactly how much I hated these conversations and he loved every moment of watching me squirm as my dad grilled me about my future.