How To Save A Life

Chapter 11

I was shaken awake the next morning by none other than my mother. That's right, turns out all I need to do to get her attention is let a guy sleep on my porch. She promptly pulled me out of bed and drug me to the kitchen where Dad and Sean were waiting, both of their faces are already red in embarrassment. She sits me in a chair next to Sean and then she really goes off on us.

"Juniper, explain to my why exactly this young man was sleeping on our porch. Is he your boyfriend? Did he run away from home? Did you two have sex? Oh my gosh you did, didn't you? You are going to get pregnant. Do you want a teen pregnancy? Is this some ploy for attention? You think we pay too much attention to your sister and now your trying to get pregnant so we have to pay attention to you? For being the smart one, you're acting pretty stupid Juniper." She yells at us.

"Mom, this Sean. He's a friend. He is not a runaway. He fell asleep while we were talking and I couldn't wake him up so I left him on the swing. We did not have sex. I am not trying to get pregnant so I can have more of your attention, in fact that's the opposite of what I want. I would like for you to leave me alone and not attack me verbally every time I have a boy over." I reply coldly.

"You need to watch yourself. I am your mother, you need to respect me. I apologize for jumping to conclusions and making accusations, but I will not tolerate that kind of attitude towards me." She responds sharply.

"Okay, fine. Can we leave now? I have to go convince Sean that our family isn't crazy." I ask rather politely.

"Why bother? Haven't you heard Sean? We are crazy, there's no hiding that." My mom snarks lazily.

"Okay we're leaving now. Goodbye." I say hastily as I pull Sean out of the room.

"I'm sorry about that. She's just, I don't know how to describe it." I say trailing off trying to think of the a word.

"A bitch? I mean no offense, but that's how I'd describe her. Before you got down to the kitchen she was giving me the third degree on how many sexual partners I've had and if I have any STDs. It's none by the way. For both. Just to be clear." He replies, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah it really doesn't matter to me either way. Really though I am sorry. She's terrible. I would never have let you sleep on the swing if I knew my mom would react like that. She's barely home enough to say hi, she wouldn't even know we get haircuts if she didn't schedule them."

"Really? My mom always notices when I get haircuts. Kinda makes me appreciate my hover mom a little more."

"Well at least one of us is happy with our mom. So look if you want to hang around you can. Or if you want to go somewhere to get breakfast cause you're afraid to go back in the kitchen that's cool too. Or if you want to go home I'd understand that as well. It's up to you."

"I think we should go out to breakfast." He decides after thinking for minute. "My mom isn't too worried about me after the text you sent her last night, thanks for the by the way, so it should be fine if we go. As long as you're okay with it."

"I'm okay with it. More than okay. I want to get out of here too, but I'll have to get dressed first. Mind if I invite Mavis along? She'll probably say no, but I want to invite her anyway." I ask him.

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea. I'll just wait for you down here."

On my way up to my room I stop by to invite Mavis to breakfast. She says no without any hesitation and I start to realize just how draining the past two days were. I keep forgetting just how much she put herself out there. Normally she would never talk to someone after only meeting them once so she has made real progress.

I quickly head to my room and change my close and brush my teeth. No need to brush my hair, it's going into a messy bun anyway. I double mouth wash while brushing just to be safe. Now I'm not saying Sean and I are a thing, but he did hold my hand so who knows what he's going to try today. Whatever it is, if anything, I want to be prepared.

After I finish getting ready I run downstairs and find Sean waiting in the same spot I left him in. I grab my keys from my kitchen and we head out to breakfast. It's weird though cause in the way to the car he grabs my hand again and it's way less casual than last night. Last night could have been played off as a mistake, maybe he forgot to remove his hand, but this is definitely intentional. I don't pull my hand back or anything, like I said last night I do enjoy holding his hand, but I do wonder where this puts us.

I don't know if I should think of him as just a friend, or more than that. Personally I would consider it more than friends, but maybe he's one of those guys who just likes to hold hands with his friends? I think those exist. He doesn't seem like the type though so I'm gonna go with option number two. But that brings a whole new sets of questions. Is this a date? Would he have called it a breakfast date if he had wanted it to be a date? Does 'going out for breakfast' imply a date? I don't have the answers to any of these questions, but I do know one thing: things are about to get interesting.