From Very Real Pranks to Something Like Love

Ian "Freaking" Taylor Saves My Life...Sort Of...

"Damn it," I mumbled. I briskly shoved Chase off of me and prayed that he had enough sense to hold onto his towel and keep it from flying open. The last thing I needed right now was for him to flash my mom.

I adjusted my shirt to cover my midriff and slowly stood, not daring to meet my mother's eyes. I could feel Chase shuffling behind me, and I sneakily reached behind my back and waited for him to grip my hand. He quickly laced his fingers through mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. I wasn't sure if I reached for his hand for his comfort or my own.

"What in the world am I seeing here?" My mother ground out through clenched teeth. Without looking up, I shrugged my shoulders innocently and heard a sharp intake of breath.

"Who the hell is this kid, who I see forcing you into something you're not ready for?!" She screeched. I looked up sharply--a wave of anger rushing over me--and glared at her.

"This is Chase, mother, the son of one of your best friends. And he's not forcing me into anything! He's one of the sweetest, most considerate guys I've ever met!" I yelled at her. My hand was slowly tightening around Chase's, and I hoped I wasn't crushing any bones. (I do have superhuman strength, you know.)

Mom inhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down, to no avail.

"You, you are grounded for so long Penelope Winston Harris. You will not go anywhere for the next 3 months--straight to school and straight home--you will not use the phone, the television, or the computer unless for school, and you most certainly will not see this boy anymore!" She scolded, her voice rising with every word. My mom--being the tiny woman she is--feels the need to seem more intimidating, so in the midst of yelling she tends to rise onto her tiptoes to achieve a sense of power. When I'm not the recipient of her scolding, it's actually pretty funny to witness.

"Are you kidding?" I complained. Her eyes narrowed, but I was so overcome by anger that I wasn't even scared. "Mom, this is absurd and you know it. You and dad were screwing around when you were younger than me. Don't scold me for something that you did as a kid also. It's not fair. Besides, I'm still a virgin, and I probably still will be for a while after this. You barging in and embarrassing me is worse than a grounding, and is more effective than any birth control that exists in stores, so grounding me is stupid."

Surprisingly, I was the opposite of my mom. My voice got calmer as I spoke, my grip relaxing around Chase's calloused hand.

She was quiet for a really, really long time, clearly contemplating my argument. Finally, seeing my point, she sighed.

"Fine. Your sentence has been reduced to one week. And you, young man, but some pants on," she said, refusing to look in Chase's direction. I held back a snort and dropped my head so my mom wouldn't see me smile.

"Yes ma'am," Chase answered. I could hear a soft smile in his voice.

As soon as the door clicked firmly shut, I whirled around and planted my lips on Chase's, his eyes widening in surprise. He hands were just beginning to roam my body when we were interrupted again.

"I'm not hearing a lot of noise in there you two!!" My mom screeched. She most definitely had her ear pressed to the door right now.

My lips slid away from Chase's and I chuckled lightly, my head resting on his bare chest and my arms laced around his neck. I heard footsteps in the hallway and knew my mother had moved on to finish her evening routine.

"That was interesting," Chase murmured into my hair. I smiled and looked up at him.
"She didn't scare you off, did she?" I questioned

"Nah...she's nowhere near as scary as you when you're pissed off," he chuckled, running his thumb along my cheekbone in a way that sent shivers up my spine.