"My parents are home on Saturday mornings until 8. They should be downstairs, so please, please be quiet." The last thing I needed was for my daunting parents to learn of a boy in the house.
"Quiet is my middle name."
I crept stealthily down the rusty flight of stairs, avoiding the creaky spots of each step. My father's voice echoed through the house. My chest felt full of lead, making it difficult to take in a breath.
"I wonder where Tourmaline is." His voice was crisp and gentle.
"It's Saturday morning." My mom's voice chimed in.
"She's not one to sleep in late."
"Maybe she's had a change of biological clock--teenagers are very malleable."
"I guess so. Did you check on her last night?"
"We got home too late, I figured she'd just be asleep. Should I get her up?"
I froze. I turned around, my face inches away from Brent's. I fished my keys out of my bag and placed them in his open hand. "Meet you in the car."
I plastered on a smile and hopped down the stairs two-by-two. I made my way to the kitchen where my parents were talking and leaned against the counter nonchalantly.
"You called?" I asked.
My mom's smile grew wider on her fair, creased face. Her brunette hair was straightened, landing just below her shoulders. She was in a pair of jeans and a floral blouse. As usual, she was decked out in enough exotic jewelry to shame a gypsy.
"You look ready for something." My dad said, sipping his coffee gingerly.
"I'm going to meet a friend."
"Might this friend be of a certain male gender?" My mom rubbed her hands together excitedly.
"Unfortunately, no."
"Of course, of course." My mom gave me a wink before picking up her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'm heading out early, my work is never done until all watsonia are watered. See you tonight, T-Bee."
"I'm going to patiently await another nickname."
"Good luck, I'm stickin' to it." She gave my dad a kiss before disappearing down the dim hallway.
I heard the front door close behind her and wondered whether Brent had followed my directions. What if he was waiting on the front porch for you? I shook the thought away quickly and turned to face my father.
"It's almost 8, daddy-o. I wouldn't want to be late."
He checked his wrist watch. "Wow, already?" He placed his empty mug in the sink and gave me a little salute before leaving as well.
Once I was sure the house was family-free I let out a breath. I waited a few minutes before heading out to the car. The sky was dark and hazy, making the surrounding land ominous-looking. I knocked on the car door and Brent's head popped up from the passenger seat. His hair was messy atop his head like a long straight mop and his face was flushed. He unlocked the door with one swift move of his hand and I hopped in.
"'T-Bee?'" He asked, a smirk on his face.
"How did you even hear that?"
"I stuck around until your mom left."
"Lovely."
"Your parents are quite the charmers."
"Is that sarcasm I sense?"
YOU ARE READING
Tourmaline
Fiksi Remaja"Some people are just simply and utterly unlovable." He fell silent. His breathing was rhythmic and manual, as if he had accidentally fallen asleep. I took a moment to listen to the soft whistle of his exhales, the sound of his fingers tapping a fas...
