Hickeys | Ethan Dolan

ch. twenty-four

I woke up on the couch the next morning with Ethan's hair in my face. I groaned.

Another Tuesday. Another day at hell. Way to live the teen life. Thank you government.

I shook Ethan's shoulders. It was almost seven AM and we had to go. His eyelids slowly opened.

"Good morning, E." My voice was raspy.

He snuggled into the material of my shirt and sighed. "Good morning, baby." The raspiness in his voice beat mine by a mile.

"C'mon. We have to get ready for school." I said wiping my eyes.

"That's damn right." A deep voice boomed throughout the room.

Ethan and I shot up to see my dad, who was infuriated, standing with my mom. I felt my mouth go dry.

"Daddy." I whispered.

He rolled his eyes at me and walked out of the room. His heavy footsteps made everything more intense.

Mom shook her head and followed my dad. I put my head in my hands and felt my world crushing down on me. Ethan sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'll meet you at school." I stood up from the couch and walked to my room.

Ethan grabbed his keys and went home to get ready. I reached the top of the stairs when I heard my parents shouting.

"She's seventeen, Anna!" My dad shouted.

"We were seventeen once, too!"

I heard my dad laugh. "But I never let a girl sleep in my house when my parents weren't home. Did you not see the hickey on her neck?"

I reached up and touched it.

Shit.

"A hickey?" My mom questioned. "You're worried about a fucking hickey, Dave? At least she's not doing drugs and God knows what!"

"Hickeys lead to other things and I'm not stupid. Hayden has hormones. You should know this! You're a goddamn doctor!"

"Doctor or not, I'm also a mother! If you could see why this isn't as a big of a deal, maybe you could be a better father!" My mom shouted back.

Silence filled my ears.

"You don't think I'm a good father?" His voice dropped.

Mom sighed. "Of course I do. You just need to trust our baby. She's doing the best she can. Don't you remember the stress of peer pressure and good grades? High school is a bitch."

"I do trust, Hayden. I just don't trust that boy, Eggert or whatever." Dad said.

"His name is Ethan." Thanks mom. "And he is a sweet boy. So what if they kiss? We made Hayden. You're a doctor, you know how babies are made. And I was nineteen." I could tell mom was draped on him trying to convince him to her side. "Let her live her teenage years. They're the ones that are limited. She won't be young forever, Dave. Don't take her youth away."

My dad sighed. "I know what you're saying, Anna. I'll give this boy a chance. Don't tell Hayden, though."

"He can come out with us to dinner Friday night." Mom said.

Their voices were too low to comprehend anything else. I felt myself smile. I opened my door and got ready for my day.

•••

"He's not upset?" Ethan asked as we walked into the school.

"Not really. He thinks you're just another teen boy who wants into my pants." I said laughing.