Just One Bite

Chapter 17: Louise's POV

"Hey, Dad! We're home!" I announce loudly to the house, shutting the door when Amy doesn't bother because she's too busy chatting away on the phone.

"... yes, Maria... you've got to be careful about this... you need to watch your words; one slip up... maybe it's because Em's under a lot of pressure right now... you know what the situation is... it's not her fault... yes, I'll talk to her... she's just tense right now... you need to trust her, okay? I'll see you tomorrow..."

"Amy!" I hiss when I hear our father's footsteps and she immediately hangs up.

"Hey, girls!" He greets cheerfully as his bald head pops around the corner, "I'm making curry for tea, sounds good?"

"Sounds amazing," I reply as I remove my leather jacket, "Especially after the day we've had."

"How was the test?"

"Aced it," Amy answers with outstanding confidence, before disappearing upstairs.

"It was horrible," I say truthfully, kicking off my boots, "But I think I did well."

With a gentle smile, my father beckons me to follow him into the kitchen. "Good, I'm glad to hear it," he says as he potters around the stove, "I would normally let you go out with your friends tonight..." his face turns guilty, "... but I can only apologise for the curfew."

"It is what it is," I reply with a shrug, "Besides, the girls and I are going into town tomorrow morning to do some shopping."

"Ah ha. Lunch at Zinc's, I presume?"

"Of course," I reply as I pour myself a glass of squash.

"No alcohol tonight?" He teases.

"Na," I answer but he gives me a warning look when he catches the smirk forming on my lips. "I'm saving myself for Saturday night," I finish as if it were a confession.

"Oh no," Dad groans, "What are you and your freaky friends up to now?"

"Relax," Amy assures when she strides into the kitchen, "We're just chilling at Em's; just a few drinks and a movie night, that's all."

"I'll never relax when you're chilling at Em's," Dad replies while he chops up an onion and a few sweet peppers, "That girl is off her head. And we all know Em never just has a 'few drinks'." He quickly wipes the knife with a tea towel and turns to face us properly. "Are her parents okay with this?"

"Her parents are not going to be there."

"How come?"

"They're going for a dirty weekend away," I reply with a playful wink. I chuckle when my father looks heavenward, before ducking into the cupboard for the curry paste.

"Good lord," he murmurs to himself as he dumps spoonfuls of paste into the pot that was now bubbling over the stove. "Well, let's all be clear," he warns, suddenly pointing the dirty spoon at us both, "I don't want you having any dirty weekends either, is that clear?"

"For fuck's sake, dad, it's only a girls night in," Amy says, before biting into an apple, "What kind of shit do you think the girls get up to?"

"Well, I don't know," he replies while dishing out the rice, "My friends and I only heard rumours about what goes down during girl sleepovers."

"No one's going down on anyone," Amy states with a roll of her eyes, throwing her apply core in the nearby bin, "I might be the gay one but I'm not that desperate."  

"Good," dad laughs as he sets our plates down on the table before quickly grabbing his own, "Save your first time with someone special." 

"Oh no, that ship's already sailed."