LOVE WITHOUT SLEEP

THE CHAPTER 11

I remember the first time George ever met my parents. It wasn't pleasant. In fact, it was dreadful. With that said, I must inform that it was dreadful for me, only nerve racking for him. They could never risk letting outsiders know the way they ran their household. We lived our lives all as one big act. Proper clothes, proper hair, proper smiles, and proper sayings. Yes mother, yes father...and church, the easiest way to come off as proper beings with morals and beliefs, who would never do anything wrong to be as dysfunctional as we truly were behind the doors of the Layne house.

I was fifteen and a half, George and I had come back to his place after watching a movie with all his friends. His parents, as unexpected as it was, were sitting at the table and enjoying fresh pie that his mother had only just made...I still can remember the smell, it was like warm, moist, soft, apples.

We both froze still in front of the front door as he closed it quietly, our eyes wide, exchanging nervous glances at one another as he peaked into the dining room...expecting to have been alone. Although we weren't, his parents unconvincingly assumed we were a sexually active couple since we'd spent almost every moment of every day together... as if we were physically attached to one another. They didn't quite mind...though I always feared they'd let the word slip back to my parents, who would. It was embarrassing for the both of us, therefor our private time was to break their assumption.

"We can sneak up to my bedroom..." he whispered.

"George, is that you?" His mother's voice sounded down the hall.

He sighed, leaning his head back against the door as all his plans had failed. I smiled slightly, feeling nervous. I'd met his parents plenty of times, in fact I spent more time with them than my own. I'd always been a nervous person, struggling the fear of all things going absolutely wrong.

"I've made pie, d'you want some?" She asked.

He started down the hall, waving for me to follow. I did so, walking slowly behind him.

"Oh, well hello Jude." She smiled brightly from the table, with a forkful of pie, "would you like some pie?" She offered.

"Hello Jude." His father greeted me as well.

I smiled, waving shyly, peaking from behind George, "sure."

"How are your parents?" His father asked, watching as the two of us pulled up a seat at the table, his mother grabbing plates and cutting us each a slice.

"They're..." horrible, "good." I looked down into the plate before me, trying to make out my own reflection in the awkward glare, feeling George's eyes on me. I looked up to see him, tucking my hair behind my ear as it fell over my face and washed out my view of him.

He smiled, grabbing a fork and eating his pie. The rest of our time consisted of the sounds of forks against plates and repetitive chewing. I didn't mind, I liked the silence.

"How's your band?" His father finally asked.

"Wicked, we have another gig coming up." He said through a full mouth, I chuckled, watching him. So did his mother.

"What?" He asked.

"Slow down, you have a lady in front of you." She laughed, patting my shoulder as I finished my slice.

"Jude doesn't care." He shrugged, pushing his plate forward, "do you mind if we go up to my room?" He asked.

His parents exchanged the looks at one another, "erm, yes. Go ahead." His mother nodded. I stood up, stacking my plate on top of George's and carrying it to the sink.

"Just so you know, your sister is upstairs." His father looked at George sternly. I looked at George, hiding a smirk.

"Dad..." he said miserably.