An Endless Serenade

Chapter Twenty-Five

          When I woke up the next day, the day before Valentine's Day, I knew it was going to be an off day. My alarm clock failed to go off, and Paul didn't check to see if I'd awoken yet, so I was ten minutes late to school. Fortunately, I'd finished Paul's pillow the night before, but it hardly mattered since he was barely speaking to me.

          Over something stupid like not wanting to tell my parents that we were dating.

          "That's stupid," Elliot grunted when I complained to him during lunch.

          I gave a quick nod. "I know!"

          "No, I mean, it's stupid that you won't tell your parents."

          "How is that stupid?" I demanded, sending him a dirty look.

          Shrugging, he turned away from me. "I don't know."

          "You're a little shit, you know that?"

          Aspen grinned at me, elbowing Elliot in the side. "He's just in a bad mood because he doesn't have a date for tonight, isn't that right, Elliot?"

          He scoffed. "I don't need a date."

          "Why don't you two go do something together?" I suggested.

          "I have a date," Aspen said happily.

          Elliot just rolled his eyes at me. "You'd be more stupid than I thought if you actually think I could stand more than three hours with that thing."

          Grimacing, I held up my palms defensively. "Hey, it was only a suggestion. Sometimes you should think about suggestions."

          "Like you think about Paul's?" Aspen challenged with a smirk.

          I pursed my lips. "That's different."

          "How so?"

          "It's my parents," I responded, stressing the word parents. "Jesus, my dad would probably threaten to have him beaten up with his make believe gang!"

          Aspen laughed. "I doubt that. It might not be a bad idea. They're going to find out eventually, right?"

          "Yeah, and eventually is not now. And I'd like to keep it this way."

          "Just because you're scared of their reactions?" she asked. "Why? It's not like he's that much older than you."

          I let out a quiet sigh, resting my chin in my hands. "Yeah, I know. But we live together. I'm afraid they might make me move back, and I love living with Paul. A lot. He's got a nice place, and I can go to this school, and I like being able to be around him all the time."

          "Then you should tell your parents."

          "Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

          Aspen rolled her eyes. "Of course I am."

          "Then you heard the part about—"

          "From what I've heard, your parents sound pretty reasonable," she said. "I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with it—"

          "In Freshmen year my dad greeted my boyfriend by saying he knew ten different ways to kill him in a minute with his bare hands."

          This caused Elliot to snicker, and Aspen to grin. "Your dad sounds awesome."

          I gave her a flat look. "Did you miss the part where I said he's convinced he used to be the leader of a gang?"