Spark Into a Flame

Joey

Most of the time I saw eye to eye with my dad but there were rare times when I didn't understand him.  I got that he was upset with me for lying about going to Jada's, but I still didn't understand why he was so against me staying with Elliott overnight.  He was in college and I was his girlfriend.  We'd lived in the same house for years.  We'd fallen asleep on the couch together many times.  What was so different?

Pippa seemed to be backing my dad up, though I think she was doing it reluctantly.  The only other adult I could possibly get on my side would be my mother.  She was pretty liberal and laissez-faire when it came to letting me do things.  I asked Pippa if I could borrow her phone since Dad took mine away.  I was always allowed to call my mom.

Mom picked up and we talked a little, just catching up.  She was probably a little thrown that I called her without prompting.

"Doing anything fun this weekend?" she asked me.

"Well, Dad grounded me because I went to go see Elliott," I told her, trying to spin my story in the right way.  "I stayed overnight and he didn't like that.  But we've lived together for years.  I don't see the big deal."

"You stayed overnight?" she asked, exasperated.  "Josephine, you're in high school.  You cannot be staying overnight with Elliott."

Not the response I was going for.  "But we've been together for two years, Mom," I reminded her.  "It's not like we haven't had sex."

She let out a troubled breath.  "You should not be having sex.  How old is he anyway?"

"He's eighteen," I told her.  "Two years older.  Mom, that's normal."

Now I was anxious to hang up and get off the phone with her.  This conversation had gone horribly wrong.  As a woman I hoped she would back me up and convince Dad he was being unreasonable.

"I know you've been dating for two years, but now that he's in college maybe you two should take a break," she told me.  "You can date someone in high school."

"Mom, I love Elliott," I told her.  "And he loves me."

I managed to wrap up the conversation in the next minute or so.  I hung up, frustrated, and took Pippa's phone back to her.

"You okay?" she asked me, looking concerned.

"My mom's unreasonable," I told her, setting her phone in her hand.

"Same answer?" she guessed, knowing what I'd been up to apparently.  I sighed and went back to my bedroom to trudge through some more homework.  Junior year was killing me.  I had AP classes in my class load again, and was also doing debate club and yearbook.  I kept very busy.  Now that I was spending less time with Elliott, though, I was able to get my work done faster.

Before dinner, Dad came to my room and pulled out my desk chair, sighing.  "I got a call from your mom just now," he informed me, crossing his ankle over his other leg.  "She's threatening to press charges if you and Elliott continue to have sex."

"What?!" I asked, completely thrown off.  "Why?"

"He's eighteen and you're sixteen," Dad said, crossing his arms.  "Technically it's statutory rape."

"But we've been having sex since..." I stopped myself, feeling my face turn pink.  Dad looked embarrassed too.  "That's ridiculous."

"Pippa's pretty upset," he told me.  "I told your mom that wouldn't be necessary, but she's gonna be on your case now.  She wants us to force you to break up."

I rolled my eyes and collapsed onto my back on my bed.  I scrubbed my hands over my face.  This was just what I needed and it was typical Mom.

"She's so insane!" I complained, and he didn't argue.