Anthology for weekendwritein

Late as Always

                Leah rushed into the living room to find her purse and asked quickly, "I'm done, I'm done. Is everyone waiting on me?"

"You're fine. We're still waiting on Beth to finish getting dressed," Mark replied sitting on the couch.

"She's not done yet? I figured she'd beat me out."

Mark looked over his shoulder and down the hall where he could hear rock music through the closed bedroom door, "You could go ask and see how much longer she's going to take."

Leah walked briskly down the hall while Mark went back to browsing Reddit on his phone.

She knocked loudly a few times before hearing the music turn down.

"What?" a teenage voice yelled from inside the room.

"We're waiting. Are you almost done?" Leah asked through the door.

"In a minute!" yelled Beth from inside followed promptly by the music being turned back up.

Leah stormed back down the hall to the living room where Mark sat. She threw her purse down on the counter and growled, "She could at least open the door and talk like a normal person."

"She's sixteen and not looking forward to eating in public with her parents," Mark replied not looking up from his phone.

Leah looked at her husband skeptically and asked, "How are you so calm anyway? Usually it's you that's breaking down the door trying to rush her along so we aren't late."

"Well, after living with two women for sixteen years I've realized we'll always be a little late to everything we go to. Why not make my peace with it?" He answered still not looking up from his phone.

"I see your point," she replied knowing she was running a few minutes late herself.

"Plus, it's really a nice to just sit here and relax while I wait for you two to get dressed," Mark commented.

Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, "I don't believe you. What's going on?"

Mark began to chuckle when the bedroom ripped open spilling loud rock music throughout the house before being turned off. Beth stormed out wearing her combat boots, black jeans, black shirt, dark lipstick and eye liner, with her short bright red hair combed to the side. She tore past her parents, through the front door, and was standing by the car before her parents could say anything.

Mark finally answered his wife, "You know me too well. I knew neither of you would be ready on time so I made the reservation for eight pm but told you both seven thirty."

"I knew you couldn't be that calm and relaxed! You're such an.." Leah was saying before being interrupted.

"Come on! It's hot out here. Let's get this over with!" Beth yelled from the driveway.

Mark smiled, "Sometimes I wish she was eight again." Both parents gathered their things slowly and made their way out to the car and an irritated teenage girl.