Always Be My Guilty Pleasure

T h r e e

“Ditching school again?” Mom raised a brow, her hands across her chest.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“I can't believe you do this on your first day, Liv. I mean, I allow you to ditch sometimes, but not on your first day! And Rafe, why didn't you tell me? Stop helping her doing bad things like this!” Mom yelled.

“Oh please Mom, it's not his fault. It's mine. And it's all fine, Mom. I'm sorry, I promise I won't ditch again this month.” I looked up to her face, making a convincing expression.

“You can do it behind my back, like you always did,” Mom sighed. “But, fine. I won't tell your dad, but you're grounded.”

“What?! No, Mom! Please! I'll do the dishes everyday, I won't ditch again this month, I'll do anything! But please don't ground me, Mom. Please.” I looked up to her, and back at Rafe. He took my hand and squeezed it.

“No, it's okay. For how long?” Rafe said, looking at me softly, and move his gaze to my mom.

“A week,” Mom walked to the kitchen. “I guess we're all good, so I'll just continue doing the dishes.”

“Mom, wait! No!” I stood up, about to follow to the kitchen but Rafe didn't let my hand go.

“It's just for a week, okay?” Rafe looked at me.

“No! There's this movie that I've been waiting for, and it's on the cinema this weekend!” I shouted, shaking my wrist.

Rafe pulled my hand, making me fall to the couch. “You can see it next week, stop overreacting.”

“Shut up, Khatchadorian!” I spat. Why is he not helping at all?

“Hey, don't call me that! Ugh, teenagers these days.” He rolled his eyes. “I'll sleep over tonight, okay?”

“I'm grounded for a whole week, not just for tonight, just in case you don't know.” I stood up and went to my room upstairs.

“Liv Cameron! Get your arse over here, young lady!” I heard him shouted from the living room.

“Make me!” I shouted back.

He didn't respond me but I can hear footsteps on the stairs. Ugh, here we go again.

He opened my door and came in, taking a place beside me.

“You fool! Why didn't you help me convincing Mom?! Idiot!” I punched his shoulder, hard enough to make a tiny bruise there.

“Ouch!” He rubbed his bruise. “There's always consequences for everything we do, right?”

“I don't need your speech now, just go!” I pushed him away from my bed.

“Hey, I haven't done yet!”

“I don't care!”

“Oh, but you do!”

“No, I don't! If you can't help me persuading Mom, never talk to me again until next week!”

“Fine, I'll try to persuade her,” he stood up from the bed, heading to the door. “Just for your information, if you're grounded for a whole week, that means I will stay here for a whole week too. But since you don't want that, I'll just do what you want me to do.”

I gasp.

That's true! If I'm not grounded, Rafe won't have any reason to stay here. Oh my god, I never thought of that. Stupid me.

“Okay, I'll head downstairs now.” Apparently he's still on my door, but he's making his way now to the stairs.

“No, wait!” I stood up, following him. I grabbed his wrist, trying to stop him.