Mary Mae and the Boys

Chapter 11

"Mary Mae Mars!" Mrs. Mars said angrily as soon as Mary entered the house. "Please tell me this is not true."

"What?" Mary Mae asked, shutting the door behind her.

"The neighbors told me that a boy's car was parked outside the house all night. Please tell me you didn't sleep with anyone." She looked frustrated, "I have enough to deal with as is, a teenage pregnancy is not something I would like to add to that list."

"Mom, listen to yourself. I barely got my first kiss this week, you'd think I'd escalate things that quickly. And besides, that boy's car that was parked was Zach's. He stayed the night." Mary Mae confirmed as her mom visibly calmed down. Mrs. Mars admired Zachary, he was a staple in Mary's life since childhood and they'd basically grown up together. She never had to worry for Mary's safety because Zach was around.

"Oh, well why didn't you say Zach was sleeping over earlier?" She walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out a large celery stalk.

"It was a last minute call." Mary Mae responded, hoping she didn't sound suspicious. But she wondered why she was withholding this information from her mother.

"Okay, sweetie. I did want to say though that the neighbors saw you kissing this boy the following morning so I had assumed it was that new boy you keep bringing around, but now I'm not sure what to think."

Mary Mae froze in her spot as she made eye contact with her mother. She felt the nerves rising within her as her mother stood patiently waiting for Mary's confession.

"Uh, that's crazy." Mary Mae said as her mother eyed her suspiciously, "I mean, me and Zach, that's ridiculous. He's just my friend."

"So who did you kiss this morning? Because from my perspective, it seems like Zach slept over and the following morning, a different boy showed up and kissed you?"

"I didn't kiss anybody." Mary Mae lied quickly, feeling a bead of sweat form on her forehead.

"Okay, well I'll believe you. Anyway, when are you inviting that nice boy over for dinner, what was his name again?" Mrs. Mars asked, trying to push the knife deeper into the lie that she had created.

"Gilbert."

"Right, so this Gilbert, I want to meet him. I'm off this weekend and Monday. Bring him by for dinner."

"O-okay." Mary Mae froze, she had just lied and wasn't sure how to keep it going. She had avoided Gilbert at school today, treated him like he had the plague. She had told Zachary that she was dating Gilbert to test the waters, and still ended up kissing him. She wondered if Zach believed Mary Mae was capable of cheating on her significant other.

He hadn't seemed to mind when she answered with one-worded answers at their lunch table either. He didn't even text her about it later or ask her to wait after school. It had Mary thinking that he actually hadn't cared to begin with. But she quickly realized that that was her overthinking pieces of a puzzle that had yet to solve itself.

"Okay, I'm going to bed, my shift starts tonight and I want to be well-rested for my patients. Night Mary. Love you." Mrs. Mars said to her daughter as she ate some lettuce and rushed up the stairs to her bedroom. Mary sighed, staring at her phone uncertainly as she pondered what to do next.

She wondered if she should tell Zach what had happened, she wondered if he would be mad. Nobody was perfect, not even Zach.

Or perhaps Gilbert, she'd hardly known him for a week and now was expected to be his girlfriend.

To: Gilbert
Hey. I accept your dinner offer this weekend, and I was wondering if you're free Monday night for dinner with my mom.