I Think I Love You [boyxboy]

Chapter Seven

Raven:

I didn't want to get out of the car at my house.

Jesse's dad was so nice - when I got in the car, he'd smiled at me in the rearview mirror and asked where I lived. When I said it was Lakehouse Manor, he looked astounded. He asked if it was a flat and I told him no, we owned the whole house. He grinned then and said, in a jokey, mock-Cockney accent "'Cor, blimey, guv, we're carrying right royalty tonight." Jesse just laughed, gave him a shove, and told him to shut up. They chatted away. Jesse swore, a proper four-letter word. His dad just laughed and called him a potty mouth.

I tried to imagine being that way with my dad. Kidding around, cracking jokes together. Laughing at things he'd said. Shoving and jostling him. Have a good conversation with him. Swearing in front of him. It could just never happen.

Jesse's dad dropped me at the end of the driveway. "That do you, pal?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's great," I said. "Thanks so much. It was lovely meeting you."

"You're welcome, bud," he said. "It's always great to meet one of Jess's little friends."

I watched them drive off into the rain before I headed towards the front door. I didn't want to go into the house. Dad would be mad at me - that was a given. But he'd be madder tonight, since I'd told him I was staying at Kev's and I hadn't. I shuddered at the thought of what he'd do. Still, being in the house was better than spending a night outside in the rain, so I headed up the driveway, gravel crunching with every step.

My heart rate picked up as I got closer and closer to the door. I just prayed he'd have drunk so much that he was passed out on the sofa. He'd never have to know I'd been home then. I could leave early, climb out of the window before he'd managed to get up. It would've been perfect.

But nothing in my life was ever perfect was it?

Dad came into the hallway as I was entering the house. He wrinkled his nose when he saw me.

"I thought you were staying at that guy's tonight?" he said.

"I was," I shrugged. "We were at a party and he went home with some other dude."

"Oh. Couldn't you have copped off with someone?" he said. I shrugged.

"I-I didn't exactly try," I said. "I thought I was going home with, Kev, see. I - I didn't realise I'd need to find somewhere else to stay. It-it's okay if I stay at home tonight, right?"

"Since when do you stay home on a Friday night?" he asked me.

"I - I..." I swallowed. "I haven't anywhere else to go tonight."

"Well. I suppose it'll have to be okay then, won't it?" he sighed. "But I'm not happy about it."

"I..." I was about to argue, but I decided against it. "Sorry, Dad." There was a pause. Everthing would've been okay if I'd just left it there. I should've just left it there. But I had to push my luck, didn't I? "C-Can I go to bed now, Dad?"

"Bed?" he scoffed. "You think you can waltz into the house at this time of night and just go straight to bed? Not a chance, sunshine."

"B-But Dad, I'm tired," I whispered. "I-I didn't sleep well last night."

"You think I give a shit, Raven?" he scoffed. "There's dishes that need doing, the oven needs cleaning and the kitchen floor needs mopping."

"W-Well, it's Saturday tomorrow, I'll do it in the morning," I said.

"You'll do it now, you little shit," he said. "You know what the rules are. If you break them, you get punished."

"Yeah, I know, but Dad," I said. "B-but going without sleep... two nights in a row... it's just a bit... a bit much... that's all."