The John Hughes Club

Chapter Fifteen

"That's really great you're going to be hanging out with your mum this Saturday, I'm proud of you for agreeing to do it." As he's getting everything ready for The John Hughes Club, Chas is busily chatting to me while he is—before everyone else starts arriving. He knows it wasn't the easiest of things for me to agree to, but it's the first step in the right direction, I guess.

"My dad will be pleased, too." I tell him with a close-lipped smile, almost looking forward to spending some time with my mother. We're going to be visiting some local art galleries, then mum said we can buy some new sketchbooks and pencils for me before having a nice lunch somewhere together. In my head, it's all sounding so great, but that doesn't stop me worrying that at some point during the day, we'll clash over something.

Once the projector is in its right position, Chas now looks ready. "There, all good to go," he says with satisfaction, quickly raking his fingers through the lengths of his flopped down quiff. "I'm glad that you decided not to tell your dad about the guy in the shower, it would've only caused more problems. It sounds like your mum is wanting to move on from her marriage, and even though I know it hurts you because of your dad, your mum is entitled to move on."

Now sat on the edge of one of the school tables, my head cocks a little to the right. "Whose side you on?" I ask him, not really wanting to smile, but nevertheless, a small one traitorously starts lifting one side of my mouth.

Coming closer to me, Chas and his own smile park themselves between my legs. "I'm not taking anyone's side, I'm simply being an impartial party to all that you're telling me." Holding his head high, he's now planted an adorable slanted grin everywhere on his lips. "That doesn't mean that my impartiality excludes you from being my number one priority, though." Placing his hands on my hips, he's bringing more of himself and his adorable smile, heart-racingly closer. "I'm here for you. In whatever way you want me to be, Mindy...but that doesn't mean I'll only tell you want you're wanting to hear, either."

Dad's always told me that honesty is the solid foundation for many other dependable qualities in a person, and Chas' honesty, is fast becoming one of the many qualities of his that I can only admire. "I know, I appreciate that." Oddly, I really do. I'm the kind of girl who prefers the truth. With Chas, I just know that lies aren't in him to be told. His strong morals and the strength in his own assertiveness, will only ever allow the truth to fall from his mouth.

While he's gazing at me, I'm beginning to wonder whether Chas is about to kiss me, but know that now's probably not a good time—we're having an important conversation, we're at school, just about to begin the lunchtime club that's so dear to his heart, people will be here at almost any moment—nope, certainly not the time to be puckering up for our first ever kiss. "I'm sure in time, your dad will be moving on as well...you never know, he might have already?" Chas all too casually drops on me.

My eyes become framed with a disbelieving frown. "He hasn't." I resolutely declare, not permitting his suggestion anywhere near my perplexed brain matter.

Knowing he's pushed a raw button of mine, Chas holds my hips that little bit tighter. "I'm not trying to upset you, I'm just giving you another perspective, Mindy. Your parents are divorcing. You've already caught your mum getting it on with someone else in her shower...what's to say that your dad isn't as well?"

My shoulders defensively pull back. "He isn't. I'd know."

Lowering his chin, Chas tries gaining the eye contact that I've angrily just removed from him. "Would you? Can you truthfully tell me that your dad tells you everything, and you everything to him? I sure as hell don't with my father."

Not liking this conversation anymore, I try to move, but Chas stops me. "Don't get mad, talk to me?"

"I don't want to talk about this. You're suggesting that my dad could be doing what my mum is, when I know he isn't." Is so crossly told to him.

Blinking slowly, it's like the cogs of Chas' clever mind are working at full capacity. "All I'm saying is that you seem so angry about what your mum did on Sunday, but would you have been so angry if you'd caught your dad doing the very same thing?"

Okay, I'm officially peeved!! "He wouldn't do that, Chas!"

Not backing down, he annoyingly stands his ground. "Just like your mum is a woman, your dad is a man. Adults aren't that different to us, Mindy, they have desires and needs."

Again, his hands squeeze my hips, awakening some of my stubborn teenage desires. Don't get me wrong, I'm no prude; I've watched sexy stuff, felt sexy things. I also know that my parents aren't anaesthetised from the waist down, but it was still a lot for me to wrap around my brain, hearing my mum having sex in her shower with a man who isn't the father that I absolutely adore. I'm still wrapping my brain around that. Would I have reacted differently if it was dad in his shower getting it on with another woman? I truthfully don't know. To be honest, I don't want to imagine him being with anyone else. I don't want to imagine him wanting to kiss someone in the way that I'm now wanting to kiss Chas. Whaaaaaat? Where has that come from? Teenage desires, calm yourself down! Embarrassed, frustrated, and still a little angry at him, I push Chas away from me. "Stop talking to me like I don't know about my parents having sexual needs, because I do. You know nothing about my relationship with my parents. Absolutely nothing!" Needing to be out of his breathing space, I'm backing away with my arms coming all around myself—protecting myself.

Hearing what I've said, Chas acknowledges my defensiveness. "I may not know everything, Mindy, but I know that there's a gulf of misunderstanding between you and your mum." Remaining where he is, his expression on me then softens. "Wrongly or rightly, you seem to very much sway more to the side of your dad. In the short time I've known you, I know that." Stepping towards me, his eyes drop to where my arms are still holding myself, before raising them back up to my worried face. In one fluid moment, he's comforting me. "I know you're crazy mad at me, right now, but you need to know that I'm crazy mad about you."

I'm just about to pull back, to stare up at the eyes that I know will only ever give me the truth. I'm wanting to look right into them, to watch the irises dilate at the sight of me, before I tell him more of my truth—what happened to Anais, how it destroyed us all, destroyed my relationship with my mother—then, the door to the media room loudly opens up on its squeaky hinges.

"Hey hey hey, lovebirds! Any locking of lips can be strictly kept to more private quarters, please?!" With bolshy strides, Zigs is wincing at us, laughing. Just behind of him, is Ella, Ros and a handful of other pupils from Archleigh. Yup, those truths of mine shall just have to wait!