Numbered

Chapter 15 - Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Zeke awoke with a start, his head shooting two inches off the pillow and crashing back down just as quickly. His muscles twitched as they were released from the REM cycle. He had the strangest dream last night, yet it seemed so real. He and Angelica had engaged in civil conversation without getting angry at one another and wanting to rip the other's throat out. What's more was they also had sex. He gave a silent chuckle at the craziness, deeming an absolute impossibility. He tried to bring his hands to his face, wanting to remove the sleepiness from his eyes, but only his right hand reached its destination. Looking down, he was desperate to leap out of the bed from what he saw. He had not been dreaming at all; he and Angelica had actually done it. There she laid, curled up next to him, her head resting on his chest and her arm draped over his stomach. His arm was trapped underneath, yet it was caringly wrapped around and holding her close. His heart rate skyrocketed through the roof, afraid of what her grandmother would think should she catch them.

Being as gentle as he could, he moved Angelica so she was no longer up against him. Then, he maneuvered onto his side, placing his hand against her side and ever so slowly pulled his other arm free. She let out a groan and rolled away from the disturbance. Letting out a faint sigh, he slipped out from beneath the sheets and began scanning the floor for his boxers. He felt ashamed of himself for doing this; it was so unlike him. His parents, if they were still alive, would have been pissed enough to bury him alive. Jake, on the other hand, would have given him a slap on the back and congratulated him for finally manning up. Spotting the needed clothing, he scooped it up and oriented it so he could slide them on. He was about to put one foot in when the door opened wide, bathing the room in bright light. Angelica's grandmother stood in the doorway, mouth agape and eyes darting from Zeke to her granddaughter and back again. Zeke stood there in the same appalled state until it dawned on him he was still naked. Dropping his boxers, he grabbed the bed sheet and yanked enough of it so he could cover himself. At the same time, Angelica was uncovered, resulting in her bolting into an upright position and fixing Zeke with an angry stare.

"What the hell? I was sleeping." Her eyes flicked to her grandmother and back to Zeke, only to do a double take and set her eyes solely upon her grandmother. "Oh my God. Gram, it is not what it looks like."

"I'm sure it is not," her voice filled with disgust and disdain. "Both of you get dressed and come into the living room."

Zeke released the bed sheet and once again picked up his boxers; he quickly slid them on, in case the old bat decided to return to berate them. The whole time he dressed, he dared not look at Angelica. It was technically his fault since he made the first move, yet he did not actually regret last night at all. Sure he felt bad about it, but he would not change a thing. The only dark cloud in his mind was what the grandmother would potentially do to them. She did not sound pleased one bit and her decisions were definitely going to show it. Behind him, he heard Angelica pulling a shirt over her head, mumbling a series of curses. Stepping off to the side, he allowed for her to lead the way into the living room; his desire was not to be stared down by the angry woman sitting in there as he walked in. Sure enough, though, he was the only one she stared down, her face still contorted with that look of disgust. They stood in front of her for minutes, waiting for her to say something, but she did not. Zeke felt his face getting red and sweat beads forming just from being stared at. Right now, standing in front of his parents, given this situation, did not seem half bad.

"So," she finally muttered. "I consider myself to be a fairly tolerant woman, except in situations like this. Do you care to explain to me why you decided to do it under my roof?"

"Grandma, it-"

"Zip it. I was not talking to you, Angelica."

"It was just the situation we found ourselves in." Zeke fought to keep his voice steady, but every second of being evil eyed was making it extremely difficult. "When we were talking last night, we learned more about each other. Sorry if we displeased you, but we are adults. We can make our own decisions."

"As long as you live under my roof, you follow my rules."

"A little too late for that, don't you think?"

"You want to play smart ass, do you? Fine by me." The elderly woman rose from her chair and journeyed into the kitchen. A minute later, loud clanging reached their ears as pots and pans were being chucked onto the floor. A stainless steel stockpot rolled into view, performing a couple quick donuts before coming to a quick stop. Zeke looked to Angelica for answers, but the only response he received was a puzzled shrug. A sharp click of a gun being loaded snapped his head back to the kitchen. He gave in to his fear and retreated a few steps to the door, fighting the urge to bolt out of it. The woman returned, a shotgun in her hands and pointed straight at him. There was a hint of a smile on her face, knowing she now held the advantage over him.

"Grandma, you're absolutely crazy."

"Hold your tongue. You, little lady, are grounded until the day you die."

"For all you know, that could be tomorrow."

"Well, you won't have to wait long now, will you?" She redirected the gun so it stared down Angelica, whose eyes bulged with fear. The grandmother flicked the gun in the direction of Angelica's room, and she grudgingly went, head and shoulders slumped. As Angelica reached the hallway, she cast one last glance at Zeke before disappearing from sight. All he did was watch her go; he never offered one word or action of resistance. Then again, how could he with a shotgun pointed straight at him? "As for you sonny, get the hell out of my house. You are no longer welcome here."

"But-"

"I don't want to hear it. You fucked my granddaughter and now you think you can play smartass with me? I don't think so. Now, get the hell out."

The gun was raised higher, the barrel targeting right between his eyeballs. This old lady was completely off her rocker. Zeke threw his hands in the air, as if he were on Cops, and slowly backed away to the door. Once his back hit the wall, he reached down and grasped the handle, continuing his slow movements. He learned, from a young age, that fast movements easily startled someone or made them uneasy. One time, when he was eight, he had run into the kitchen screaming his head off about seeing a creepy crawly in his room. Of course, his mother had not been paying attention and he had startled the shit out of her. The consequence was a dishpan being hurled at his head. Thankfully, she had aimed a little high and missed. Sadly, there was no potential for a miss in this situation. He now stood outside on the ramp, halfway down it, and was turning to dart away.

"There is one more thing you need to know," the grandma spat him. He turned back to face her, a slight scowl on his face at the possibility of another verbal harassment. A gunshot resounded and he crumbled to the ground, screaming in agony and grasping his leg. Tears streamed down his face at the unimaginable amount of pain he felt. "That was a warning shot. If your face shows up here again, you won't be walking away."

With that, she returned to the comfort of her house, slamming the door behind her. Struggling to his feet, he hobbled down the rest of the walkway, wincing every time his injured leg contacted the ground. He was getting fed up of having to hobble around everywhere. Someone might as well permanently loan him a pair of crutches. Reaching the end of the driveway, he briefly glanced back at the house, knowing he would never be able to return. Apparently, he was not meant to have any place to live. Still holding his grudge, he flipped his middle finger, knowing in his mind it was entirely meant for that crazy old bitch. Overhead, a roll of thunder filled the air and a crack of lighting lit up the night. His luck just kept on getting worse, but that was the least of his worries.

Where was he to go from here?