Not His

15. Open Windows Are the Best Escape Route

I just looked at him as a chuckle threatened to fall out. "What are you gonna do? Beat him up in front of mom and dad?"

He smirked as he swung the bat over his shoulder. "Not just mom and dad...his parents will be there, too."

"You can't do that," I started to chuckle lightly, no matter how much I really did want to see that.

"Watch me," he smirked again as he started for the door once more.

"No, wait," I stopped him.

"Why not? He deserves it."

"No, I'm not saying he doesn't," I started as I began to grow a smirk of my own. "But I have a better idea."

***

I looked over at Dustin from across the family room. He gave a slight nod of the head as I glanced at our parents and James' parents talking with each other. Moving my eyes over to James, who looked fairly distracted in whatever his dad was saying, I looked back at Dustin and gave a small nod back.

"'Scuse me," Dustin fake smiled as he stood up and left the room.

"You're kidding!" my mother laughed in response to Mr. Kacey. "If that were me I would've let him have it!"

"Oh Laura you're too funny!" Mrs. Kacey chuckled back before gesturing around the room. "And with what you have, I must say I'm pleasantly surprised at what an elegant evening you've put together."

Seriously? Did she really just insult her hostess by basically pointing out we have less money?

"Oh why thank you Kathryn!" my mom blushed as she stretched a smile across her face. "Though you've shown me a thing or two, so I can't take all the credit!"

"Oh yes, of course," she waved a hand in the air, pretending to brush off the compliment. "You know, I find it just amazing how close our families have gotten in the little time we've known each other."

My mother's mouth fell open through a smile. "I was just telling Tom the same thing!"

"Well I must say," my dad smiled at her in agreement. "It has been a pleasure getting to know you and your family."

"It sure has," Mr. Kacey grinned. "And pretty soon I'll think we'll be closer than ever."

My dad scrunched his brows together. "What do you mean?"

Mrs. Kacey turned to her husband as she tried to suppress a grin. "Do you think now's a good time, darling?"

"A good time for what?" my mom voiced what I was too nervous to say.

I could feel my heart beating in my throat as my palms started to feel a little clammy. Oh for the love of gravy, the last thing I want is to be closer to them. What could they possible want now?

Mr. Kacey smiled down at his wife before looking back at my parents. "We'd like to arrange an engagement for James and Haley."

And that's when my brain froze at probably the worst time possible. It's like when you're about to beat the last castle in Super Mario Bros, but the game glitches and everything freezes. Only you're still conscience and desperately mashing buttons to get it to work, but no matter what you press Mario still remains frustratingly frozen on the screen.

Well right now I felt like I was Mario. And no matter what my brain was telling me to do I just remained frozen there, mouth ajar, too stunned to move.

"What!" my mother blurted out excitedly.

"Are you serious?" my dad smiled, sounding just slightly less enthusiastic than my mother.