PROMISES » #MeToo ✔️

TWENTY-SEVEN // Piper

            "No, um, actually with...Micah. He's a boy from school."

            "A boy from school, huh?" Dad repeats, almost sounding angry. Or maybe that's my anxiety telling me that. I can't figure it out.

            "Yeah," I breathe, nodding.

            "Why haven't I heard of him?"

            Because you haven't been home, I want to say, but I don't. Instead I shrug, looking to mom for help.

            "You know she doesn't talk much," Mom dismisses dad's faint protection-masked-frustration. "He's a good kid."

            "Have you met him?" Dad asks disbelievingly, raising his eyebrows.

            I swallow thickly, wanting to crawl under the covers with Bandit and forget the hayride. Forget everything.

            "Well, no, but I know he's a good kid. He wouldn't have stuck around this long – She would not have let him hang around this long if he wasn't a good kid," Mom's tone borders scolding as my phone buzzes in my back pocket.

            I take it out, seeing Micah's name flash across my screen.

>Mic: Here! Front door?

>Yeah

            "He's here," I announce quietly, my voice shaking. I smile softly when I see mom give dad a look that screams be nice.

            The doorbell rings a second later, reminding me that I forgot to open the front door and leave the storm door closed. I walk over to open the door, my hand shaking as it reaches for the knob.

            The breath is just about knocked out of me when I see Micah standing there. The boy looks good in layers – that's all I'll say about that.

            "Hey," I smile, pushing the storm door open. "C'mon in. There's some people you've got to meet," I murmur, my smile turning shaky.

            "Hey," He grins back, reassuring, stepping inside and pulling the storm door closed behind him.

            I take a deep breath as I turn to face my parents, both beginning to stand. Mom walks over and immediately takes Micah into her arms, squeezing him tightly.

            "It's nice to finally meet you," She tells him when she pushes away from the hug.

            Micah grins widely, nodding. "Nice to meet you finally as well. It's weird through a screen, isn't it?"

            Mom only laughs, not getting the chance to fully answer before Micah turns and shakes hands with my dad. I hold my breath through the awkward encounter that...actually turns out better than I expect it to. Micah has my dad laughing in a few moments, and I can see my dad's face change to one of respect and gratitude.

            Mom rubs comforting circles into my back through the whole thing, letting me know that she can definitely sense my anxiousness.

            "Alright, I guess we should head out," Micah breathes, glancing at me. "You ready?"

            I nod. "Yeah." I turn to mom and dad. "I'll see you guys later. Promise we'll be back before midnight."

            "I can't drive after midnight, so we'll definitely be back before then," Micah laughs.

            "Smart boy," Mom chuckles, giving me a kiss on the forehead goodbye. "Have fun! Be safe."

            "We will!" I call over my shoulder as I walk out the front door.