she's mine.

71

"Where have you been?" my mother was on her way out the door as I stepped onto the front porch.

To say my stomach had dropped to my toes, wouldn't do the feeling justice. I had seen her car in the driveway, but I had hoped she was sleeping, not coming out here to scold me. I felt my eyes go wide as I stared at my mother in her jeans, flannel and tank top. She had her hair curled and her blue eyes were burning a hole into my soul.

"Uhm," I stumbled out of my mouth. "I was-"

"Hi Ms. Everett," Eli's lack of fear radiated off him as he stepped onto the porch beside me to greet my obviously irritated mother.

Well great, this doesn't look incredibly awful- my.. actually I didn't even know if he was my boyfriend..? Ugh. Even worse. Coming home the next morning with a boy, who I didn't know if was my boyfriend, in boy clothes, looking like a mess. Could this get any worse?

I looked up at him as he smiled at my mother. He was in dark clothes, per usual, with messy curly hair. He had made me wait before he took me home while he showered. Insisting staying with me because he didn't think he should leave me alone.  I sat with Lea and talked to her about the night before. Most of it was a blur at this point, which was making it harder for me to figure out what to tell my mom. Lea filled me in on most of it. She knew a lot more about what had happened than I expected, I wondered if she had talked to Eli after he left last night.

"Nice to see you again," Eli smiled at her. My mother's eyes moved slowly to Eli. She narrowed them to take him in as she opened her mouth to speak to me.

"Where have you been?" she repeated, her words were a lethal dagger promising death if there was any chance we gave the wrong answer. I was dripping sweat. If there was a teenage girl who wasn't scared when she walked up to her mother with a boy after being out all night, I would envy her with everything. I was frozen, lips parted, and fear guzzling out.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Eli spoke as if completely un-bothered by my mother mentally killing him. And if his voice wasn't enough to say he had no care in the world, he even put an arm around me. I repeat.. He made PHYSICAL CONTACT in front of my mother as I stood in his sweats and shirt as he brought me home the next morning. Someone dig my grave now please.

I know it isn't what it looks like, he knows it isn't what it looks like, BUT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW. This boy is going to get us killed. We made it through last night- rabid dogs and all, just to die by the hand of a protective mother.

"I should have brought her home sooner, but I didn't want her to have to wake up early after last night," he smiled and my mother's eyes widened. Excuse me while I throw up. He just said what?

"Last night?" my mother croaked.

"You didn't tell her?" he looked down at me and I tried to understand why this boy was trying to get me killed. I didn't understand how I had hurt him to the point of him digging my grave. "We were messing around last night when Rai decided to try and hop a fence, but her not being the most coordinated," he laughed. "She tumbled to the ground, and I think she hit her head a little hard because she past out cold on the way home and I literally had to carry her inside. I barely got her awake to get her to change her clothes," he grinned as if it were a hilarious story.

My mother's features twisted into confusion and her eyes darted to mine.

"I thought Jonny said you were studying?" she asked.

"I was- I was trying to-"

Eli laughed again. "I'm sorry Ms. Everett, that's on me. I interrupted her because I wanted her to play a game of cops and robbers with my friends and I. But the project isn't due until tomorrow, and I promised I would help her with it before Jonny's interview," he smiled at my mother with a smile that made even me want to believe him.