|WATTYS 2021 Shortlisted| ❝Teach me.❞ ❝Teach you what?❞ ❝Teach me how to be a bad boy.❞
Elias Rodriguez has a crush on a certain cheerleader (since forever), but she has a thing for bad boys, not chemistry nerds. Lucky for him, the cheerleader's bes...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chapter five | Ladder Climbing
Returning from the shopping trip with Cynthia, I buried myself in the room for the rest of the evening. My eyes counted the stars as my mind replayed the events.
We were awkward, really awkward with each other.
I placed the bags on the bed and stared at them for a moment. An odd feeling settled in the pit of my stomach, making me feel queasy. I felt a heavy weight on my heart as if I just did something wrong.
I shook my head at the absurdity of my thoughts and averted my eyes.
My thoughts came to a sudden halt as a knock resounded in my room.
"Eli, dinner is ready," I heard my dad say. Soon, the patter of his steps receded.
Sighing, I got up from the bed and ran a hand through my hair. My bare feet gave a dull thump against the carpeted floor as I ran downstairs.
Dad was setting the plates up as mom leaned over the pot.
I swirled my fork between the meatball and spaghetti as I thought about my next words.
"Uh, Dad?" I called out, uncertainty clear in my voice.
He looked up from the plate where he was vacuuming the food. Finishing his bite, he licked his lips. "Yes?"
"Can I go to a party tomorrow night?" I kept my gaze steady, waiting for an exaggerated reaction.
After my words, Mom's spoon clattered on the plate. "Pinch me, Aiden. I think I am dreaming!" she gasped in shock.
"Don't overreact Catheena," Dad muttered as he rolled eyes at mom's dramatics.
While Mom huffed, Dad turned his stern stare towards me. "Why do you want to attend a party? Last time you went one was freshman year, and after that, you said it was not your scene."
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly while I played with food on my plate. "It is senior year, so I might as well enjoy the last year of high school," I offered an explanation.
Mom grinned at my reply while dad scrutinized my expression. He once again leaned over his plate and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't drink and drive and don't do any drugs." My eyes bugged out at his statement. "Try to be back by 2... Oh, and don't forget your keys. I will not be waking up at odd hours to open the door. Most importantly, stay safe and enjoy."
"Don't forget about condoms! I am too young to be a grandmother yet," Mom pipped in, making me choke on thin air.
Both of them laughed at my expense as I nearly coughed my lungs out.
The following morning I stared at the contents of the shopping bags that I had shoved in my closet yesterday.
Pulling on a dark blue t-shirt (What? Blue is my favorite color), I pulled my regular jeans up my legs. I grabbed my bag and my phone, along with the charger, and ran down the stairs.
