“Just I can’t go anywhere. I’m grounded. I’ll explain later. Please, Mom.” I hold her gaze with mine and hope she can read the desperation in my eyes.
“Fine, but I’ve never really had cause to ground you,” she mutters as she takes a big bite of pizza. “Might be nice to have to parent you even at this late stage of the game.”
Caden enters the dining area, and that’s when I notice the rest of the assholes following behind him. He smirks at me as he sits in a booth a few feet away. Jack slides in next to him, while Eli and Luke sit on the other side. I can feel their glances at my back like lasers tearing at my flesh.
“I take it the table of jocks is the reason for your grounding?” Mom lifts her eyebrows at me as she glances over at the guys. Her eyes widen, but she keeps her glance quick enough that the guys won’t know I’ve pointed them out to her. “Yeah, they would be a good reason to ground you.”
“They’ve made it a point tonoticeme this year.” That’s about as much as I’m willing to say to my mom. That way, I won’t get in trouble with the guys, and she won’t accidentally cause any trouble.
“Are they bullying you, Harper Lynn? Because I don’t care how big they are. If they’re bullying you, I’ll kick them in the balls myself.”
“No, jeezus, Mom. Calm down. They aren’t bullying me.” Much. “They’ve just been interested in the permanently locked down pants of mine.”
“Ah, nothing you can’t handle, right?” She gives me a look that says say the word and their asses are hers. I can’t help the grin that threatens to spill out at knowing my mom will always have my back.
“Definitely nothing I can’t handle.” I straighten in my seat. “Just boys being boys.”
Even as those words come out of my mouth, I want to hand in my woman card. One small death to feminism, right here in Crusty’s Pizzeria, courtesy of Harper Davidson.
Mom even gives me the side eye at that.
“Meaning I can handle their come-ons, and they’ll take the rejection fine like they should.” I nod to myself like I righted whatever cosmic wrong I just did. The thing is they won’t take rejection fine. They’ll bend me over and spank me in front of our entire school.
Maybe they’ll even make it an assembly so everyone can show up this time.
Fuckers.
I’m really not looking forward to Monday as I’ve given them plenty to punish me over today, but damn, give a girl a break. They’ve been on me for six days. Even God gave it a rest on the seventh day.
For the rest of the meal, things stay relatively the same. I’m aware of the horsemen directly behind me while my mom talks about some of the odd cases of the week, including some interesting X-rays.
The server checks on us, and we ask for a box and the check.
He comes back a few minutes later with a box. “The guy at that table picked up your check for you. You have a nice evening.”
Mom’s eyes widen and she glances over at the guys with a hard look, probably trying to determine what game they’re playing. I put my hand over Mom’s to get her attention.
“They’re all practically rich. I’m sure our thirty-dollar meal isn’t even a speck of their weekly allowances.” I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk her out of this confrontation, but I’m afraid a confrontation is exactly what they want.
Mom drops a generous tip on the table and stands. Please let her be ready to go and not about to—too late, she’s heading straight for their booth with a smile on her face.
I grab the box from the table and try to cut her off, but I’m way too slow.
“Good evening, boys.” Mom’s got on her killer smile.
“Good evening, ma’am,” Luke says. His eyes cut to me. “Harper.”
“I wanted to thank you all for our meal. It was very kind of you.” She’s too sweet. Fuck, I can’t control her any more than I can control the guys. Hopefully she doesn’t blow me up too much.
“It was nothing. Seeing as how Harper was grounded and couldn’t join us out, we figured we’d get your meal.” Luke’s emphasis ongroundedtells me his game. I’m sure he’d love nothing better than for me to not be grounded so he can move his sadistic game forward. Finally get me alone with all four of them. Asshole.
“That’s so sweet of you boys. Well, thank you.” Mom smiles. Neither confirming nor denying my grounding. Man, is she smart.
I wish I could tell her everything. She’d know how to get out of this death spiral I’m in. But as an adult, she’d bring in other adults, and then things would get sticky.
“Yes, thank you,” I add. I almost want to stick my tongue out at them. If I didn’t think Mom would notice, I would give them a double bird salute on the way out the door. I already have to explain the creepers in my life to her once we leave.
“I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow,” Luke says. And my house of cards comes crashing down around me.
