There I sat in my aunt's kitchen, soaking wet from head to toe. There were clusters of puddles leading from the front door of the house to the kitchen table where I was sitting. My aunt Lenora, a tall woman with dirty blonde hair, towered over me with a grimace on her face.
"Riley Sue, you are not to see that hideous young man ever again. Do I make myself clear?" She lectured with a wary tone.
I said nothing, feeling lost and confused and a whole bunch of unfamiliar emotions. What had just happened no more than ten minutes ago?
"Did you hear me? Riley, are you even listening? Do I make myself clear?"
Still no response came from me.
"Look at me when I speak, young lady."
My eyes set their gaze on Aunt Lenora's long, enraged face. Her light green eyes seemed to be searching for an answer while her hand possessed itself of my arm. She squeezed it slightly to prove her authority over me, but released the tension and grabbed my hand instead.
"You are forbidden to see him ever again, Riley." She told me in a calmer yet still intensified voice. "I will not allow it."
Finally, after a brief pause of silence, I bowed my head and allowed the tears to leak from my eyes. With a whimper, I replied, "Yes, ma'am." As much as I hated giving that response, I knew that it was no use to resist it. I had broken John Bender's heart, and I had no chance of ever claiming as my own again.
The morning of December 17th seemed like any other morning. I woke up to a pale sun shining through the frosted windows of my bedroom. Outside, the snow was falling in no significant amount, but it was enough to excite me. The first snow was always a thrill for me. It was nice to watch big fat flakes fall from the skies and land on the frosted grass of my aunt Lenora and uncle Silas's yard. During the summer, my father had been arrested for killing another driver while driving intoxicated. My aunt was given custody of me while my father served his sentence. This was convenient enough, for John lived only two blocks from my new living arrangement.
With a long yawn, I stretched my arms above my head and savored the warmth of the blankets for a final minute. I hopped out of bed and looked out the window. Like clockwork, there was John. He was climbing up the porch and onto the roof in order to get to my room. He did this almost everyday, and my relatives never noticed. I opened the window for him, shuddering at the immediate wall of cold air. John climbed through and shut the window before giving me kiss on the lips.
"We need to find you a better route for getting in here." I told him as I dusted the snow off his shoulders. "One of these days you're going to hurt yourself."
John smiled coyly and grabbed my hands, entwining our fingers, and replied, "I find it awfully romantic, don't you? It's like something out of Shakespeare."
I giggled. "Since when do you read Shakespeare?"
"I'm in the library a lot lately, what can I say?" I kissed him again and wrapped my arms around him. "Detention changes everything." He added. I smiled and watched as he looked me over. I forgot that I was still in my pajamas, which consisted of a black tank top and a pair of shorts. My cheeks flushed pink, and I suddenly became embarrassed.
John grabbed my arm and spun me in a circle, observing my appearance. "I like this outfit. Or lack there-of."
"You should've been here earlier yesterday then, because I was wearing even less than this...," I told him with a smirk. His eyebrows raised and with a bound, he scooped me up in his arms and gently tossed me on the bed. I stifled my laughs, careful as to not attract the attention of my aunt or uncle. Though, I was losing this battle to remain silent when John began to kiss my neck.
I pulled away and told him, "We could get caught, John."
"That's what makes it all the better. You know, the danger."
Before he could kiss me again, I put my finger to his lips. "The danger is my aunt forbidding me to see you anymore."
John only replied, "You know, girls who are dangerous are really, really quite sexy. At least, in my opinion." He leaned in for another peck on the cheek, then he eventually made his way to my lips. He climbed on top of me, causing our kisses to grow intense with passion. My hands buried themselves in his dark brown hair, while I let his hands roam my back and stomach. Every now and then, he would go for more than what I wanted, and I would let him know by digging my nails into his back.
I ended up lying beside him with his arms wrapped around me. My head rested on his chest, fitting almost perfectly under his chin. I stroked the back of his hand comfortingly, loving the feeling of his chest rising and falling with each breath.
"What do you wanna do today?" I asked him softly as he played with my hair.
"Hmm, I don't know. I was planning on fixing Brian up with this friend of mine tonight, but its entirely up to you what we do today."
"You found him a date?"
"Yeah, her name is Bree. She goes to Terrence Local; a junior. She's real nice."
"If you're suggesting a double date--,"
"What? A double date? Me? No way...,"
"--because I'm not going to give in to that."
"Never?"
"Never ever."
I sighed. "What happened to Shakespeare and romance?"
"I only said that shit to get you into bed." He gave me that ornery look, and I rolled my eyes. "Is that a roll of the eyes? Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He began to tickle me, causing me to laugh hysterically. I fought my way on top of him and retaliated by tickling him back. I melted when I saw him smile and laugh. It was very seldom that you would John Bender's true, genuine smile. Luckily, I got to see it almost everyday.
"Riley Sue, are you awake?" I heard my uncle call from the hallway. John and I exchanged bewildered looks. He rolled off the bed and ran for the window. Throwing it open, he climbed out and turned back to give me a kiss.
"I'll see you later tonight." He told me. "And no double date--,"
I closed the window before I could hear his retort, hopped into my bed happily, and felt the warmth of the spot where John had been lying in my bed.
A/N: I'm back!!! Couldn't help but write another TBC fic, and what better story to continue than Riley and John's? Leave the love, my darling readers!!
