Buseys Take a Hostage

I ripped open the envelope of my report card and let out a sigh. All B's. I had passed my exams! I'm gonna be a fucking senior! I thought, happily, jumping up and down.

"Oh, hi, honey," Mom said, coming into the kitchen and setting down her purse on the counter. "Is that your report card?" I nodded. She held her hand out. "Let me see." I gave her my report card and then pulled out my cell phone to call Reese.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Reese! I passed all my exams!" I squealed.

"REESE! GET OFF THE PHONE!" Lois screamed in the background and I jumped.

"What's her problem?"

"She just saw my report card. I flunked out of every single class," Reese replied and I gasped.

"Oh My God, really?"

"Every single one of my finals, I got every question wrong."

"Holy crap!" I cried, and Mom looked at me, curiously.

"I know. Now I get to repeat my senior year! Isn't this great? I worked so hard for this. I had to make sure I flunked every class so completely, I couldn't make it up in summer school. Now I don't have to move out or go to college or get a job for a whole 'nother year! We'll be together for your senior year! This is the greatest achievement of my entire life!" Reese explained, and I grinned.

"Oh My God, Reese, this is amazing! I have never been more proud of you! Let me call you back, okay?"

"Okay." I hung up the phone and smiled at Mom.

"When's Ben's graduation again?" I asked her, sweetly. I was trying to redirect the conversation away from my phone call with Reese.

"This weekend," she replied. "We'll see Reese there, right?" Crap. I had always known that Mom hoped Reese and I would drift apart once he graduated high school ahead of me.

"Actually, no," I said and she frowned at me. "Reese...he flunked out all of his classes on purpose so that we could be together our senior year. Isn't he sweet?"

"He what?" she shrieked. "He failed his senior year? Maria, no! You cannot be with him! You won't go anywhere in life with him. He's a dumbass, a failure!"

"Don't talk about him like that!" I snapped, prepared for the same argument that we had had 100 times before. "And I will date whoever the hell I want to date!"

"Not while you're living under my roof, you won't! Just because you're almost 18 now, doesn't mean you can undermine my authority at every turn!"

"Oh, the whole 'you're living under my roof, so you have to obey my rules' gag again? Well, what if I don't live under your roof anymore?" I threatened and Mom rolled her eyes.

"Not this again. You've threatened to move out at least 30 times, and do you know how many times you've actually moved out? One!"

"Make it two," I said, smirking and stomped to my room, my mother right on my heels.

"What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she screamed as I started throwing my clothes and my other belongings into a suitcase.

"PACKING! SO THEN I CAN DATE WHOEVER THE HELL I WANT! SO THEN I CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!" I shrieked as I zipped up the bulging suitcase and stomped towards the front door.

"FINE! GO! SEE IF I CARE!" she screamed as I walked out the front door.

Where am I gonna go? I thought as I turned a right, no idea where I was going. I can't stay at the Wilkerson's-Lois is still mad about me sleeping over in Reese's bed that one time. And I can't stay at Cynthia's-her dad is a psycho. Christine's mom hates me and Danny...Danny! I brightened up. Danny's mom loves me! And Danny's gay so I bet she'd let me stay there!* I pulled out my cell phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?" Danny said.

"Danny! I need to talk to you!"

"Okay. What about?"

"I moved out of my house-my mom and I got in another huge fight. Can I stay with you?"

"Umm...sure, lemme check. For how long?"

"For...the whole senior year?" Danny was silent.

"A whole year? I don't know, Mare. Why can't you stay with Reese?"

"Me living with my boyfriend for a year? Do you really think his mom is going to go for that?"

"Right. I, umm...I could ask. Hold on." I started walking towards Danny's house, dragging my feet on the sidewalk as it started to drizzle.

"Perfect," I grumbled, ducking my head down to try to shield my cell phone from the rain.

"Maria? I'm back. Are you still here?"

"Yeah."

"You can stay with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, my mom likes you. And she says she could use another girl to talk to or help out around the help."

"Oh My God, thank you so much, Danny! I'll be there soon." I hung up and smiled. Finally, my mom couldn't control me anymore.

~guess what? i love you.~