Michelle straightened, giving Mari a raised eyebrow. "What was that?" Mari shook her head, giving Michelle a smile. "Nothing, ma'am....Just thinking aloud..." Nodding, Michelle began to heat up some water for some ramen noodles. Piling some pizza onto a plate, Mari quickly avoided anymore conversation, she hurried to the laundry room. "Oh, dear, that's just the laundry room." Mari gave a wane smiled. "I like the warmth. I'm still a little frigid from being outside." Shrugging, Michelle went back to her boiling water and Mari locked the door behind her.
Wondering where Rob's secret passage was proved difficult. The laundry room doubled as a pantry, harboring things like chips or cans of uneaten soup. The dryer hummed placidly in the corner of the room, drying Rob's clothing. Stopping it, she reached in and folded the warm clothes, thinking to take them up. As she turned in the small space, she wondered where this supposed passageway was. Checking all the panels, Mari couldn't understand how he could get in anywhere. Leaning into the space between the washer and dryer, Mari gave a yelp as a door opened behind her. "Mari? Dear? Are you okay?" Michelle asked knocking. "Yes!" Mari shouted, not wanting her to find the door locked. "I'm fine!"
When there was no answer Mari turned and looked up the narrow hall. Taking the clothes and pizza, she started up the stairs, trying to be extremely quiet as the drone of a tv reached her ears. "Dammit Rob! You're an idiot!" Mari heard Rob yelling, mostly muffled by something, most likely a pillow. Reaching the door, Mari gently nudged it open, peeking in on Rob lying facedown on his bed. He punched into his mattress before throwing himself onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Knocking on the door, Rob jumped as Mari walked in. "What---you found my secret passage?" Mari nodded. "Your clothes were done and I figured you were hungry."
Rob nodded and moved over giving Mari room to sit as he bit into a piece of pizza. "Your mom made you mad, huh?" Rob nodded. "I've just never been the good kid...and then you come along----" Rob looked to Mari his eyes giving a small glimmer. Mari gave a small smile, taking a bite of her own pizza. "I don't understand it either...why is it that you of all people make me want to be a---" Rob snorted. "Good kid?"
Mari laughed and shrugged. "I don't know....I can't honestly compare because I've only known you since that day you carried my books for me." Rob laughed and lied down, tucking his hands underneath his head. "I still can't believe that either....I've never been nice to someone before I saw you." Mari lied next to him, folding her hands onto her stomach. "You looked like the stereotypical badboy of every American high school. I thought you'd sooner rip my books in two then carry them to class. You wouldn't believe how many girls were like that at my old school."
Rob rolled onto his side, his head propped against the heel of his hand. "Oh that's right. You were in private school. What was that like? No boys, must've gotten lonely." Mari held onto her stomach as she laughed, turning to face him and thunk him in the forehead. "Oh please. Why is that if I ever tell someone I went to a girl's school the boys assume we always were, quote unquote, 'Exploring'. And the other girls assume I'm going to steal them and not their boyfriends."
Rob shook his head, smiling. "Well I think you have made a few enemies. Candace has been giving you the evil eye in Math lately. I don't think she enjoyed it much when I threw that paper ball at the back of her head." Mari, sat up and folded her legs Indian style. "Are those the kind of girls you like, Rob? The cheerleader, sporty types?" Rob shrugged sitting up as well. "I don't really enjoy them much. They're always so full of themselves and if you date 'em, forget about it! They're so sure that if you don't give them what they want, they can easily find someone else to replace you."
Mari nodded and tucked her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Rob moved closer, moving his legs around Mari and rested his head against hers. "I prefer the quiet types really. The kind of girls who're so sure that no one notices them." Mari giggled, leaning back against him. "What about the artsy type?" Rob smiled. "That's just a plus in my book." Reaching up Rob pulled back Mari's thick curls to the base of her neck, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. "You really are very pretty, Mari." Mari blushed and attempted to bury her face in her knees but Rob gently nudged the back of her neck to stay upright.
"Why do you always hide when someone compliments you?" he chuckled. "Because I don't want to believe that someone notices me." Rob smiled, leaning up to her. "Believe it, honey...." Cupping her face in his hand, Rob kissed Mari tight on the lips. Mari struggled for a moment, pulling away from him but when they parted for the briefest of seconds, it felt like an eternity had passed and they hadn't seen each other for a hundred years. Wrapping an arm around his neck, Mari pulled him against her, kissing him passionately.
Rob put his hands around Mari's slender waist, their warm breath intermingling as he lowered her against his bed. His hands slipped up her back, enjoying the feeling of her warm skin before both jumped with a knock to the door. "Rob? Is everything alright in there?" Mari blinked hard, in a daze from their kiss and was shocked when Rob was ushering her into the secret passageway. "I'll be with you in a moment...." he whispered, shutting the panel. Nodding, Mari was grateful for the moment of quiet contemplation. Her heart was still thudding wildly in her chest and she clamped a hand over her tingling lips to make sure Michelle didn't hear her loud breathing.
'What a kiss....' she thought to herself. And dear god! She had kissed him back!! Leaning back against the wall, Mari shut her eyes and managed to control herself when Rob opened the door again. She heard his footsteps coming closer and a small oil lamp came on giving just enough light to see each other. Even though it was mostly dark, Rob could tell Mari was blushing beyond reason. Rob jammed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "Sorry...I'm just---you were so close----I'm so sorry..." Mari moved up a stair to be level with him. "Don't be sorry....that was a great kiss. I just wish you had warned me."
Rob grinned and smiled before they heard pounding on the laundry room door downstairs. Mari's eyes went big and she slipped quickly and quietly down the steps, ripping off her shirt and tossing it in the dryer, starting it up. Unlocking the door, Mari peeked her head out. "Mari, dear, why's the door locked?" Michelle asked, her face drawn with worry. Mari pretended to look confused for a moment before jumping in realization. "Oh! You see, I needed to dry my own shirt and I didn't want Rob coming in here with my shirt off." Michelle nodded. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I was just checking to see if you were okay."
Mari nodded and as soon as the door was shut and locked, she let out a sigh of relief. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, making Mari jump. Turning she saw Rob and gave a small giggle. Rob smiled softly but didn't giggle back. His fingers played along the base of her spine, his hands hot against her skin. Gulping, Mari leaned up, gently brushing her lips over his. Rob remained gentle, occasionally trapping her lip and biting making her yelp for the briefest of moments before she sank in his arms.
Afraid perhaps he might've hurt her, he swung Mari up into his arms, taking her to sit on the dryer. Hanging her head, Mari took in deep breaths, Rob resting his forehead against hers. "I've never---ever----been kissed like that...." Rob sighed and lifted her chin, kissing her gently. "I think you liked it...." Mari smiled. "I won't lie, I did. God, did I ever." Rob's eyes went big as Mari threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately and surprising him with a little tongue. Slowly he relaxed and for the last 10 minutes of the dryer's cycle, both Rob and Mari could feel more shaking then the dryer beneath them.
Wondering where Rob's secret passage was proved difficult. The laundry room doubled as a pantry, harboring things like chips or cans of uneaten soup. The dryer hummed placidly in the corner of the room, drying Rob's clothing. Stopping it, she reached in and folded the warm clothes, thinking to take them up. As she turned in the small space, she wondered where this supposed passageway was. Checking all the panels, Mari couldn't understand how he could get in anywhere. Leaning into the space between the washer and dryer, Mari gave a yelp as a door opened behind her. "Mari? Dear? Are you okay?" Michelle asked knocking. "Yes!" Mari shouted, not wanting her to find the door locked. "I'm fine!"
When there was no answer Mari turned and looked up the narrow hall. Taking the clothes and pizza, she started up the stairs, trying to be extremely quiet as the drone of a tv reached her ears. "Dammit Rob! You're an idiot!" Mari heard Rob yelling, mostly muffled by something, most likely a pillow. Reaching the door, Mari gently nudged it open, peeking in on Rob lying facedown on his bed. He punched into his mattress before throwing himself onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. Knocking on the door, Rob jumped as Mari walked in. "What---you found my secret passage?" Mari nodded. "Your clothes were done and I figured you were hungry."
Rob nodded and moved over giving Mari room to sit as he bit into a piece of pizza. "Your mom made you mad, huh?" Rob nodded. "I've just never been the good kid...and then you come along----" Rob looked to Mari his eyes giving a small glimmer. Mari gave a small smile, taking a bite of her own pizza. "I don't understand it either...why is it that you of all people make me want to be a---" Rob snorted. "Good kid?"
Mari laughed and shrugged. "I don't know....I can't honestly compare because I've only known you since that day you carried my books for me." Rob laughed and lied down, tucking his hands underneath his head. "I still can't believe that either....I've never been nice to someone before I saw you." Mari lied next to him, folding her hands onto her stomach. "You looked like the stereotypical badboy of every American high school. I thought you'd sooner rip my books in two then carry them to class. You wouldn't believe how many girls were like that at my old school."
Rob rolled onto his side, his head propped against the heel of his hand. "Oh that's right. You were in private school. What was that like? No boys, must've gotten lonely." Mari held onto her stomach as she laughed, turning to face him and thunk him in the forehead. "Oh please. Why is that if I ever tell someone I went to a girl's school the boys assume we always were, quote unquote, 'Exploring'. And the other girls assume I'm going to steal them and not their boyfriends."
Rob shook his head, smiling. "Well I think you have made a few enemies. Candace has been giving you the evil eye in Math lately. I don't think she enjoyed it much when I threw that paper ball at the back of her head." Mari, sat up and folded her legs Indian style. "Are those the kind of girls you like, Rob? The cheerleader, sporty types?" Rob shrugged sitting up as well. "I don't really enjoy them much. They're always so full of themselves and if you date 'em, forget about it! They're so sure that if you don't give them what they want, they can easily find someone else to replace you."
Mari nodded and tucked her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Rob moved closer, moving his legs around Mari and rested his head against hers. "I prefer the quiet types really. The kind of girls who're so sure that no one notices them." Mari giggled, leaning back against him. "What about the artsy type?" Rob smiled. "That's just a plus in my book." Reaching up Rob pulled back Mari's thick curls to the base of her neck, lifting her chin to look into her eyes. "You really are very pretty, Mari." Mari blushed and attempted to bury her face in her knees but Rob gently nudged the back of her neck to stay upright.
"Why do you always hide when someone compliments you?" he chuckled. "Because I don't want to believe that someone notices me." Rob smiled, leaning up to her. "Believe it, honey...." Cupping her face in his hand, Rob kissed Mari tight on the lips. Mari struggled for a moment, pulling away from him but when they parted for the briefest of seconds, it felt like an eternity had passed and they hadn't seen each other for a hundred years. Wrapping an arm around his neck, Mari pulled him against her, kissing him passionately.
Rob put his hands around Mari's slender waist, their warm breath intermingling as he lowered her against his bed. His hands slipped up her back, enjoying the feeling of her warm skin before both jumped with a knock to the door. "Rob? Is everything alright in there?" Mari blinked hard, in a daze from their kiss and was shocked when Rob was ushering her into the secret passageway. "I'll be with you in a moment...." he whispered, shutting the panel. Nodding, Mari was grateful for the moment of quiet contemplation. Her heart was still thudding wildly in her chest and she clamped a hand over her tingling lips to make sure Michelle didn't hear her loud breathing.
'What a kiss....' she thought to herself. And dear god! She had kissed him back!! Leaning back against the wall, Mari shut her eyes and managed to control herself when Rob opened the door again. She heard his footsteps coming closer and a small oil lamp came on giving just enough light to see each other. Even though it was mostly dark, Rob could tell Mari was blushing beyond reason. Rob jammed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. "Sorry...I'm just---you were so close----I'm so sorry..." Mari moved up a stair to be level with him. "Don't be sorry....that was a great kiss. I just wish you had warned me."
Rob grinned and smiled before they heard pounding on the laundry room door downstairs. Mari's eyes went big and she slipped quickly and quietly down the steps, ripping off her shirt and tossing it in the dryer, starting it up. Unlocking the door, Mari peeked her head out. "Mari, dear, why's the door locked?" Michelle asked, her face drawn with worry. Mari pretended to look confused for a moment before jumping in realization. "Oh! You see, I needed to dry my own shirt and I didn't want Rob coming in here with my shirt off." Michelle nodded. "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. I was just checking to see if you were okay."
Mari nodded and as soon as the door was shut and locked, she let out a sigh of relief. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, making Mari jump. Turning she saw Rob and gave a small giggle. Rob smiled softly but didn't giggle back. His fingers played along the base of her spine, his hands hot against her skin. Gulping, Mari leaned up, gently brushing her lips over his. Rob remained gentle, occasionally trapping her lip and biting making her yelp for the briefest of moments before she sank in his arms.
Afraid perhaps he might've hurt her, he swung Mari up into his arms, taking her to sit on the dryer. Hanging her head, Mari took in deep breaths, Rob resting his forehead against hers. "I've never---ever----been kissed like that...." Rob sighed and lifted her chin, kissing her gently. "I think you liked it...." Mari smiled. "I won't lie, I did. God, did I ever." Rob's eyes went big as Mari threw her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately and surprising him with a little tongue. Slowly he relaxed and for the last 10 minutes of the dryer's cycle, both Rob and Mari could feel more shaking then the dryer beneath them.