When Lightning Strikes...Again
A/N: New name, new story. I loved writing this and hopefully I might actually finish this one…anyway, hope you enjoy it.
"Mum," I said with a smile, not getting up, "Dad. Glad you're here. I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Rob."
To say they looked shocked would have been an understatement. Shocked was not the word for it, the word for it was probably more along the lines of 'totally and utterly gob smacked'. Well that's five words but you get my drift. In that split second the whole room was deathly silent, probably the quietest I have ever heard anyone there ever be. Except maybe Doug and Tasha, they're both pretty quiet anyway. Then suddenly Doug, Tasha, Mike and Claire all shuffled out of the room, Mike muttering something about not wanting to get caught in the middle.
Rob grabbed my hand, we could all feel the tension, and believe me, it helped calm me down. But you know, who could be stressed when your hot, eighteen year old, bike riding, some what illegal boyfriend is holding your hand? Not me. Although I was getting slightly worried about what my parents were going to say about the aforementioned boyfriend. My dad was the first one to snap out of it, he stepped forward and held his hand out.
"Hi Rob, I'm Joe Mastriani. You're Rob Wilkins aren't you? Mary's son?" (A/N: Obviously he knew that he was Rob, he just wanted to know about the Wilkins part…even though he knew that already. He was just confirming it) Rob reached out to shake my dad's hand. I guess it's good that they were being all polite and stuff but unfortunately this meant that Rob had to let go of my hand to shakes my dad's. Darn. Hey, I wonder if Dad did that on purpose…?
Rob answered Dad's question with an ever polite, "Yes, sir." Who knew he had such good manners? Well, me actually, since he's always really nice to his mum and everything, but whatever.
My mum was still staring, and blinking a lot like she couldn't believe what she was seeing and was trying to clear her vision. Dad sent a look in her direction and she finally spoke, only it didn't make sense so technically didn't count as actually saying anything.
"What…but…it…a…in…the…" I don't have a clue what she was going on about but, judging by the look on her face, neither did she. She continued to stutter until Dad fixed her with a stern look and she snapped her mouth shut. "Er…Antonia Mastriani, nice to meet you."
She didn't sound like it was nice to meet him but Rob replied with "You too, Mrs Mastriani." I noticed Mum didn't offer to shake his hand. Rob did though because, as I said before, that's just how he is, ever the gentlemen. Mum shook Rob's hand, although she didn't look too happy about it, before speaking again.
"Well I think it's time for us to go now. Come on Jess." She made sure I knew she wanted me to come too, not that she needed to.
"It's ok Mum, I'll be there in a few minutes. I won't be long." She didn't look too happy about that and it looked like she was about to protest but Dad grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the room, whilst saying that he'd see me in a minute and they'd be waiting in the car.
Once they had left the room, Rob took my hand again.
"Well," He started, "That was…interesting."
I nodded, "Yeah…although I'm not sure 'interesting' is the right word for it though. I'd say 'a disaster' would work better. I'm sorry for not introducing you sooner, Rob. I'm not ashamed of you, I'm really not. It's just that I'm going to be in a shit load of trouble now." Rob gave me a sympathetic look, it was so cute. But all Rob's looks are cute, even when he's pissed at me.
"I apologise in advance for any trouble I may have got you in. I'm sure it won't be that bad though." I didn't say anything in reply, just lay back, leaning my head on his chest. We were silent for a minute before I giggled. Seriously, I, Jessica Mastriani, giggled.
"I still can't believe you got hit with a mashed potato bowl." You have to admit it was pretty funny, if you look past the fact that at the moment he was hit I was absolutely petrified, it was pretty damn funny. I mean, how random is a mashed potato bowl?
"Jessica Mastriani," He sounded so serious, but when I looked into those smokey-greys of his (A/N: Is it just me or does that make him sound like bacon? Or smoked salmon or something?) I could see that he thought it was funny, "Are you laughing at me?" I thought about how to answer that for a second, should I just deny it?
"Of course not. I'd never do that, Hank." I used the name I'd given him back at the True Americans compound.
He snorted, "Ginger." I don't know where this new playful mood came from, but I like it.
"Mashed potatoes." I said in a sing-song voice.
"Oh sure, make fun of the guy with the head injury, why don't you? You're not helping me get any better you know."
"Aw, poor thing." I kissed his bandage before looking at my watch, "I'd better go. I've kept them waiting five minutes already. I don't need to be in trouble for making them sit out in the car as well as everything else."
"Jess, I told you, they can't be that angry. Ok, go. Leave me in my bed of pain."
I snorted, "What pain? I bet they have you pumped full of drugs."
"Not for a small gash, Mastriani. They did give me some painkillers though. You're right, it doesn't hurt a bit."
"I knew it. Ok, I'm going." I gave him a quick kiss goodbye, at least it was supposed to be quick. Maybe it was a little longer than intended.
And then I exited the hospital to face my doom.
The car ride home was completely and utterly silent. No one said a word. Seriously, I was at least expecting to be reprimanded for taking so long to get out to the car, but no. Not a word, from anyone. Mike wasn't there since he had gone home with Claire, but Douglas was since Tasha had got a lift home with her dad, and even he didn't say anything. He gave me this weird look whenI got in the car but that was it.
As much as I wanted to I couldn't take the silence as a good thing. I would have liked for it to mean that I had gotten away with everything but I knew it wasn't going to happen. I mean I did a lot of stuff that I really shouldn't have done. Or I guess I should have since a whole lot of good came out of it but it was a whole lot of stuff that my parents didn't want me doing. I mean come on, yes it was all for a good cause but I tried to stop some murderers on my own (well not completely on my own but without the help of the police) and not for the first time either. And I dragged Rob into it. Not that my parents would care about that, but I'm kind of feeling bad about it, you know being the cause of his injury and everything. Even if the end result was getting to hear him call me his girlfriend, an invitation to his Uncle's wedding and a whole lot of making out. Not to mention the fact that he likes me too much. Although how you can like someone too much I'll never know. Oh well, next stop, those three little words.
So anyway, when we arrived home everyone piled out of the car and trooped into the house. I tried to slink up the stairs, unnoticed, but alas, it didn't work. Just as I was about to start up the stairs Mum barked my name. I don't mean she sounded like a dog, I just mean she said my name sharply.
"Jessica. Don't even think about sneaking off upstairs. Your father and I want to talk to you about that boy." Dad gave her a look like 'do I?' like she hadn't informed him that she wanted to talk to me, and that he'd be there too. I hoped that calling Rob 'that boy' wouldn't become a habit with Mum.
I stopped in my tracks and followed my parents into the sitting room. My parents sat down on the couch, leaving me to sit on my own in an armchair. Oh God, it already felt like I was being interrogated. It was only a matter of time before they were shining a light in my face and doing 'good cop, bad cop'. I swallowed hard, I don't know why I was worried really. Even if they banned me from seeing him it's not like that would stop me. I managed to sneak out on thanksgiving didn't I? But still their permission might be nice, I can't help feeling a little guilty for making them so worried.
"Jess, how long have you been seeing that boy?"
I rolled my eyes, "His name is Rob, Mum."
"Answer my question, Jessica." She snapped. I think I caught Dad rolling his eyes then, wouldn't be surprised, he didn't seem to want to do this anymore than I did.
"A while, maybe since…the last few weeks of summer." Mum looked shocked to say the least, although I don't know why, it wasn't that long.
"That long without telling us, Jessica? So he was the same boy from the police station a few months ago?" I nodded, "And you must have been dating him when we saw him with his mother at the mall…I knew you were acting strange. Why didn't you tell me who he was?" I thought she didn't like him, why would she have wanted to know who he was? And anyway, as I recall, I already told her who he was.
"I did. As you said, he's 'the same boy from the police station' and I remember telling you then who he was." Mum didn't seem impressed, in fact she seemed pretty angry.
"Why didn't you introduce us then, Jessica? In fact you shouldn't even have considered going out with him before asking us first." I opened my mouth to object but Dad got there first, speaking for the first time since Mum started talking.
"Come on Toni, don't be so harsh on her. Rob's a nice lad, if being Mary's son is anything to go by. And he seemed pretty nice back at the hospital. Give him a chance." Well said, Dad.
Mum looked slightly shocked that Dad disagreed with her. Before exclaiming, "But he has a motorcycle. And he's eighteen years old. He's already finished school!" How my mother knew any of this I will never know. I guess it's because she talks to Mrs Wilkins. "I bet he even in college. Does he go to college, Jess?"
I shook my head, I had yet to speak much, "No but-"
"You see, he doesn't even go to college!"
"Toni, I know plenty of people who didn't go to college, but they're still decent, intelligent people with good jobs. Eighteen is nothing, it's just two years older than Jess," This is what I've been telling Rob for ages, unfortunately he has yet to believe me, "And as for the motorbike, that doesn't mean anything. I used to have a motorbike." My mouth dropped open. No. Way. Dad? A Motorbike? No way!
"You? You had a motorbike? Yeah right." I scoffed, Dad with a motorbike, oh sure.
"It's true, Jess. Is that so hard to believe?" Yes. Yes it is. I was about to point this out buy Mum spoke first.
"That's different, Joe. You didn't…you were-" She was cut off by Dad who felt the need to interrupt, well if he hadn't done it, I would have.
"It isn't any different, Toni and you know it. Rob's a good kid, despite the fact that he doesn't go to college, rides a motorbike and works at a garage. And don't start up about that," Dad stopped Mum before she even had time to start, "You knew he worked at a garage. You were told that day at the police station." Mum opened her mouth to speak again, then closed it, then opened it and closed it again. She looked like a fish.
"But-"
"No buts, Toni. Rob's a good kid and I think it's fine for Jess to keep seeing him. Now what do you say?" Mum looked like she was going to protest again but then she changed her mind.
"Fine. She can keep seeing him, but there are going to be some rules." Dad nodded.
"Of course there will be rules, I never said there wouldn't be rules."
Damn. Well it had to stop somewhere, it's not like I was expecting them to let me run rampant around town, drinking and taking drugs. Not that I would ever do that, I would never do that. Nor would Rob, I hope. Unless that's what he's on probation for but…nah. Rob wouldn't do that. He's too much of a sweetie. On the inside obviously as he doesn't like to show it too often. It probably damages the whole bad boy image he's got going on, the same one my mum seems to have been fooled by.
He's really nothing like the impression you get when you look at him, or his motorbike. Or find out that he doesn't go to college and is working in his uncle's garage. Or that teeny tiny fact that he's on probation. It's not like any of that matters anyway, sure he rides a motorbike but he doesn't exceed the speed limit, at least not within the city limits. And ok, he's finished school and didn't choose to go to college. Or maybe he just can't afford to go to college. But he has a good job, which I'm assuming is well paid, and he's good at what he does. And it's not like probations a big deal. Well obviously it's a big deal but it doesn't really matter. Not to me. I'd still like to know what it was for though.
The point is that ok, he got arrested but it couldn't have been that bad or he would have gone to jail, right? And he obviously regrets what he did, whatever that may be. I'll get it out of him some day. He can't resist my skills of persuasion. He likes me too much. I still can't believe he said that. Rob likes me too much. Sure it's no love but it isn't far off.
Anyway, there were indeed rules. Really unfair ones too, I had to do some negotiating.
"Rule number one: no going out on school nights." Oh great, this was fun already.
"What? Oh come on, not at all? Not even if I finish all my homework first and come home at a reasonable time?" I argued, putting the emphasis on reasonable, letting them know that they had to be reasonable too and a reasonable time was not something like six O'clock.
My dad sighed, "Fine. But we want proof that you've done all your homework. And you have to be back at eight."
"Eight? That's way too early. Ten?"
"That's far too late for a school night, Jess and you know it. Half past eight."
"Half nine?" I asked hopefully.
"Nine." I knew I couldn't get any further, I could have tried for quarter past eight but I doubt they'd see why an extra fifteen minutes would matter so much. An extra fifteen minutes with Rob.
"Fine." It wasn't fine, nine O'clock, how early is that?
"Rule number two," Only two, boy this was going to take a long time, "No getting out of family plans for a date with Rob. Or to go out with anyone else for that matter." I saw Mum cringe at the word 'date'. That one was fair enough, I guess family stuff is important…unless it involves Aunt Rose. I just shrugged, then nodded.
"Rule three: your curfew on weekends is ten O'clock." Don't tell me we had to go through this again?
"Midnight? Please, please, please?"
Both my parents frowned, before my dad announced, "Eleven. No later, and no arguing this time."
I huffed, fine, be that way. Eleven? This bites. I'm sixteen years old. Maybe I should have said one, and then they might have said midnight. I knew it was no use arguing this time, it was final and there was nothing I could do about it.
"Rule four," There's more? "You don't go out without telling us where you're going and when you'll be back." I'm pretty sure that was already a rule but whatever. I don't know where Mum and Dad were coming up with this. I mean Dad was doing all the talking but Mum seemed to agree without them discussing it or anything. They probably talked about it before.
"Right, is that it then?" I asked, this was getting really old, really fast.
"Yes, for now." Mum answered, before Dad put in, "But we want to meet Rob properly. Maybe you should invite him for dinner sometime." Mum looked shocked at this suggestion. God Mum, chill out a little.
"No, no, no. I won't have him in my house. I'm not really happy about Jessica seeing him but I'll put up with it. I will not however have him coming around here for all the neighbours to see." (A/N: Hey Jude…hehe I'm listening to the beatles…) What? What is he, a messy room? Close the curtains; we don't want all the neighbours to see. My Mum is stupid sometimes. And she can be really narrow minded.
"Mum! What am I supposed to do, hide Rob? And if someone asks who he is, am I supposed to say 'Oh no one. He's just this Grit who hangs around. Don't mind him'?" There was a pause before I heard Mum mutter "That doesn't sound too bad."
"Mum I heard that you know. What is your problem with Rob? It's not like he rides his bike illegally or anything, he has a license. And ok, he doesn't go to college, but have you thought maybe he can't afford it? His Mum's only a waitress." Not that they didn't know that already since Mrs Wilkins is currently working in one of Dad's restaurants (A/N: Anyone know which one? I could go and find out but it would mean getting out of my chair.), "Besides he has a well paid job, that he enjoys, I don't see why he has to go to college." Mum looked exasperated, like she'd already explained this to me a thousand times.
"Jessica, he cannot just work at a garage his whole life. And anyway, even in mechanics, how far can you get without qualifications?"
"No one ever said that he would spend his whole life working in his uncle's garage." I decided it was best not to tell Mum about Rob wanting to open a garage of his own, "Besides, Rob's saving his money, maybe one day he can use it to go to college." Not likely, he was probably more likely to use the money on said garage, but Mum seemed to buy it. I noticed that Dad wasn't saying much now, he seemed to be pretty good at laying down the rules but Mum was the one that was always questioning, never happy.
"I suppose…but Jessie, he's so much older than you. I don't trust him." Now she was trying the worried mother tactic. I'm sure that she is worried but it just seems kind of fake when she does that.
"Mum, it's two years. Two years is nothing." Again, I wish Rob would believe this. He does seem to be giving in though, never mind that he is doing so very, very slowly.
"But Jess, it might seem like nothing but it is a lot. Rob is the same age as your big brother." Ew, I don't want to think of it like that, thanks.
"I don't see how it makes any difference. As long as me lo-like each other, why should it matter how he is?"
Woops, almost let slip the big L word then. That would have been a disaster. It's bad enough that Rob doesn't like me saying it, or you know he could have but going by how he reacted last time, which was to kiss me passionately, but to shut me up not because he loved me right back and was really happy. So if Rob can't handle those three little words how the heck will my parents? They would completely flip. I mean Mum obviously hates Rob and Dad may act like he's fine with everything but to be honest I think he's trying to convince himself that Rob and I are just friends. Before this was true, although I told myself he was my boyfriend I sure as hell wouldn't have told anyone else. So technically it wasn't official until I'd told everyone. But now I had. And Rob was my boyfriend, which would have been perfect if no one cared and everyone stopped going on about it.
"Well, no Jessica, I know it's only two years but-"
I cut her off, "Ok, I get it. Too old, not enough going to college, too much working at a garage, too much riding a motorbike. Ok, you have repeated those same points over and over again. I understand what you're trying to say. However, none of what you have said has made the slightest bit of difference. I have not changed my mind about seeing Rob."
Mum sighed, "No, I didn't think I could. But it was worth a try."
"So can I go now? I'm really tired, I wanna take a nap."
"Fine, Jessie, go. Please think about the things we said." We? What we?
I almost ran up the stairs. That was excruciatingly painful. What an…interesting…conversation…
A/N: YAY! A new story from me. I really enjoyed writing this. Looks like Angel Face has been a bit of a flop cos I can't think of anything to do with it. Got writers block on my mediator story but something will come to me. Hope you liked this, it's almost eight pages in Word. Next chapter soon hopefully. Maybe not as I do all my writing on the train home from school and then I have to type it up so it takes a while but…meh. Hope you liked this.
