A/N: I love overbearing parents and have been watching a new show that gave me this idea haha :) Enjoy xx Mariah

Jim - 43
Melinda - 39
Ned - 17
Katie - 14
Henry - 14
Aaron - 10
Mackenzie - 4


Katie leaned against the brick wall of Grandview High, waiting for her boyfriend Henry to meet her. They had made a habit to walk home together every Friday since she didn't have dance rehearsal and they lived on the same street, plus today he was coming over to her house to practice lines before her audition for the school play.

Henry always took his time after school, meandering through the hallways and chatting with his friends. Katie had been considering walking home and just waiting for him to come over because he was so slow.

It's only mid-October, so the late summer warmth still washed over Grandview. From a distance, she caught a slight glimpse of Ned Banks making his way to his truck in the student parking lot. She knew he'd put a lot of work into this summer with her dad, mostly because the eyesore had been parked in her driveway all summer and her mom had been complaining about it.

Thankfully, Ned had gotten a paint job and it looked nice now with a navy blue coat.

A gust of wind blew air into his sleeveless Grandview Football shirt and khaki pants. When his chiseled chest came into view, her breath caught her throat and she had to remind herself that she had a boyfriend. Henry. So cute and on the football team too.

When Henry hadn't come out after another ten minutes and the humidity got worse, she looked over to see Ned was still in the parking lot chatting with his friends. Despite wanting to keep her space from him because of her crush, Katie kicked her feet off the brick wall in frustration and ran over there.

Henry usually never took this long and she was sick of waiting. He'd probably already left.

"Hey, will you give me a ride home?" She asked as she approached Ned. "My bag is full of history and math books, which is really heavy and I don't wanna walk in the heat. I might have some gas money if you need it."

"Don't worry about it," Ned said, waving to his friends and taking her backpack off her and putting it in the bed of his truck. "Hop in."

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Where's Henry?" He asked as he put his key in the ignition.

"He was taking forever to come out, so I got tired of waiting." She sighed, rolling her eyes as she sent off a text to him that her mom had come to get her. It was better to tell him that then she'd gotten a ride with Ned. "He's probably just talking to his friends or something. We were supposed to walk home."

"Don't you guys walk home every Friday?" He asked.

"Yeah. Plus we're running lines for the play today," she sighed.

"Ooh la la," he laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Running lines for Beauty and Beast at your house? Your dad is going to allow that?"

Katie laughed too, sharing her head. "I made sure he was working tonight before I invited Henry over."

"Didn't you hear? He twisted his ankle on his run and is out of work the rest of the week," he said, glancing over at her.

"What? Crap," she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "Now there's no way we'll even get upstairs alone. Ugh, I swear I never get space because they are worried we are gonna have sex or something already."

"Well, they are your parents, Katie. They are going to worry about you forever," he said as he pulled up in front of her house. "Have fun trying to get some alone time."

"Yeah, thanks for the ride." She sighed and grabbed her backpack from the back and ran inside.

The cool air of her house cooled her off instantly as she kicked off her shoes and left her backpack by the door.

Katie spotted her mom in the kitchen where she was making food most likely for her father, who she could see was watching something in the living room. "Hey, mom?" She called out, running into the kitchen.

Her mom looked up from the bread she was lathering mayo on and smiled. "Hey! You're home early," Melinda said happily. "I thought you were going to start walking home with Henry every Friday."

Melinda was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a red shirt with a black blazer, and a pair of unique earrings. Maybe she should start wearing blazers more. Her mom was totally rocking it.

"Yeah, but he ended up taking too long to come out of school so Ned gave me a ride. It was too hot to be waiting that long," she sighed, slipping into the stool in front of her. "I need to ask you for a huge favor."

"Oh, that sucks, but that's nice of Ned to do that. What's up, babe?" Her mom cut the sandwich she was making in half and set out to put the other stuff away. "Wait, are you hungry? I can make you a sandwich if you are."

"Uh, sure." She smiled. "I could eat. Plus I'm waiting on Henry to get here. We are going to read lines in my room, so can you confine dad to the living room? I would greatly appreciate it. I promise to keep the door open as long as we can have some space."

Melinda laughed, setting up another sandwich for her next. "I can try, but I don't think his twisted ankle will stop him from running up those stairs if he wants to do so. What play did the drama club pick this year?" Her mother asked.

"Beauty and the Beast," she said excitedly.

"That's your favorite!" Her mom gasped and stopped making the sandwich. "Who are you gonna try out for?"

"I know it's a longshot for a freshman to get the lead, but I am going to try out for Belle." She laughed, shaking her head and she showed her the lines. "I know I can sing the part, but I need to get more of the lines memorized so maybe that'll get me in."

Melinda was so excited already as she looked them over and then hugged her. "I know you can do it, Katie. Just keep your head held high and make sure to rest your voice the night before the audition," her mom reminded her. "I know too many friends whose voices cracked under pressure because of that, but I'll try to keep an eye on your father and give you two some space. I know how overbearing he can be, but no promises. Just try to remember he only cares so much about you."

She sighed, "I know."


An hour after Henry arrived Jim was itching to try and climb the stairs without his crutches. "What do you think they are doing up there?" He asked, turning his head as if he had x-ray vision to see up the stairs.

"Care to explain why you are so worried?" She laughed, shaking her head at him.

"Nah," he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Maybe we should just tell her she can't date until college."

"Jim, our daughter is fourteen and we agreed to let her start dating in high school," she slid over toward him more and wrapped her arm around him to turn his head back the other way.

"I regret that decision entirely," he sighed. "It was made under pressure."

She laughed at his antics. "Calm down, Jim. You're going to give me a migraine."

He sighed, "Sorry. I'm just worried. Teenage boys have a one-track mind, and Katie's far too pretty like you for me not to worry."

They had been trying to decide on a movie to watch but her husband was too preoccupied with what their daughter was doing upstairs. Mackenzie was playing with her toys and Aaron was outside with his friends in the yard.

"Yeah, she's got my face, plus your height and my body before children ruined it." She groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I think your body is damn fine, Mel," he grinned, leaning in to chastely kiss her.

"Besides the point," she muttered, smiling at him. "Stop trying to change the subject and whoo me."

"I just don't like the pace it's going at. They are running lines for a romantic play in her room and we are down here in the living room," he sighed and shook his head again. "Anything could happen."

"She's growing up and we need to let her be independent," she replied and rolled her eyes. "You need to give Katie more credit. I trust her. Don't you?"

"You're right," he sighed. "I do. I trust her. I don't trust Henry because he's on the football team." Just then Katie's laughter floated down the stairs and Jim itched his neck. "See! Laughter! Not a good sign."

"Oh, honey... should we be happy he makes her laugh?" She said, trying to make the best of it.


Katie looked over the script as her eyes fidgeted over the boy on her bed. Her boyfriend's brown hair was combed to one side and styled with gel as always. Just the way she liked it.

When he smiled at her, she knew he was waiting for her to read over the next part they were going to read. It was the end scene when the Beast finally regained his image again and kissed Belle.

"Ready?" Henry asked, flattening his sweaty hands over his jeans.

"Yes," she said, glancing over the lines again with a little laugh. "You start, remember?"

Henry laughed and nodded, "Yes, sorry," he said, clearing his throat as he looked down at the paper. "You came back," he said, trying to sound surprised.

"If only I'd come sooner," she said worriedly, locking eyes with him as they shared a smile.

"Maybe it's better this way," he said softly, shaking his head.

"No! Don't talk like that," she interrupted him, putting her finger to his mouth to shush him and both of her hands on his shoulders to pull them closer. "We're together now, everything will be fine."

"At least I get to see you, one last time," he said, reaching up to hold her one of her hands.

"No," she gasped, moving closer to him. "No, please! Don't leave me. I love you."

"Belle?" He gasped, looking over himself. "It's me! Can't you see?"

"It is you," she breathed out slowly, licking her lips as she smiled at him.

At that moment, his lips came to meet hers. Katie pressed her mouth slightly harder against Henry's in response, but the pace of their lips colliding remained slow.

She took mental snapshots of everything about this moment; the way his hand touched her cheek, or how he laughed a little as her hand ran over the back of his neck. She especially tried to focus on how exquisite his mouth felt against hers; starting from the warmth of his lips down to the way their knees touched.

She was lost in the kiss as his arms came to rest around her waist. She shifted her weight to better position herself, and this led to her breasts brushing against his chest. Her hand moved slightly up his neck and through his hair as their tongues met for a moment before they parted.

He brought his hand up to her cheek and gently caressed it. "That was nice," he whispered.

Katie's cheeks and lips were bright red. She already missed the warmth of his arms. She just wanted to continue kissing until she heard the creak of the stairs as someone crossed the second landing. A tell-tale sign one of her parents or siblings was probably coming to check on them in the next thirty seconds.

"Yes, it was a nice first kiss," she said, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "I think we should take a break before my parents come in."

"Good idea," he laughed, moving back slightly and crossing his legs. "I have some English homework. Think you could help?"

"Sure," she nodded and leaned back on her elbows on her bed. "Pull it the assignment out."


When her mom had come up to bring them each a soda, Katie knew she most-likely was only doing it to appease her father and to also check up on her for her own mental stability as well. But it had been only for a moment and on her way out, Melinda pulled the door closed slightly.

Her mom had left a big enough crack for her bed to be seen from the stairs, but still, it gave her a sense of trust from her.

However, the moment they both heard the squeak of the second landing as she went downstairs they were desperate to familiarize each other with the feel of their lips. Her heart skipped too many beats when his hands moved to hold her jaw. So soft, so delicate, his fingers cradling her like she's special and like he cared about her.

Her chest hurts but Katie pushed on because Henry was giving her a piece of himself she never thought she'd have from anyone. The only person she'd wanted this from before was Ned, and that was too much to think about right now with another person's lips on hers.

She pulled him forward as they kiss, her hand moving to tangle in his hair - smooth like satin, like soft-spun silk. He pulled away after a mere beat or two.

Henry made a distressed sound before his eyes fluttered open, still dazed, still relaxed against her. "Are you sure that was your first kiss?" he asked, voice husky. She bit back a smile. "Because wow."

"You're not so bad yourself," she teased and stroked her fingers through his hair. Their foreheads bump against one another as they exchange life and breath, eyes meeting and lingering there for a second too long.

It makes him lean in to kiss her again, his lips soft velvet against hers, and Katie wasted no time in melting into it. His hands slid up and down her sides as they tried to get closer and closer to each other, his warmth seeping and molding with hers until she felt like they're one and the same. Until she doesn't know who was deepening the kiss, until his hand became a vital part of her she didn't want to live without.

She knows this isn't real, she knows she can't get used to it, can't let it become a part of life as vital to her as breathing. He was just a boy. They had just started dating and she couldn't get too attached because if he found out about that secret part of her didn't think he would react too kindly.

But it's too late because she can't tell where she ended and he began, all she knew was the warmth of his lips as they moved against hers. She parted from him when her lungs scream and bleed and her heart rang in her ears loud enough she could barely hear anything else. She smiled at him and he moved a hand to cup her jaw. "I really like you," he confesses. "I'm glad you're my girlfriend."

Like a kitten she nuzzled into it and closed her eyes, lips red and plump from so many kisses. Up close he could see makeup around her eyes oh so clearly, can count the numberless freckles on her face and see her dimples as she smiled against his thumb.

"I really like you too," she said and cracked open an eye. She both broke out into giggles and they clutched at each other, her head moving to rest against his shoulder and his own against her hair. "That was…" She laughed breathlessly again. "Wow."

"That's my line, Katie," he said and nuzzled her hair. He released a breath.

"That was the most amazing kiss I've ever had." She flushed and hid her smile in his denim jacket. She had nothing to compare him to, but still, it was her honest truth.

"Shush, you. You've never been kissed before," he teased as she dipped her hands beneath his jacket to push it off his shoulders.

"You got that one right," she said, smiling. "Honestly, you asked the wrong girl out."

He laughed and shrugged the jacket off, letting it drop to the ground. "The right girl, you mean." She glanced up at the side of his face from under her eyelashes and rolled her eyes. "If that's you sucking at it, I'm jealous of the guy who'll kiss you when you're good at it."

She paused and stayed quiet. "…You should be, he'll be one lucky guy," she said, voice light and playful as her heart sunk painfully. Right. In the heat of the moment - now that Henry was holding her against his chest and she can feel the echo of his thundering heartbeat against her palm - she almost forgets about that.

He stilled and pulled back, sitting up beside her now. "He really will be." He gulped and gave a stiff nod.

Heavy silence reigned in the room. Katie can't stand it crawling up her back, leaving spiderwebs in its wake as it gets louder and louder. The warmth inside her simmered off into a faint flame, barely felt in the deep of her stomach.

Their eyes meet and she wanted to say so much - wanted to tell him how much he'd hurt her when he forgot about her in front of the high school today, how he filled a special place in her heart no one can take away, how she wanted nothing more than the to be with him and to be happy and see his smile every day if he'd let her.

She decided to kiss him instead.