Hi everybody! I'm back with a new update just out of the oven! :) Big thanks to all of you who took the time to review my fic, you're SO nice! I appreciate every single one of your kind words.
I hope you all enjoy the following chapter.
cookme25: thank you for letting me know. We don't have such rating system in my country so I don't really know how it works. I just changed it.
….
CHAPTER 11
"Rach, phone!" I hear my sister Jill's voice from downstairs. I put down the nail polish and run down towards the living room.
"who is it?"
"some…Eric"
"Eric?" I frown in confusion, searching in my head for a known face to put to that unfamiliar name. I take the receiver from her hands still wondering. "hello?"
"hey..." His unmistakable voice draws a huge smile on my face.
"hey you" I manage to say through my ample smile.
"how are you?"
"wait a sec" I cover the receiver and turn to my annoying sister who, of course, is still next to me, ears well opened in hopes to catch new information that she could use later to blackmail me. I know her too well. "I've got the phone, you can go now" I say with intended edginess.
"who's Eric? Your new boyfriend?" she asks casually, as if my previous sentence had been intended for the wall behind her.
"Go-a-way"
"only if you let me wear your black miniskirt this weekend" she says putting her hands on her hips.
"deal" I immediately accept. "bye-bye now" I see her smile proudly and leave the living room with joyful little jumps. I quickly close the door and let my weight fall on the couch as the smile reappears on my face. "sorry I kept you waiting, had to get rid of a bug"
"one of your sisters?"
"bingo!"
"so…are we bug-free now?"
"hu-uh"
"I miss you…" he says in the sweetest tone of voice.
"aw, I miss you too…Eric!" I hear his cute laugh on the other side of the line "what's this name change due to mister?"
"just in case your father picked up the phone, you scared the hell out of me the other day"
"smart move, so from now on I should call you Eric on the phone?"
"you better, you don't want to put my life at risk, do you?" I giggle at his seriousness.
"I think I exaggerated a little, he is not THAT bad"
"can I see you this afternoon?" Ross suddenly says, making it sound more like a beg rather than a question.
"gosh, I really would love to…but I'm afraid I can't today, my mom wants me to accompany her to some social activity at the country club, boring to death but I can't get out from it" I say resentful. "I'm sorry sweetie"
"damn…just when I'm all alone at home"
"don't tell me that please, god knows I'd love to there with you right now, what about tomorrow? Tomorrow I'm all free for you"
"Rachel! Monica is here" I hear my mom's voice yell from afar. I quickly stand up from my spot in the living room couch.
"honey I'll call you back, I think your sister is here, love you, bye" Monica is here? I turn around to find both of them entering the living room side by side.
"Rach!" Monica exclaims the moment she sees me and quickens her pace to throw her arms around me in an enthusiastic tight hug. "why didn't you pick up my calls!" she reprimands but then her tone softens "I've miss you SO much"
"you've missed her?" my mom says in a chuckle "you spent the whole weekend together"
"we have?" she whispers in my ear as she breaks the embrace and gives me a look of confusion. I smile as I try to block my nervousness from showing.
"of course you can't remember, you slept through most of Leslie's pajama party" I say with a special warning tone we both invented long time ago for situations like this one.
"oh yeah…I just…get so sleepy when I put my pjs on, I'm helpless" she says turning to my mom and shrugging "anyway, I've come to invite you to our annual summer farewell BBQ we're having tomorrow at our house" she says with an exciting smile.
"oh great! I'd love to go" yes! And another ten thousand times yes!
"you're also invited to come Mrs Green, my parents would love to see you and Dr Green there" what the did she just say?
"oh, thank you darling, we'll be there, haven't seen your parents in a long while, It'd be nice to catch up" NOOOO, why Monica! This is just great, now not only will we have to hide from his family but also mine! This sucks.
"how was Orlando, by the way?" my mom's voice creeps into my rambling thoughts and my inner voice warns me to stop this conversation as soon as possible, otherwise all my lies will be discovered sooner rather than later.
"oh it was charming! We loved-" I immediately give Monica a nudge to make her aware of her slip of tongue "I mean, they loved it there, for what they've told me…" I see my mom about to open her mouth again so I take the chance to quickly grab Mon's arm and pull of her.
"let's go to my room Mon, I bought some new dresses I need to show you, excuses us mom"
"oh, alright. Nice to see you again Monica"
"likewise" she yells as I pull of her towards the stairs.
….
"what was that all about?" Monica asks as soon as we're safely inside my bedroom.
"why did you have to invite my parents!" I can't avoid telling in a rather irritated tone.
"I didn't, my parents did and we spent the weekend together?" she says crossing her arms above her chest and rising her eyebrow in an –explain this to me- look.
"yeah…"
"you better have some explanation because the last I knew from you was that little note you wrote telling me what a jerk I had for a brother and then you vanished from earth"
"I'm sorry about that, it's a long story…I don't have time to explain everything right now, but if anybody asks you, specially either of my parents, I spent the night at your house because you were afraid to be by yourself, that's for Friday night, and on Saturday we threw a pajama party for Ashley who is supposedly leaving, got it?"
"what are you hiding?" she asks as she eyes me suspiciously; I move my eyes away, knowing that if I maintain her gaze she'll be able to read me like a wide open book.
"nothing" I murmur.
"were you with Chip? I thought you had the intention to break up with him"
"and I did! don't worry, he is old news to me"
"then who did you spend the weekend with?" she says with bigger confusion.
"with…my friends, you know, Mindy…and Leslie" I say, sounding everything except believable.
"and you expect me to buy that?"
"you know what, let's talk about that later" I say motioning my hands "oh hey, did you see your love yet?" I quickly say, hoping that with the mention of her adored boyfriend she will drop my issue.
"no…but he will be at the BBQ tomorrow, Ross invited him" she says with a blinding smile, which I unconsciously repeat myself when his name is mentioned.
"I bet you're dying to see him"
"big time, but it sucks that we won't be able to be with one another…openly"
"why don't you just tell your brother already? You've been dating for quite some time…it's getting serious…and I'm sure Ross will be happy to know you're with a good guy like Chandler"
"we've thought about it…the thing is, we enjoy having this secret for ourselves…it makes it more special you know?" I think I know yes. I nod my head knowingly.
"…then I'll have to make sure you two get to sneak away for a while tomorrow" I say as I add a conspiratorial wink. The smile that appears on her face fills the room with pure joy.
"Thank you Rach" she says giving me a hug "anyway…I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow at the BBQ" she says as she begins to walk towards the door but then something clicks in her mind as she turns around with a concerned look in her eyes "oh! What about you and Ross? Will you be able to act civilly around our parents?" I hold my breath as I think of the right words to express that everything is okay without making it sound "too okay".
"sure! in fact, I-I ran into him the other day and…he apologized to me"
"really?" she says shocked.
"yeah, apparently SOMEONE told him I was being forced to tease him" her cheeks instantly turn a deep red shade.
"…I'm sorry about that…I only meant-"
"it's okay" I say placing my hand on her shoulder to calm her down "to be honest I feel relieved that you did, because now I can go to your house without dreading a quarrel with your damn brother"
"good! so…everything is alright…you're back to friends" you could say that.
"hu-huh"
"never thought this day would come" she says in a chuckle.
"yeah, me neither" I join her.
"well, then see you tomorrow" The moment Monica leaves, I check that neither of my sisters are hidden in the living room and pick up the phone with impatience.
…..
The next day we all, my annoying sisters included, arrive at the Geller's household past 4pm. To my surprise and thrill Ross opens the door, and I have to contain myself not to laugh at his astonished expression when he finds the five of us standing there.
"g-good evening Mrs and Dr Green" his voice trembles slightly "it's a pleasure to see you here" he adds politely. Then he looks at me and I take the chance to playfully wink my eye at him. He instantly blushes and looks away while I hold an imminent giggle.
"Good evening Ross" my mom says with a smile. "how are you?"
"very well; but come on in, everybody is in the yard" We follow him towards the backyard in silent, and I take advantage of the moment to observe my boyfriend's backside without remorse. What, he has a really nice one!
"mmh, Ross has gotten really hot lately, hasn't he?" I hear my 14 years old sister Amy comment in a low voice. I turn to look at her disbelievingly.
"aren't you a little too young to be saying those things?"
"no I'm not, and he is really hot, I bet he has a nice-" I close my eyes fearing the end of that sentence.
"shut up, will you?" I quickly say, trying to forget my youngest sister's words referring MY boyfriend.
We enter the backyard and I immediately spot Monica inside the pool playing volleyball with Chandler. She waves at me as she calls my name. I decide to get closer to the edge of the pool to greet them, but the moment I'm about to do so I hear my mom asking something to Ross, and the curiosity keeps me still.
"So Ross darling, your mom told me you were starting college soon"
"yeah, in little over a week"
"Which degree?" my father asks fair-mindedly. Ross tenses up as he looks in my father's direction and his uneasiness visibly increases.
"Palaeontology" he says clearing his voice.
"what's that about? Playing with animals' bones?" he says, making me want to pouch him.
"Leonard!" my mom reproaches him, and I silently thank her for that.
"what? Isn't that what Palaeontology is about?" he says defensively.
"not play, but study them sir; some people consider this profession useless but the truth is that it's actually a particularly necessary one to help other studies, even in medicine, believe it or not" Ross says with confidence. That's my Ross! I smile in my head at my dad's puzzled expression.
"so you're leaving really soon, are you excited?" My mom continues with the interrogatory.
"very much, but sad at the same time…I'm going to miss my people here"
"Is there a girlfriend among those people?" my mom asks playfully. Ross instantly blushes as he glances at me and then returns to look at my mom.
"yeah…there is a very special girl that I wish I could take with me" my heart melts with his charming words, even though he hasn't told them to me directly.
"Sandra, Leonard! Long time no see" Judy interrupts as she approaches us, closely followed by Jack.
"oh! hello darling! How are you?" my mom says thrilled.
Soon, our parents engage in a conversation and we become invisible to their eyes, which I'm deeply grateful for. My sisters also vanish from my view and only Ross and I are left in that spot of the yard. Our eyes meet and we secretly share an accomplice smile. I want to hug him, kiss him and tell him I missed him. Unfortunately, I have to contain and limit myself to just stare at him because not only our families are there but also a bunch of other neighbours who love to gossip more than anything else.
"Rachel! C'mon get in the pool!" I hear Monica shout. I wrinkle my nose and he smiles knowing exactly why I pull that face, since neither of us wants to be further away than these few inches that are keeping us apart in this moment. I send him a smile and turn to walk towards the pool.
"I'll be right there, let me just put some sunscreen on" I say as I walk towards the deck chairs and get rid of my summer dress. I begin to spread the sunscreen all over my skin while I feel his eyes follow the movements of my hands.
"dude get in and let's have a boys versus girls match!" Chandler tells Ross.
"you two have nothing to do against us, loser!" and competitive Monica has entered the scene people!
"we'll see about that" he replies in her same tone. "c'mon man!"
"okay, just wait a second" he says. From the corner of my eyes I watch how he takes his T-shirt off revealing his perfect, desirable, naked torso and begins to walk in my direction. What the hell is he going to do? I ask in my head, my nerves concentrating in my stomach.
"Can I help you with that?" he asks as he observes my struggles to spread the cream over my back. I stop and look down at the bottle of sunscreen in hesitation and then up at him. He sends me an irresistible smile and winks his eye.
"okay" I softly say as I hand him the bottle and turn around to give him my back. I twist my neck to look over my shoulder towards Monica, who seems very entertained by something Chandler is telling her and luckily she isn't paying the smallest attention to us.
His hands begin to spread the cold liquid over my shoulders with extreme gentleness. The slow motion of his movements and the warmth that his hands transmit to my skin does nothing but heat up my body more than it should. I close my eyes as I feel one of his hands slowly trace down the line of my spine and land on the small of my back, where he extends the rest of the lotion with the same precision and smoothness.
"I'd appreciate it if you were less careful spreading the cream" I murmur as I fight back an involuntary moan.
"why?" he whispers. Even though I can't see his face I know he is his smiling with pride.
"because you're cruelly turning me on and this is not the right place for that" I whisper over my shoulder.
"what? I'm only helping you with the cream, Rach" he says casually but it's clear he is teasing me without mercy.
"yeah right…okay go on, but try not to enjoy this too much, you can get excited too and you won't be able to hide it, if you know what I mean…" I say with a triumphant smile.
"no problem, I can resist you anytime" he murmurs as he then gets closer and moves his fingers to my hips; his dangerous closeness makes his breath brush my neck every time he exhales. But I'm unable to complain or back away, there is a strange force that keeps me near him and powerless under his addictive touch. I close my eyes and decide to enjoy his wonderful hands for a few more seconds before the cream fades within my skin completely. However, my eyes suddenly fly open at the feeling of his lips kissing my shoulders and his hand wandering forward to my stomach.
"Ross!" I scold in a whisper as I quickly take a wide scan of the crowded place we're standing in. "there are plenty of people here, someone could be watching us"
"I-I'm sorry, I-I was drawn by the moment" he apologizes as he moves away from me. "I think we should leave this now"
"yeah, we better" he says taken aback by his own action and I have to chuckle.
"let's get in the pool before these two begin to wonder what's taking us so long" I suggest.
"yeah"
"so you can resist me, uh?" I murmur as we make our way towards the pool.
"shut up" he says, distancing himself from me us we near the pool. He immediately dives into the water without hesitation while I sit at the border of the swimming pool, gradually dipping my legs in the cold water.
"okay let's get the match started" Monica says rubbing her hands in anticipation. But I ignore her for a moment as I watch the group of people chatting, eating and drinking on the other side of the pool. I spot my parents, laughing together with the Gellers, all of them standing in the exact same spot where Ross and I made love for the first time mere two days ago. If they knew that…"God Rachel get in already! We're waiting for you" Monica's piercing voice distracts me from my rambling thoughts.
"geez, what's with the hurry? The water is freaking cold"
We spend a good hour playing volley in the water; a very amusing hour where I got to see how Monica and Chandler sent each other flirty looks the moment Ross wasn't looking. As expected we lost the game, and Monica took it out on me but I didn't make the smallest effort to defend myself. I truly suck at sports, what can I say...
We sit at the table when the sun has already disappeared below the horizon. I exchange glances with Ross throughout dinner, but for the most part I keep my eyes fixed on my plate, trying to control the growing annoyance I feel towards my sister Amy, who was quick enough to get the seat next to Ross and now is blatantly flirting with him before my eyes. For god's sake, you're fourteen! I feel like yelling, but I would probably die of embarrassment when everybody on the table turned to look at me if I did.
Once dinner is over everybody spreads over the yard. I scan the place searching for Ross but is Monica who I find walking towards me instead.
"Rach, please, PLEASE entertain Ross for a while, Chandler and I are gonna have some alone time" she says in a low voice.
"Do I have to?" I say wrinkling my nose, pretending to dislike her idea, which couldn't be further from the truth.
"yes, pleaseee, I-I'll do you a favour whenever you want"
"alright…you owe me a big one though!"
"sure" she says as begins to walk away.
"but wait! Where are you guys gonna be? You know, to avoid going there"
"my room, see you later" she says as she quickly enters the house. Mere seconds later Chandler gets inside as well, walking awkwardly and looking everywhere in a hasty way. I direct my eyes towards the lawn where everybody is and I spot Ross alone, filling his drink. Perfect. I get to where he is, stand next to and I as well fill a cup with the liquid of the first bottle I can reach.
"hey…" he murmurs glancing at me.
"I'm going to the bathroom, meet you there in a minute?" I whisper without lifting my eyes from my cup.
"Absolutely" he whispers back and I walk away with my cup filled. I enter the bathroom and pour the liquid in the sink as I take a look at my reflection in the mirror. I run my fingers through my hair as I wait for him with anxiety. I give a little yelp when some arms encircle my waist from behind and hug me effusively.
"god, I've been dying to do this all day" He says into my ear as he buries his face in my neck and begins to nibble at it. I smile broadly and bring my hands to rest on his head, as my fingers begin to play with his short locks.
"I've missed you so much" I say out of honesty. I turn around on his embrace, grab his cheeks with my hands and kiss his lips with eagerness.
"what were you talking about with my sister at the table?" without even thinking the question leaves my mouth as our lips split. He looks at me estranged but then laughs softly.
"nothing interesting, I think she likes me though…she kept trying to flirt with me" he says in a chuckle but I send him an irritated look.
"you better stay clear from her, she is a total brat!" he chuckles at my seriousness. "what? I'm not kidding"
"are you jealous?" he says teasingly.
"me? jealous? No way, it's just that she is fourteen, you know, she shouldn't be flirting with older boys" I say looking away. Okay I'm jealous, I want you for me, what's the problem with that?
"I like jealous Rachel" he says ignoring my words. I roll my eyes. Then I feel his lips kiss me with such tenderness that I completely give up on the issue. I don't precisely want to waste my little time with him discussing about my silly sister.
"can we go somewhere else? Someone may need this bathroom eventually" I whisper as I sensually run my index finger down his chest.
"you're right, let's go to my bedroom" he says grabbing my hand, but I quickly stop him.
"no! not to your bedroom"
"why?"
"because that's the first place where they'll look for you"
"true…oh wait" he says as he grabs my hand and pulls me out of the bathroom and towards a nearby door. He pushes it open and simultaneously switches the light on as he closes the door. His lips return to kiss mine before I have the chance to check this new, unfamiliar place.
"where are we?" I ask against his mouth, peering at the long, sloping stairs on my left.
"the basement" he murmurs as he kisses the corner of my mouth.
"uh…I don't like basements" I say as I pull a face. He moves away and grabs my hand with a smile.
"This is not the filthy, crammed basement you're thinking of" he says as we descend the stairs to find a neatly organized basement, practically looking like another sitting room with several shelves, a couch, a desk and a keyboard.
"what do you use this room for?" I wonder aloud.
"I use it for my keyboard practise, I'm the only who comes here actually"
"you can play the keyboard?" I ask letting out a small laugh of disbelief.
"yes, and I'm pretty good at it!" he says defensively.
"oh really? I'll have to see that" I say as I wrap my arms around his body from behind and rest my chin on his shoulder.
"any day!...except today" he says twisting his neck to look down at me.
"so why did you bring me here then?" I softly ask as I slide one of my hands down his body and introduce it under the elastic band of his swim trunk. I teasingly begin to stroke him as I observe his dazed expression.
"I don't know…maybe you already have an idea?" he tries to say nonchalantly but the little shakes his body gives betray him.
"maybe" I smile proudly as I close my hand around him and startle him when I begin to stroke him with more intensity. Soon enough, I feel him harden under my touch, something that turns me on a great deal. He whispers something that I don't manage to hear and stops my movements as he turns around and encircles my waist.
"I forgot to tell you…the basement is soundproof" he says with a grin, leaning his forehead against mine as he makes me walk backwards.
"and what do you want to tell me with that?" I whisper with a smirk.
"that we can be as loud as we want that nobody will hear us." He murmurs as he pins me up against the wall behind me and buries his face in my neck, where his lips begin to leave small butterfly kisses.
"y-you know honey, I-I love your idea" I say; my consciousness trying to rule over my awakening hormones. "b-but I don't think this is right…some…one could come and…catch us in the…act" I manage to say but I feel how my body little by little begins to surrender to his wonderful touch.
"relax…nobody will place a foot in this place, plus I locked the door" he says as he slides the straps of my dress down my shoulders and it effortlessly falls to my feet, revealing my sky blue bikini.
"okay, you convinced me" I state as I impatiently grab his T-shirt and quickly pull it up above his shoulders while he skilfully undoes every knot of my bikini, leaving me entirely naked in a matter of seconds.
"Please, tell me you have condoms today" I plead as I feel his mouth fully sucking on one of my breasts and my body shakes with great pleasure. He stops and smiles as he walks towards one of the selves, where he opens a small drawer and takes out a small package.
"here" he says as he returns and shows it to me.
"thank god" I let out as I steal it from his hand. "take those off" I command, pointing at his swim trucks with my eyes while I rip the square package open.
"yes, ma'am" he says in a chuckle. Once the trunks are off I unroll the condom on him and soon enough, he grabs my thighs and surprises me sweeping me off my feet and pressing me against the wall as he enters me with urgency. I gasp at the mixture of pain and pleasure caused by his swift motion.
"sorry" he apologises with a remorseful smile.
"no worries, go on honey" I whisper, my heart already beating out of control. I wrap my legs firmly around him as he begins to push himself into me. His mouth sucks on my neck carelessly while I dig my nails on his back to urge him to pick the pace. Nonetheless, his arms begin to loose strength until he cannot hold me any longer and he has to put me down.
"let's use the couch" I suggest in a breathless whisper.
"no, here" he says as lies on the rug sitting in the centre of the room and takes me down with him.
"here? Isn't it uncomfortable?"
"no more than the wall" he jokes. I soon feel him go deep inside me as I straddle him. His hands rest on my hips and a chill run up my spine. I open my eyes to see him gazing at me with pure lust, which makes me blush heavily.
"move" he orders as he gives a squeeze to my tights and I feel more blood rushing to my cheeks.
"close your eyes" I shyly request.
"why?" he says frowning.
"'cause you looking at me like that make me feel self-conscious" I admit as I run my fingers up and down his moist, naked torso.
"don't be silly" He murmurs as he pulls me down to give me a soothing kiss. I sit up again I silently beg him through my eyes "okay…" he finally accepts and closes his eyes. I close mine as well and begin to roll my hips onto him in small circles. I fasten my pace when my body begs for it and a throaty moan escapes my mouth.
"…you look so sexy" I hear him murmur. I peer at him with one eye opened and find him grinning and gazing at me barefacedly. I blush, but I don't stop my movements, dreading that if I do, I may lose track of this pleasurable sensation.
"shut up" I whisper as I pick up my pace a bit more. He starts to lift his pelvis to meet my movements, increasing the already head-spinning pleasure. We began to pant and moan in synch and rather loudly as we both reach climax.
I collapse onto him, breathless and feeling my blood throbbing through my veins. I don't move until we both have regained our normal state. Then I rest my arms on his chest and lift my body a little to gaze at his handsome, smiley face.
"you keep getting better Geller" I say with a grin and give him a small peck.
"nah…you're the one good at this" he says smiling as he fondly caresses my back. I thank his compliment with a long, slow kiss.
"by the way, I loved how you made my dad shut up earlier, It was delight to watch" I comment a while later.
"not so fun to me, I could have filled a bucket with just the sweat of my hands, Your dad is intimidating"
"I know, but you did great, I think he may like you…eventually" I say in a chuckle.
"I doubt so" he says with exaggerated fear. "hey, are you free tomorrow?" he asks later. "mmh…I think so why?"
"then, Can I take you out on our first date?" he says with a smirk.
"yes! you better! Where are you gonna take me?" I ask with enthusiasm.
"it's a secret"
"Can I at least ask for a hint?" I say pouting.
"nope"
"I hate you" I say pressing my lips together, pretending anger.
"well, I'm sure you won't hate me tomorrow" he says grinning and I slap his chest playfully.
"so…when and where should I meet you?"
"how about 6pm at the nearby McDonalds?" I lift my eyebrow confused.
"at McDonalds? Why?"
"because if I pick you up or you come here it's more than likely that someone may see us…"
"true, then McDonalds it is"
"Are you punctual or should I arrive half an hour late?" he mockingly say.
"I usually am, but I promise I'll be right on time for you, I'm so looking forward to this"
"nice" silence fills the room and I rest my head on his shoulder and run my fingers through his hair as I enjoy this quiet moment. I love the feeling of our naked bodies touching and I cannot help imagining many more moments like this with him by my side.
"what time is it?" I ask a little later.
"half past nine" he says peering at a clock sitting on a shelf.
"I think I should get dressed…we've been away for a good while and we may be leaving soon"
"yeah…I guess you are right…let me just enjoy your lips for a moment" he says as he turns us around and brushes my lips with tenderness.
…
When I return to the backyard most of the people have already left and my parents seem to be saying goodbye to the Geller.
"Rachel, we're leaving" my sister Jill informs me.
"okay, let me just say bye to Monica" I spot Monica by the beverage table, happily cleaning up the mess.
"hey, did Chandler leave already?" I ask Monica as I sit on a nearby chair, given that my legs keep shaking a little since…you know.
"hey! yes" she says pouting, taking a break from her favourite activity and taking a seat next to me.
"why that face? You don't have reasons to complain, you spent almost the whole evening together!"
"I know" she says smiling "thanks for keeping Ross busy, by the way" my pleasure.
"no problem"
"did he ask where Chandler was?"
"not really"
"good, why did you guys do?"
"well…we talked and he told me that he could play the keyboard and then I made the wrong decision to ask him to show me" I lie.
"oh gosh, that must have been a real torture"
"yeah, a BIG torture" oh Monica, if you knew the 'torture' I'm talking about… "anyway, I have to leave…shall we go to the cinema sometime this week?"
"sure! Just let me know when you're available" she says with a smile, which all of a sudden disappears as she looks at me with a weird expression on her face.
"what?" I ask, getting worried.
"oh my god! Is that a hickey?" she exclaims as she pushes my hair back and looks at my neck puzzled. My eyes widen in surprise as I quickly cover the darkened area of my neck with my hand. Damn you Geller!
"a-a hickey? Puff, of course no" I say in a nervous chuckle.
"it's definitely a hickey, Rach" she says sending me a –try fooling someone else- look. "or are you gonna say that you tripped and hit your neck with a lips-shaped rock? because my 4 years old cousin can make up lies better than that"
"alright…it's a hickey yes" I say helplessly.
"really?" she says with sarcasm. "so, you did spend the weekend with a guy uh? Who is it?" she asks with curiosity now.
"em…" I nervously look in every direction, not able to come up with a realistic excuse.
"oh my god Rach, please tell me it wasn't Chip"
"ew no! and please don't mention that jerk ever again"
"oh my god! It's my brother, isn't it?" my heart skips a beat and my whole body freezes with her question.
"your brother? are you crazy?" I say trying really hard not to stutter, and putting a disgusted face that I hope looks believable. "i-it's a guy I met at Stephanie's party" I quickly add.
"oh cool what's his name?" she asks, seeming satisfied with my answer. Phew.
"Rachel! Let's go" I hear my mom call for me.
"oops, sorry, I have to go"
"what! you cannot leave me with the curiosity!"
"I'm sorry" I say with a shrug as I speed towards my parents. "I'll tell you later, have fun cleaning!" I yell from afar. "I'll see you tomorrow" I whisper to Ross as we pass by him on our way towards the main door and he faintly winks his eye as response. We exchange a last glance and then I leave, feeling the butterflies flutter in my stomach just thinking of our date of the next day.
…
The following day I start to get ready for our awaited first date two hours earlier, wanting to be on time just like I promised him. I decide to go for a white spaghetti strap dress only decorated with a black ribbon around the waistline. I try several hairdos but end up leaving my long blonde hair loose over my shoulders. After putting some mascara and hardly any make up on I grab my purse and cross the door of my room already wearing a big smile.
"oh great, you're dressed up" I'm surprised by my father's voice coming from the other end of the stairs. I find him looking up at me with a special grin that I know it will only bring me problems. I descend the last few steps with dread.
"why is it great?"
"Remember I told you about my friend's son Barry?" I nod, not wanting to jump into the awful conclusions that are emerging in my mind this very moment. "Well, I bought tickets for a play for the two of you tonight. He is right outside waiting for you" his words suddenly make me feel sick in my stomach and I have a strong desire to throw up.
"what the fuck dad! Why on earth would you do that!" I break out with unconcealed fury.
"watch your mouth young lady! Don't you talk to your father like that again" he says pointing at me. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves as I convince myself that this must be some kind of a joke, a tasteless joke my father is playing on me.
"I'm sorry, but how dare you set me up with somebody without my consent? This is not the seventeenth century dad! You cannot decide over me!" I say with fury.
"you're my daughter and you're still underage, therefore I can decide for you whenever I want, and lower your tone missy" is this actually happening? Please someone tell me this is not my father.
"Dad, I am NOT going anywhere with that Barry guy, I don't even know him!"
"I do know him, and he is the greatest man you'd ever find, he is truly nice and smart"
"then you go out with him!" I snap "Plus I have other plans; shouldn't you have at least asked if I was available before setting all this up?"
"I'm sure you can postpone those other plans, this is more important" I clench my teeth as I feel my rage increasing by the second. Suddenly I feel like yelling several unkind words right at my father's face, But I don't, because I know it would only worsen this twisted situation.
"this is important too and I WON'T postpone it, you'll have to tell your friend's son that I can't meet today" I firmly say as I walk past him.
"either you go or you say goodbye to all your beloved credit cards AND car forever" he says as final sentence. I paralyse in my spot and turn around.
"you cannot do that" I weakly say; knowing deep inside that he is very serious about this.
"yes I can, and I will if you don't go greet him this very moment" he says pointing towards the door.
"dad please…" my voice cracks, being almost on the verge of tears, however my dad doesn't even flicker.
"go, and you better be nice to him" he say in a intimidating tone. I finally give up and resign myself, knowing that there is no ways I can possible change my stubborn father's mind.
"I hate you" I mumble as I turn around and slam the main door behind me. I bury my face in my hands, with tears threatening to break through my eyes. I hold my breath to prevent it but all I want to do is cry and run away from everything.
When I lift my gaze, I find a silver convertible parked in front of my house and a brown-haired guy, wearing sunglasses, sitting on the driver seat. The idea of escaping before he notices me there surges in my head, however, it only takes two seconds for him to lift his gaze and find me there. He smiles and gets down from his 'cool' car.
"you must be Rachel" he says extending his hand towards me as he masticates his gum in a disgusting bovine fashion. I slowly nod my head as I put my hand on his and shake it emotionlessly. "wow, you're far more beautiful than I thought you would be" he comments.
"thank you" I automatically say, barely paying attention to his words since my mind is only focused on Ross and how much I will disappoint him if I don't show up at our first date. I need to go, damn i! I yell in my mind, feeling another wave of tears moving to my eyes with strength.
"Shall we go?" he asks motioning his hands towards his expensive car. I briefly look back at my house; the curtains move faintly and I know he is right behind them, watching my every movement carefully. I let out a deep sigh and begin to walk towards the car, feeling like a harmless animal which is about to be sacrificed.
…..
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'd love to read your thoughts on it. Reviews help me write faster, just saying :P