OK another fluffy chapter for you all before the next section (which gets a bit intense - especially for Jesus and Evan). I have to give another shout out to TheTBone for this chapter as she suggested the sink scene and wrote the contents of the essay featured. She's got a new little Mariana/Jesus story out called "Fragments" and I would really recommend it. Anyhow - on with the chapter!
"We're going to have so much time together now! This is so awesome." Kasey smiled as Evan held her leaning against the kitchen counter.
"Well I'll be working a couple more nights a week. Seems they've managed to find me at least one extra shift!"
"Well hey, that's good start - working up the pennies. Hey maybe next year with our combined wages we'll be able to have a place of our own." Kasey responded.
"Maybe. Though it would probably be good for you to be in dorms for a bit. I kinda regret not experiencing college for the full. We have all the time in the world to live together." He smiled brushing her cheek. "Though I could still transfer out to wherever you go."
Kasey sighed slightly. "I won't necessarily be going far. I haven't really figured it out yet."
"Well once you kick ass in the SATS you'll be able to choose anywhere. Just make sure you don't restrict yourself because of me. Even if it's a little far we'll figure something out."
"Oh stop, you sound like my Mom. Has she put you up to it?" she interrogated, eyebrow raised.
Evan laughed. "Believe it or not Kasey, your moms aren't the only people who believe in you." he said pushing her hair back.
She pulled him close to her gripping the back of his shirt as he massaged her neck. He gently began to caress her lips with his.
Stef wandered in rolling her eyes but with a small smile seeing them both so happy. She was relieved that her daughter was in such safe hands and glad they could help him in his time of need. Their display however was becoming disproportionately passionate for its location.
"OK guys, I know you're in love but the kitchen. Really?" she teased and poured some corn into a pan to prepare.
"Kasey?" she asked to obtain her attention, but sucked up into their own dreamworld neither lover responded.
Making the decision not to subdue her mischievous personality, Stef grabbed the kitchen sprayer and aimed it directly at their conjoined faces.
The two paused and threw a look at Stef, Evan less perturbed than Kasey.
Stef continued to spray them regardless enjoying the results too much.
"Its like that thunderstorm on the beach that first day we..." Evan began, causing Stef to begin spraying them again, this time at him directly in the face as he batted away the stream.
"Oh that time you snuck in here and had to climb out the window?" Stef asked finally stopping the water to avoid getting into trouble for flooding the kitchen. "Clean that up, please." She ordered chucking a cloth over to Evan who obediently followed.
"No, that would be the time we snuck him right past you." Kasey responded smugly.
"Ha, I don't remember you being that smug when you spent the next two months grounded, missy."
"I don't get it Mrs F...no sex in the house but you give us condoms?" Evan looked up from his mopping.
"Yes, well that's for when you're not in the house or just disobey us anyway. You're both consenting adults and I'm not stupid. Besides, it's mainly because if I can't stop you I would rather my future grandchildren don't grow up fatherless."
Evan's brow furrowed.
"What, you think I'd knock Kasey up and then leave?" he asked slightly offended.
Stef smiled cupping his chin.
"Oh sweet Evan, you make it sound like you'd be alive to choose!" she said with a small clap of his cheek.
Kasey rolled her eyes.
"Seriously though, you have siblings and we have standards. If during this period we catch either of you in the wrong bed you'll both be in the doghouse. Literally and figuratively." She warned as the popcorn popped away behind her.
"We don't have a doghouse Mom..."
"Well I'll make you build one then!" she said firing a piece of popcorn out at them by lifting the lid a little.
"OK fine, but one question...you say we can't have sex in the house...but now we both live in the same house...?" Kasey asked catching the popcorn and eating it.
"So you mean I rescued a street urchin and reduced your chances of being a teen mom in one fell swoop? Wow I'm good!" she teased catching her own fired popcorn in her mouth and also firing another one at Kasey who batted it away shaking her head with a smile.
"Shame Mom, you're approaching grandma age aren't you?" she traded in retaliation.
Stef smiled sweetly as she distributed the popcorn into bowls.
"Oh Kasey." she said before quickly grabbing the sprayer again and spraying her in the face as Evan laughed.
Kasey wiped the water off with her sleeve. "OK, I deserved that.
"Yes you did." Stef smiled popping another piece of popcorn in her mouth.
"Hurry up you two, better get this film watched before we're all old!" Kasey's face dropped.
"But Michelle's still..."
"Move it!" Stef shouted back choosing to ignore the protest.
As the film ended the room had a mixture of reactions.
"Well, that was a bit 'meh'!" Callie remarked.
"The girl was hot though." Jesus said looking up from his pocket video game.
"Surprised you even noticed playing that thing throughout." Mariana snarked.
"Well I looked up when she was on. Anyhow, you can talk! Tweeting throughout. Mind you at least we all know what you think in hashtags." He teased her as she kicked him lightly.
"Well personally I think the only good thing about it was the Mom - and who's scared of clowns these days?" Lena said standing up and stretching her legs.
"That kid was creepy though...Evan if you find any weird trap doors in our basement, please don't go snooping." Stef added before slapping him on the leg.
"Hope you're not scared down there all by yourself Evan." Michelle quipped as Evan shuffled nervously.
"He's a big boy." Kasey added deliberately moving closer to him as Michelle snuggled up to Brandon.
"Some of those scenes just felt like you were high. Well, without the relaxing part." Evan added inadvertently without thinking about the company he was with. Jude looked up to him inquisitively as Lena and Stef exchanged a look and Kasey coughed loudly to hint.
"You've smoked weed?" Jude asked innocently.
"Course he has Jude. No one becomes that laid back without being drugged up for a few years." Jesus joked. Stef glared at him removing his smile.
"Oh...I mean...well...a couple of times Jude, when I was in a bad way. But I stopped because I realised what a waste it was." He looked around nervously as Stef warned him with her eyes.
"As I said, those scenes in the film can be a little like it...it's not a nice way to be."
Stef nodded quietly to him. He wasn't lying, he hadn't touched the stuff in years and had no intention of doing so again. Michelle's eyes narrowed looking over as if to process and record Evan's words.
"So there you go guys. Words of experience, trust them. That way I don't have to make anyone pee in any cups." Stef added while getting up and collecting the discarded popcorn bowl.
"Hey, what's this? Kasey - you did your college essay? Wait...with Callie?" she put the bowl back down and slipped out a sheet of paper buried under some others. Callie and Kasey exchanged a look of fear.
"I thought you got rid of that!" Callie whispered harshly.
"I thought you did!" Kasey responded.
"Uh oh." Lena said tauntingly as both girls sprung up and Stef began to read the page walking around away from them.
"Let Us In by Callie and Kasey Foster"
"Mom you really don't wanna read that..." Kasey said running over and trying to snatch the paper off her. Stef pulled it away holding Kasey back with a hand.
"Oh I think I do." she said with a grin and began to pick out choice lines as the girls both tried various methods of retrieving the page.
"Our draconian mother has relentlessly withheld the gloriously refreshing streams of learning, instead leaving us withering away in our already weakened condition, further diminishing us by heavy loads of forced manual labor' Wow...really? I had no clue I was that good." she laughed slapping Callie's hand away as Kasey attempted to hold down her arm. Stef easily worked her off while also grabbing her shoulder down and pulling her into a lock all the while fending Callie off with the other arm.
The rest of the room were laughing enjoying the second show of the night
"Read the line about the slaughterhouse" Lena remarked enjoying the spectacle.
"Oh I'll get there...wow you guys are asking for it..." growing tired of batting Callie away and trying to restrain Kasey she thrust her arm around Callie as well as both girls yelped through laughter and she walked them over to one of the chairs blocking them into it and holding them down while she could finish the rest of it.
"Oh it gets worse. 'Because of the striking similarities, we would deem it more than appropriate to close by quoting dear Annie by saying "it's a hard-knock life for us".' Wow...you two will be lucky if I ever let you out the house again to get to college."
"Help, Evan!" Kasey shouted through the laughter.
"'However, before we end, we wish to counter this despair by using another quote – one of hope: "The sun will come out tomorrow".'" Stay down Evan, it's not worth it." Stef teased, barely breaking her stride in reading.
"Sorry Kase, I'm a lot more scared of your Mom than you right now!"
"'Please, college, be our sun. Be our bright tomorrow. We believe we deserve it after being shut off in the dark, enduring countless cruel and unusual abuses by the dictator we call 'Mom'.'" Stef finished before leaning extra hard on her still imprisoned daughters. "Well that was a fun read. I think I may frame it on the fridge as the day your social lives ended..."
"OK Mom, we're sorry, we're sorry." They struggled as Stef began to tickle them both, still easily able to hold them both down with her superior strength. They both shrieked as she began, aiming for deliberate soft spots.
"Sorry for what?"
"For writing the essay..." Callie gasped through more laughter
"And...?"
"For thinking we could...outwit your superior authority...?" Kasey took a wild stab.
"Better..."
"Oh Stef, let them go." Lena giggled rubbing her forehead.
"What?! Oh fine..." She released them and turned round to stare them down sternly.
"Well...I look forward to reading your proper essays tomorrow by the way."
"But..." Kasey began to protest but simply blew out of her face a few strands of hair with a defeated puff of air.
"Can we have it back?" Callie asked breathing heavily.
"What this? No way, I'm going to use it for inspiration. I only have a few months left as your dictator, I want to make sure I'm doing it right."
She said heaving the girls up off the chair. Kasey slowly got her breath back from all of the excitement. "Right bed time, all of you."
Kasey let out another breath of air.
"Night Mom." She said pulling her into a hug. She made one more attempt to swipe the essay before Stef swung round and slapped her on the butt as she sprung forward. While distracted, Callie made a leap for it and finally prized the paper off her. Both girls made to run up the stairs but Kasey, realising she hadn't kissed Evan goodnight, darted round quickly narrowly avoiding another hand swipe before successfully disappearing. As calm descended back down, the other kids slowly followed and all bid their own goodnights.
"I'd enroll them purely for imagination...and courage!" Lena joked as Stef put her arm around her and enjoyed the peace of an empty room.
Chapter 16 Preview: Michelle and Brandon are up to no good after curfew
"Well either way...if Kasey gets to have her boyfriend here 24/7 - we're just levelling the playing field...right?" She said with a hint of jealousy.
"You have a very good point there..." He smiled caressing her sides. She felt herself swooning slightly. Her intentions with this relationship were complicated and not entirely honest, but she wasn't immune to his charm and especially not to his looks or abilities.