Don't Make This Easy, I Want You to Mean It.

"Holly, come down here! The Gaskarth's will be here any moment!" My father called from his position at the bottom of the stairs. A position he’d been occupying every so often for over an hour, always shouting the same thing up the stairs to me. I sighed as the doorbell rang, I guess this time he’d actually meant it. Checking over my appearance in my full length mirror, I swiped at the eyeliner under my eyes, catching all the smudges that I didn’t want. I ignored the outfit I’d been made to wear, it looked horrendous and there was nothing I could do to change that fact. It was a disgusting red colour, knee length and long sleeved. Not my kind of outfit even slightly. But, if it made Mother happy, it had to be done. I didn’t feel like hearing her bitch for the remainder of my stay. Granted that wouldn’t be much longer, I’d always hated to think my apartment was dormant and useless. “Holly!” I could hear the door opening and my mother welcoming our neighbours and stood back, quickly running my hands through my hair and walking over to my bedroom door. My father’s footsteps led away from the staircase and toward the living room, where I had been told we were waiting with the Gaskarth’s before our meal. My mother, of course, had the majority of it completed already, but was waiting on the finishing touches before she and I had to serve the starter. I walked lightly down the stairs, careful not to make too much noise. If it was Alex, it needed to be a good surprise. I didn’t like half assed attempts at sneaking up on people.
“So, Alex, I hear you’re in your senior year now,” my mother told him, politely, egging him on to talking to her. I watched from my spot as his mother nudged his side with her elbow. I knew not one of them could see me from where they were sitting and I was standing.
“Yes, ma’am. Only a few months left until I leave,” he replied.
“I hope you’re focussing on your studies?” I could almost see his amused smile. The thought made me want to press forward into the room, but I held back.
“Of course he’s not! Gallivanting around with any girl he can get his hands on! I swear, the boy doesn’t know what a relationship is! It’s all parties, parties, parties with him!” His mother exploded suddenly.
“For your information, mother,” he growled, “I have a girlfriend.” She snorted.
“I suppose you met her at a party, slept with her and are planning to leave her once her couple of days are up?”
“No, I am not. I met her in school, through Jack. It’s been over a month, and I haven’t once contemplated leaving her.” His father suddenly took interest and stuck into the conversation.
“Well, you never told us this!”
“You never asked.”
“What’s your wonderful girlfriends name then?” His mother asked, trying to catch him out on what she had believed to be a lie.
“Holly.” Before anyone could comment on the matter, my father cut him off.
“Speaking of, where is that girl? Hol-“ I stopped him short by stepping out of my hiding place.
“Chill, Dad, I’m here,” I smiled. Alex’s head couldn’t have turned faster, no matter the circumstances.
“Hols?” He sent a questioning look my way, obviously wondering why I was here and hadn’t told him.
“You know each other?” My mother asked, completely unaware of the connection.
“Mom, Dad, this is Alex. I believe I told you about him last night?”
“This is your boyfriend?” The four of our parents stared at us in shock when I joined Alex on the sofa.
“Like you said, Alex seems to have a weakness for blondes,” I laughed, reminding my mother of her words from the previous night. His mother looked at me in obvious shock that I actually existed, and wasn’t a complete figment of her sons imagination. His arms wrapped around me tightly as he said:
"I can't believe you didn't tell me these were your parents!" I laughed at him and wrapped my arms around him in return.
"I can't believe you didn't figure it out. It's not hard, Alex."
"I'm half expecting Jack to walk in and say 'that's what she said' in a second," Alex mumbled into my hair. "I missed you."
"You saw me two days ago... But I missed you, too."
"Enough of this!" My mother called, reawakening me to their presence. This happened a lot with Alex and I, it was like we the only ones around even when we should have known that at least Jack was around. Nowadays with Jack comes Marissa, but neither of us would complain; Alex loved her almost as much as I did. "Holly, dear, come through and help me finish up lunch." Sighing, I took my leave. I could feel Alex's eyes on me as I turned the corner to the dining room. The talk immediately returned to everyone but Alex, his voice the only I couldn't hear in the mindless dribble they could think to talk about. "So," she said shortly, picking up a kitchen knife and started to slice the cucumber she had retrieved from the refrigerator in the time it took me to get into the room after her.
"So...," I mocked. I knew what was coming, she'd have a full on whine already about being with Alex. She did this every time.
"Alex Gaskarth, huh?" I sighed.
"Yes, Mother, Alex Gaskarth."
"Are you sure about him?" She asked, pouring the sliced cucumber on top of a suitable amount of lettuce
"Yes, I'm absolutely positive. Wasn't it you trying to get me with him only last night?"
"That was different."
"How so?"
“Well, I didn’t know about his attitude last night! He seems rather rude…”
“I thought you adored him?” She couldn’t make her mind up, that woman. She was constantly changing her mind when it came to someone, or something, I actually liked. If I liked it before she said I should, then it was clearly the wrong choice for me.
And there is yet another reason I moved out.
“Well, he seemed decent when your father and I were over there the other week, but obviously we didn’t talk to him all that much…”
“Then stop trying to run my life!”
“I’m your mother, dear, it’s my job,” she replied, finishing up the tomato she had been slicing.
“And you wonder why I moved out,” I snarled, grabbing the now finished bowl of salad and putting it down rather roughly on the table, ignoring the leaves that tumbled out, before storming upstairs to change. I was already sick of my outfit. The dress came off over my head, being thrown out onto the landing as I turned the stereo on, Alex's voice coming out of my speakers.
"Nice view," the real thing observed from my now open doorway as I stood in front of my wardrobe, viciously pulling apart the clothes in search of something that would both piss my mother off and I liked.
"Don't push me, Gaskarth," I snarled, shooting him a dark look, expecting him to be on the other side of the room, rather than right near me. I hadn't heard him move from the doorway, nor had I heard the door shut.
"Chill out, Holly," he breathed, arms wrapping around my bare waist. "It's your mother; you only have to endure this dinner and new year's until you're free for a few months." I pressed my forehead against his chest and let out a heavy sigh - thankfully he was right.
"Help me find something pretty, Alex," I mumbled, observing the mess on my once clean floor.
"I like what you're wearing." I rolled my eyes, mumbling a 'seriously,' without moving an inch. "I'll give you seriously." I raised my head, only glimpsing his suggestive smile before his lips were on my roughly. I could feel my feet stumbling backwards, tripping over the clothes surrounding me, toward my bed.
"Alex, our parents are downstairs," I forced out between kisses.
"I don't care," he mumbled into my lips, hands running up my sides where we lay. It wasn't long before Alex's shirt and jeans were on the floor, mixed in with my mess of clothing. Our lips had barely disconnected in this entire time, and still showed no signs of breaking away any time soon. The sound of Alex's voice was still coming from the speakers, loud and clear. My bra joined the pile of clothing on the floor, and Alex and I slipped under the covers, mouths ever connected. Yet again, no sign of disconnecting.
That was of course until the door opened.