Passed Out on Your Lawn

Once it hit time for me to be home from school I wandered in a little late with Ronnie and Max in tow and intentions of a little mayhem.

“Mom?” I called out when we got through the hallway and to the bottom of the stairs.

“Yeah I’m up here!” she replied.

“I’m going back out in a sec, just came by to check that’s cool with you,” I yelled up the stairs.

“As long as your homework gets done,” Mom responded.

“Yeah. See you later!” I turned on my heel but she came running down to me in a hurry.

“I’ll be out again tonight. Mommy has a date,” she smiled then saw the boys behind me.

A date, really? What’s-his-face just died I thought to myself.

“Hello you two. Will one of you make sure she gets home alright please?” Mom fiddled with her earrings.

“Of course,” Max and Ronnie agreed.

“How late are you staying out?” I raised my brow sceptically.

“I don’t know,” Mom smiled coyly as if to say ‘all night’.

I simply shook my head at her brazen antics. Whatever makes her happy. Its not like I have enough wisdom to comment or advise on her dating habits.

“If you’re not coming home can I stay out?”
What’s the harm in trying?

“Dakota I’d rather have you home and know you’re safe when I get back,” she said flatly.

“Fine, fine!” I huffed. “See you…at some point.”

We left the house and resolved to meet Robert and Bryan en route to the park.

Without any warning at all Ronnie launched a mammoth sized snowball, which landed right on the back on my hood covered head.

“Motherfucker!” I screeched, wheeling around.

“He did it!” Ronnie pointed to Max with a huge grin.

“Than why are your sleeves covered with snow, your hands red and that look on your face?” I glared playfully.

“I fell over!” he defended.

“Ok then how did he hit me when he was right here and you’re all the way back there?”

“Physics,” Ronnie nodded.

“Physics this!” I grabbed a handful of snow, quickly squeezed it into a ball and threw it in his
direction.

“Dude! Defend my honour!” Ronnie pleaded to Max whom had been laughing at us the whole time.

“What honour, man?” he smirked.

I started running as Ronnie gathered more snow.
A few yards away I caught sight of Bryan and Robert.

“Hide me!” I yelled and dived behind the pair.

“Why should we?” Robert asked as they stopped.

“Dakotaaa,” Ronnie sang my name.

I peeked over their shoulders to see my new enemy.
“Hi Ronnieee,” I sang back, not moving.

“Come here,” he beckoned.

“Why?” I asked and clutched both Robert and Bryan by their arms in hopes they wouldn’t surrender me.

“Just come here,” Ronnie smiled wickedly.

“No…you’re gonna hit me!” I pouted.

“Eh what?” Bryan said in surprise.

“No I’m not. I’m not,” he tried to assure.

I ran from behind my shields to Max and grabbed onto his waist.

“Don’t let him get me,” I whined but was grinning in amusement, my statement was barely audible as my face was buried in Max’s chest.

“Ronnie leave it,” he chuckled and put his arms around my shoulders.

“Aw come on, man!” Ronnie sounded defeated.

“You started it,” Max told him.

“Gah, favouritism!” he dropped the snowball as I looked round.

“Thank youu,” I grinned up at Max for defending me.

“That’s ok. But you owe me,” he said and let his arms drop to his sides and hands slide into jeans pockets.

“Ok, I’ll make you cookies later.”

“Score!” he grinned.

The five of us resumed our walk to the park where we played around in the snow until we got bored. Ronnie seemed a little peeved at my declining his invitation to go to his house. He didn’t seem to understand my want for dry clothes of my own and I really didn’t understand his want for me to wear his. We stopped by Max’s so he could change then the two of us continued to mine. I pulled on some clean jeans, a band shirt and band hoodie before we put on a movie and ate popcorn.

“Hey what happened to my cookies?” Max gasped.

“Oh ok. Lets go make fuckin’ cookies.” I rolled my eyes and smiled, getting up and going to the kitchen.

There was a box of ingredients so all I needed was an egg and the tray or something.
Max was going on about some random shit I told him I didn’t care about but he refused to shut up so I dipped my finger in the mix I’d been beating into submission and wiped it across his cheek.

“Oh what the fuck! Dakota!” he wiped his hand across to get the chocolate goo off.

I stood there giggling at his expression.

“No, no!” he shook his head and wiped mixture across my face before I could pull the bowl away fast enough.
“Max, you asshole!” I laughed.

I got a spoonful and flicked it at him but half splattered in the wall.

“Somebody’s gonna be in trouble,” he stuck his tongue out at me.

“Yeah you. I’m gonna tell my mom it was all your doing,” I fibbed with a grin.

“You wouldn’t!” he gasped.

“Would!”

“Would not. I know so.”

“You know nothing!” I said in an Italian accent and picked up the baking trap, lightly tapping him over the head with it.

“Fuckin’ bitch, that’s it!” he laughed and pushed me onto the floor before pinning me down and coating me with the rest of the mixture while I screamed and giggled.

We stopped at the sound of a car outside.

“Fuck!” she’s back!” a flash of panic hit me.

“What do we do?” Max’s eyes bulged.

“It’s ok,” I tried to think of a plan.

“Dakota? You home?” My mom called.

“Yeah, just getting some…supper then going to bed. I’m exhausted,” I told her, getting from the floor and putting my back to the door in case she tried to come in.

“Ok. I’m going to bed too,” she said.
I then heard her giggle followed by a man’s hushed voice. Max’s expression meant he heard it too and I dropped my head. Not in relief but in despair.

“Hey, you ok?” Max asked quietly, coming to stand in front of me.

“Yeah,” I sighed my lie.

I’d been expecting this and already explained my mom’s behaviour with men to Max so he understood a little.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked, rubbing my arm comfortingly.

“Not now. Lets just tidy up this mess and go to bed,” I paused and thought, not sure whether to ask or not but decided I had to. “Would you…stay with me tonight?” I looked up without a glimmer of hope.

“Yes,” he simply nodded right away.

I wanted to cry. How the hell did I find such a wonderful human being? No asking questions about my odd requests and just…I don’t know if there is even a word for it, but its all good stuff.
We cleaned up the kitchen pretty quick and went to my room cookie-less. We’d wiped off the mix beforehand and I dug out my biggest shirt which fit Max perfectly so I told him to keep it and pulled on some shorts and a random shirt before climbing into bed.

“You’re not getting into my sheets with cookie shit on your jeans,” I shook my head, “I’m not gonna rape you.”

“I know that,” Max shrugged uncomfortably.

“Ok I’ll turn out the light,” I got up and flicked the switch.

“Thank you,” he smirked in the darkness, took off his jeans and got into the other side.

“Sorry for being a drama queen and thanks for staying with me,” I whispered.

“You’re not a drama queen. It’s understandable,” Max turned onto his side and buried his face into my neck.

Just before falling into the shadowy grasp of slumber we were completely snuggled up together. If I didn’t have self control there’s no way I’d have not tried to do something. The only thing stopping me from kissing him like I wanted to so badly (you can’t imagine) was the fear of ruining everything we already had. Nothing was more important to me now. Max meant everything to me and we’d not even been friends that long. We just clicked and it happened so fast.

“I love you,” Max whispered.

I didn’t know if he was asleep or not but sleep took over me before I could consider it too much.