Passed Out on Your Lawn

Ronnie’s POV

I left after Dakota’s mom finally arrived home, she didn’t want me to stay but I left pretty bad for leaving all the same.

“So where’ve you been?” Bryan looked up from his guitar as I came into his room.

“What?” I took a seat and tried to focus on him for a minute.

“You were meant to be here at midday and it’s almost five,” he complained.

“Oh, I was with a girl,” I smirked.

“Who is it this time? Helen or Jada or maybe Alyssa,” Bryan scoffed and rolled his eyes after rattling off the list of girls I’d been interested in.

“It was Dakota actually,” I told him.

“Dakota as in Ford? You spent all day with her alone?” he stopped his playing and almost glared at me.

“Yeah. Why, is that a problem?” I grinned.

“Max is gonna go nuts you know,” he sighed. “Why would you do that?”

“Hey man, she’s cool. If Max can’t even admit to us that he likes her then why do I have to hold back,” I stated rhetorically.

“Dude, if you were a girl you’d be a total bitch.”

“That’s the beauty of it; I’m not a girl.” I must admit I felt a little smug. I was definitely right; if Max can’t admit it then theoretically we’re non the wiser.

“You know what, you’re still a bitch. Its like an unwritten law that you don’t date a girl that your friend is into,” Bryan continued to express his disapproval.

“Shut up dude,” I disregarded him.

**

Dakota’s POV

“Sweetie, I’ve got some important news for you,” my mom sat down in the living room with me about an hour after she came home and Ronnie left.

“Oh yeah? Shoot,” I could feel this news to be about her ‘love’ life and consequently a rage began to bubble inside me.

“Tonight I want you to meet somebody who’s become very important to me,” she smiled.

It wasn’t as if any amount of smiling could change how I felt though.

“Uh huh do you remember his name?” I muttered.

“What?” Mom’s face was blank until a frown formed.

“What’s their name?” I spoke clearly and tried to straighten my scowl out into something more neutral.

“Well honey, he’s called Paul Evans. We’ve been seeing each other for quite a while now and he’s coming over for dinner tonight,” Mom informed me.

“Shall I get my comments and questions out of the way before he arrives then?” I asked stiffly and tried to bite my tongue.

“Does it really have to be this way, Dakota?” she asked rubbing her temples.

“Bringing strange men into your life isn’t the same as forcing them into my life too. So if that is your intention then yes it does have to be this way,” I snapped with only half the heat I was really feeling.
"You’re my mom, you’re my parent, if you get married to him it will not make him my parent. He doesn’t get to order me around and I don’t get to ask him for anything,” I stated after she didn’t speak.

“Dakota,” Mom’s tone was something along the lines of pleading.

“And I don’t want to move either. This place is big enough for all of us, unless of course he has kids in which case we’ve got more problems,” I announced coolly.

“He doesn’t,” she whispered as if in trouble.

“Good. So all I have to ask is; are you getting married? Again?” I stared at the carpet.

“We wanted to tell you together, when you met him,” she sighed, “but yes we are.”

“Very well. Call me when dinner is ready and I’ll be nice.” I rose to me feet and left the room when she made no argument.

I got to the top of the stairs and the phone rang right beside me.

“Suicide hotline, don’t do it and if you do then do a flip. How may I service you?” I spoke absentmindedly

“Hey, Dee, how’s it goin’?” Max laughed lightly down the line.

“Heyyy! My mom’s just told me what I already knew. How are you?” I lay down on my back at the top of the stairs.

“I’m fine, just bored and got some news. So she’s getting married again I’m guessing?”

“Yep,” I popped, “What’sa news?” hopefully it was good.

“I’m coming home next week,” he announced.

“No fucking way!” I nearly shrieked, or maybe I did…meh.

“Fucking way,” Max confirmed.

I just sat up and threw my arms around with glee shouting ‘yes, yesss, yessss!’ repetitively.

“Has that cheered your day up?”

“Of fucking course it has! You’ve been gone like two weeks though I thought it was supposed to be four?”

“Yeah I know. Don’t ask why cause I don’t know. Maybe my mom just changed her mind.”

“That’s probably the best thing I’ve heard all day. In fact it definitely is,” I smiled uncontrollably.

I thought back to the rude and slightly creepy awakening then to being forced to play chef and magically ended up in some kind of date. I really didn’t want to tell Max about any of that but I wasn’t lying unless he asked. I wasn’t going to lie I was just gonna avoid it as long as possible.

**

Dinner went as ok as can be expected last night. This Paul guy seemed alright, constantly complimenting my mom and accepting my silence. I was far too tempted to blurt out amusing fictional facts of my mom being a crack whore and myself as being as deluded and insane as possible. Luckily I kept such tales of nonsense to myself.

Robert had called me up an hour or so ago and asked me to meet everyone at his house to ask my opinion on their musical skills. So I was on my walk over there currently. Well I’d just left the house and started down the street.

“Dakota!” someone called my name.
I turned as Ronnie honked the horn of his car and pulled up beside me.

“Hey man, easy on that thing, you’re gonna deafen me,” I giggled and climbed into the passenger seat. “Seriously, you’re so lazy driving around this neighbourhood all the time. Do you hate walking or something?”

“Why would I make the effort to walk when I don’t have to, dumbass?” he laughed.

“So you don’t get fat maybe,” I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

Within minutes we arrived at Roberts and I saw both him and Bryan race from his bedroom window and out of sight after waving to us.
I walked around the car towards the garage door, which was being opened up and Ronnie grabbed my hand.

“You look really nice today,” he smiled at me.

“Uhhh thanks,” I blushed, hiding behind my hair already shy and embarrassed.

We walked together up the driveway and it felt like it was taking forever. Words fell out of my mouth that were not well chosen.

“Did you know Max is back next week?”
Damn it. There wasn’t exactly a moment to ruin but it still wasn’t the right thing to say.

Ronnie looked at me before we reached the now fully open garage door, “No I didn’t.”

“Oh, uh well he only told me last night,” I muttered.

“That’s cool,” he shrugged, “We need him back here anyways,” and he still didn’t drop my hand.