Take This to Your Grave

It was 2 weeks that had gone by so so slowly that I didn't see Pete. Even though he was such a jerk, I did miss him. Throughout the week, I would be dropped off by Kate or Babette and I'd see him outside; it varied between he being alone or being with Leah. Most of the time she had this sour look on her face and Pete would be looking at her. I never said anything when I passed by, I kept my eyes adverted.

I tried not to think about him, but it was hard. I knew he had gotten those pictures, because they weren't in the gutter when I had gone back the next morning before school. Or, maybe some freak had picked them up; so, it probably was Pete.

On Saturday, I had gone and went to a carnival with my friends -including the boys. Eric, Seth and Derek had become a lot friendlier than I imagined them to be. I liked them more than I liked the girls, which was saying something. They seemed to get things that took awhile for the girls to get, they seemed to understand me. They were my trio of teenage Pete Wentzs; minus the mood swings.

The one I got truly close to was Seth; he and Derek talked to me the most. Eric was head over heels in love with Kate, but she was oblivious, and he didn't know that I knew (it was all in the way he looked at her). So, the two boys talked to me about a lot of things that I didn't think anyone but myself, my dad and Pete would ever be into. I was already smitten with Seth; the good looks and the dimples, along with his humor, won me over like Pete had. I had a bit of a crush on him.

When I had come home that evening, I had given Seth my number and hasn't thought about Pete at all. My dad waved at me from the counter, "You have fun?"

I gave a nod, "Yeah."

"You want to go out to eat tonight?"

"Sure. When are we leaving?"

"Soon, but you don't have to rush."

"Okay. I'll change and stuff."

My dad gave a hum and returned to watching TV. I jogged up the stairs and into my room; I was soon throttle and frightened. I screamed when I saw Pete sitting on my bed reading one of my notebooks. I must've scared him, too, because he jumped and nearly fell off my bed. My dad called my name after, and Pete stumbled off my bed and onto the floor; "Naomi?!"

"Dad, I'm fine!" I shouted back.

"I'm coming up there," he insisted, panicky.

I shut my eyes and exhaled, opening the door, "I'm fine!" I called again, but it was too late.

My dad had already hurried up the stairs and was coming into my room. My eyes widened and I tried to stand in front of my bed, hide Pete. Again, this was all too late; my dad stopped and stared, his fist tightening, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Pete's jaw slacked, unsure of what to say. I stood beside my dad, me too, drawing a blank.

My dad growled, "What the hell are you doing in my daughter's bedroom?!"

Pete looked at me and then back at my dad, "Mr. Valentino...I...uh..."

"You uh what?" My dad shouted.

I grabbed my dad's arm, "Dad, it's okay, I'm fine."

He looked down at me, eyes narrowing, "He was in your bedroom." He stated.

"Yeah, but...he didn't hurt me...?" It sounded more like a question than a reply.

My dad kept looking at me, "Did you know he was up here?"

"No!" This was the utter truth.

My dad looked back at Pete, "Why were you up here? Did she invite you up here?"

I scoffed, he shushed me and Pete looked frightened and confused. "I...I was, uh, just up here to, uh...um, to return her notebook." He answered.

"Oh?" My dad said funnily, "And you couldn't come to the door?"

"You weren't here." Pete said with a shrug.

He was good at lying. As good as I was.

"No harm, no foul." I said, moving between them. "I'm fine, no one is hurt. My notebook is back, so that's it--"

"Where did she lose this notebook?"

"At Chris's." Pete said, "Kate told me to bring it over."

The tension was still thick in the air. My dad grabbed me and pulled me back, "How long have you been up here?"

I shut my eyes and waited. Pete exhaled casually, "About an hour. I heard you come in, Mr. Valentino, but I thought it'd be extremely...creepy," I opened my eyes and bit my lip. "And strange of me to come down and explain it all to you. I know you don't like me, and I wouldn't much like it either if my kid had some strange guy up in her bedroom, waiting for her."

The tension relaxed and eased. It was as if we all took a big sigh of relief upon diverting an accident. Still, my dad was a bit stiff; "You couldn't wait?"

"It has her calculus work in it," Pete swallowed thickly. "Kate said it was important. I wouldn't have done it if I knew it wasn't important to Navy."

That's when the ball dropped. The nickname murdered me. It murdered Pete and I.

My dad's brows furrowed, "Navy?"

Pete looked like a deer caught in the headlights. My jaw slacked and I waited for it all to come crashing down.

"Naomi." Pete said quickly, "I meant Naomi."

My dad's eyes narrowed and he looked down at me; "You've let him in here before, haven't you."

That was fully stated; he knew. My dad isn't stupid and I am as guilty as they come. I just swallowed and nodded; "I'm sorry."

The anger in my dad's eyes was hot enough to burn; Pete tried to slip pass him, but my dad grabbed his arm; "Whatever the hell is going on between you two is going to stop," he pronounced every word as if there were periods after them. My dad glared at Pete, jaw clenched; "You stay away from my daughter, and if you come near her, I will call the police--"

"Dad!" I exclaimed, "We aren't having sex--"

He cut me off, his eyes shooting over to me; "I don't even think I can believe you, Naomi."

It hurt a little, but I wasn't broken hearted. I think the guilt softened the blow.

"You stay away from him, and I mean it. I will send you back to Marlena if I even see him 10 feet away from you." His fist balled up in the sleeve of Pete's dark t-shirt; "You aren't going to Kate's, you aren't going out with anyone, you hear me?"

I nodded slowly, "Yes."

"I'm dropping you off and picking you up from school." He let go of Pete's shirt and shoved him towards my door; "Get the hell out."

Pete rushed down the hall, flew down the stairs and out the door. We both hear it slam less than a minute after my dad had shoved him.

Now came the part that happens in movies where it just faded out. Movies never show you how the girl gets yelled at and threatened even more after getting caught doing something stupid. I often wonder who wins in the argument; do they score points or not?