Stuck with You

by Alexandra Moody

  I looked at Aiden, and he appeared just as unsure as I was. Would his mom freak out if she knew we were dating while living under the same roof? And what about my parents? They had enough to worry about right now without adding their teenage daughter and her new boyfriend to the list. Knowing my mom, she’d be excited rather than worried. But, then again, Mom’s priorities in life were completely out of whack.

  The thought of telling my parents about our relationship was a total buzzkill. Aiden and I had literally just started dating, and I wasn’t ready to share that with them. Things were different, thanks to the pandemic though, and I knew if I wanted to be with him that we had to be honest with our families. We couldn’t hide this for the whole of lockdown, and I had to hope our parents would accept it.

  “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Aiden said to me. “My mom loves you.”

  “I’m more worried about my dad,” I replied.

  “I’m worried about missing the show,” Elliot added, as he stole another piece of toast from Aiden’s plate.

  “Hey, that was my last piece.”

  “Yeah, well, consider it payment for my silence until you tell Mom.”

  “Tell Mom what?”

  Of course, Jade chose that moment to enter the room. It seemed like she was only just returning from her night shift. She still had her keys in her hand and was dressed in the same clothes she’d been wearing last night. Her eyes were tired, and I felt a flash of guilt. Now didn’t feel like the right time to talk to Aiden’s mom about us. She looked like she needed sleep more than anything.

  “Mom, you’re home,” Aiden said. “How was work?”

  “It was fine,” she said, giving him a tired smile.

  “Do you want me to make you some coffee?”

  Jade’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t try to distract me with caffeine. What was it you wanted to tell me?”

  Aiden shared a look with me. I could see he was asking permission to share the news with his mom. My stomach dipped with nerves though. What if Jade didn’t want me dating her son? What if she kicked me out? I wasn’t sure I wanted to live at home alone again. Jade was so kind though. I didn’t think she would do something like that.

  I blew out a breath and slowly nodded.

  Aiden smiled at me before facing his mom once more. “Mom, Clary and I have something to tell you…”

  “Oh…” Jade waved his comment off. “Is it the fact that you two are together? I already know about that. I thought you had something bad to tell me.”

  Aiden’s throat bobbed as he swallowed “How do you know that?”

  “Rosalind,” she replied. That one word was answer enough. It seemed the street’s resident gossip had been living up to her reputation. I blushed as I realized that Rosalind probably knew about us because Aiden and I had been making out on the front porch. It was hardly the subtlest of locations.

  At least Jade seemed to be taking it fairly well. She didn’t seem overly excited or concerned. She hadn’t started yelling at us, so that was definitely a plus. She hadn’t classified it as bad news either, so that must have meant she was okay with it.

  “And you’re cool with this?” Aiden asked.

  She shrugged. “I figured it would happen eventually.”

  I’d been completely blind to my feelings for Aiden, but even his mom had realized they were there.

  “You’re both smart kids,” she continued. “You’re already eighteen, and I know Clary isn’t far behind you,” she smiled at me. “As long as you guys are being responsible, I’m happy to see you dating.”

  My nose crinkled slightly at the word responsible. It was pretty much a parent’s way of telling us not to bring a surprise baby into the world. That was something Jade definitely didn’t need to worry about though. Aiden and I had only just kissed for the first time. We were a whole world away from anything more than that.

  “Thanks, Jade,” I said, returning her smile. Aiden’s mom was being really nice about this, and I couldn’t believe she was taking it so well. My parents definitely would have embarrassed me by now.

  “I should probably call my parents to tell them,” I said.

  “That’s a good idea,” Jade said. “But don’t be surprised if you struggle to get through to them. I talked to your mom yesterday afternoon, and they’re struggling to add credit to the SIM card they bought over there. They might be out of contact for a few days while they sort it out.”

  “You talked to them?” I hadn’t spoken to my parents for a couple of days. They’d texted me yesterday and the day before that, but no phone calls.

  “Yes, she was just checking in. I think she’s tried to call you a few times, but your line has been busy.”

  “That’s probably because Zoey is always calling me,” I grumbled. I loved chatting to my best friend, but not when it meant I’d miss a call from my parents.

  As if he could sense my change in mood, Aiden squeezed my hand. “You can get Zoey to call my phone so you don’t miss another call from your parents if you like,” he suggested.

  I looked up and smiled at him. “Thanks.” It was like he’d read my mind.

  “How about we grab you a coffee and try to call your parents now. We can go watch a movie or something after,” Aiden said.

  “I’d really like that,” I replied. His eyes twinkled with mischief as we left the room, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to catch much of the movie.

  21

  Aiden

  I was beginning to think being trapped in isolation was the best thing to ever happen to me. Clary and I had only been dating for a few days, but I’d enjoyed every minute. We spent most of our time cuddled up on the sofa in the media room watching movies together. Sometimes, she’d read a book while I played a PlayStation game with Elliot, or we’d join video calls with our friends. I even managed to convince her to give me another cooking lesson—which I totally aced.

  Clary made it easy to forget the world was in chaos around us. In those happy moments when I was with her, it felt like we weren’t in the middle of the pandemic, and we were just a normal teenage couple. Reality always rushed back far too quickly. Especially when Clary would get a text from her parents or my mom would get home from work late and totally exhausted.

  I’d stopped checking my social media accounts. Whenever I went online, someone was posting about the pandemic. There was even one girl from school who had caught the virus. She’d posted a video about her experience, and everyone I knew was sharing it. While she only had a mild case, it was still scary, and I hadn’t checked my Facebook since. I already had enough people to worry about, and I didn’t want to add anyone else to the list.

  “You ready for school tomorrow?” Mom asked, as she entered my bedroom with a basket full of laundry. I jumped off the bed to take it from her.

  “You didn’t need to do my laundry, Mom. I can do it.”

  “It’s okay.” She shrugged. “I had some free time, and I was already putting in a load for Elliot.”

  That was the thing about my mom. She never really stopped. She always needed to be doing something—anything. Even on the days when she had a long shift at the hospital and she only had a few hours free, she still did anything she could to keep her hands busy. She’d be cooking, cleaning, and even gardening in her precious spare time. It was pointless to offer to help because she always refused it.

  “So, are you ready for tomorrow?” Mom repeated.

  I really wished she hadn’t reminded me. I wasn’t looking forward to school starting up again. They’d taken their time getting set up for online learning, but it had finally happened. It was almost like the teachers knew I’d finally got together with Clary and wanted to ruin it. We hadn’t even been together a week, and I wasn’t ready to have our happy little bubble pierced by homework and lessons. Clary, on the other hand, was typically excited.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “And Clary?”

  I shrugged. “I guess she’s ready?” Clary might have
been excited for the return of school, but she hadn’t exactly told me whether she was prepared. I tended to try to avoid all talk of school when I was with her. I tried not to think about it too. I liked to pretend it wasn’t happening—a little like I did with the pandemic.

  “I’m surprised she’s not in here with you,” Mom said, shooting a knowing look in my direction. “The two of you have been quite inseparable the last few days.”

  “She’s on the phone with one of her friends,” I replied.

  Mom smiled and nodded. “I’m happy you’re with a sweet girl like her. Some of those other girls you dated…” She screwed her nose up like she’d just smelled something foul.

  “Mom,” I groaned. I really didn’t need her dissecting my love life.

  “What? They were…”

  I took her by the shoulders and started directing her out of my room. “They were the past,” I replied, finishing her sentence for her.

  “Okay, okay, I get the hint. You don’t want to talk about them,” she said, as I guided her through the open door into the hallway. “Anyway, I was thinking you should drop by Clary’s house today,” she continued. “She’ll need to pick up some of her textbooks.”

  “We take most of the same classes; she can probably just borrow mine.”

  Mom shook her head though. “Well, I’m sure she has other things she needs to get. She could hardly pack her whole life into two small bags. Why don’t you take her home, just in case there’s something she missed?”

  I frowned at my mom. She was acting weirder than normal, and it felt like something was up. “Why are you acting so strange?”

  “I’m not acting strange,” she said. Her eyes said a whole lot more than her lips did though. Something was definitely up. “I just think it’s a good idea for you to go to Clary’s place today before you both start school again.”

  “Okay…” Now I really wanted to know why she was being so cryptic. It was probably easier just to go to Clary’s place rather than try to get it out of her though. “I could probably see if she wants to head there now…”

  “Perfect,” Mom replied with a wide smile. She leaned in and placed a kiss on my cheek before giving it a gentle slap. “I’m off to work, but I’ll see you for dinner tonight.”

  I nodded and watched her walk down the corridor before focusing on Clary’s bedroom door. Mom had been totally weird about getting Clary to her house, but I couldn’t figure out why. I knew she was off to work, but it felt like perhaps she needed our house to be empty for some reason.

  Clary opened the door as I was staring at it and tilted her head with a questioning look in her eyes. “Is there a reason you’re just standing there staring at my door?”

  My whole body seemed to lighten at the sight of her. The weather was getting warmer, so she was wearing a pair of shorts that were barely visible under the oversized sweatshirt she had on. She wasn’t wearing makeup, and her hair fell in long loose waves down her back. She was so beautiful, and she didn’t even seem to try.

  “I wasn’t just standing here staring,” I replied.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Sure, you weren’t.”

  “Fine, you got me. I was standing here trying to come up with a witty pickup line,” I replied.

  A small smile played on her lips. “I hate to break it to you, but you already picked me up.”

  “You say that like it means I don’t still need to dazzle you with my lines.”

  “Because you don’t,” she replied. “Besides, shouldn’t you have a whole heap of pickup lines memorized by now? I can’t imagine it would take you long to come up with something.”

  “Oh, I do, but I was going for something original.”

  “So, what is it?”

  “Well, I couldn’t come up with something original.”

  “Okay, then let’s hear one from the archives.”

  I laughed and leaned against my bedroom door as I tried to think of one of the many pickup lines I’d looked up since Clary had started living here. Most of them were corny, and slick lines had never seemed to work on Clary at school. But I’d been using them on her since she’d arrived, and they seemed to make her laugh, so I’d kept going with them.

  “Okay.” I cleared my throat and stood a little taller as I focused on Clary. “Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?”

  Clary stared at me for a moment before she let out a laugh. “That’s bad even for you.”

  I paced toward her. “Oh, really?”

  “Yep.”

  I stopped when I reached her and pressed my arms against the wall behind her, caging her in. “You sure about that?”

  She swallowed and nodded as she looked up at me. “Uh-huh.” Clary had such a strong personality that I sometimes forgot how small she was. It wasn’t until I held her in my arms that I remembered.

  I leaned my head in closer to hers until I could feel her breath on my lips. “So, it’s not good enough to deserve a kiss?”

  “Mmm, nope.”

  She smiled up at me before ducking under my arm to escape, but I grabbed her hand before she could leave. She squealed as I pulled her back to me and started laughing as I wrapped her firmly in my grasp. Without any hesitation, she reached up to wrap her arms around my neck before lifting herself onto her toes to give me a kiss.

  I loved kissing Clary more than anything, but the part I liked the most was how much she seemed to enjoy it too. I could feel it in the way her lips smiled as she kissed me and how she seemed to grasp me a little tighter whenever I went to pull away. I was completely addicted to this girl, and we’d only been dating a couple of days.

  When we finally pulled apart, I tried to remember why I’d actually been staring at Clary’s room in the first place. My mind was a complete fog though, and I had a suspicion that kissing Clary temporarily stopped my brain cells from working properly. Instead of zapping messages between each other like they should, it was like every one of them was solely focused on Clary.

  As my arms released her a little and she stepped back from me, I finally remembered what I had to ask her. “So, school starts tomorrow,” I said.

  She lifted one eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. “You were thinking about school while kissing me like that?”

  “Well, the thoughts of school definitely came after. I don’t think I was thinking at all while we kissed.”

  She shook her head at me. “You’re such a guy.”

  “Uh, thank you?”

  “Not sure that was a compliment,” she replied with a playful smile. “Anyway, back to you stating the obvious…”

  I laughed. “Yeah, with school starting tomorrow, I thought we could go to your house and pick up your books this morning.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that,” she replied. “I’m probably going to need them, aren’t I?”

  “Probably,” I agreed. “So, do you want to head there now?”

  “I mean, I’m going to need a coffee first…”

  I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and started walking her to the stairs. “You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.”

  On the drive over to Clary’s house, I couldn’t stop thinking about how weird Mom had been acting this morning when she’d suggested this. My mind kept trying to come up with reasons for why, but I was still drawing a blank. Mom was usually too busy to be cryptic. She rarely hid anything from us, finding it so much quicker and easier to just be honest with Elliot and me whenever something was up. It was probably why she’d done such a bad job at trying to be subtle this morning. She had zero practice at being secretive.

  The streets were empty as we drove. There weren’t any other cars on the road and no pedestrians on the sidewalks. People were allowed to leave their houses for groceries and exercise, so I usually encountered at least one or two people walking their dogs or kids riding their bikes whenever I left the house. It seemed everyone had decided to remain firmly indoors this morning though. It
was sad because the sun was out, and it was a perfect day.

  “Do you think they’ll lift the restrictions soon?” Clary asked. It was like she’d read my mind.

  I let out a long breath and lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Mom thinks it could be weeks before we get any more freedom. The case numbers seem to have plateaued, but there’s still so many people getting sick with the virus.”

  Clary nodded, and her eyes filled with sadness. “I’ve been trying to avoid watching the news. It’s just too depressing.”

  “Same,” I agreed. “I just get Mom to update me on everything that’s going on.” It was easier that way. I found it too hard to listen to all the bad news from around the world. I couldn’t do anything to change it. Maybe I was being a little selfish, but life felt a bit more normal when I didn’t confront the constant flood of pandemic footage on the TV.

  I pulled up outside Clary’s house, and a small gasp escaped her lips as her eyes narrowed on the driveway. I followed her gaze, trying to figure out what was wrong. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though. “What is it?”

  Her skin had gone pale and she slowly turned to me. “Aiden, that’s my parents’ car in the driveway.”

  “And?”

  “And they left it at the airport when they went on their trip.”

  My eyes widened. “You don’t think they…”

  Clary didn’t allow me to finish the sentence as she pushed the truck door open and launched out of her seat. At the same moment, the front door to her house burst open. Clary stopped in her tracks as tears started to cascade down her cheeks. I quickly jumped from the truck and raced to join her.

  As I looked up the path to the front door, I saw why Clary was in such shock. Standing on the front porch were Mr. and Mrs. James.

  Clary’s parents were finally home.

  22