"I can't believe you have been lying to me to sneak out with a boy," Mom was yelling as we walked into the house. The ride home from school was torturous as it was filled with nothing but silence. She was furious and I was gonna die soon. There went my high school romance before it even started. 

"I was not sneaking out with him," I answered slowly knowing that if I argued or changed my tone she was going to ground me. 

"Oh yeah?" Mom threw the car keys on the coffee table in the living room and turned towards me with her arms crossed. The way she was glaring at me made me wonder if she was the angel of death. "I kept calling and you wouldn't answer me and I had to make sure where you were. I reach your school and see you liplocking with some hormonal boy who was probably only using you!"

"M-mom what..." she cut me off. 

"You told me you were volunteering for some Winter Formal stuff and you lied! Since when do you lie to me? Have you two been having sex? Have you used protection?"

"MOM!" I gasped. Where in the world was she getting all these crazy ideas? Now you see why I couldn't just be truthful to her all the time. "We went out on ONE date mom. ONE. And you are having these absurd ideas of us having sex."

Oh dang it.

Mom looked even more furious now. She hated it when I talked back. 

"That's it, you're grounded. You know very well you are not allowed to date. You have better things to worry about than to go lip locking with boys. Hand over your phone young lady," she held out her palm and without a protest I gave her my mom. She can keep it, there was no point anyway. Its not like I was going to be able to see Travis again. 

"Maybe you should let me live a little," I said grimly and she looked taken aback by my words. "Didn't you meet dad when you were like eighteen?"

"That was in college," she answered firmly. "You can date when you're in college."

I rolled my eyes and stomped off into my room. This is what I have been trying to avoid all my life. It wasn't fair, Noah never had to worry because they were never that strict with him. 

I plopped down on my bed not even bothering to remove my shoes. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I thought about my first date with Travis. He had been so sweet to me and Mom had been thinking he was using me. Oh well, my high school love story was over.

/

/

/

"Where in the world have you been all night?!" Lana was practically yelling as soon as Mom dropped me off to school. Ofcourse, Noah took a ride with Conor and Jay, while I had to be dependent on a parent to drive me to school despite of me being the older sibling.

"Don't ask," I groaned walking with her down the school hall to my locker. First period was math, and I wasn't sure how in the world was I going to face Travis after yesterday's encounter with my mom. "I got grounded."

"What the fuck?" Lana scrunched her nose and shook her head taking out her phone. "Look at the numerous texts I sent after Travis called me up saying he was worried about you."

I felt a wave of mixed emotions hit me. It was sweet of Travis to worry but also embarrassing for the reason he was.

"Uhh did he say why he was worried?" I asked quickly feeling a little excited.

Lana frowned. "Look at you getting all flustered about him and not giving a rat's arse that your best friend was worried too."

I couldn't help but chuckle at Lana getting jealous but also loved her for it. "Oh you know you're in a completely different league."

"A better one," she winked and we both laughed as she linked her arm into mine. "Now are you going to tell me what happened or nah?"

"My mom caught me kissing Travis in his car," I whispered to her as we walked into our class. I was pretty cautious that no one could hear our conversation under any circumstances.

"FUCK NO!" Lana exclaimed everyone who was already in class looked at us. No, stared. She shrugged and we made our way to our usual seats. Travis wasn't in yet and a part of me was pretty relieved. I don't think I could have faced him after that. 

"Thanks for drawing attention to us,"I whispered to her in front of me. Lana turned her head scoffing.

"Oh come on, Azari. Who the fuck cares what anyone thinks?"

Before I could reply, my eyes darted to the beautiful boy walking into the classroom. Obviously, Travis. I flushed and my heart started to race just thinking about how his lips had felt on mine. How I had never been that intimate with any boy. But then felt embarrassed as mom dragging me out of his car flashed into my head.

I noticed his serious face soften as soon as he saw. Lana jerked her head to look at me and winked with a smirk. She was totally enjoying this. 

Travis quickly made his way towards me and to my surprise, leaned in and kissed me softly. My body froze and when he pulled away with his face only a few inches away, I gawked at him with my mouth open. 

"Everything okay, babe?" he whispered softly and I swear to God my ovaries exploded. His concerned expression and soft but deep voice did things to me he didn't realize. I nodded quickly and in an instant his gray eyes twinkled like they always did when he seemed happy.

He patted Lana's shoulder. "How you doing Lana?"

"Great, now that I got my daily dose of early morning porn," she snickered as Travis took his seat next to mine. While he just laughed at her reply, I poked her hard in her back with force.

"WHAT?" she said grumpily like she had no idea why I did that. But maybe she didn't. Because I then noticed how everyone in the classroom was looking at me. They had noticed Travis's entry and I wasn't enjoying these eyes on me at all. 

/

/

/

"Can you tell me why are you avoiding me?" Travis followed me into the cafeteria after I practically had been avoiding him all day. Every time I saw him in the hallway I would turn away or changee my direction or even pretend not to see or hear him. 

"I'm not avoiding you," I said slowly cursing in my head that there was no avoidance to this now. 

Travis grabbed my arm and kind of pulled me out the cafeteria. Well, maybe I let him pull me but I don't think I want to admit that. We walked and walked in silence till he brought me to the bleachers and made me sit down. There was just another couple in the far end corner making out who seemed like seniors. So, I guessed he was looking for some privacy. Oh shit, maybe he wanted privacy to make out with me. 

"I don't have any breath mints!" I blurted out and mentally strangled myself. Travis looked at me confusingly and sat down next to me, close enough for me to smell his delicious cologne. 

"What are you talking about?" he turned his head to  me and once again I was awestruck by his beautiful gray eyes. 

"I-I just thought you wanted to do..umm.." 

He shook his head. "No. I wanted to do nothing. What do you think I am?"

Oh fuck, I had offended him.

"I am sorry I just thought most boys did."

He let out a scoff making me melt with embarrassment. "It's not like that Azari. I just don't understand if you don't like me kissing you, you could have just said so."

"No, no," I vigorously shook my head noticing the hurt look on his face. "I do like it."

"Then why were you avoiding me all day," he face fell and moved closer to me. "I was so worried after yesterday, you know, your mom."

"Don't worry about that," I assured him and I felt his strong warm hand take mine. "I was just embarrassed and didn't know what to tell you."

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," Travis pulled a strand of my hair behind my ear with his other hand making shivers travel down my spine, my body, my legs, basically me. "I thought you didn't like me or something."

I gasped. "That is not even possible!" Oh great. My big, fat, fucking mouth. 

He chuckled, his cheeks flushing and he had never looked cuter with his cheeks all rosy. "I am glad to hear that. Because I .. "
He leaned in.
".. really..."
Closer.
"..really.."
So close that I could feel his warm breath on my mouth.
"..like you."
He gently closed the gap the between our mouths and suddenly whatever hunger I was feeling, faded away. Hunger for food by the way, you perverts! 

Travis pulled away just a few inches and studying my face, moving his hand to my mouth and brushing his thumb across my lower lip. It was like he was electrocuting me with every touch and he did not even know. But maybe he did because he was smirking. 

He dipped in his head one more time and gave me another kiss, this time a little more forceful than the last and I couldn't have it any other a way!

"What the fuck?" I heard a voice. I knew that voice.

We both jerked apart. Everyone was being a cock blocker lately. 

"Is something the matter?" Travis asked this guy who had interrupted us but he ignored him as he only had his eyes on me and mine and Travis's hands entwined. 

"What the fuck Azari? You're still seeing him?" 

And that's when it hit me. It was him who had told mom about me. It was him who had made her come see me so she could catch me with Travis. Noah. Noah did!