After lunch, the day seemed to go by at a much faster pace. Before I knew it, the day was over and I was getting on the bus and heading home. Ana and already made a plan. First we would go home and get ready. If my dad asked where I was going, I would say going over to Ana's. Ana would come and pick me up in her mom's car and we would be on our way. My dad should be at the office finalizing his last investigation, but who knows?

My mom is the least of my worries. She tends to be too wrapped up with my little sister's preteen angst to notice when I come and go.

I make it to my seat and Ana lets me in next to the window.

The rain that had dried up during lunch had started up again and it was raining cats and dogs. The bus smelled like soaked teens and old spice.

Instead of her usual sketchbook and pencil, Ana was holding her phone with an earbud in one ear.

"God, I hate hurricane season," she said as her teeth started to chatter. "I always forget an umbrella."

I notice her hoodie was soaked and her normally curly hair turned straight by the shower happening outside.

"Would you like my coat until your stop?" I seemed to have lucked out and only the bottoms of my pants were soaked.

"Nah, it shouldn't be long before I'm home. That is if these people will get on their bus so we can leave."

She was talking about the 20 or so students still in the parking lot talking to friends instead of boarding their bus.

I patter her damp head and go in for a hug. "Well if you won't take the jacket, I guess I'll have warm you this way."

My coat started to get wet and Ana pushed me away.

Looking at my coat, we both broke out laughing. The once dry coat was now wet dab smack on my chest and there was an imprint of the side of Ana's face.

"You're such an idiot, Jake," she says as she finally stops laughing. "Why would you do that?"

"You looked like you were having so much fun being soaked I though I'd join in."

Just then the buses began to pull out after the teachers got the last students to get on their buses. Our bus started on its way and began heading home. Ana was the first stop, which was only about a five minute drive or so. The person who usually gets off after her was sick today, so the next stop was mine and Jennifer's.

As I got off, Jennifer rejoined me under my umbrella. "Hey, do you mind walking me to my door? It's just I don't like the rain."

I had completely forgotten that she hadn't brought an umbrella. "Sure, but I need to go get ready to leave to work on a group project, so I can't stay over."

Her face turned into a pout. "Are you sure? It wouldn't be too long."

"Yes, I'm sure."

We make it to her driveway and up to her porch. "Goodnight, Jennifer."

"Goodnight, Jake."

I head across the street to my own home. In the driveway is my mom's tan suv and in front of it is my dad's black Lexus.

Great. Just the man I was hoping to avoid.

I make my way up to my front door and walk inside. Carefully shaking my umbrella through the doorway, I stash it on the coat rack and begin to take off my shoes.

I see my mom walking past as a bend back up and put my shoes on the rug next to the door. "Hey, mom."

She stops and comes back to greet me. "Hey sweetie. How was your day?"

I think back to lunch time and force myself not to smile. "It was okay. The usual."

"That's good."

Just then a loud guitar rift starts playing throughout the house as my little sister cranks up her stereo from upstairs.

My mom winces and sighs. "She's at it again."

"I think she's just going through her emo phase. We'll all laugh at this when we're older."

My mom just sighs again. "I don't mind her listening to that, but why does she have to play it so loud."

I shrug and start to head upstairs. My mom stops me and reaches up to kiss my cheek. "When did my little boy grow up?"

I hug her. "Who knows?"

She lets me go and I make my way upstairs to my room. At the end of hall, I see my dad knocking on my sister's door. "Lisa," he yelled over the music. "Turn it down I'm busy!"

I quickly slip into my room before he notices me and drop my bag to the floor.

I slip my coat off and hang it off the side of my hamper so it can dry and pull out my phone.

It's 3:53 pm. I have just over half an hour before Ana said she would be here to pick me up.

I look through my closet for a button down shirt and decide on my nice striped salmon one my mom had bought me for my cousin's wedding last year.

I pull out a fresh pair of jeans to match and quickly throw them on.

I'm almost finished tucking in my shirt when I here a sharp knock at my door. I instantly recognized it as my dad's.

"Come in," I say, just loud enough for him to hear through the door.

The door swings in and in steps my father. Although we are the same height, my dad is built out a little more, mostly due to his time training for working in the field. It's a bit intimidating, so I try not to get on his bad side.

"Where are you going," he asked looking at the shirt I was still tucking in.

"I'm going over to a friend's place." Despite the fact that he can read my text messages, he is always trying to test me on them.

"Which friend?"

"Anastasia." I can feel his stare pierce into me as I put my belt on.

"Aren't you a little overdressed to just be hanging out," he asks after a short silence.

I look down at the outfit I had just picked out. Shit, he was right.

"We were going to go to the mall," I started, panicking to make an excuse. "So I just assumed it was a date."

His eyebrows perk up and I knew I had said the right thing.

"That's how you surprise a lady," he says as he takes in my outfit. "Don't forget to put on a nice watch to match. And I think a tie might be too much, but go with your instinct."

He walks over to me and holds out his hand. In it is the keys to his Lexus outside. "Take the car."

I step back a little and shake my head. "No it's okay. Ana's gonna come pick me up." There was no way I was going to take his car. He has a tracker on that thing.

He frowns in confusion and slight anger. "Why would you have her come pick you up and turn right back around."

He has a point. We didn't think of that. I rack my brain for another excuse. "We're gonna head to Papa Frock's before heading back."

Papa Frock's is a family run burger joint that's a little closer to my house and not on the way to Ana's.

He shrugs and puts the keys in his pocket. "I guess that makes sense."

He turns to leave and I hold back from sighing a sigh of relief.

Before he closes the door, he puts something fire red on my dresser.

"You might need this," he says and shuts the door behind him.

I walk over and notice that it is a bright red wrapper and inside is a condom.

Ew. Just the thought that my dad thought I was gonna do the deed with Ana makes me a little sick. She's too much like a sister for that.

I grab it and put it in my pocket. I can't risk my dad coming back and seeing it still on the dresser.

I open the door my dad had just walked out of and walk across the hall the bathroom. Switching on the light I notice that my hair is a little unkempt and I grab my comb from the drawer. I run the comb through my hair and my hair falls into place on top of my head.

I put the comb back in it's home in the drawer and walk back to my room. I debate putting on my good shoes, but considering the weather outside, I decide to put on a nice pair of black converses I had waterproofed a few weeks back.

I grab a new coat that isn't wet and tuck it under my arm.

I give the mirror on the back of my door a quick look-over and decide I look presentable for the occasion.

I leave my room and rush down the stairs, deciding it is better to wait for Ana by in the dining room where I can look out at the front of the house. My mom's eyes widen as I basically jump from the last step and into living room.

"Sorry," I say to her. She gives me her 'mom glare' and lightly slaps my arm.

"Just don't do that again. I don't need you falling and busting your head open."

"Yes, ma'am," I say as I start to head towards the dining room.

Mom follows me into the dining room and sits down at the table. "How's Ana doing? I haven't seen her around the house in awhile."

"She's doing good. She's been thinking about doing some activism."

"That's good."

We sit silently at the table. It's not an uncomfortable silence, but it makes me fell a tinge sad. Ever since that dinner, we grew apart. Out of both of my parents, I could see my mom being the most accepting of me. She never did say anything negative about queer people, but she has never said anything positive either.

I hear a honk outside and look out the window. Ana's mom's bright green Ford Focus sits on the curb in front of our house.

I stand up and so does my mom. "I hope you have fun," she says as she gives me a hug. "Don't be back too late."

I hug her back. "Will do." And with that, I head outside and into the green car.