Crash at Tina’s place

You were beat, it was cold out and the cops were all over the place so you didn’t really feel like venturing out any further into the night. If you caught a few hours of sleep and set your phone alarm for 5:30 you probably get back home before your mom woke up and it would be all good.

It also didn’t escape your notice that Tina was a lot more disturbed than she was letting on. Tough as she was, she probably figured having someone around would give an added sense of security.

“I’ll crash here for a few,” you said, “ if that’s ok?”

Tina grinned. “Don’t let me catch you talking in your sleep again!”

You held up your hands in surrender. “I promise I only do that when I’m drunk.”

The both of you waved Marcus off and slowly crept across the backyard to Tina’s house proper. Being the child of two very successful lawyers meant that Tina had a very luxurious home, though she never let that make her arrogant or pretentious. She didn’t seem to really acknowledge her own wealth very much, perhaps owing to her rebellious nature.

“Just be careful,” she whispered, “my dad’s out of town but my mom would kill me if we got caught.”

As if breaking a spell, the darkened living room lit up and the two of you were confronted by Tina’s mother, watching you with indecipherable eyes.

“I think we can forgo the **** penalty for now,” the older woman remarked in a dry voice. “Though do you mind telling me what the hell you were doing out of the house at midnight during a townwide curfew?”

A little smirk tugged at her lips as she turned to adress you. “Hello Michael, might I ask if your mother knows where you are?”

“N-no, Ma’am,” the words tumble out of your mouth.

Tina crossed her arms and looked defiantly at her mother. “We were just hanging out in the pool house, Mom. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Tina,” Mrs Harding sighed. “You do realise why there’s a curfew in effect, right? There’s a lunatic out there **** girls your age, this is something you have to take seriously.”

“We were just hanging out in the poolhouse,” she insisted again, keeping up with her lie. “It’s not like we were walking down some dark alley or anything.”

“Even so, you guys can’t leave the house at night,” she looked at you, stern set to her mouth but with a little sympathy creeping into her eyes. “Michael I’m going to have to take you home.”

You could tell Tina wanted to argue by the way she was fidgeting in place, but she kept her mouth shut and merely glared at her mother. Mrs Harding met the gaze with blank indifference. After all these years she knew that the best way to deal with her daughter’s arguments was to give her nothing.

She instead turned to you. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”

“Mike,” Tina closed the distance and threw her arms around you possessive. “We’ll talk tomorrow, kay?”

You nodded and she parted, frowned at her mother again and retreated upstairs. There was the stomping of feet on the stairs and then the slamming of her bedroom door. You hoped that you hadn’t inadvertently caused a feud within the Harding household.

But those thoughts of guilt vanished as a pulsing warmth arose from the ring again, this time so powerful you felt your whole body vibrate with it. Your eyes went to Mrs Harding, her beautiful body hidden underneath her clothes.

Claim her, a voice whispered in your ear...