Miss-Taken Identity

“It’s such a bummer that we can’t do this more often,” you remarked as you clicked on another YouTube video on your phone, which then played on the TV on the wall opposite the bed that you were sitting on next to your girlfriend, Sophie.

“I know, but my parents are ridiculous. I swear, next semester I might just apply for student housing just to get away from them for a little.” Sophie, whose room you were in, sighed. “They’re so overprotective, even though I’m eighteen! But you know, their house, their rules.”

“And you can’t even date?” you asked.

“They didn’t want me to have a boyfriend in high school so I could ‘focus on my studies’ but I still had one anyway. And it’s the same now,” Sophie replied.

Sophie’s parents are super overprotective, which is nice, because it means they care about their daughter’s wellbeing. But maybe they care a little too much, since they forbid Sophie to have a boyfriend. Now, of course, that didn’t stop her from having one, it just meant she had to do so in secret, which is where you come in. Your name is Joe and you and Sophie met on campus during your Freshman history class and became fast friends, which quickly graduated to something more. At the end of your first date, as you prepared to drive Sophie home, she dropped the bombshell.

“Do me a favor and drop me off a block from my house.” Sophie said as she belted herself into the passenger seat.

“Why so far?” you asked.

“It’s my parents… They sort of don’t want me to have a boyfriend, so I told them I was studying at a girlfriend’s house tonight, my friend Reina’s. So if they see your car pull up…”

“I see… They know you’re an adult, right?”

“I know, it’s so dumb, but they’re so overbearing and I’m living there rent-free, so I’ve kind of got to do what they say. But that doesn’t mean we can’t go out, it just means we can’t spend time at my house. And maybe we should avoid any places that they might go…”

“This seems like a lot of trouble,” you started.

“If it’s too much for you, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to go out again!”

“No, I do! This is just a little weird.”

“I’m hoping they’ll let up soon, so it’ll probably only be for a little bit.”

“Okay, then, I think I can handle it.” you said, turning the key to activate the ignition and driving off.

From then on, your clandestine relationship flourished and you two became even closer, even if your date plans had been mangled on more than one occasion because Sophie’s parents double-booked her. But this weekend was different. Sophie’s parents were going away for a weekend to visit some relatives a few states away, which meant that you could do whatever you wanted out in the open. Ultimately, it wasn’t anything more than just cuddling in Sophie’s bed while watching videos, but it was something you couldn’t do very often, since you and Sophie both worked and you lived on-campus with a roommate and it wasn’t realistic for your roommate, Rufus, to be **** to vacate the room every single night.

As you leaned over to kiss Sophie, you both heard a car pull into the driveway and Sophie sat up like a shot. Her parents weren't due back for another day, but she jumped when she heard a car pull up and ran to her window, which faced the front of the house.

"Oh crap!" Sophie shouted.

"What?" you asked, fumbling with your phone to turn off the video.

"They're home early!"

"What do we do?"

"Uh... I don't know... Maybe they won't notice you're here."

You both heard the front door open downstairs and the sounds of Sophie’s parents entering the house, the floor squeaking as Sophie’s father walked towards the staircase that led upstairs.

"Sophie! We're home!" her father shouted.

You stood completely still as Sophie looked around, trying to figure out what to do with you as suddenly the squeaking became stomping that was coming up the stairs. As the stomping turned into loud footsteps approaching Sophie’s bedroom, Sophie quickly locked the door. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door.

"You are in so much trouble! What are boy's sneakers doing by the door? Who's in there with you?!" Sophie’s father shouted.

“Just a minute! I’m not decent!” Sophie shouted.

You considered hopping out the window, but considering that it was a long way down and you two didn’t have any way of preparing a rope or sheet to safely transport you to the ground, you elected to remain inside. Instead, Sophie pointed to the closet and you ran into it. Even though it was dark, you could still see that the closet was filled with clothes, an old Halloween wig and other assorted items. What the closet was low on was places to hide within it, so you hoped that Sophie could talk her way out of this mess.

Sophie took a deep breath and gingerly unlocked the door to her room. Almost immediately, the door swung open and her father burst into the room.

"I swear to god if you have a boy here…” Sophie’s father’s eyes darted around the room. “Where the hell is he?”

"I don't have a boy here, Daddy." Sophie said, putting on her best innocent act.

"Then how do you explain those shoes by the door?" he asked. “I know those aren’t yours.”

As you listened to the conversation, you tried to slow your heavy breathing and stay silent. Unfortunately, in concentrating on that, you inadvertently stepped back and stumbled, banging into the wall of the closet. Sophie’s father’s head turned towards the closet and he smiled.

Before Sophie could react, her father had already opened the closet door. Sophie shut her eyes as she imagined what might happen when her father found her boyfriend.

"I have you now!" Sophie’s father said, swinging the door open.