Chapter 4

"But Mom!"

"You just got out of the hospital."

"I'm fine."

"Anthony Michael Sims!"

"It's Marion." For a second, I thought I'd be going back to the hospital with assorted bruises and broken bones.

"Anthony Marion Sims, you just got out of the hospital. You are not riding your bike to Robbie's house, and that is that."

"Fine. I'm not riding my bike to Robbie's house. I'm going to Tami's. Is that okay, or do you want to call me an ambulance for the trip.

Mom threw up her hands, turned her back on me and stomped off to the kitchen. I knew she was just being a good mom, but I didn't need babying. I needed to see Robbie.

"Tony, you're back, and you're okay!" Tami's mom said as she threw her arms around me.

I hugged her back. It's nice to be wanted. "I just stopped by to kidnap your daughter."

"Again?" she said with a laugh.

I shrugged.

"I should just let you marry her and save wear and tear on all of us."

"Two-and-a-half years, if we can get Mom and Dad to agree. One and a half-with-a-family court judge."

"And you know this how?"

"Learning," I said with a grin. "I'm always learning."

"And what states let you marry at sixteen?" she asked suspiciously.

"None. Isn't that disgusting? There were several in the seventies, but now all the states are eighteen without consent. Even Arkansas, if you can believe it. Though in Alabama and Massachusetts, we can get married now if you and Mom and Dad all agree. Up for a road trip?"

"Tami is not getting married till she graduates high school, and she's only marrying a high school grad. Let me know when you're ready."

I grinned, just to make her nervous. "After March, we could get married in Iran without consent."

She laughed. "I'll make sure to hide her passport."

"Where are we going?" Tami asked after I'd sprung her from her mother.

"Paul's house." Paul lived in the trailer court. He was a month older than me. We weren't exactly friends, but we got along.

"Why are we going to Paul's house?"

"I need to borrow a bike."

Tami looked completely confused. "What about your bike?"

"I promised my mother I wouldn't ride my bike to Robbie's house."

"But..."

"You don't expect me to walk, do you?"

Tami made the connection. "Anthony Sims!" she said, sounding a lot like my mother.

"Tamarone Elizabeth Sharp, we're not married yet. Don't use THAT tone on me."

"What tone?"

"The tone where you sound like my mother."

"And what makes you think I'd ever marry you?"

I stopped and pulled her into a long hot kiss. "If that didn't send me back to the hospital, a little bike ride isn't going to bother me,"

"But your mom? Can't you wait?"

"Did you see the paper today?"

Tami nodded. "Mom showed it to me."

"I don't think I can wait."

Paul had no problem with loaning me his bike, especially after Tami gave him a big smile. Robbie lived a half mile away, about fives minutes on our bikes.

We parked and I knocked on the door.

"Tony! You're back," Robbie's dad said, as he opened the door.

"Hi, is Robbie here?"

"She's in her room. She'll be glad to see you. We were worried."

"Just a lot of smoke and some burns." I held my hands out. They were bandaged heavily, but not mummy-wrapped like yesterday. They hurt a little from gripping the bike's handlebars, but not too bad.

"That was a brave thing you did."

"No, it was a brave thing Robbie did. I just..." I couldn't bring myself to say more.

"She's in her room. Go on up."

I think he was relieved to see Tami with me. He'd accepted that Robbie and I had sex, but he probably didn't enjoy listening to creaking bed springs from his fourteen-year-old's room. He figured with Tami along, he wouldn't have to. Of course, Robbie still owed me a threesome.

We climbed the stairs and stood outside Robbie's door. Loud Latin music came through the door.

I knocked. Nothing.

Tami knocked a little louder. Nothing.

I pounded.

"Come," I barely heard over the music.

I opened the door. Robbie was dancing to the pounding beat. She looked up, saw us, and launched herself at me. "Tony, you're okay." Actually I've had tackles in football games that didn't hit that hard, but I nodded. She kissed me hard and long, then abruptly let go.