She knew instantly what was coming the moment the phone rang. This was his favorite game. And right on cue, she saw his head peek from under the covers like a shark’s fin.

“Hey mom,” she said. She placed her hand over the microphone mouthing “No,” over enunciating in her silence. But that only made his smile grow larger. He slid from under the comforter and moved to the foot of the bed.

“Not much. I think we’re going to grab lunch then do some shopping. I need a dress for next weekend.”

The covers began to creep down her breasts, glided over her stomach, and were jerked off of her legs. She made a half-hearted attempt to grab at least a sheet. She missed, of course. She didn’t want to ruin the game. Her toes pointed, she slid her left knee on top of her right, and wrapped her arms around herself. Again she over-enunciated a silent “No!”

“I don’t know. We’ll probably walk around the mall for a bit. What about you?” she asked, hoping her mother would launch into her typical details-laden monologue about the trivia of the day ahead. She knew she soon wouldn’t be able to manage much more than monosyllabic responses. Read more »