Title: “We Weren’t Doing Anything!”
The bedroom door was closed, music playing just loud enough to blur the conversation inside.
Emily, 17, sat close to Jason on the edge of her bed. They were laughing about something—some silly meme on his phone—when the laughter slowed, and their hands found each other’s. The moment grew quiet. Closer.
Then—
SLAM.
The door burst open.
“EMILY!” her mother’s voice cracked through the room like lightning.
Jason practically leapt backward, nearly falling off the bed. Emily scrambled up, face flushed red.
“MOM! Knock, seriously!”
Her mother’s eyes darted between the two of them — Jason half off the bed, Emily’s cheeks pink, the rumpled blanket between them.
“What exactly is going on in here?” she snapped, arms folded, standing in full fury.
“Nothing!” Emily said, voice cracking. “We were just talking!”
“Talking? With the door shut and the lights half off?” her mom shot back.
Jason stood up, hands raised like he was in court. “Ma’am, I swear, we weren’t doing anything. We were just hanging out.”
Her mother’s glare could melt steel. “You’re going to be doing your hanging out in the living room from now on. And with the door open. Always.”
She turned and left, muttering something about “teenagers” and “losing her mind.”
Emily sank onto her bed, burying her face in her hands.
“Well,” Jason whispered, “at least she didn’t call the cops.”
Emily peeked through her fingers. “You’re not helping.”
