[FLCL]

Chapter 48

One day Lindsay and I were watching a movie at Lindsay's house with her mom. Ms. Peale had clearly had a few glasses of wine giving her voice a somewhat jolly and uneven tone. Lindsay and I were sitting together on the couch and her mom was watching from the lounge chair. About 30 minutes into the movie, Ms. Peale said, "So Pat, I think I need to ask, what are your intentions for my daughter?" The way she was looking at me, she had a devilish smirk on her face and a glimmer in her eye.

Lindsay answered first, "Mom don't."

"No Lindsay," Ms. Peale defended, "your dad isn't around or he should be the one to have this conversation. I like you, Pat, and I'm not trying to chase you off or anything but I think someone should be looking out for Lindsay's best interests."

"Mom," Lindsay jumped in again, "you really don't have to worry about Pat taking advantage of me."

"Oh? And why is that Lindsay?" Ms. Peale asked with a patronizing tone.

"Because. Pat does whatever I tell him to," Lindsay said matter-of-factly.

There was a moment of silence. I could feel myself getting slightly red. I certainly hadn't expected Lindsay to share the details of our relationship with her mom right now. I found myself praying that the subject would change quickly but my prayer was not answered.

"Oh Lindsay," Ms. Beale condescended, cutting through the awkward silence, "don't exaggerate. Pat seems like a nice boy, I'll give you that, but he doesn't just do whatever thing you say."

"Yes he does," Lindsay stated firmly.

"Okay. Pat," Ms. Beale squared her focus on me, "tell my daughter that you do have a mind of your own afterall. And that you won't just do any old thing that she says."

I glanced at Lindsay and, looking me in the eyes, Lindsay said, "Go ahead Pat."

My heart was in my troat and I could feel my face getting redder. I collected myself and said, "Actually Ms. Peale-"

"Becky." Ms. Peale interrupted.

"Right... Becky. Actually, Lindsay is right. I've told Lindsay that I'll do anything that she says."

The words hung in the air like an anvil over my head. Lindsay smiled a big grin at me and then turned to her mom, bobbing her head side to side as if to say, "I told you so." Ms. Peale looked surprised for a second before that devilish smirk that I had seen earlier gradually returned to her face.

"Oh, you guys are just messing with me," she said.

"No Mom, it's true!" Lindsay demanded.

"Yeah right," Ms. Peale doubted, "I haven't seen anything to make me believe that. It's not like you've been making him do all kinds of out-of-the-ordinary stuff since he's started coming around."

"Oh yeah," Lindsay said, annoyed, "and what kinds of 'out-of-the-ordinary stuff' would you expect me to be making Pat do while you're around?"

Ms. Peale answered with a hint of arrogance in her voice, "Well if I had a boyfriend that was going to do whatever I told him to, I would start by making him clean those dirty dishes in the kitchen sink." Ms. Peale paused until Lindsay was about to speak and then added, "naked." Then Ms. Peale took a slow sip of wine.

"Mom!" Lindsay shouted in shock.

"I'm not saying that you should make Pat do that," Ms. Peale said calmly after swallowing her wine. "I'm just pointing out that you're wrong to say that Pat would do anything you tell him to."

"No, you're wrong! He would do it if I said so-" Lindsay pushed back.

"Well then prove it," Ms. Peale challenged dismissively.

Lindsay sat in shocked silence for a moment before answering, "Fine. Go ahead Pat. Take off your clothes and go do the dishes."

Ms. Peale jumped in, "You don't have to do that Pat, Lindsay just doesn't like being corrected by her mother."

"No Mom," Lindsay pushed back again, "if you're going to call me a liar or whatever and this is the only way you'll admit you're wrong then he's going to do it."

"Okay Lindsay, well I guess we will see then," Ms. Peale said before turning her gaze back to me, "Pat?"