Chapter 217) An Innocent Kind of Love

“Too many adults wish to ‘protect’ teenagers when they should be stimulating them to read of life as it is lived.”

― Margaret A. Edwards

Newcrest
Hanson Residence

Pulling on the back of his jeans to help him climb into her room through the window, Hailey’s face a grimace as they finally succeeded and he now faced her.

“You scared me half to death. You cannot do this. Seriously!”

“Sorry. I tried to port into your room not the damn tree outside your window. Probably should have texted ahead.”

“Ya think, Gump?! Not exactly helping my inner calm to watch my boyfriend suddenly dangle from the tree like an overripe apple! And no porting into my room – EVER, okay? At least not without a heads up, you creep. I could have been naked or something.”

“Is that supposed to scare me off? I mean, seriously now? Look Patches, I am still learning this porting thing, it’s a LOT harder than it looks when the adults do it. I ended up in Forgotten Hollow twice, and in the middle of my grandparents bed once. Not sure how that happened, luckily they were fast asleep, but I think my grandpa had just farted or something. Gross! Still grateful it wasn’t my parents’ bedroom I accidentally ended up in. I really don’t even wanna guess what goes on in there when my grandparents, my sister and I are in bed, let alone wind up in the middle of it …”

Unsuccessfully trying to suppress her laughter at poor Chase’s mishaps, Hailey told him giggling.

“Chase, keep your voice down! My parents are cool, but do you really want to explain to them why you are in my room at 9 pm on a school night when they didn’t even see you come to the door? No? Well, me neither. I mean this … porting …. is awesome and sounds hilarious, but we need some rules here, okay? Call or text me a heads up from now on. Promise?”

“Sure. Sorry Patches.”

“So, what did you want anyway?”

“Nothing. I missed you and wanted to see you. Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s sweet, kinda, but I have a big Math test tomorrow. I really cannot handle you right now. Super-bad timing. Sorry Gump.”

“Is it? Cos … maybe I can take your mind off the stress and all …” Chase tried to sound seductive like his father did when he was charming the proverbial pants off his mom, and like Blaine would usually do with Scarlett, he grabbed Hailey and tried to smother her with kisses.

“Chase! Stop it! What the hell?!” she protested while fighting him off.

“I … well … Never mind.” Chase frowned, blushing, feeling rejected and like a fool. Another thing that looked so easy when his dad did it. He never failed.

“Oh … come here you.” Hailey’s voice was softer as she snuggled up against Chase now, forehead to forehead after she kissed the tip of his nose. ‘Hm, maybe it did work after all, even if only for a pity hug.’ Chase thought to himself.

“I REALLY have to study though, Chasey …” Hailey now said while pushing away from him again.

“I could help you … I’m pretty good at Math. Where you guys at right now?”

“Thanks, but no. You are too distracting. When you are here I think about a lot of things, but Math is definitely not one. I can’t focus with you here, let alone retain anything.”

Chase blushed, but smiled flattered and hopeful.

“So … what ARE you thinking of then?” he tried to sound sexy like his dad did, but even to him, his voice sounded like he desperately needed a cough drop and a nap. Dammit. How could this be so hard?

“A lot of things that have zero to do with school. Usually I think about a pair of incredibly stunning bright green eyes, so mesmerizing. And then some full lips that feel so good when I kiss them that I totally don’t even notice the fangs anymore … and how good those arms feel around me … “

“Wow, sounds like a total hunk.” Chase smirked.

“He’s okay. But enough about Kyle then …” Hailey giggled, obviously teasing Chase.

With a groan he accepted her invite to be silly by pushing her onto her bed, where he held her down and tickled her, till she snorted for laughter, tears running down her face, as she begged for mercy, while he stole kisses in between more ‘torture’ until both froze at the sound of a deep male voice.

“Hailey Ann Hanson!!! Chase … ahem … I don’t know if you have a middle name, son!”

“Uh … yah … I do, Sir. It’s Everett. After my grandpa …”

“Right. How charming. But right this instant, Hailey Ann Hanson and Chase Everett Cameron – both of you into the living room RIGHT NOW!!! I don’t believe my eyes here!” Hailey’s father Wade Hanson roared.
Uh oh.

About half an hour later Chase blushed as he turned to wave back at Hailey, but caught her parents’ still grouchy glares giving him chills from the awkwardness so he quickly turned back around, while walking next to his dad, supposedly to their car parked around some corner, as they always told the Hansons who – aside from Hailey – didn’t know about the vampire bit.
Hailey’s parents had given Chase and their daughter a piece of their minds, then called Blaine, who lied and said they were local, visiting family and that he’d be right over to pick Chase up. When Blaine turned up he got a tongue lashing too, which he, in typical Blaine-fashion laughed off completely unfazed, while with the usual humor he had even Hailey’s parents try hard to hide chuckles. They weren’t too terribly mad to begin with, more concerned and trying to be good parents. They liked Chase, but had very clear reservations about surprisingly finding him in their daughter’s room on a school night. Especially the part that involved them both on her bed, even if fully clothed.

“Sorry dad …”

“It’s okay son. I once was young, dumb and full of …. well, you know. Just make sure you’re careful. And I am not talking about the busting knees kinda careful. Wrap up your flesh flute, kid. Lord knows you have plenty of condoms. You are a Cameron, all it takes is one time of slacking and the stars aligning just right – or wrong, depending how you look at it – and BAM – another grandkid for my tally.”

“I didn’t sleep with her! I just missed her.”

“Right, so much that you had to lay on top of her in her bed to weigh her down so she doesn’t get blown away by some hefty breeze in her bedroom. Come on now, kid. It’s okay, son. I understand, the Hansons understand, even though they’re far from thrilled about it all, I know for a fact that you have plenty of protection, just need you to reassure me that you are actually putting them to use. That’s all I ask. Beyond that, I say: Tallyho. Till the wanker is fuming for all I care.”

“DAD! I did NOT sleep with her nor was I trying to! I swear. We were just playing.”

“Right. Anyway, I am glad to see you are finally putting some effort into learning to port. That will make your grandpa Vatore incredibly happy. We’ll just hold the part where you only did it so you can go play around on your girlfriend’s ASS-ets and honkers and act as if you did just regular bone-dry practice as he administers.”

“DAD!! For the millionth time – I did NOT come here to fondle or nail Hailey! I just missed her and wanted to see her. Totally innocent. And if you only knew how many times that porting crap failed before I even got here. Took me weeks until I even moved an inch at all. And even when it finally worked … it was … frustrating!” Chase ranted, then got irritated by Blaine’s laughter.

“Oh, I remember that frustration well, one day I will tell you fun little stories about your dad’s many failures with it. It’s a real tear-jerker. Meaning, I cannot even hint at it without your mother bursting into tears of laughter till she turned redder than a fire engine. As happy as I am to amuse my girl so much after all those years, I wish it were at my jokes and not my failures. But why are you adamant about assuring me you didn’t sleep with your girlfriend, kid? You think I’d judge you if you had? Have we met?”

“Hailey is more to me than a pair of tits and a place to stick my wiener, dad. That’s what that means.”

“Jeeze, son! While I applaud something so mature from a teen boy, especially since Hailey is your first girlfriend, far as I know, I do want to make sure you know that sex can be meaningful. You think I do your mother because I am horny? I mean, obviously that’s a factor for sure, but there is a lot more to it than …”

“Dad, seriously – TMI!”

“No kid. You will be 18 in less than a year, you are a Cameron, you are a vampire and you are old enough to hear this. Nookie can be just a fun meaningless pastime, but it can also be a way to bond, to fuse two people who are close even closer. I mean, what better way to reassure love than to have to people who love each other feel great at the same time?”

“DAD – PLEASE – I BEG YOU! NO MORE!”

“Okay okay, you lil ninny. I’ll stop. I said all I needed to say. Food for thought.”

“Thanks dad, but not needed. I love Hailey. I will marry Hailey one day, like in ten years or so. She is the only girl I ever want.”

“Right. Of course. Good talk. At least that gives me a decade to find a lovely wedding suit. I am thinking cheeky hot pants to show off my hairy legs. Or no, wait, backless chaps – with nothing worn underneath! Whatcha think about that, kid?”

“I think you’re nuts dad.”

“No argument there, but what’s even more nuts is a barely 17 year old boy who has lived a very sheltered life to think he knows where his life will take him in ten years. I applaud your efforts to be a woke young man, but honestly Chase, you know nothing about life and love. I like Hailey and I believe you love her now, but college is going to change everything and once you survive that, after graduation your entire world will uproot again, especially if by then you STILL want to be a career musician, which, as you well know from your sister and me, will end up fucking up your schedule and plans for a long time without much you can do about that. You may well be with Hailey still, but then again, you may not, so I would steer clear of making wedding plans ten years out and just enjoy the moment – and the nookie. They say a man reaches his prime at 18, means you are just about there, my man. So, let’s just take a handful of chill pills here, enjoy your youth and the moment. Have fun. I get it, you are growing up, but take the foot off the accelerator for a bit, okay? Be a kid while you still can, Chase, trust me, one day you wished you had especially in your case, when you know you have eternity to be an adult. There is a reason they say you regret the things you DIDN’T do the most.”