"You can't stop me! I hate you!!" Rhia screamed as she turned on her heels and raced to her temporary bedroom.
"Rhia... Rhia!! Come back here..."
But his voice was cut off abruptly as Rhia slammed the door, the harsh noise vibrating in the now quiet house.
Blinded by anger she stood for a moment staring at the door intently, daring him to enter; a million come-backs and scathing insults at the tip of her tongue. Her heart leapt up and down, positively deafening.
There was to be no intrusion (at this point). Rhia clenched and unclenched her hands, feeling her sharp fingernails digging in and out of her palms. She let out a ragged breath - an attempt to calm herself, but rage was still coursing through her veins, heating her blood, making her head pound.
Rhia turned and assessed the small room, with its single bed - pretty pink floral bedspread, lacy frills on the pillow... fit for a 10 year old. Unfortunately Rhiannon was 18, and the whole pink-lacy-matching curtain-and-floral-wallpaper number was wearing very thin, especially after 2 months... And especially after having friends over and having to deal with their constant hassles. She'd managed to rid the stuffy room of the doilies that sat atop the dresser drawers and bedside table. After some careful manoeuvring Rhia also worked out how to remove the set of 8 (count them, *eight*) framed animal pictures, with the 'endearing' catch phrases emblazoned on the bottom (yes, even the one with the kitten dangling off the end of a table, with the ever cute "Hang in there!" printed under it). Of course they had to be arranged and hooked back up again when friends etc had left, so as to not offend or anger her crazy Aunt.
She huffed and strode over to her one saviour in the house - a portable CD player. Rhia slammed a new CD in and pressed 'play'. Aggressive hard rock blared out - music she didn't exactly like or dislike, but that had been chosen for the sole purpose of being played LOUD when she was pissed off, to ensure everyone else in the house knew it, and hopefully became equally annoyed.
Pacing back and forth as the music screamed out of the speakers Rhia tried to revise her night. Tonight had all been about a party - a big blow-out, alcohol AND college guys... That was before she had been stopped. What right did he have to criticise her?! Rhia quit pacing, stopping in front of the gilded floor-length mirror. She had dressed with care, every part of her attire thought-out. A tiny black pleated skirt had been bought for the occasion. It was teamed with a tight white shirt, unbuttoned low in the front. High black platform sandals completed the 'catholic school girl' look, except she was pretty sure they didn't wear matching black lace thong and bra.
Rhia gave a little twirl, watching in the mirror as the skirt fanned out, baring the tops of her slender thighs. The shirt hugged her chest, the outline of the black bra visible through the thin stretch cotton. She pouted and fiddled with her messy pile of blonde hair pinned artfully, tendrils of blonde locks wisping around her face and neck. Rhia looked fine in her books - sexy and mature, not like a 18 year old child who normally lived in baggy jeans. Her ex-boyfriend was going to be at the party, and Rhia planned on making him very jealous - and make him regret the nasty things he had said about her after he dumped her.
Unfortunately for her, she wasn't at home, where her mother was too busy to notice what she wore out, where she was going, or what time she came home. Vanessa Burnes had started out as a secretary, then had married Eric Atkins, her boss. Now married 25 years, Eric still worked long hours as a lawyer, while Vanessa had raised Daniel, their first born son- now 24, and Rhia, their golden daughter, 18. It was because of these long working hours that Rhia was staying with her father's brother, or Uncle Steven if you will. Eric was in the middle of a case (as per ususal) and Vanessa was busy assisting him - both had now left the country on business. Two months and counting, and Rhia was still stuck across town with Uncle Steve and Aunt Maria... under their rules.
It was a normality for Rhia to live her life at home as she pleased. Not one to get into trouble at home or school, she messed around with her friends, dabbled with alcohol and with Darren (now ex...), but was generally 'good kid'. And even when she missed curfew, or did something a little wild she was never caught. Eric and Vanessa were always out, and Daniel was away at college studying law. Rhia had an unhampered lifestyle and not much to rebel against.
Things had began to change lately though. Rhia had began to notice her body more, and tonight she was going to make sure everybody else did too! Darren was going to have to eat his words about her being too innocent, frigid, dowdy... how dare he!!
At 5'7 Rhia was slender with a curved and luscious figure. Her legs were long and toned, her pubic region newly shaved, her stomach flat, her breasts firm, round 'c' cups... She knew she wasn't a knock-out, and that plenty of girls had bigger breasts or longer legs, but afer staring at her body in the mirror a few months back she had decided not to hide under tee shirts and jeans anymore. She just hadn't had the guts until tonight.
Now as she stood in front of the mirror again, in a different house, months later, her plans were all going to be ruined. Rhia's defiant brown eyes glared back at her. She'd climb out the window to escape this house if she had to!
Over the blaring music she heard the familiar high-pitch squeal of her cell phone, and dived to the bed to answer. She glanced at the display - it was her friend Nicky, probably checking up on where she was. Rhia pressed the call button and raised the Nokia to her ear, making her way back to the stereo as she answered.
"Hey..." she called, turning down the music at the same time.
"Rhia where are you?! The place is going off... ooooh, and I soooo saw Darren - he's here! But you aint!!!" came the excited but slightly staticy voice of one of Rhia's best friends.
Rhia sighed and returned to the bed, flopping down. "I haven't left here yet. *Steve* caught me at the door and gave me the third degree. Now he's threatening to not even let me go with you guys."
"What an asshole! Your parents wouldn't have cared..."
"I know, but they aren't here are they?! Now I'm stuck here cos Uncle Steven thinks my clothes are "unsuitable".
"So change babe! Just put something over your clothes to please him. You can change back here..."
Rhia rolled her eyes and ran her free hand down her top, smoothing the fabric, "Yeah, well that might have been a possibility if I hadn't yelled at him..."
Nicky groaned. "What did you say?!"
Cringing, Rhia flashed back to their heated fight. "Umm... the normal teenage-angst stuff: 'you're not my father; you have no right; what's wrong with the way I look... Etc etc... It wasn't pretty I tell you..."
"Is that all...?"
Rhia blushed and rolled off the bed, resuming her pacing, "No... I told him to go fuck himself..."
Rhia held the phone away from her ear while Nicky hooted with laughter. When she had calmed down a bit she replied, "Way to go! He and that wife of his are soooo stuffy. He'll ground you for life now though..."
Suddenly the phone blared with laughter and loud music - the sound of a great time.
"... hey, Rhia, I gotta go now. I'll check back soon..."
Before Rhia could even say good-bye Nicky was gone. Maybe if she hadn't gotten quite so mad Rhia would be there with Nicky. She sighed and dropped her phone back into her little purse. It had just been so hard to hold back, especially when Uncle Steve had the nerve to tell her she looked like "a common street walker". Her Uncle was so repressed he couldn't even say the word 'whore' or even 'prostitute'. Not that any of the terms would have lessened the insult. Hence Rhia flying off the handle.
Steven and Maria lived a lovely quiet childless life. Rhia had come home from the mall on occasions to find them playing Scrabble, or reading together in the parlour (who has a 'parlour' these days?!); not anything she was used to witnessing. She hadn't heard them fight once in eight weeks. Maria was out at a cooking class, leaving Steven alone with Rhia, and it appeared he took his babysitting job seriously...
As her brain raced, trying to get herself out of this mess, there was a sharp rap at her door. Rhia took a deep breath.
"Yes?" she asked coldly.
The door opened and a male figure appeared, his hand gripping the doorhandle. The similarities between her Dad and Uncle almost led her to believe her Dad had come to take her home. Her heart sunk when Uncle Steve stepped into the room. Both the brothers had blonde hair, now greying, and piercing blue eyes. Steven and Eric stood over 6 foot, and though the years had softened them a little, they still looked formidable with their thick arm muscles, and height. They were separated by only a few years and the differences were minimal - her Dad jogged in the early hours of the morning, keeping his waist trim, where as Uncle Steven had the beginnings of a beer belly; her Dad was clean cut, always in a suit, his complexion pale from too many hours behind office doors, where as Uncle Steve had a more rugged look, his colouring darker from hours spent in the garden.
Rhia cut him a scathing glance then turned away, fussing with her purse.
"Sweetheart... Rhiannon..."
"What??!" she almost spat.
"Please don't take that tone. Your parents left you in my care, and standing by while you run off into the night would be letting them down," Steven stated calmly.
Rhia sighed and turned to face him, her hands on her hips. "Uncle Steve I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself. I don't even know why mom and dad sent me here..."
"... because they care about you and they didn't want you to have to take care of yourself. And quite frankly this 'gathering' of your friends sounds like a bad idea."
She frowned at him, "This is my life, and my friends. Everyone is going to be there, and you're stopping me from going!"
Steven echoed her stance, his hands on his hips as he eyed her. She looked delicious standing there, her cheeks flushed with anger, her ripe body beckoning him. He had watched her grow up into a beautiful young woman, and no matter how wrong he knew it was, he couldn't stop the image playing out in his mind of Rhia on her knees, that little skirt of her's pushed up around her waist while he fucked her from behind...
"You are too young to spurt off about your life. You're not trapsing off to a party with alcohol and god-knows-what-else, dressed like that, and acting the way you are acting!"
Rhia huffed and picked up her purse as she watched her Uncle's face go through several changes. What he was thinking she didn't know... or care, she just wanted out... now!
His eyes followed her movements, "Where do you think you are going?" he asked in gruffly, taking a step toward her.
"To the party," Rhia replied stubbornly, her lip trembling in defiance.
