The John Hughes Club

Chapter Fifty One

Chas

"Okay, birthday boy...spill the fishy beans?!" Feeling a pair of arms come tightly around my stomach, my girl then peeps around my arm, smirking up at me before sliding herself around my body to prettily face me.

Glad of Mindy's touch and voice, I express that gladness with a wide smile and a strong embrace. "About what?" My smile broadens, much like my love for her always does.

"The fish. That wasn't a catch of the day, was it?" she teases, trying to draw the truth from out of me using the persuasion of her dark yet desirable brown eyes.

Wordlessly, I stare down at her, my smile paused with mischief. "I don't know what you mean?" That mischief causes my lips to twitch, my eyebrows too.

Eyeing me with more of her playful suspicion, Mindy leans back a little, supported by my arms that are just glad she's within them. "Chas Summers! I do believe you're fibbing!" raising her voice, she then gifts me with one of her incredible grins.

Again, mischief parades itself everywhere on my face. "I caught the smaller codling, dad caught the bigger one," the lie tingles on my tongue, as do all of my feelings for this special girl—my special girl.

Pushing up against me, Mindy now laughs. "More like the smaller codling was bought by you, and your dad bought the bigger one," she knowingly states, snickering.

"A fisherman never tells," lightheartedly slips off my tongue, my head jubilantly held high.

"You mean this newbie fisherman never tells the truth," she jokes, pursing one side of her kiss-worthy mouth.

Gathering more of her against me, I bring my face close to hers. "What happens on the boat, stays on the boat," I whisper, my lips unable to restrain the smile that's now stretched across them.

"I'm sure the fishmongers understands," playing along with an humorous and hushed voice, Mindy's mouth is only a bated breath away from mine.

It doesn't matter that myself and dad didn't catch a single thing earlier on, because now, I have everything I could ever want for my birthday...her. "All of our friends have gone, your mum and my dad are cuddled up on the sofa eating some of my cake...can we please be alone now?"

Glancing all around the kitchen, Mindy fixes yet another smile on her natural-looking lips. "We're alone now," she quietly states, slipping both her hands into the back pockets of my distressed jeans.

I'm not really into the whole 'party thing' but if it was important to Mindy, dad and Megan that we celebrated my sixteenth, I made it become something of importance to me. I've shared conversations, eaten some great food, opened presents, listened to some cool music, created some jokes and laughed along with those created by other's. Yup, I've had a nice time...but now, I just want to spend what's left of my birthday with my incredible girlfriend.

Mindy's expression soon starts holding much affection upon it, followed by a relaxed smile. "I have one more present for you." Removing her hands from out of my pockets and removing herself from me, she then leaves me in the kitchen to hurry herself towards the hallway, before completely disappearing into where our parents currently are in the living room.

Quietly, I stand there...missing her, wanting her back in my arms.

Hearing muffled voices, obviously Mindy is having some kind of a conversation with her mum and my dad. Remaining where I am, I continue to wait for my girl...impatient for her to return.

Reappearing back into the hallway, Mindy smiles in my direction. "Shall we go up to my room?" she loudly suggests, wanting me to join her.

"Sure," eagerly rushes from between my lips as my strides just as eagerly take me nearer to where she is.

Hidden under her arm, is something wrapped in brown paper and bound with a twine tie. Her close-lipped smile beckons for me to follow her up the stairs, which I happily do. Once we reach Mindy's bedroom, she stands by the door, waiting for me to cross its cosy threshold before closing it behind me. As I sit on the end of her bed, she joins me. "I hope you like it," with a timid voice, she hands the present that she's been keeping safe under her arm all this time.

"I haven't even opened it yet, but I know I will," I softly tell her, relieving her fingers of the gift that she seems kind of nervous to let go of.

Mindy's already bought me a cool t-shirt, a wax-based aftershave, an MP3 player with a personalised playlist on it, and an engraved log sign with the quote:
MY BOYFRIEND
GOOD WITH WOOD
GOOD FOR ME

And yet, she's wanted to save this one for last. Untying the twine, the brown paper loosens around the present inside. Lifting it off my lap, I gently remove the wrapping, placing it behind where I'm sat on the bed. It's then that I can fully bring my eyes onto this last present that Mindy has just given to me. In silence, I stare at the 8x10 framed pencil drawing. In silence, I see myself as I appear now. Only, I'm not alone in this drawing. Closely by my side, stands my beautiful mum, her arm proudly wrapped around me. The drawing is so incredibly realistic, so amazingly detailed, that it could be mistaken for a photograph. I don't usually get tongue tied, but my silence continues because all that I want to say is being chokingly coated with awe and my overwhelmed reaction to what Mindy has beautifully created for me. My girl, my incredibly talented girl, has just gifted me with something that I never thought possible—a picture of the teenage me with my much-missed mum.

"I know you have a picture of you and your grandpa that was taken a few weeks before he died, pride of place in your bedroom...I thought maybe you'd like one with your mum?" Mindy mutters beside me, almost too afraid to speak any louder than a whisper.

"Mindy...it's...this...it's...it's me and my mum," I numbly babble, numbly absorbing the sight of us truly looking like we are together, forever immortalised within the glass and the four-sided wooden frame.

"I asked your dad if he could send me a photograph of your mum to my mobile, her face was so beautiful to draw," falling quiet, Mindy allows me time to absorb more of her present, allows me time to choke on my awe and my overwhelmed reaction.

"It's...it's perfect," slowly leaves my mouth as a trembling murmur, tears rising in my eyes. When I blink, those tears roll off my lower lashes in wet trails that heavily drop from the edges of my jawline and onto my jeans.

Seeing those tears, Mindy sits herself closer, using the softness of her fingers and who she lovingly is to dry my tear-lined cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you cry, Chas," she emotionally explains, rubbing away all that I have just so quietly wept with wonder.

"You're amazing, Mindy Diaz...just amazing," now hurries from out of me, my eyes finding themselves upon a new wonder—her.

"I'm glad you like it," she coyly comments, a shy smile lingering on the edges of her need-to-be-kissed lips.

Placing the gift that I shall treasure for the rest of my life down upon the safety of her bed, I then reach for Mindy. "I love it." Removing the small amount of distance between us, my mouth is now just a kiss away from hers. "And, I love you." In a chaste and teasing way, I tenderly slide my mouth across hers. "Thank you for my favourite present from my favourite person." Again, my mouth slides across hers, playfully delaying the kiss that I'm just about to give her.

Her eyes prettily flash with humour, her lips preparing for what they know is about to come. Immersing my hands into the depths of her curls, I kiss Mindy with everything I have running through my sixteen-year-old veins. All that I now feel, is because of this unbelievable girl. As our mouths unite, I want to fill my lungs with how good it feels to kiss her, fill them with how good it feels to be us.

I want her. Really want her...every amazing part of her.