When I wake up I hear things being moved around in the other room. I sit up fast and walk to the door remembering that I'm in the barn and today is moving day. Moving day, from my room in my parents house to my barn which is also my parents barn, but with the fun of paying rent 'Yay'. I walk into the kitchen and grab a glass of water, but when I turn around it almost slips from my hand and I just about spit my drink out from what I see. I set the cup on the counter hard and cover my mouth. Nathan Jared Peterson, is shirtless carring a bright pink rug and boxes into my living room. And he has abs, my heavy set best friend has had abs this entire time.
"You're up early?" my statement came out as a question. I was mind boggled. He pokes his head out from the baby room which he was helping me decorate and move around.
"Yeah, I mean you can't really lift anything so I thought I'd get a head start and let you sleep a little." I nod and he gives his award winning smile. What a charmer. "Hey guess what!" he yells from the other room.
"What?"
"Two weeks." Two weeks to graduation. My heart beat just a little faster, maybe I wasn't ready yet. Nope not at all ready for what's to come, nope, nope, nope. I lean against the counter and sigh. I take another sip of my water and then walk out to door and follow the rock path to the main house. Mom is in the kitchen when I walk in. I find that it's noon again when I see the clock in the living room, and here I am just woke up and in my pajamas. Mom looks up as I lean on the counter.
"Want something to eat? I'm making ham and biscuits, you're favorite." she sings.
"No I think I'll just get some orange juice for right now." I walk around the counter and open the fridge then, pour some juice into a glass. I stand next to mom as she sets a hot pan on the counter. When she turns to me she gasps a little.
"You've got a bump!" she says and I knit my eyebrows in confusion. "You're always in those loose shirts or sweatshirt so I never see, but you have a bump!" I look down at my tanktop-the only time I wear anything remotely tight, is to bed. There was a bump, and it covered almost half my feet.
"I, I guess so. I knew I felt heavier, I've just been busy-" I walk over to the hall mirror. "How did I not notice?" My mom stands behind me and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
"You still look like my beautiful daughter though." both her hand rub my shoulders and I blush, and turn away. "Oh have you seen Nat? That sweet boy has been helping you father move your stuff into the barn. Did you tell him he had to do that? You shouldn't have, I could've called your brother."
"No, he wanted to help."
"Oh how sweet." she grabs a plate from the cabinet. "I think I like this boyfriend of yours." What? Boyfriend? Didn't she know?
"Mom!"
"What?"
"He's not my boyfriend, is that what you were thinking this whole time?"
"Sure, I guess."
"Well he's not, okay?"
"Who's not what?" I hear my dad behind me, and turn. He's heading up the stairs and Nat walks in the door too. I wave. "Nothing, dad." He continues up the stairs and disapears into my room. I shake my head at mom and then realise how bad I needed to pee. It litteraly hurt to stand. I changed my mind about the food and took a big bite from a hot biscuit and just about burnt the top of my mouth. Then I went to the bathroom.
The temperature got hotter throughout the day so I just sat in the barn ordering people around. It was kind of fun actually. Lindi texted me constantly complaining about wanting to go into labor already as she's a week past her due date. Mom talked about having a baby shower but I told her I didn't know if I wanted to. I still had no crib, few baby clothes, no bottles, no diapers. At the end of the day the baby room was barely even decorated, it was mainly empty. I had all my stuff, but barely anything for her. I sighed. Nat walked back in the house with some plastic bags.
"What's that?" I ask.
"Groceries."
"I couldv'e done that you know."
"Couldv'e, yes. Did you? Not yet. Just say thanks."
"Thanks, what'd you get?"
"Something to cook,"
"Oh you're gonna cook for me, yeah?"
"Maybe." he shrugs.
After he cooks some kind of chicken casserole, which is amazingly good. We sit on the floor in the living room. Our plates pushed aside, were talking with our backs against the couch. Two weeks, he had reminded me. What would I do then? I was starting a job at my dad's furniture store after graduation. I won't get to start college next year, but Nat will.
"I'm going to miss you," I start to tear up. Stupid hormones "Miss, this." my hands fall to my sides. I look over at him, he looks back at me.
"Miss what?"
"Talking to you, seeing you whenever I want."
"Can I be real with you for a minute?" he asks. My heart pounds. I nod. "I'm going to miss it too. Us. I don't know what I want, but I've been thinking." he takes a pause. "When I met you I knew, I knew what I was and who I am. But you changed that. You changed it when you kissed me at the mall and I kissed you back, you changed it when you told me about Mark and the baby and now I don't know what to do. I like you, a lot and I want to be there for you. I've realized that I am and must have always been bisexual, or maybe I changed when I met you. But whatever I am, I want you to know you matter to me. Always." I'm shocked. Speechless. I don't care about anything he's done before, but now. I was finally in the now. I was finally moving forward. Just with a couple of words spoken to me. "I might never actually know who I am but I know what I want and that it this." he drops his hands to his sides.
"I like you too, a lot." I say. "I have since, I don't know when." he lets out a laugh and covers his red face.
"But before we could be together I want you to do something." his hand slides down.
"What?" I ask, what could he want me to do?
"I want you to tell him because I don't want to start something full of doubts."
"I'll do it."I would. I will. Why was I willing to tell Mark just to be with Nat in the long run? Why would I tell him just to go back to Nat. Was that love? Was risking Mark's future by telling him, and then having awkward conversations and meetings worth having Nat to myself? I thought it was, I truly thought it was. So be it, I would risk it for my best friend's company.
YOU ARE READING
Skinny Love
Teen Fiction'A teenage girl comes face to face with her past and must deal with its consequences.' Ella got pregnant at seventeen, by her best friend but he doesn't know about it. Instead of telling him she changed schools and took on a new life where no one kn...
