Lost in Love

Chapter 29 - Summer Fun

"Okay, so mom and dad will be gone at about 6:30, so we'll have the place to ourselves after that."
"Alright, we'll probably be there a little before that anyway."
"Do you mind grabbing s'more stuff on your way?"
"Sure, we can do that."
"Perfect, see you in a few hours."
"See ya."
We hang up, and I head out of the bedroom, "Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"We have to run to the grocery store before we go to Ryan's."
She gives me a thumbs up, as she slips one of my hoodies on. Ryan's parents are out of town for the weekend, so they said we could use the house.
R: mom+dad left early
Just come in
I'm in the backyard
"Someone wants your attention," Bella grins and passes me my phone.
L: ok. Question
R: ???
L: why did you send 3 texts? I think that would have fit in one
R: yes
But
This
Makes
You
Answer
Faster
L: you're an ass
R: :)
Bella and I run and drop our bags downstairs, then head outside.
"Holy shit, you got a fire going."
"Yes, I did," he's faking being proud, while moving the chairs.
I set everything on the table.
Bella sits in one of the chairs and curls up in a blanket.
Once we're settled, I pull up a list of questions for us to answer.
"What's the weirdest or dumbest thing you saw or heard in school?"
"I've got a good one," Ryan's excitement is amazing, and I feel like I know what it will be.
"It was either grade 5 or 6, the class was outside, when someone started yelling. We all look up, and there's Payton, running like a mad man across the lawn."
Bella has already started to grin.
"Finally, we notice Cara chasing him. When she stops, everyone wants to know what happened. Payton is still freaking out, telling everyone she has a caterpillar, which already had everyone confused. Turns out he is crazily afraid of them. But just to make things better, Cara shows everyone, it was just a stick."
"Wow, seriously?" She looks between us.
I just nod.
"Oh yeah, everyone got a kick out of it."
"Not everyone," I add, "Payton was pissed."
"That's true."
Ryan looks to Bella, curious, "you got a story for this one?"
"Oh, umm— I don't know if I'd call it a 'story,'so much as a moment.
"There was a time when I was probably in grade one or two. And over the lunch break, some ninth graders were messing around, on the stairs to the science lab. One of them jumped from the top stair. Instead of landing on the ground, he hit the bottom stair and broke it."
I can't tell if Ryan is amazed or jealous, but he is gobsmacked by her story.
"What happened to the guy?"
"Sprained ankle, and wrist from the way he landed. Got suspended for a while too."
Ryan finally speaks up, "that was definitely a story, not just a moment."
I think for a second, "do you guys remember, in grade 10, when Kate's vape pen blew up in her pocket."
"Oh my god, yes, that was awful," Bella is immediately cringing.
"What did the school try to say it was?"
"An old phone battery, blackberry if I'm not mistaken," Ry pipes up.
"Right. Because that's so believable."
We all laugh, letting ourselves relive our triumphs and horrors of school, continuing to read through the questions.
Bella ends up falling asleep outside.
"How many of these people do you suppose we'll never see again?"
I grin at Ryan, "as much as I'd love to say 'none,' we couldn't get that lucky, especially living here."
"True, hometown and all."
"You might get lucky for a bit though, going away for school."
We spend so long outside, watching the stars, making s'mores (Ryan lost a few marshmallows to the fire.)
He and I continue talking until the fire is almost out.
"Good time to call it quits?"
He smiles, "I'm gonna make sure it's all put out, then head in, if you just want to bring the other stuff in with you?"
"Got it," I turn to go into the house, Bella is slowly heading in, still wrapped in the blanket.
I'm amazed Ry is actually tired when he comes in, "so tomorrow; breakfast at the cafe, bowling, then take out for supper with a movie night?"
"Still sounds good to me. Games on Sunday?"
"Yes, I got the games out of the laundry room earlier, they are in the main room downstairs."
"Perfect, our plan is set."
"We are using this weekend to the fullest extent we can," he begins to move to the hallway, "for now though, I'm gonna go to bed."
"Same. Goodnight, Ry."
"Night."
I get downstairs, and Bella isn't in the room, probably changing and what not. So I lay down, closing my eyes, even though I'm not remotely close to falling asleep.
Bella comes in, and tries to quietly go to the other side of the bed. However, as soon as she sits down, the bed squeaks, and I hear a small annoyed sigh.
My lips turn up, "it's fine, I'm not asleep."
"Oh good," she gets in bed properly, and comfortable
"I do appreciate the sentiment though."
"I take it you're still not tired?"
I turn, propping myself up on my elbow, to be looking at her, "nope."
"And yet, you'll still be the first one up."
"More than likely."
"Is there something that will help you get to sleep sooner?"
"Memory loss," I grin and fall back.
"I don't think I can do that one."
"I mean, you could."
"I suppose, but I don't like that idea."
"I know. Besides, I wouldn't risk forgetting you and Ryan."
She nods, and I watch her begin to drift back and forth, fighting sleep.
"You should go to sleep if you're tired. Don't force yourself to stay up when you don't have to."
"I just don't like going to sleep while you can't."
"It's okay, I honestly don't mind it."
She looks at me, less than convinced, but I smile and lean over to kiss her.
Finally, she caves and turns over to go to sleep.
————————————————————————————————————————————
We don't come here as often as we'd like, but we guarantee that we do it at least once every summer.
This year he's got some competition with Bella's ability to bowl. When Bella finishes her turn, she goes to the concession to get another drink.
"Who's winning?"
"You, by three pins."
"Sweet."
"We still have two rounds, that can change."
"You think?"
I nod, grabbing the next ball.
"Okay, how's this, I win, you cover dinner. You or Bella wins, I'll cover it."
"Sure," I was pretty sure I was paying anyway, so this doesn't make much of a difference to me.
I finish my last turn, and sit back to watch Ry and Bella finish up.
Bella finishes with 136 points.
"Nine to tie, ten to win, Ry."
First ball takes out 6 pins, but leaves 2 on either side of the lane. With his second ball, he gets two, with one pin moving near the others, but doesn't quite hit them.
"Damn."
"Wow, that may have just shown that given the right right angle, you might be able to make strikes out of spaced out pins."
"Really?"
"You came closer than ever."
"Huh. Well, in any case, this was a really good game."
"It was."
Ryan turns to Bella, "definitely gonna have to beat you next time."
"Good luck," Bella smirks, and puts her normal shoes back on.
We decide to dine in at Freya's and talk, then go back to the house for a movie.
While we sit and talk, I can't help thinking about this past year, and everything that lead this point.
My life, I have always felt lost. It didn't matter what part it felt like in that moment, but I was at least a little lost, at every second. And then I found Ryan, and the Jefferys, and things got better. I suddenly had a place that felt safe, all the time.
My parents didn't make that feeling easy, be it that every time they came home, I suddenly felt like I'd taken a thousand steps backward.
When we got into high school, we barely had a second before we were stuck thinking about when we get out. Ry found himself knowing what to do and where to go really fast and I just— couldn't. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and that made it so I didn't know where to go. Four years went by so fast, nothing had really changed for me in that sense.
All I could think in those four years (three mainly), was, what am I supposed to do when he leaves. And sure, I contemplated going with him, but there wasn't really a part of me that felt like I could, for whatever reason. He always tried to talk me into it. Getting a place together. Though, he did like to mention quite often that I could be his chauffeur to and from school, he thought it was amusing.
And then this year rolled around, Bella and I started dating, and living together. And it was like me always feeling like I should stay here, felt a little more right. When her and I got our place together, the safety I had only really felt at the Jeffery's, was finally any place I went. I never had to deal with my parents again. It could just be the people I wanted, and needed around me.
Being here, with these two, makes everything feel worth it, to bring it to this point.
"Ready to go get snacks, and go watch some movies?"
I look between the two of them and smile, "yeah."