Oddball

Chapter Ten

Out of frustration and lack of sleep, I turn to my right and peek at the clock atop the nightstand. It reads 1:24 AM. I grumble to myself and roll over to face Willow. I can't see her face in the darkness, so when she speaks I nearly have a heart attack.

"I can't sleep either." She murmurs, "Why can't you?"

"Just... Thinking, I guess." I say.

I feel Willow scoot closer to me and once again, I get goosebumps all over my body. My heart rate picks up a little and I suck in a deep breath. Her cold fingers lace themselves through mine and she holds my hand with a type of gentleness I've never experienced. And just like that, the nerves subside. Willow giggles.

"What? Tell me what's so funny." I demand, looking to the sound of her laughter.

"Why do you get so nervous?" She asks.

"I... Well... I just really... Like you a lot. I've never met anybody like you and... It just feels all... Crazy... Inside?" The ending of my sentence comes out like a question and I'm thankful she can't see how red my face is right now.

Willow rests her head on my chest and I wrap my arm around her shoulders. She is silent for a minute or two.

"Your heart beat is pretty fast." Willow announces her observation out loud.

"It does that when I'm around you." I reply with a yawn.

Willow nods and snakes one of her arms around my waist. I feel butterflies in my stomach and I try to close my eyes. After a few minutes, the butterflies disappear and I feel relaxed. I feel safe. I feel like I'm at home. Within seconds, I drift off to sleep.

The next morning, we wake up to get ready to go to my grandma's house for an early Christmas celebration with most of my family from Florida. Upon arrival, we receive numerous warm greetings, hugs, and even a few cheek-kisses. Willow is nothing but amazing the entire time. The family warms up to her almost instantly and she is remarkable with the kids. They play hide and go seek and Willow plays with them and their new toys. They all love her.

I stand off to the side and smile at her. I spend most of the day watching her. I can't help myself. She just keeps getting better and better. It's as if she isn't real. She's even better than any dream girl I've ever imagined. It's like she's too good to be true. But she's real. And she likes me. And I like her. I watch as she listens carefully to my five year old cousin, Eli, explain the rules to the game he wants to play with his toy trains.

"She's really great, Pay." Aunt Carol says, walking up beside me.

"Yeah... She is, isn't she?" I nod, unable to wipe the blissful grin off of my face.

"She's definitely something. People like that only come around once in a lifetime. You better hold on to her." She tells me.

"I will." I mean it.

"Do you love her?" She asks with a smile.

I peel my eyes off of Willow and look at my aunt. She waits for my response with an eager expression. I look back to Willow and I nod again.

"Yeah. I do."

"Aw, our little Payton is in love. We would've never thought our shy, quiet girl would ever step out of her shell." She pulls me into a hug and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

I laugh and blush when I notice Willow looking in my direction with a smile on her face.

"So, are you bummed to be leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah. But the trip has been fun." I admit, crossing my arms.

"Well that's good, I'm glad you had fun. And once you get home I better get some information regarding you and Willow over there. I want to hear some good news. Are you going to ask her out? Or to be your girlfriend? Or something?"

I, thankfully, don't have time to respond since my mom swoops in and takes Aunt Carol towards the snack tray. I let out a sigh of relief and turn my attention back towards Willow. She looks up at me and I smile at her. She gives me a knowing beam and then looks back down to Eli's toy trains.

I do love that girl.