No Time Like Goodbye

Chapter 6- Dylan

I overslept. The one thing I had told myself not to do, I did. Seeing as that was the way my life had been going lately, I guess I should have been used to it.

Nevertheless, as Hazel walked downstairs to talk to my father, I cursed myself. How big of an idiot did I need to be to oversleep the day I knew the girl I loved would be over early?

I threw on jeans and a t-shirt, running a hand through my dark blonde hair before walking down the stairs, not bothering to put on shoes. I waved to my mother, knocking on the door to the garage and entering without waiting for an answer.

Hazel and my father were talking about some art thing, the only thing they seemed to ever talk about. I smiled and sat next to Hazel on the worn, old sofa that once resided in the living room, but had long since been banished to my father's studio.

"Hey Dad, I've got some friends coming over. Why don't you and Mom go out and do something?" I smiled, knowing the moment I mentioned my friends Mom and Dad would leave. It wasn't that they didn't like my friends- well, Mom didn't like Hazel, but that's not the point- it was just that they didn't like being around a bunch of teenagers.

"That sounds great. I'll talk to your mother," Dad said, nodding and wiping his paint-stained hands on a towel. "Just don't do anything illegal, okay?"

"Got it, Mr. Nightly," Hazel said, ever the lady. I ushered him and my mother out of the house, and in less than ten minutes we were alone.

Hazel had seated herself on the couch while I had been with my parents, and she was now flipping through Netflix. She sees me and smiles. "Hercules or Mulan?"

I flopped onto the couch next to her and shrugs. "Well, I'm a sucker for Mulan, but Megara is hot and sarcastic, so it's a tough choice."

She laughed lightly and hit me with a pillow. "Just pick one, dork."

"Okay, okay. Um, Mulan." I laughed and stood as the doorbell rang, opening the door. Ryan, Fahari, Alayna- Ryan's twin sister-, and Lachlan, Alayna's boyfriend, stood outside the door. I grinned.

"Ah, dear friends, so glad you could make it," I said in a fake-formal voice, sweeping into a theatrical bow and stepping aside so they could enter. "Welcome, to my humble abode."

Fahari laughed and shoved me playfully as she entered, Ryan following behind her. Lachlan and Alayna passed by me after them, Alayna stopping to give me a quick hug before she practically jumped onto the couch next to Lachlan.

"And our resident movie master, Ms. Rivers has picked a family friendly tale of a cross-dressing female with daddy issues for our viewing pleasure." I sat next to Hazel once more, and she hit me upside the head, laughing softly.

"That is so not what this movie is about," She said, rolling her eyes.

"That is so what this movie is about, and don't even try to deny it." I laughed.

Meanwhile, Alayna had promptly moved herself into Lachlan's lap, whispering in his ear and giggle occasionally. I threw a pillow at them and spoke in my fake-formal voice again.

"For the sake of the children here, please keep all conversation and activity to a PG level. Thank you."

Alayna rolled her eyes and threw the pillow back at me. "There are no children here, stupid."

"Ah, but-" I covered Hazel's ears. "Hazel pretty much counts as a child."

"Hey!" Hazel pulled my hands from her ears. "What did you say?!"

"Nothing, nothing, I'll tell you when you're older."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm older than you, Dylan."

"Keep on believing that, kiddo." I patted her head and grabbed the remote, turning on the movie.

I couldn't help but glance at Hazel periodically throughout the duration of the movie, noticing the way the light from the windows sparkled off her stormy green eyes, the way her golden hair curled around her face, the way she hummed along to the music of the movie.

She truly was beautiful.