One Guy in One House with Ten Girls

Chapter Five

Chapter 5

The rest of the days flew by pretty quickly. I was surprised to realize how well I had already transitioned into their house. The only thing I was worried about was meeting Mr. Gately; obviously I hadn’t seen him since I was a toddler. But he turned out to be one of the nicest people I had ever met; the second he saw me he pulled me into a man hug and handed me a fishing rod. 

He said, “Now that I have another man in the house I will be dragging you everywhere. Ha-ha well, at least when I can.”

It has been nearly a week of “bonding” as Cara calls it. They aren’t used to having testosterone in the house as she so bluntly pointed out. I love Cara; she treats me like her son, making me take out the trash and loading the dishwasher when it's my turn.

That night I got stuck downstairs with at least six emotional teenage girls. Who ever wrote the script or plot for A Walk to Remember just wanted every guy who got dragged along to “score big time,” whatever the heck that actually means. That was a very Charlie thought, I chuckled to myself, I guess I took a little of him with me when I left Connecticut. 

I initially took as seat far from the girls on the arm of the couch in front of the projection screen, but over the course of the movie it just got so sad that I eventually scooted my way down to the floor and brought my head to my knees looking up at the giant screen. Then I realized I looked like a complete wimp, so I straightened up a little and pretended to be uninterested. 

The movie was completely depressing, Jamie ended up dying. After all that they went through to be together she fricken died. The boys name was Landon and for some reason that got me looking at the Landon three feet away from me every ten seconds. To make sure she wouldn’t fade away into the misty haze surrounding the world. I couldn’t loose another person so soon. 

All the girls were crying and I looked over at Landon who had her head down, she was trying to be brave, I could tell. I yearned to scoot next to her and comfort her. 

So bottling up all my courage, I scooted next to her as the credits began to roll and all the girls started talking and ran upstairs to do whatever girls do at 11:26 at night. 

“You okay?” I put my hand on her back that instantly sent a reflex arc jolt into my spine. 

She lifted her head out of her arms and looked at me with wide, glazed over, and sad green eyes and her hair fell in perfect little ringlets surrounding her tear-streaked face. She said nothing but lunged at me, fell into my arms, and started to cry. I was completely caught off guard and was nearly knocked over by the forced of her body smashing into mine. I steadied myself with one arm; I held her tightly supporting her unstable shaking body with the other. It hurt me to see her cry, and other than the sad movie I didn’t fully realize why she was so upset.

“I am so sorry about your parents.” She managed to say between sniffles, “I just cannot even imagine what you are going through. If that had happened to me I would have physically and mentally shut down.” She spoke into my t-shirt, “they would have to put me into a mental ward. I don’t know how you are so calm, cool, and collected?”

My mind flashes to the ceaseless nights where I wake up half screaming, half choking. Visions of our Land Cruiser torpedoing off the highway and into a telephone pole make my body shake profusely. It’s it usually the explosion and flaming, blinding, colors of our car bursting into flames that wakes me up. 

I said the most truthful thing that could have ever escaped my lips at that time.

“I’m not.”

We sat there in the dark in that comfortable position for who knows how long. My head was rested on top of hers. I needed some way to say that I really like her without being a dork and saying it straight out so I did what I had to do.

I kissed her on her forehead.

I went to get up to leave to go to bed, but quietly, in an exhausted voice Landon whispered, “Don’t go, Please.” She gripped me tighter, and believe me I did not want to go, it was just that we had to be asleep by midnight and I am pretty sure it is or is even past that already. She spoke into the darkness surrounding us while her head was still on my chest, “I’m scared. The lights are all out in the entire house and you’ll never find your way upstairs.” 

How am I supposed to object to that? I’m a boy, I too have weaknesses.

Landon’s POV (quick)

I couldn’t help myself, I felt like he needed a good hug, and quite frankly I really, really wanted to hug him. He smelled really good as buried my head into his cotton shirt and cried for his parents and for him. I have no clue how he doesn’t cry every second of the day. 

So I asked him, “I don’t know how you are so calm, cool, and collected?” another “c” word I wanted to add was cute but that had nothing to do with anything. 

He rested his chin on top of my head, “I’m not.” Was his only reply.

I listened to his heartbeat; it lulled me close to sleep. I felt so safe sitting there, with him, alone in complete darkness, the credits had finally ended. I was nearly gone when his lips brushed my forehead. He was just the perfect height taller then me; my neck fit perfectly in the crook of his neck.

He started to move out from under me to go upstairs, but I didn’t want him to go I needed him to stay here with me in the pitch-dark basement. Actually, I wasn’t going to completely admit it to him, but I am still a little scared of the dark. I got a tiny handful of his shirt to let him know.

 I almost gave away my little fear so I attempted to fix it a little by saying, “The lights are all out in the entire house and you’ll never find your way upstairs.” 

His body relaxed under mine and I knew I had his eternal company for as long as I was in need. I fell asleep to his breathing and the slow, rise and fall of his strong, sturdy ribcage.