The Label Maker

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: RUINING EVERYTHING

The minute she was remotely awake she knew that she was in her own bed, not the aerobed on the ground. She peered over the edge of the bed and saw RJ sleeping on the aero mattress. She scowled and smiled at the same time. She told him that he could sleep in her bed. But at the same time, she found the simple gesture nice. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed her phone. She saw that she already had a missed call from Emma. She peered at the time next. It was only eight in the morning. She wondered what her friend was doing up so early. She hit the call button and waited for her to answer. She picked up on the third ring.

"What are you doing up so early?" Gwen asks in a low voice, a smile creeping it's way onto her face.

"Well um, I stayed over at my cousin's last night," Emma begins.

"Which cousin?" She asks.

"Anthoney and Abby," she states.

"And?"

"Well Anthoney had a friend over. His name is Ryan. We've met a few times before, so we weren't complete strangers to one another. And Anthoney and Abby had to leave to check in on their grandma and Ryan and I were alone," she continues.

"Oh my god, Emma. You didn't do it did you?" Gwen's voice dropped to an even lower whisper.

"Oh my god no! But I'm telling you, this kid is the finest thing I have ever seen. Besides RJ though. I know you and him have this thing, but he is good looking, hot even. You have to admit it," Emma declares. Gwen looked over the bed again. RJ's hair was untouched by gel or any other styling product. She liked it better that way.

"I mean, you aren't wrong," Gwen slowly agrees.

"But?"

"But he is sleeping on the ground next to my bed, so I probably shouldn't say too much in case he already overhears," Gwen whispers.

"Mmm, too late for that," RJ mumbles. Gwen scowled.

"Oh was that him?" Emma squeals.

"I'll call you later," Gwen mutters, ending the call. She leaned over the bed to look at him. He was laying on his back looking up at her. Gwen's hair fell into her face, but she didn't bother to wipe it away.

"So you think I'm hot?" He asks, a goofy grin on his face.

"No," she lies.

"But you hesitated," he points out.

"What? No I didn't," she denies, refusing to accept the fact.

"You did it again," he chuckles.

"Well, I never said that exactly. Emma was the one who actually said it," she dodges.

"Well you agreed," he reminded. "And what else were you going to say?"

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asks.

"The things that you didn't want me to overhear," he states.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she says, rolling back over in bed. She heard RJ get up and saw him get into the bed next to her.

"I would like to know," he confirms.

"My parents would not approve of this right now," she says, drawing the covers closer to her, suddenly feeling exposed.

"Do you approve of this?" He asks her, inching closer. She wasn't liking the game. She had to physically hold herself back from inching closer to him.

"Why'd you run off yesterday?" She blurts, not knowing what else to say.

"From my parents?" He questions.