My 16th Summer

After Hours

"Ugh. There's no way I'm gonna sleep tonight." I muttered to myself, rolling out of bed and heading downstairs. The image of Oliver and I kissing kept replaying in my mind, which just made the butterflies come alive again.

I skipped the last three steps and strolled into the kitchen. 1:30 am.

Really?? I had been struggling to fall asleep for the last four hours and I still failed!

I opened the fridge, about to grab a vitamin drink, when the light switch got flicked on. I quickly spun around, to find Alex standing in the kitchen doorway, his hand still on the light switch.

"Oh, hey Alex." I said, turning back and grabbing my vitamin drink out of the fridge.

"Woah, woah woah." He said, walking up to me and grabbing the vitamin drink out of my hand. He placed it back in the fridge and closed the swinging door.

"Dude-" I said, grabbing for the drink.

"What time is it, Claire?" He asked in the same way a parent might have asked. You know, the way they ask a question even though they obviously already know the answer.

"1:34?" I asked, pointing to the clock on the microwave.

"And what time is our curfew for being in bed?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Oops..

"Uhh.." I trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Eleven, Stupid. We have to be in bed by eleven."

"Don't call me stupid!!" I ordered him, frowning and glaring.

"So tell me, Stupid. We can't be out of our rooms until..?" He asked me, waiting for me to finish.

"Eight.." I muttered, gritting my teeth and trying to ignore the fact that he had called me Stupid again. 

"Do you know what this means, Stupid?" He asked me, his parental voice never faultering.

"I have to sleep outside!?" I asked him, my head snapping up so fast it hurt my neck.

"Very good!" He told me, clapping as if I were a child who had just counted to ten without making any mistakes.

I sighed sadly, walking to the kitchen door.

Wait a second..

"This means you have to sleep outside too," I informed him, smirking evilly.

"What? No I don-" He stopped hid sentence, the look on his face: Oh shit..

"Come on!! We have to go sleep outside!" I said happily, grabbing his wrist and pulling him out into the backyard.

He breathed heavily, knowing he couldn't get out of it. He grabbed a red sleeping bag from who knows where and laid it out of the green grass a few yards away from the back door. "Wait.." I pointed to the sleeping bag. No, scratch that. The one sleeping bag.

"I need one too." I stated, as he turned to face me.

"Oh, didn't my brothers tell you, Stupid? There's only one, so I suppose we'll have to share.." By the end of his explaination he was returning the evil smirk I had given him in the kitchen.

"No way." I told him, scrossing my arms.

"Sorry to tell you this Stupid," He said, slipping into the oversized sleeping bag. "But it's only twenty degrees outside. If you don't get in the sleeping bag you'll freeze to death."

I am so not dying for my stupid pride, so I hopped into the sleeping bag after Alex.

He unexpectedly wrapped his arms around my stomach, pulling me closer to him. "Woah, dude. A bit close," I said, beginning to pull away from his grasp.

"But I'm cold," He pouted. I could practically hear his bottom lip sticking out. When I continued pulling away he whined at me in a five yeaar old's voice, "Stop moving, Stupid!!"

I groaned, relaxing into his embrace. "Good Stupid," he said to me like I were an animal who had done what they were supposed to.

"Quit calling me stupid.." I told him, closing my eyes and resting my head on the end of the sleeping bag.

"But it's my pet name for you.." He told me, while burying his nose in my neck. As much as I hated to admit it, this felt all too right.

Shouldn't I feel like I'm cheating on Oliver? Well, it's not like we're an item or anything.. But being in this situation, with his brother I might add, after Oliver kissed me is taking it a bit far.

Then again, I shouldn't feel bad since I don't like this. 'Caus this is gross! I mean, Alex? The boy who's hated me ever since I first arrived here a few days ago. The boy who's refused to laugh at my jokes, join in the conversations I start, or interact with me in any way at all.

The boy who is now practically cuddling me in a sleeping bag at 1:30 in the morning.

I couldn't help but let my heartbeat quicken at the fact that I secretly hoped this wouldn't be the last time he caught me out of bed...

Wait, what did I just think???



This isn't bad, we're only this close because there's only one sleeping bag. Oliver and I do need to talk about what's up, but as for now I'm single and shouldn't be feeling guilty at all! But I should be feeling tired, it being 1:30 and all. Just clear your mind and...

Before I knew it, I had fallen into a dreamless sleep in Alex's arms. I felt warm and safe.. That's a first since 12..