When You Find Me (On Hold)

Chapter 2- I Party

"Autumn Brielle Taylor! Get your butt down here before I drag you down here!" Xander shouted from downstairs. That made five threats now. I'm totally feeling the love. 

I rolled my eyes, turned off my straightening iron, and hopped down the stairs, throwing on my shirt in the process. 

Xander jumped down from the center island in the kitchen, giving me a once over. "Crap. Are you attempting to make my job harder?" 

"Huh?" 

"How am I supposed to keep the older High School boys off of you when you are wearing that?" 

I looked down at my outfit- long sleeve button up shirt, cute jean shorts, and white flip flops. I wasn't wearing make up, my hair was hanging straight all the way down to my waist and my nails were painted pale blue and silver. What was wrong? 

"I'll be fine, Z!" I stood on my tip-toes and kissed his cheek, setting the butterflies loose. Oh, no. Not this crap again! 

I hadn't seen Xander in three days, due to back-to-school shopping. Sommer monopolized every bit of my time. We had bought twenty bags of school clothes and seven bags of stuff for school. After that, she insisted on manicures, pedicures, and facials, her treat for leaving me all summer. I had hoped that I would no longer react all weird to Xander's touch, but yet, here I am, my tummy doing little flips. 

He wrapped his arms around my waist, trapping me against his chest. His forehead dropped to mine, and he looked me in the eyes. My heart raced a million times faster than any human's heart should beat. I sucked in a breath and held it in, praying I didn't do anything weird or gross, like, sneeze in his face. 

"What in the world am I going to do with you, Autie bug?" He asked, his voice a little bit huskier than usual. 

I knew my face must be redder than a tomato. His thumbs were making slow circles on my hips, driving me insane. I didn't know if I should move or not, but I didn't seem capable of motion, so it didn't really matter. 

"Autumn, I really need to say something," He said, using my full first name instead of my nickname, which meant that this was serious. 

I nodded. "Okay..." 

"Well, uh, I-" 

Suddenly, there was a honk from outside, causing us both to jump, hitting our foreheads together. Ow. I stumbled around for a second, trying to calm my vision and my pounding head.  Sommer was here, thank god.

Xander caught me just before I ran into the end-table, laughing. I looked up, glaring at him.  "It's not funny!  You try running into a freaking wooden table, then laugh!"

"Whatever you say, Spring," He used the annoying nickname he made for me, used only to make me mad.  Sommer's irritating nickname was Winter.

"Ha-Ha, Z.  Very flipping funny."

I turned on my heel and stormed out the door, totally peeved.  Xander followed after, but slipped on one of Kila's toys, falling on the cement outside my house.  I gasped, worried that he'd crack his head open, but he caught himself on his hands, so I laughed.

"Look who's in pain now, Xander.  You!"

"Oh, Autie, it is on," He pushed himself up, running at me, but I was fast as a speeding bullet.

I beat him to the car, hopping in the back seat.  Sommer's older sister, Kincaid, locked the doors and sped away.  Kincaid, Sommer, and I laughed our butts off as Xander chased after us.  After a few blocks, we stopped and allowed him to get in the car.

"And, you were saying?" I implied, laughing at him as he tried to catch his breath.

"I hate you guys," He said.