When it Happens

Chapter 21

When I wake up that next morning, the first thing I see, with my blurred morning vision, is a human figure. Huh? That caused me to shoot up to get a better look to make sure there wasn't murder in my room. When my vision clears up, I see Nate at my dresser, playing with the knick-knacks that laid on top of it. Confused, I say squinting, "What are you doing here?"

 He spun around to face me and smiled at the sight of my bed head. "Morning, Stranger. Your mom let me up." He put down a frame that had a picture of me and Shannon when we were at her parent's lakehouse. We were both on the back of her dad's boat, smiling our toothless grins, holding up some perch we had just caught. "Hey, listen, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Oh shit. I've learned from past experience that these were never good. 

He sat down on my bed, facing me. "Our talk last night... It made me think. It made me think of how short our time is. Hell, graduation is Tuesday! And it made me realize- I don't wanna be 'just friends'. I want to be so much more with you. I want to be an us, the us we were before everything got screwed up."

I smiled softly as he sat there, staring at me, waiting for me to say something. This was it. This was what I had been waiting for, a chance for me and Nate to have another go at it. Hell yeah, I was gonna accept! "I want you too. I've always wanted you."

He grinned the widest I had ever seen him smile, and his lips inched closer to mine. Eeeeeeep! "Wait!" I halted him, leaving him dry. "Can I go brush my teeth real quick?"

He pulled away and offered that beautiful chuckle of his. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I run to the hall bathroom and I brush my teeth the quickest I'd ever had. Seriously. I was back in my room in a matter of 45 seconds. I jumped on his lap, and pressed my lips to his, which was very longly anticipated. And good. That kiss was so good. Our lips were like two lost friends reconnecting.

He pulled away and gave me that famous Nate-grin. His eyelids lowered oh so delicately, looking lovingly at me as he asked, "Wanna go get breakfast?"

I kissed him again. "I wish I could. But I really need to go see Shannon. She seemed upset last night." Upset was a total understatement. I didn't see her that whole night, but everyone knew her and Mason were there, upstairs arguing about God-knows-what at this point.

He sighed overdramatically, rolling his eyes, hugging me tighter against him. "Shannon Shannon Shannon. Go fix her boy troubles. I'm going down and eating pancakes with your mom, though. She was making them when I came and I just about grabbed one off the burner."

I laughed as I planed another kiss on his lips. "Wow. I'm starting to feel like you like my mom more than me."

"Damn, you caught me. The minute you leave I was planning on jumping her bones right in the kitchen."

"Okay ewwwwww. Too fat," I groaned and rolled off of him as he's laughing his ass off. I run out of my room and down the stairs. I don't even see my mom sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Oh hey, mom. Nate told me you were here. Why aren't you at work?"

She muted the TV and looks back at me. "Good morning, sweet pea. I've been meaning to tell you, I'm taking easier hours so I can spend more time with you kids. Even if you guys aren't home at all, it's nice to relax!"

So that's why she had been home more. It was going to be nice not to have to act like the adult around the house to Bobby. "That's great, mom! I'm going to go see Shannon. She's having boy problems."

Her face fell. "Oh, okay. I thought we could do something later, like go see a movie at the theater. But it's okay if you had other plans."

I began to feel bad. She was making a huge effort, and I was blowing her off. "You know what? Let's do it. But... If Shannon's up to it, can she come with?"