Million Dollar Man

Chapter 10. I look fine.

The car ride home was exactly how I thought it was going to be, far too long. Jaime wouldn't stop asking for details on my little 'lesson' and I found my self having to make things up. Saying things that I had seen in movies and read in novels, at least she bought what I was saying. At least I hope she did. I shifted the conversation away from my 'lesson' and onto Nolan about halfway back into town, Jaime surprisingly taking interest in it. I couldn't believe I had a boyfriend, and not just any boyfriend, no no no, my boyfriend was Nolan. The sweetest boy I have ever met, and I couldn't believe he was mine. Mine. I smile to myself, I'd never thought I'd say that about someone.

"Dang it, I smell like alcohol." I say, looking down at my drying shirt.

"Wow I thought you weren't a drinker Lizzy." Jaime says. I look over at her and give her a blunt look.

"I'm not. Some jerk spilled his drink on me at the fraternity." I say.

"Ahh so that's what that smell was. I just thought it was me," she laughs.

"No, it's you too, look I'm going to stop at that 7 eleven before we get into town so I can clean this off?" I ask.

"Yeah sure,"

I pull up into the 7 eleven a mile out of town and I head into the restroom while Jaime looks around the store to clean up. I manage to do a pretty decent job despite having minimal options in cleansing utensils and I barely smell after cleaning myself. The only thing I smell of by the end is cheap gas station hand soap but that won't last long once I take a shower at home. I take off my shirt and fold it before setting it down onto the sink to change into the shirt I left the house in. I neatly tuck in my fathers university shirt into my jeans and give myself one last look before leaving the restroom. I look fine.

I close the restroom door quietly behind me and drag Jaime away from the cashier. I don't even bother on trying to figure out what it was they were talking about. I pass by her house first to drop her off and thankfully she remembered her house keys so we wouldn't have to wake her parents.

After dropping Jaime off I head straight for my house, trying not to break the speed limit by trying to get home on time. It is 10:16 already but the time I get home it will be past 10:30. I finally park my car in the driveway after what felt like an eternity of trying to get to and head straight inside. Once I reach the flight of stairs, the living room light switches on.

"And where do you think you're going?" mother asks. I freeze. Shoot.

"Upstairs, I'm sorry mother I had to drop Jaime off first and-" she holds up her finger. She gets up off of the couch and walks over to me, wearing her white nightgown and her hair in perfect curls.

"No, excuses. I told you what your curfew was right after you ran off with Jaime. Now your father may have said yes to letting you go out tonight but I did not, now don't think for a second that you will get off easy on this." her tone is strict and I only nod at this. I can't risk talking back right now.

"Grounded for a week. You come home straight after school, no going out do you hear me?" she asks.

"Yes mother." I say.

"Alright then. Go upstairs and get into bed." she says. I nod and start to jog up the stairs. I hear her sigh.

"Elizabeth, wait." I stop and turn around. I see her struggling. "Did you have.. fun?"

I am surprised by this, but I still manage a smile.

"Yes," I say for her sake. Even though I rather not return to that god forsaken fraternity.

"Very well then." And we're back. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight mother,"

I jog the remainder of the way up the stairs and immediately take my clothes off and go into the shower once I get into my bedroom. The warm water immediately relaxes my bones and I feel a weight lifted off of my shoulders. I get out of the shower smelling of my strawberry shampoo and coconut body wash instead of that disgusting alcohol and cheap gas station hand soap and sigh.

I dry myself off quickly, lotion up my body, brush my hair and teeth as quickly as I can before walking back into my bedroom and pulling my sleeping shirt over my head. I was going to blow dry my hair but I am far too exhausted to do that right now. I will just style my hair in the morning.

I crawl into bed and pull the warm sheets over my body and sigh as I find a comfortable position to lay in. It may have upset me that I have received my first grounding as a teenager tonight, but that is okay. Because what happened tonight could make up for it. Nolan and I are boyfriend and girlfriend.

I can't wait to see him tomorrow. His blue eyes, curly black hair, wicked smir - wait. That is not Nolan, that is Henry Dean. Why am I thinking of Henry Dean at this moment? No, no. I possibly can't be. Thinking about his blue eyes, his curly black hair or his pink lips that always seem to be giving me a stupid grin every time I am around him. I can't be, I was just thinking of Nolan a second ago.

I turn my body and close my eyes, trying to fall asleep. Trying not to think any further of this Henry Dean person and trying to just drift off, and it works. But the last thing I see before falling asleep are his piercing blue eyes and the way they always look at me.