I'll Always See You

Chapter 6 - What On God's Green Earth

Five days down. Week one of senior year successfully completed, and I haven't even been really tempted to kick anyone in the shin yet. Not ideal but already going better than the first week of sophomore year. (Long story involving Brandon Miller, a couple of burritos, and a newly waxed cafeteria floor. Another time.) I woke up Saturday morning seven on the dot, groaning and burying my head in all of my pillows to try and trick myself to fall back asleep. It always seems that whenever I don't have to be up, I'm up exactly when I otherwise would need to be. If I didn't set an alarm on weekdays, I wouldn't be up until three in the afternoon, I'm sure of it. That's just how that goes.

About seven fifteen my bedroom door blew open. I could hear running footsteps and didn't even bother to look up as Matt dove on top of the bed, landing right on top of my legs. 

"Ow, you son of a..." I bolted upright, trying to push loose frizzy curls out of my face. "What was that for?" I grumbled, pulling my legs up to my chest and tugging the blanket up to my chin. 

Matt laughed and stood up, a football already in one hand and his other tucked into his pocket. "Did I forget to knock again?" he asked innocently. 

"You've been forgetting since about 2009," I replied. "You've already been up for like two hours, haven't you?" 

He nodded. "Yup. Went on a run, finished that dumbass math homework, ate dad's burned attempt at waffles...been a good morning all in all. I kind of forgot why I came in here now," he said. 

I was about to go off on him when he tapped his head dramatically, pointed back to me, and grinned. "Nope, now I remember. I'm going out tonight to that little restaurant on the corner with some friends. Want to come? Figured I'd give Miss Social at least a few hours notice."

My annoyance began to dissipate, but only a little. "That's kind of sweet of you, in a backhanded way, but nah. I'm good, thanks. I still have that dumbass math homework to finish, plus I have to get started on a Spanish thing." 

"M'kay, your loss," he said. Then he winked. "Want me to bring you back anything?" 

"YES," I said, suddenly much more awake. "Those taquitos that they have are fucking amazing. Can you pretty please? I've got five bucks on my desk you can take." 

"Sure thing," he said, walking over and swiping the five bucks off of the desk. He got all the way to the door before he turned back. "Oh, just so you know, Grayson's around here somewhere. I think his parents had a thing last night so we played video games and he stayed in the guest bedroom. He's taking off soon."

No big deal. Grayson stayed over all the time. They usually just went right back to video games in the morning, but Matt must have had a practice or something today. I couldn't help but wonder if part of the reason why Grayson had stayed over had anything to do with whatever happened at his parents' yesterday afternoon. 

I nodded. "Alright, thanks. See you later." 

He waved and disappeared through the doorway, leaving it wide open. I flopped back down onto the bed, trying to get comfortable again and failing. Grumbling the whole way, I got up and grabbed a half-length bathrobe, pulling it over my shoulders and yanking it across my camisole, loosely knotting it at the waist, so it fell right past the ends of my shorts. I left the room and walked down the hall to the bathroom, rubbing my eyes along the way and almost running into the door. It didn't occur to me for a second that we almost always leave the bathroom door open. In all of my sleepy haze, I turned the knob and pushed the door open. 

A shirtless Grayson stood three feet away staring at me. "What the hell?" he asked, almost more inquisitively than angrily.

I about jumped out of my skin. My eyes widened as I involuntarily swept them over his broad shoulders, leanly muscled chest and down to his narrow waist, before my brain kicked in and I forced my focus back up to his face. His eyebrows raised just a touch as he took in my bathrobe, bare feet and messy hair. I most likely had mascara from the night before smudged all under my eyes and probably looked like a walking train wreck. 

"What the hell?" I repeated. "Oh my...what the hell...ew!" I exclaimed, turning tail and practically running out of there. I could feel his eyes on me as I power-walked back to my room. 

"Sorry! I didn't know you were in there!" I shouted desperately, frazzled, over my shoulder before I slammed my door shut.