Grey Skies

Chapter 10

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Chapter Ten

You're going to feel those butterflies today, I tell myself as I look in the mirror. My make-up is back to a decent level, and the red rings around my eyes had minimized and blended with my skin tone. My throat is still dry, still coarse from my crying but acceptable.

Today is the day you tell Austin you want more. Today is the day you tell him you still remember high school, the good moments at least. 

As I leave subtle hints of perfume on my neck and wrists the doorbell rings. Instead of running down like I usually do, I decide to let one of my parents answer the door. For some reason, I'm not afraid of them seeing Austin anymore...or talking to him. For some reason, I feel like he won't run off at the exposure of my overly happy mother and protective father. He seems like he can handle it. Or is willing to. 

Or I could be wrong and I totally blow my chances with the guy I really like because I think he can handle two people who think they know what's best for me.

Oh god.

I rush down the steps and in milliseconds I'm at my front door but my Mom is already there. I can see Austin slightly in front of her, in a red flannel and dark jeans and I smile. He doesn't look traumatized speaking to her, so I turn back slowly and grab my purse, giving him some time to gain points with her. Not that it's very hard for anyone to with her. I think that she believes I'll never really find a guy that I like or that I scare them away, so she jumps at anyone at my front steps.

"Hey Austin, ready to go?" I intervene and he looks past my mom toward me. His pale blue eyes seem a little brighter.

"Yes. It was nice speaking to you Mrs. Grey."

My mom smiles at him and then moves to the side so that I can get out. I pretend not to notice her wink, almost like a silent go get 'em kiddo. Ew mom. I look at her and she smiles. I turn away quickly and wrap my arm around Austin's. He looks down at me and smiles as we walk to his car. He opens the door for me and I thank him. 

"I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show up," he says as we pull out of my driveway.

I laugh, "Sorry about that. My mom can be a little crazy."

"I don't think so. She's pretty cool, but I don't know, I think I'd rather be talking to you."

"You think?" I ask. "Is my mom competition now?"

He laughs and looks at me briefly, "Nope. You have half of her genes but you're something special."

I feel myself blush hard so I turn toward the window and find myself smiling at everything we pass by, but I'm pretty sure I'm only smiling for a particular reason. "You know," I finally say, "our date hasn't started you don't have to try and impress me yet."

"Date?" Austin says with his lips pursed and eyebrows raised. "I didn't know this was a date."

Suddenly all of that blood that had pooled around my cheeks and neck drained out of my body. I stop breathing and force myself not to turn around to him. The window was much more favorable, less embarrassing.

Then, as if thousands of bricks are lifted off me all at once, he says "I'm just kidding Iris, about this not being a date. I hope it is." 

He hopes it is. The words dance along the edges of my skull, filling me with happy thoughts. I look over at him as he drives, one hand on the steering wheel the other on the geer shift, a small smile on his face as we listen to Coldplay in the background. Austin is a great guy. Smart, funny, soccer loving, everything that I want, and he hopes this is a date. Somehow, this must be what striking gold feels like.