What Makes Me "Me"

Chapter Three - Dinner at Dustin's

"Dustin!" I heard his mom yell from down stairs. "Dinner's ready, sweetie! You and Avery can come and eat now!"

"Okay, Mom!" he yelled back. "Hungry?" he asked me.

"Yes sir, starving. Excited for the noodles," I said. He laughed and took my hand, guiding me downstairs. As soon as we walked through the door and into the kitchen, Anne grabbed my hand and sat me down next to her.

"This is your spot, Avery. You can sit next to me to eat noodles," Anne said. I sat down and looked at Dustin. He winked at me and I made a weird face at him. He laughed at me, and I smiled.

"Hello, Avery. How's your Mom and Dad?" she asked. My smile slowly turned into a frown. I looked over at Dustin, and he looked at his Mom. He shook his head at her, and she looked at me. I must have looked scared or upset or something, because she instantly looked guilty. She obviously knew they weren't my parents. but didn't know I told Dustin.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, hunny, I didn't know if you told him yet!" she said. "How are your aunt and uncle?"

"They're good," I said. "They went out to a banquet tonight, but left before I got home. I'm sorry for coming over for dinner on such short notice."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" she said. "You're welcome here anytime. Dustin always tells me how much he loves having you over and being with you." I looked over at Dustin and he blushed. He looked over at his Mom, who smiled at him and winked at me. I was a bit confused, but decided not to pay attention to it.

"So, how's day care been, Anne?" I asked her. She smiled at me and looked as though she had a lot to say. "A lot" is an understatement.

"Oh, day care is great, Avery," she said. "I met a bunch of new friends, like George and Julia and Lauren and Bobby. Oh and I met another girl named Anne. We have the same name, Avery isn't that cool? She likes Barbies, too, so I showed her my favourite Barbie. Her name's Annabelle. My name's short for Annabelle, did you know that, Avery? That's why I named her Annabelle.

Me and George played with his race cars yesterday, and he gave me a purple one because purple is my favourite colour. He gave it to me to take home so that I could bring it to day care again tomorrow and play with him again. He's nice and he has a boy Barbie, too. His name is Gabriel and Gabriel and Annabelle are going to get married!" Everyone stared at her for a while before we all laughed. She said all of that in less than two minutes. And Dustin thought I talked fast.

"That sounds really fun, Anne," I said. "I'd like to meet George on day, and see that purple car. Purple's my favourite colour, too."

"No way!" she yelled. "Purple is the best colour in the whole wide world. I can't believe we have the same favourite colour. That's really-"

"Okay, Anne, me and Avery are going to get dessert now, okay?" Dustin said. "We're just going to go to the kitchen and we'll be right back."

We both stood up and walked into the kitchen. I saw a platter of homemade brownies on the table.

"BROWNIES!" I yelled. I ran over and shoved one in my mouth. I turned around and smiled at Dustin. He started laughing so hard he almost fell over, and I couldn't help giggling a little, too. I finished the brownie and then I started dying of laughter along with him.

"So, what did your mom mean when she said you always say how much you love hanging out with me and stuff?" I said after our laugh attacks were over. He looked a little nervous.

"Um, I don't know, she just says things..." he said. "Wanna go back upstairs?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, but I was not going to let this slide anymore. I was going to figure out what was going on with him no matter what. It's easy for me to do that because I know him so well, I have ways to get him to tell me anything I want him too.

We walked up the stairs and back into his room. I could not wait to interrogate him and figure out what he's hiding. He never hides anything from me. I shut the door behind me, and was about to ask him what was going on when he turned around and...

And he kissed me. Dustin kissed me. His lips and my lips... they kissed. What? I didn't understand what was going on, but I went along with it. Dustin and I, we were kissing. Me and Dustin.. my best friend. Kissing. I understood why his Mom said that now. Dustin likes me. He like likes me. Like more than a friend. What?

Although I didn't understand anything that was happening, I liked it. I liked the feeling of our bodies pressed together, his lips pressed against mine. Us together. I totally get it now. It all makes sense. Why he got so upset about me telling him about my past. Why he tells me everything. Why he likes to know every single detail of my life. Why he actually cares about what I think, do, and say. Dustin likes me. I never expected this, never in a million years.

His hands were on my waste and mine around his neck as we kissed. He moved me so we both sat down on the bed, his hands still on my waste. He was a really good kisser. Well, I guess I wouldn't know the difference. I've never kissed anyone before. I'm glad he's my first kiss. I always thought my first kiss would be awkward and I wouldn't know what to do. I was wrong. It all just came so naturally, like people are programmed to know what to do. I don't remember Dustin ever saying anything about kissing a girl before, so it's likely I'm his first kiss, too. But he certainly knew what he was doing.

We both got up and layed down on his bed, him on top of me. He knew I didn't want things to go too fast and I knew he wouldn't try anything, so I went along with it. It was fantastic. I wonder if he's thought about kissing me before. I wonder why he never told me that he liked me before. He was probably scared, I mean I would be, too.

He stopped kissing me and layed down next too me. I put my head on his chest and wrapped my arm around him. I don't know when it happened, or if I just didn't realize it until now, but I definitely had feelings for him. He smiled at me.

"Dustin, why didn't you tell me you liked me before?" I asked him. I needed to know. I'm a very curious person at times, I need to know everything about anything. I'm just weird that way.

"Avery, if only you knew how many times I wanted to tell you," he said. "I was just so afraid that you wouldn't like me back. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Having you as a friend and liking you secretly is better than not having you at all. I would have told you earlier if I had known you liked me, too."

"To be honest," I started. "I didn't know I actually liked you until you kissed me. I mean, I just never thought of you in that way, and never you that you thought of me in that way either. Guess I was wrong." We smiled at each other, and put my head back down on his chest. I was tired. I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of his body through my clothes. I could hear his heart beating. I could feel his chest rising and falling every time he took a breath. It was calming and relaxing. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, lying next to him in his bed.