One House Behind | ✓

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲

Tanner

As soon as we had agreed on taking the vaccine, I felt my heart race faster. We were going to do this. We were going to be able to be together without having to be hidden from the dark night and light morning.

"I wish we could stay like this forever, " Shelly whispered as soon as the stars had started to disappear.

I sighed into her hair. It was soft just like her skin. Somehow, I was able to pull away from her when I had been so close to kissing her. But we weren't there yet. We didn't even establish what we were.

And I didn't want to rush anything.

"I do too."

"Soon, hopefully."

"Yeah," I mumbled again.

I pulled her tighter to me. I didn't want to let go. The sinking feeling inside of my stomach seemed to increase every time I left her.

How had we become so attached? Not that long ago we weren't talking and now we were holding each other for dear life. Yet, nothing could change the way I felt about her. It was a gradual build-up.

"You have to go," she whispered.

"No," I yawned, "not yet."

I laid my head on hers. We were sitting on a part of concrete that was under the trees. Shelly snuggled closer into my chest, almost like a child, and rubbed her head on it too. Chuckling at that, I looked up at the sky.

It was becoming pink with the sun rising. How late, or early, was it? Pouting, I slowly pulled away from her a few minutes later. She looked at me curiously.

"It's time for me to go."

"I'll miss you," her voice hinting at sadness.

"Hey," I made sure her eyes were on mine, "I'm your stalker."

"And I'm yours."

Her sad face turned happy in a second. The frown became a smile and her eyes released their tension. Eyes crinkling at the corner, I noticed a very faint dimple on her left cheek, only noticeable in the view I had.

"I'll miss you, see you soon."

"I'll be watching you," I laughed as I got up and used her chair to jump over.

"Hey, Tanner?"

"Yeah, Shelly?"

"I can't wait until we can...never mind, it's stupid."

I frowned at that. What did she want to say? Nothing she said was relatively stupid, she knew what she said. She was like someone who wrote the quotes on Pinterest. Precise and corny.

"Tell me, promise I won't laugh or think it's stupid."

"I just-I just can't wait to show you off. Is that weird? Like we can't go out anywhere as that's unsafe but, at least, everyone will know we belong to each other. I'm such a cliche, aren't I? I'm like a lovesick puppy but I mean it. I can't wait to meet your family too."

"That wasn't stupid, it was cute. I can't wait to meet your mom. She doesn't hate me right?"

I felt dread fill my lungs. It wanted to take me out when I realized she wouldn't like me for ignoring her daughter. Shelly was her only daughter and I had hurt her. I wouldn't like whoever dated my daughter after they hurt her.

"She doesn't hate you. She's cautious but doesn't hate."

So maybe I could live with her being with him.

"My family will adore you, that's for sure. Just be you and everyone will love you. Susie, my sister, already wants to meet you. She's like the Alice to my Edward."

"Oh, thanks for reminding me of that. Hey, does that make me your Bella?"

"No, that makes me your Bella. I'm the stupid one."

"Edward is too much sometimes. I'd rather be Emmett." She seemed so into our talk.

"I'd rather be Jasper, dude is wicked cool," I grimaced at my word choice.

"How about we be everyone? We both have our moments."

"As long as neither of us becomes Roaslie. She's a meanie."

Shelly snorted at my reply. Her head snapped to her house, keeping her face away from me as she laughed. And then she said, "Don't jinx it. But, I gotta go, I'm tired. And the sun is rising and our families will beat our asses if they find out what we've been doing."

"Is that a curse word, Shelly?" I raised my eyebrows with a small smile. "Get your sleep, I'll talk to you later and see you tonight."

"Goodnight and good morning,  Tanner."

"Good something, Shelly."

It wasn't night but it didn't feel like morning. I listened for her sliding door to close, and a few seconds to make sure, before I walked in myself. I hadn't realized how cold it was outside as I walked in and it was warmer.

Letting out a burr, I went to my room. Closing the door I jumped on my bed. Taking a quick look at my phone for any notification and seeing nothing, I wrapped my blanket around myself.

And then knocked out while pushing out the thought that my parents might say no to taking the vaccine.

*****

A/N:

I always forget how scared people used to be to take the vaccine but looking back, I was also skeptical. Can't blame anyone, it was a strange time. Seeing the pandemic through this book is funny because it's forever encapsulated and not something that society has to change from. 

The pandemic is in its truest form in this story and I think that's why I keep Shelly and Tanner in a corner of my heart, away from all the other stories I write because they've got a special thing to them. They, like many of us, survived the second worst part of the pandemic—loneliness—with the first obviously being death. They're the second couple that I enjoy writing about, behind Somer and Oakley.