I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry guys! Last night I practically was falling asleep at the computer and JBF was down for me, and then once I wrote chapter 9 today, my posts links were down, and I finally found a way to get here ahhahahah after serveral hours hahaha...plus, me and my bestie were dancing...so I got a bit distracted...ahahah, but here is chapter 9...I hope it posts!! Enjoy!
<3 Madleine
Chapter 9
Walking silently into the kitchen with Nick, the other’s quickly snapped their heads up to look us right in the eyes. Joe smiled mischievously as Gabby’s apple green eyes got wider and wider giving me the famous “Please Tell Me” look. Kevin bit his lip then glanced at Joe before turning his attention back to us. Nick continually rubbed his hands up and down his pants nervously and looked slightly down at the ground avoiding the stares.
“Hey guys…” Kevin said awkwardly as I walked away from Nick and toward the table where Gabby sat licking away at her drumstick.
“Hey,” I said sucking on the inside of my cheeks looking at Kevin confused at his tone.
“Where have you guys been?” Joe asked staring at Nick. I glanced over at nick who was rapidly tapping his fingers on the counter in the middle of the kitchen.
“UmNothing, CanIhavesomeofthatchocolatemilk, Kati?” Nick answered tapping his fingers faster and faster.
Why is he so jittery?
“Um yeah,” I said as Gabby and I glanced at each other looking for an answer. Gabby shrugged and I returned my gaze to Nick who opened the sterling silver refrigerator door and reached in for the jug of chocolate milk.
“Nothing? I’m sure, Nick, what happened up there? Anything interesting,” Joe said glancing back in fourth between Nick’s curls and my blue eyes.
“No, no, nothing happened…” Nick answered quickly not moving his eyes from his cup. Joe looked at me and pierced me with his brown eyes and one of his priceless smiles. I was clueless to what was going on. Nothing seemed to make since to me. Nick was perfectly fine upstairs…what was making him so jumpy.
“Oh, yes it did,” Joe said still smiling at me as if he were trying to break me into pieces and squeeze the information out of me.
“No, NOTHING HAPPENED” Nick yelled as all four of our heads snapped up to see Nick’s fists clenched at his sides and his deep brown eyes narrowed and tearing Joe apart. Joe stood silent with his eyes fixed on Nick’s.
“Excuse me, but I think its time for me to go to bed,” Nick stiffly said as he walked quickly out of the kitchen and jogged up the stairs. Gabby licked her lips and glanced at me.
“Well, that was interesting,” Gabby smiled clearing her throat,
“So, what really happened?” Kevin turned his eyes toward me, silent as Joe watched the doorway where Nick had existed. Why wasn’t anybody saying anything?
“I have no clue,” I said biting my fingernails.
“I totally blew my cover down there,” I sighed I turned onto my side to stare at the pitch black wall. It was only 10:00 and I had been lying in bed for about an hour not able to go to sleep. My brain wouldn’t stop playing everything that had happened that day over and over. I had never had this trouble deciding whether I liked a girl or not. It was just that Kati was everything I had been looking for, but it didn’t seem possible that she could be right there in front of me. And while I tossed and turned on this subject I certainly didn’t need Kevin, much less Joe, in on it. They would only push me to the extent that I would just give up on the girl because they ragged on me so much, but I didn’t want that to happen. Not with Kati. I ran my fingers through my curls and turned onto my back again. Repeating this process several times, I prayed desperately for a way to get to sleep. Suddenly the door swung open and Joe came stomping in with his Hello Kitty pajama pants on as he crossed his arms in front of the numbers on his sports jersey.
“Nick what was that?” Joe snapped. I hid my head deeper into my chest and covered myself with the covers, “NICK!”
“What was what?” I asked groggily.
Just what I need
“The yelling and the fidgeting and the freaking me, Kevin, and especially Kati out.” Joe snapped as he yanked the bottom of the covers pulling them off of my entire body. I curled up in fear, hiding my face.
I don’t want to talk about it
“Nothing, it was nothing. Just leave me alone,” I whined
“No, not till you tell me what is going on,” Joe yelled. He almost never got this mad.
“Nothing is going on! Maybe, if you left me alone about Kati and stopped trying to hook me up, then I might stop freaking out.” I yelled as I could feel the water coming to my eyes, but I couldn’t cry. That would put Joe in ultra-sympathy mode, only making me feel even worse. Joe sat down on the bed next to me and sat in silence.
Too late, here comes soft-as-a-sponge-cake Joe- round 1
“Nick, I didn’t mean…”Joe’s voice faded. I could tell he was surprised that his plan didn’t work. His plans always worked, but not this time. This time it broke me, and no one really ever saw me like this, not Joe, not Kevin, barely even me.
“It’s okay…” I sniffed as I looked up at the Joe’s pajama pants and stared, “I just…I don’t know, I just don’t know if I can trust anyone, ya know. After Miley…” I stopped realizing I was spilling out too much.
“You really like her, don’t you?”
I was silent. Joe pulled off the sports jersey and set it next to the bed as he got under the covers and reached out to close the door.
For the next hour and a half I tossed and turned. Even though I had talked to Joe, I couldn’t sleep. It seemed like a million things were going through my head at once and I couldn’t comprehend anything about them, they were just there, sitting and tormenting me. I didn’t check to see if Joe was awake or if Kevin had gone to bed or even what time it was. I just sat there tossing and turning in the darkness.
“Go get some air or something…” Joe said. His voice startled me. Obviously, he had been kept awake from my tossing and I immediately felt a wave of guilt rush over me. I quickly pushed the covers off of me and walked toward the door. Running my fingers through my hair, I straightened my shirt and turned the door knob. My stomach dropped suddenly once I saw Kati sitting silently on the couch in the game room. I backed slightly back through the door way when I heard Joe’s voice emerge from the covers again.
“Go talk to her,” Joe said sleepily. I smiled slightly. No matter what, Joe always had a plan, and it seemed like he knew everything. I walked out of the door way and squinted as the light from the game room lamps glared in my face.
“Hey,’ I said rubbing my arm slightly as I looked into her deep ocean blue eyes. My voice apparently startled her because she jumped a little when I spoke.
“Hey,” she said sweetly making the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. I sighed sharply to release the feeling as I sat down next to her on the blue couch and stared at the black TV screen.
“So…” I paused wondering what to say and where to start. I wished that I could tell Kati so much, but that wasn’t an option unless I wanted to freak her out even more, “Sorry about what happened in the kitchen…I guess I just…I…” I couldn’t squeeze anything out. Not without telling her that her voice gave me butterflies and I couldn’t get over her smile.
Maybe I should tell her, Maybe she’d like me back…maybe
“It’s alright…” She said smiling at me, “You’re probably just homesick, I understand” Her smile drowned me in a wave of shivers, and I couldn’t help smiling back. I had to tell her.
“Kati, I…well…will…I...” I stuttered.
Why can’t I get it out?
My throat closed up and my mouth felt dry. Finally I spat something out.
“Do you want to play a board game?” I sighed. That was the only thing I could get out.
