When Ian and I finally got back to my house it was so late, or should I say early since it was already Sunday morning. Ian drove up the driveway and parked his car there. I helped him out with his things, he carried his large suit case and he gave me his backpack to carry inside.
When we walked through the front door we both saw the whole house was still lit up. We dropped Ian’s things by the door. Apparently, Mom hasn’t slept yet—so I thought. She was practically passed out on the couch, sound asleep. Ian definitely wasn’t sleeping here tonight, I thought. I kept walking through the living room and kitchen, then looked in the dining room seeing my mom packed mostly everything except my clothes, which was my job to do.
“You can just go to sleep already I don’t really have much to do here,” I told him without making any effort to look him in the eye.
“Yeah, you sure, though?” He asked.
“Definitely.”
I already heard him starting up the stairs when I thought that tonight I really won’t be able to sleep. I was way too excited for the summer to start. It wasn’t like me to be overly excited but the thought of spending the summer with Mom, Mike, Suzanne, and yes Ian was too exciting. We’re probably going to make some of those lovely memories Ian said we’d have this summer. I really hope to make this summer an unforgettable one.
After I’d shut off all the lights, I was going to put a blanket on my mom but honestly, for some reason it was really hot and even for this time of night, or morning whatever, I was really starting to sweat. So I left her there to rest, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
***
I was walking through the hall taking my sweet time getting to my bed room door. I opened it silently just in case Ian was sleeping. I peeked in through a little and the lamp on my nightstand was still on. So I quietly opened the door.
Ian was sitting on my bed holding a picture frame in his hands. I could tell it was the frame he made me from popsicle sticks when he was in 4th grade. It held a picture of us as toddlers and I was kissing him on his head while he was crying his eyes out. Suzanne said I was supposedly trying to comfort him because he’d fallen off his bike (which had training wheels on it).
I was so lost in that memory that I almost didn’t see him smile, making himself look childish. It was kind of—cute. So, I folded my arms and leaned in the door way. “Hey, stranger,” I said.
He looked up like he wasn’t surprised to see me at all. “Hey, yourself.”
“You know I think that’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten from you,” I said while sitting next to him. “I love it a lot.”
He looked at me surprised, “Really? I thought you threw it away honestly.”
“What?” I was shocked. “Never it has been on my night stand for years.” He hadn’t said anything in response to that so I continued on. “Plus—it’s great to wake up to it in the mornings, you know?” I said as he handed the picture to me.
“You know that really is a great picture.” He said and while still looking at it I nodded, agreeing. “So, does this mean I’d have to cry to get you to kiss me again?”
“What?” I said. I was really confused and I could feel the butterflies in my stomach.
He saw my sudden panic. “Calm down princess I’m joking.” He said while laughing hysterically.
“Idiot! Don’t play with me like that!” I was fuming with anger so I grabbed my towel off my bed, put the picture back in its rightful place and walked to the bathroom.
I was in the bathroom looking at myself in the mirror. I don’t know why I’m so angry but I just am. My face was hot and sweaty; I blame it on Ian being a total idiot and this weather. Taking a hot shower wasn’t going to do any good, it was way too hot in that bathroom. I turned to water on cold. I let the water run while I was undressing.
When I actually stepped into the shower I heard a knock at the door. “Whoever you are please go away,” I called out then proceeded on to washing my hair with shampoo.
As I was massaging my scalp clean I heard a, “Hey, uh it’s—Ian.” I have nothing left to say to him. So another moment of silence went by when he said, “Well I mean, I’ll just, go to bed but honestly, I’m sorry.” Followed by a, “Hello?” Then I heard his footsteps retreating back to my room.
By the end of my shower I stood there in my towel just brushing my hair in front of the mirror telling myself to get my bags packed and go to bed.
When I walked into my room I found Ian on my bed sleeping soundly under the covers which I couldn’t understand considering how hot my room was. But anyway after my relaxing shower I really wasn’t mad at him anymore.
“I’m sorry I over reacted, Ian.” I whispered to him in his slumber.
Then I turned to my dresser looking in the mirror realizing I was half naked and I had to change into some clothes with Ian asleep a few feet away. So I pulled out a tank top and some shorts to change into. I grabbed my underwear out of my closet too and began to change, trying to be as silent as possible. Last thing I need is him waking up while I’m practically butt naked. I slipped down my towel and began to change. I was finally putting my top on till I saw him moving under the covers. Oh my goodness—I fell to the floor so he couldn’t see anything. I looked up to the bed and found he was still sleeping just facing me now. Thank goodness! My shirt still wasn’t properly on either so I finally fixed it and went on to begin my packing.
By the time I was done packing it was 4:50AM. Thank God I was finally going to sleep. I laid in bed next to Ian facing my night stand looking at the popsicle picture frame with the picture of me kissing him. To think he was looking at it earlier smiling. Hah the thought of him smiling even made me smile. Then I shut off the light and turned around in my bed face to face with Ian, I couldn’t see his face but I could see the outline of it and I could feel him there. Then I could smell his scent again, from there—I drifted into my deep sleep.
***
When I woke up I looked at the clock on my nightstand I looked at the clock and it was 6:56AM. I could already see the light coming from the windows shinning on the walls. Then I looked at the popsicle picture frame and smiled while rolling to the other side of my bed.
My hand landed in the something smooth and when I opened my eyes I saw Ian’s bare chest. Oh crap, my eyes grew so big due to shock, but I didn’t want to freak out because he was still sleeping. So I just laid there for a moment figuring how to get out of bed without waking him. I looked up at his face, still content and sleeping. I backed out of bed slowly then out of the room.
After closing the door I leaned up against it and slid down the door trying to take in what just happened. No wonder he wasn’t hot under the covers last night, he didn’t even have a shirt on. I bit my lip and tried so hard not to be—but honestly, I was happy in a sense.
I walked down into the kitchen to get my red velvet cake. When I got into the living room I saw Suzanne sleeping on the couch with my mom. They looked like sisters no wonder they were best friends. The sight of them makes me smile. I was looking at their dark hair and olive complexions when Mike came out of nowhere, “Hey awake already?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said as I laughed.
“Where’s my son?”
“Well he’s up—” but he cut me off before I could finish.
“What in your bedroom? Sleeping in your bed?” He said sarcastically.
I nodded, “Yeah actually.”
At first he didn’t say anything he just stood there looking at me. After moments of this awkward silence he said, “You know since Ian came back you too have been getting awfully more affectionate for each other.”
“What? No, it’s not like that we are just friends, honestly. Just friends.” I said.
“I don’t know are you sure?” He said making those ‘I don’t believe you faces.’ I nodded erratically. “Okay if you say so, but I wouldn’t mind having you as my daughter in law you know,” he said with a wink.
“It’s not like that,” I said. “Just friends.” I smiled at him and went to the fridge pulling out my cake. “You should sleep you know.” Then he nodded and raised up a cup of coffee and said ‘see you later.’
By the time I got upstairs to my room Ian had woken up, but he was still in bed looking up at the ceiling still no shirt on, of course. I didn’t say anything and sat on the bed next to him.
“Hey, you’re up,” he said while still lying on his back looking now up to me.
“You too,” I said. “Want some?” I said while taking a bite of cake.
He just sat up from where he was and sat closer to me on the bed. Not even saying one word he just opened his mouth and I fed him a piece. When we finished eating the cake our parents came into the room to find us looking at each other, happy looking, Ian shirtless and—oh yeah, we were sitting close to each other on a bed.
“I told you women that they’re in love,” Mikes said.
Ian and I jumped off the bed in opposite directions both of us turning different shades of red.
“Oh Suzanne our babies like each other!” My mom said hugging Suzanne.
“Oh Mom we don’t like each other we were just eating breakfast,” I said.
“Sure Baby that’s how it always starts!” Suzanne squealed, jumping excitedly with my mom.
“Oh geez,” I said to myself. “Grow up.”
Then Mike began walking towards Ian slapping him on the back saying, “We all knew this day would come Ian! Now don’t you dare treat Cassan—”
“Oh will you all stop it!” Ian shouted out surprising everyone, even me. “We are only friends—nothing more. Okay? We don’t even like each other,” he said. Ouch, that hurt.
Hearing him say those words made my heart throb. I mean, I know that we both didn’t like each other and that love was impossible for us—didn’t I?
Of course I did know that. I don’t like him and he’s right, “We are only friends, nothing happened between us or is happening.” He looked at me shocked that I’d even spoken. “Right?”
“Yes,” he said.
We looked at our parents who actually looked really disappointed. “Awe, you guys really?” Suzanne and my mom said in unison. Ian and I nodded. “Awe, okay, okay we get it.”
“Okay so please go have breakfast and leave the door open when you leave,” Ian said. Then they left and Ian and I could hear them saying how much they wanted grandchildren. Oh God no.
Then he and I fell back on the bed in frustration then looked at each other. I was lying there with him and he rolled his eyes at me sarcastically. We both started laughing with no words to be said. He really is and will be—my best friend.
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