Chapter 10: Chapter 10

Austin*

I run my hand through my hair pulling at it. Why am I so nervous? This is stupid, I’m just worked up for nothing serious. She’s just my neighbor, my very brilliant neighbor who I might add is also beautiful. Oh shit, where did that come from? Did I just say Mary-Vienne is beautiful? This is bad. So bad.

Come on, it’s just a slip of word.

Okay just sit down and go through everything. Clean room, check; clean house, check; tidy… what the? My eyes land on the dirty plate from yesterday leftover pizza. How did I not see that there?

I pick up the plate to the kitchen checking my phone. Any second she’ll be here and I doubt she’s that kind of girl who stays a second late for an appointment.

“Hey Austin.” mom braids Gwen hair in a French plait.

“Hi mom.” And I turn back washing the plate.

“Are you okay?” I turn at her question.

“Yeah, yeah. Why?” Now rinsing it off.

“You seem… distracted.” I pause thinking of what lie to say, nothing came to mind thanks to Snoopy. “Oh it’s just nothing, really.” I resume.

Snatching a towel to dry my hands. A knock came on the door, all three of us looking at the brown oak wood. She’s here. My mind screamed to me. I wait expecting mom to say something but she just had this quizzical look on her face waiting to see who’s behind the door. Do I tell her I invited someone over something I never do or just sneak Snoopy through the back door?

“Get your head in the game son.” I can clearly hear Coach’s stern voice bark at me. I can’t believe I just thought of coach at this very moment. I inhale softly walking to the door pulling it open. It is just like those magical movies where you see a bright light and a fairy smiling at you only my fairy is Snoopy.

There she stood in a flowery blue gown that matches her pretty eyes with a little box in her hand smiling at me. I felt my heart skip, in shock I place a hand on my chest. Shit, am I getting a heart attack at this tender age? Another skip, I blink just standing lacking an obvious manners. Her face morphs into a frown with worry laced in both eyes.

“Austin? Are you okay?” Her hand reach out, luckily before it could touch me, I flinch.

“Here I was expecting my favorite question. You getting soft on me, Snoopy?” I mock which she frowns. “Come in.” I usher her in. Shit, I almost lost it for a second there. I breathe out in relief.

“Oh! Good Afternoon Mrs. Mahone and hello pretty princess, I’m…” I rushed in with the chivalry before she gets images into my mom head. Images that may or may not be there. The plan is to take her straight to my room and not see her fraternizing with my family. A throat cleared and I see three set of eyes trained on me. A throat cleared again diverting my gaze from the blue to my mom who have a questioning look with a raise brow.

"Uhm mom, Gwen, Mary-Vienne. Mary-Vienne, mom and my little sister Gwen.” I drag her towards the stairs and up to my room away from mom prying eyes. I’m so bad at introductions.

“Hey! slow down.” Her soft voice calls, I didn’t till we are both behind my closed doors.

“What is wrong with you Austin?!” I caught her rubbing the hand I gripped tight when dragging her and I almost slap myself for hurting her. Knowing I’m not about to apologize she huff walking further into the room, eyes scanning every inch like a house mistress inspecting the boys dorm room. I just stood at the door way waiting for her to say something as her eyes scrutinize every inch of my room till it lands on my bed.

“Pretty decent for a boy’s room, I expected less you know.” She turns smiling at me. That heart skip again. What is wrong with my heart and why does it skip when she smiles at me? I breathed out not realizing I held my breath when she did her inspection. Feeling relieved my room seems decent enough to her taste.

“What do want to study today?”

You.

Is it wrong if I say that? It will probably scare her off and I’m really loving her company these days even if most of the time I enjoy pissing her off. Dropping the little box she placed on my bed. I just eyed it. Her giggles fill my ears.

“It’s not a bomb Austin, just some chocolate cupcake I made for us to help ourselves while studying.” She laugh smiling looking at me. I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

“Okay, just wanted to be sure it was not a bomb. One cannot be too careful with you.” I smirk filling my pockets with my hands.

“Yeah right,” she scoffs. “You think I want to die beside you. Sorry that place is for the boy I

fall in love with.” Talking as if it’s the most obnoxious thing ever, I frown, just because she don’t see me as a guy she can fall in love with.

“Whatever.” I can hear the bitter taste in my voice which make her stop smiling looking at me.

I walk picking a book from my desk handing it over to her.

“English lit?” I nod at her question. “Okay.” She says softly. Her eyes went back looking about my room. What is it again? I ask myself watching her bite her lower lip. A gesture she tends to do when she’s confuse or thinking. If only she knows what that does to me.

“Uhhh Austin?”

“Yes Snoopy.” I walk away before I do what is on my mind. Damn you Snoopy.

“Where can we sit?” She says eyeing my bed with disgust and I almost laugh.

“Anywhere.” I enjoy making her feel uncomfortable and I don’t just know why. “But the bed is most preferable.” Her eyes couldn’t bulge any more than it is. My smirk grew wider. She watches me go sit down on my bed in horror. “Come on, it doesn’t bite. I’ll make sure of it expect you want it to then I can only do as the lady please.” Her face flush a beautiful color. Damn! she really is beautiful. How did I not see this all along and she’s my neighbor. I’m going to have so much fun with her.

Shaking her head vehemently, she refuse. “How many girls have been in your bedroom?”

“Huh?”

“I ask, how many girls have been in your bedroom?” She look at my bed with disgust as if she wants to burn it, “on your bed.”

I smirk. “None.”

“None?”

“None. No one. Nada.” I rest on my wrists looking at her surprised face with a smirk. Just because I’m a man whore doesn’t mean I’ll do so in my house, on my bed. That is reserved for the special One.

“Wow.” She looks at my bed then me. I raise my brows and her flush cheeks goes a shade darker. Quickly averting her gaze, she whispers.

“I definitely did not see that one coming.” I heard. Slowly she came to sit at the other side of the bed, I hide my smile. So innocent, so shy.

“Uhm let’s get started.” I blocked every naughty thought that wanted me to brush her hair behind her ear, cup her face, kiss her, and lick her, fuck her so good that she screams my name over and over again. Shamefully I tried to concentrate.

“Austin.” She calls my name softly. I look at her fighting the urge to kiss her. “You sure you’re comfortable with me on your bed.”

If only she knows what is running through my head that I’m fighting. I nod looking back to my book besides her exposed thigh. Jesus. What is she doing to me? Is she tempting me on purpose or she’s just naïve? Snap out of it Austin. She’s just a normal girl, just like the rest.

There’s nothing special. Who am I kidding? There’s something about her that make me want to hear her voice, to watch her smile at me, longing to hold her in my arms and protect her from her fears. She’s that special.

“Okay let’s begin.” For hours she help me study and when she isn’t helping, she’s reading a book. I think it’s a novel she borrowed from the library. Every once in a while, she check on me, asking questions or just correcting me. I can’t believe that after so long trying to get myself after the incident years ago, I can finally understand what I’m reading.

More hours and an almost empty box of the chocolate cupcake she inquire; “have you done the assignment yet?”

I ask confused. “What assignment?” racking my brain thinking.

“Romeo and Juliet. We are to summarize chapter one to ten and its due for submission tomorrow.” my eyes widen in alarm.

“What I didn’t know that?”

“How will you?” She mocks going back to the book she’s reading.

“Ugh I hate that book.” I groan.

“What? Why?” It piques her interest. She close her book looking at me ridiculously waiting for an answer.

“It’s all bullshit.”

“No it’s not.” She laugh smiling.

“It’s not my kind of scenery about love. Two people fall in love for their selfish reason and end up dying. Total. Utter. Bullshit. Not my kind of love and romance. It’s what it is.” I shrug. She frowns.

“Then tell me, what is your kind of romance and love?” I look at her shocked not expecting such question from her. My mouth hangs open, no words fly out. Not because there’s no answer to that but because I’ve never giving a thought about love before. I don’t know what love is or the feeling is like.

“I don’t know, not the Romeo and Juliet type.” Her frown deepens.

“Well sorry to disappoint you Austin, but love comes in different ways, purpose and times. You don’t get to decide, fight it all you want, you can never get rid of it.” She argues.

“But still not into the Romeo and Juliet crap.” I retort adamant. She looks blankly at me and I wonder what sort of bullshit romance fantasy is in there. I feel sorry for her heart because she will be in for so many heart breaks.

“Let me guess, you are waiting for the perfect prince charming that will come sweep you off your feet.” I chuckle mocking her words.

“Is that why you are reading that?” disgust laced in my words I accuse pointing to her book resting comfortably on her thighs.

“Grow up Snoopy, fairytales are no more real than your book. They don’t exist anymore.” I laugh coldly at her naivety looking at her.

I expected her to cry, scream, curse or throw a book at me and storm off never to be back again, instead she did an amazing thing that caught me off-guard. She smiles.

“I don’t care. I don’t care about the perfect man. I don’t even need a perfect man, just being right is enough by me.” She shrugs smiling as if I didn’t just insult her.

“When I can actually look into his soul, connect with him physically, mind you there’s nothing sexual about that, get to know who he is, what he is and what inspires him to be better person, you know; helping him in the most mundane ways. Hold hands, laugh, talk about anything and everything, have fun together, yes there’s no relationship without ups and down, fight or quarrels but the beauty of that relationship is bouncing back up, letting the past be what it is; the past. That’s my kind of love, my very type of love. A relationship that is a friendship.” She smiles warmly looking into my eyes.

Humming a tune her fingers snatch the last piece of cupcake picking up her book and continues reading while I kept staring at her fascinated. She just gave me a whole lot of reason why she’s special and different from the other girls.

“Do you have a boyfriend Snoopy?” She looks at me then back at her book.

“Nope. I hope to have one, someday if I survive this tumor.” She shrugs reading again.

For a dying girl, she have so much hope and maturity to be buried in the ground. The girls I’ve been with just want the same thing in common but not my Snoopy. She want to live and not because she’s dying but she wants to experience her idea of love, have an adventure, make memories and live her dreams. I sigh taking my eyes away from her.

What are you doing to me Snoopy? Why am I drawn to you?