1.12: Love?

   "I like you. A lot." I whispered to Harry. We were both sitting on his bed, I was laying against him as he held me. It had been years since Johnny....Johnny....I hate him. How can I trust Harry? Mr. Harry Laurel. Mrs. Alyce Laurel...I like him, I just don't know. He's sweet and nice...like Johnny. But he's different. Harry's more open. And he's not controlling. I've never thought about loving him...I think I do. I just can't let myself. He's not like Johnny. In my heart, I know that but my brain is to busy being cautious.
    "Alyce...we've been dating for some time. Almost a year. I know you don't want to rush things, but...I love you"
   "Harry..." I paused. I liked him. A lot. More then that son of a basset hound Johnny....I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Johnny. I needed to forget and move on. I'd never forgive, but I could forget. Johnny was gone; gone  to some town I never ever wanted to visit. He wasn't coming back. I needed to stop comparing everyone, everything, to him. I loathed him, but Harry wasn't him. I couldn't not love him because I was busy fearing being hurt. I'd survived my divorce, I could survive saying three little words to him.
    "Alyce? Are, honey, are you okay?"
   "What?" I realized that I was gasping for air, my head on my hands.
   "Are you okay?" He asked again.
   "Yes...I just....Harry." I trembled as I whispered the words. "I love you." I looked up at him as his eyes shined. He smiled and kissed me gently on the lips.
   "Alyce...." He said softly. "I will never hurt you. I promise. I know it's hard to forget about your past....I just want to make everything okay...."
    "I trust you." I smiled at him, slowly kissing his neck, moving my body down. For the rest of the night, I was in utter bliss.  You can guess what happened.
   Early Friday morning, he made me breakfast, then we kissed as I departed in my car and he in his, on his way to work.

    "I love you." I whispered again. It felt good to tell him. It felt good to have no doubt in the back of my mind that he loved me and I loved him. It felt good.
    I drove away from his home, regretting that I couldn't stay curled up in his arms all day, as we laid on the couch, snuggling. I was turning into a sappy, hopeless romantic! Of course, I told the children that I had to take an over night trip to Riverview, to sell my mother's last assets. What they didn't know, didn't harm them.
   "Hey mom." Alex smiled, sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast.
   "Hello, sweetie." I hung my coat up on the rack, walked over to him, and sat down.
   "How was your trip?"
   "Fine....fine. Where's Tiff and Jamie?" I asked, concerned.
   "Tiff's at some friend's home. Cass or Cayla; some C name. Jamie's at soccer practice."
   "Of course," I mumbled. Harry was the soccer coach. He said he had to go to practice. I don't remember what I was thinking. "When will Tiff be back?"
   "Afternoon, probably. I told her she shouldn't but, she insisted."
   "It's fine. She has her cell."
   "I'm gonna paint a little, check out how my stuff's been selling at the consignment store." He got up, washed his dish and stumbled upstairs. What to do? I was tired, so I decided to take a little nap. My little birdies were as busy as bees....and would be leaving the nest soon! I wanted my little darlings to stay home, young forever, but I knew that it couldn't happen.

Tiff's Point of View

    "Uh, Tiff."
    "Yeah, Cassie?"
    "I've got a secret...more like a confession..."
    "Oh my ga-" I panicked. It was Cassie. Who knew what could be wrong. "What?!"
    "Well, I think I'm in love...." She looked to the side.
    "Love?" I asked, confused. Cassie never claimed to be in love. Never. We were standing on the overlook area that was a brief jog from her apartment, and I felt like my head had just taken a dive; it was spinning. Cassie? Love? Cassie who didn't like dating a guy for more than a few days. "Love?" I repeated, again.
   "Yeah...." She blushed. "I don't know what to do! Whenever I see him, my heart jumps a beat and I feel like his smile lights up the world....like him walking into a room can just make everything better. It's weird...tell me that I'm crazy. This...I....whenever I like a guy it usually isn't serious. Kinda like I'm bored, so I date...but him....gaw! I feel insane around him; like he's the only thing in the world."
    "You're not crazy. You love him." If anyone else told me what she had, I'd pass it off as a crush. Not Cassie, She'd had enough crushes to know what love wasn't. Who knows, this might be real. "So, who is this guy you looooove?"
    "I think his name is Jamie. In our bio class. You know, kinda cute in a boyish way. He's got an adorable smile....and...gaw! He's just..."
    "Jamie." I said. Jamie as in my twin brother.
   "To be clear, this is the soccer player Jamie who's friends with what's his face. You know, tall, blonde, green eyed guy you dated a month ago?"
   "Yeah...I know, you shouldn't date ex's friends, but I just...."
   "Jamie?" I leaned against the railing.
   "Are you okay? You don't you know, crush?"
   "What? Me! Like him?! No, no! He's my brother!"
   "Your bro-oh gawsh. I"m so, so sorry. I"m an idiot! I should have know. I'm a f-"
   "Calm down. No, you're not." I sighed. "Cassie, you like him. I'm just..." Worried you'll get bored and break his heart into a thousand pieces and then stomp on them, ruining our existing friendship, which would suck since you're my only friend, but he'd my brother so I'm kinda required to side with him. "Surprised."
    "I should have know...it's just that you've mentioned that you had two brothers, but I assumed that he wasn't your twin....I'm sorry."
    "Sorry? Don't be." I said, trying to avoid an even bigger dramatic mess were I'd lose my BFF. "Hey, what if I set you guys up?"
    "You'd do that?" She looke excited.
    "'Course."
    "Tiff!" She squealed, hugging me. "That's fab-u-lusss! Thanks!"
   "Try tomorrow, three p.m. at the beach." I smiled. I'll text ya."
    "OkaYAY!" She squealed. Cassie loved Jamie. I didn't doubt it, at all. If she said she loved a guy, she did. Oh boy...when I think about it, having my best friend date my brother couldn't be that bad. Right?

Jamie's Point of View

   I stopped doing jumping jacks and push ups when Tiff flew through the front door. She bent down a, trying to catch her breath.
    "Cassie...walked home..." She mumbled, embarrassed. I stood still, not sure what to say. Was this a girl thing? Was I suppose to say 'No, you aren't fat.'  or would that make things worse? She wasn't out of shape, she just couldn't run miles.
    "Um...."
    "Jamie, can I talk to you?"
    "Yeah? Yeah." I nodded. I don't get Tiff. She's not like the high school girls....she's...well my sister, for one.
    "So..." She said, trying to act causal."Hey, do you have a girlfriend?"
   "Not right now."
   "Great, you dumped that tramp Carlie! I hated her. Thinks she's sooo good-"
   "What's the point other than you bashing my ex?"
   "Congratulations!" She screamed.
   "Huh?"
   "Well, you kinda have a date....is that tactless? Cause I couldn't think of a-"
   "Great tact." I sarcastically said. "With who?"
   "Who?"
   "Did you set me up with?"
   "Oh, yeah. Wait, what about Jane?"
   "She said that the name Jane Janes sounded retarded and dumped me."
   "Oh. Sucks. I liked her, well, hate her know."
   "So what girl?"
    "Cassie Carols."
    "Is she hot?"
    "Gaw! Jamie! Is that the first things guys think when they see a girl? Is she hot?" She hit my arm.
    "Ouch! Well, is she?" I said, trying not to sound shallow.
    "Well, when I first saw he I hated her."
    "Whats that mean?"
    "You know nothing about girls."
    "Uh...."
    "Nothing. When a girl hates another girl it has to do with A) she's dating some guy she likes or B) she's pretty....er. Prettier-ish."
    "So that's a yes?"
    "You're hopeless!" she sighed. "The date's tomorrow afternoon at the beach. You're going."
    "Do I even get a choice?"
    "No."
    "What's she look like?"
    "Red head. Here." She showed me  a pic on her cell. A red head that had blue-ish streaks in her hair, glitter covering her body, and a bottle. "Only minus the teal and glitter. That was the school picnic and everyone got hammered! Cassie got her makeup bag and in the bathroom we.... er...." She scooted off. "Don't tell mom." She whispered. Huh. So I guess I've got a date.

Tomorrow Afternoon.........

   "Hey. I'm Cassie." A red head girl in a Marilyn Monroe tee greeted me. 

   "Jamie. You look nice." 

   "Thanks." She blushed a color that was equal to her hair.

    "I got you flowers." I pulled the pink roses out from behind my back.

    "That's so sweet!" She took the flowers and smelled them. "Thanks."

    "So...."

   "Do you like sports?"

   "Yeah," I took her hand and gestured to the ground. I sat down next to her on the beach towel. "I play soccer for the school's team."

    "Cool." 

   "So, do you play anything?"

   "Nah," She giggled. "Unless t-ball in kindergarten counts." I smiled. I liked this girl. Something about her just seems....right. Like she isn't the cookie cutter girl from school. Not that I can compare her. She is my sister's friend, after all. But I like her. 

    "Cassie...do you maybe want to do something, later?" I asked as our date came to a close.

    "I'd love to!" She exclaimed, then blushed again. It was an adorable little quirk of hers.
 "Hey...I was wondering....would you maybe.....if...boyfriend...me...you?"

    "Yeah." I smiled. I had a girlfriend. Who I actually liked. Perfect. I'd be a junior next year, I was the star soccer player...I had a girlfriend. High school's great.