“What is she doing here?” Chip was standing at the top of the stairs, a large backpack in one hand and a fishing pole in another.
Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest, “Because she can be? Mom and Dad love Natalie.”
I looked at Scarlett, then at Chip.
“Where are you even going?” She raised her eyebrows at him.
He scoffed and started down the stairs, “My buddies and I are going to Wisconsin this weekend because Jared’s dad has a cabin.” He smirked at her, “Have fun lezzing out with Wilson.” He slammed the door behind him.
“Lezzing out?” I looked at her, “At least he called me Wilson instead of fag.” I shrugged.
She glared at me, “I don’t know why he doesn’t like you.”
“Sarcasm, Santoro?”
She rolled her eyes, “You’re so annoyi-“
“There you are!” Angie came into the foyer glaring at her sister, “I seriously have to leave like now. Henry is upstairs with a fever-“
“I thought Henry was with Gran?”
“Until he got sick? Do you never check your phone?”
“I never do, actually.” Scar nodded.
Angie rolled her eyes then smiled at me, “Lovely to see you natalie. I hate dumping our little brother on you but I have a date.”
“With who?” I smiled and raised my eyebrows, already knowing who.
She looked at the ground, “Tucker Wyatt.”
I pat her on the back, “No worries, Angie. Need a ride or anything?”
Someone honked outside. She looked up at me, “Thank you but that is probably Tucker now.”
I forgot Tucker can drive.
“Have fun, I guess.” Scarlett watched her sister leave the house then turned to me, “This ruins our plans.”
I shrugged and started up the stairs, “I am gonna set my back down and check on your brother.”
“You don’t have to-“
I looked at her, “You wanna order some pizza for us?”
She pouted, “This is not how I wanted this to go.”
“Well it’s how it’s going!” I smiled at her before turning the corner and walking into Henry’s room. “Hey stink.” I sat on the edge of his Batman themed bed. He was sweating and his pajamas were half on as if he was on fire. “What hurts, stink?”
He pointed to his belly, keeping his eyes shut tight.
“Hmm. Well…” I looked around his messy room, then back to him, “Wanna change into some shorts to cool you down?”
He nodded and started to sit up.
“Woah bud!” I brushed the hair off his forehead as he laid back on the bed, “I will grab your clothes okay? Lightning McQueen?”
He nodded.
I stood up and grabbed the matching short sleeved pajama set out of his dresser drawer and kneeled back beside him, “I know your belly hurts but we gotta change okay?”
He nodded and sat up slowly, lifting his arms over his head.
I quickly got him changed and sat next to him on the bed. “Do you wanna try and go to sleep?”
He nodded again, curling up beside me.
“I gotta go downstairs, bud.”
“You can’t.” A single tear fell from his right eye.
I frowned, “How about this,” I ran my fingers through his sweaty, blonde hair, “I stay with you until you fall asleep and keep checking on you until I leave? Okay?”
He nodded and kept his head in my lap.
I continued to play with his hair until his chest rose and fell in a slow, rhythmic way.
Scarlett was standing in the doorway when I finally looked away from the small boy, “You scared me.” I said in a whisper.
She was smiling at me, “Sorry.” She waited until I was out in the hall then wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a kiss. “Pizza is on it’s way.”
I smiled at her, “He has a temperature.”
“He’s asleep.”
“But I want to keep checking on him.” I closed his door with one hand and kept the other on her waist.
She sighed and pulled me into her room, “Mom and Dad are on the first flight back here now.”
“That’s good.” I slid my shoes off and noticed my hockey bag sitting in the furthest corner of her room, “Why is Shelly alone in the corner?”
She rolled her eyes and pulled her shirt off, tossing it into the bin, “Shelly smells like hot ass.”
“Take it back!”
She glared at me and pulled on an old T-shirt, “No. The bag stinks, babe.”
I rolled my eyes and plopped on her bed, closing my eyes.
I felt her crawl onto the white blankets next to me before laying her head on my chest and draping her arm across my stomach.
She sighed contently, “I’m so tired.”
“I’m glad you said that because so am I.”
She traced circles on top of my shirt, “I’m sorry today was weird.”
I ran my fingers through her hair, “Today was weird but I think it was just the lack of communication on both parts. We need to work on that. Especially since you’re my girlfriend now.”
She sat up and smiled, “Say it again?”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at her, “You’re my girlfriend.”
She nodded and leaned closer to me, “One more time.”
I looked down at her lips, “You’re my girlfriend.” Then I kissed her.
She pulled away and laid her head back on my chest, letting out a deep sigh, “I don’t want to fight with you.”
I twirled a piece of her hair on my finger, “Yeah me neither. Can’t believe we had our first fight before it was official.”
She snorted and looked back up at me, “Because you were too afraid to ask me.”
I felt my cheeks heat up, “And so what!” I sat up more and looked at her, “You’re you.”
She glared at me, “Stop saying that! You have me up on this pedestal, dude. I don’t think I can ever be on the same level as who you have sitting there.”
I furrowed my eyebrows, “Scar.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
I smiled at her, “I put you on a pedestal you deserve to be on.” I put my hands on her face, “Why don’t you know how special you are?”
Her cheeks visibly darkened and she tried to look at anything but me.
“I like you okay?” I ran my right hand through my hair and sat back, “I clearly like you so…”
She laughed, “Yeah I know. I like being on that pedestal.”
I rolled my eyes, “So why complain?”
“To make you think I actually hate it, Silly.” She shrugged, “Can’t let you know people tell me what you say about me.”
Before I could respond, the doorbell rang.
She jumped up, “Let’s eat pizza, girlfriend.”
I rolled my eyes and followed her out of the room, “Sounds like a friendly term.”
She glanced back at me, “We are friends, right?”
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