I do not own My Girl or My Girl 2. I do not own any of the fictional characters or any of the actors that play these characters. I am simply a writer and a huge fan. =]
Chapter 1
It's been a long year. Talking on the phone just doesn't seem enough to satisfy a young girl's heart. I don't know if it was his adorable smile, his caring personality or that faithful kiss I was left with before I came back home. All I know is that Los Angeles was the best time I've had since Thomas J. was in my life. Don't get me wrong. I miss Thomas J. very much, so much that I would do almost anything to have him back. Life always seemed happier when he was around, minus the fear of having everything wrong with me, not knowing my mother, and never really understanding myself and the circle of life.
Since last spring break, I've had new responsibilities. I'm a big sister now, and my father and step mother, Shelly, always want me to babysit. But babysitting doesn't even cut half of my chores for my young brother. I have to change his diaper, feed him baby food (Which might I add it smells like rotten fish… and rotten eggs, put together. I don't even understand how Harry Jr. can swallow something that smells so horrible!), and reading to him on Bingo nights. After Shelly gave birth she wanted to have a settle hobby, and my dad of course suggested bingo. I don't understand that at all. I've seen him play bingo, and when he gets a bingo he's more excited than Harry Jr. when he sees a fire truck.
Anyways, it's the last day of school, the last day that I have to do homework, and the last day that I have to wake up at 7:00 in the morning to pretty myself for Mr. Bixler. I had him again this year, of course I was happy, but he was now married so I don't understand why I tried so hard this year to make him notice me more, and how much I was growing in all ways. When I was 11 I had the biggest crush on him, but on the day of Thomas J's funeral I found out that I could never be the love of Mr. Bixlers life. I only pretended that I would be in my dreams, I knew that I'd have to be stuck with Thomas J. all my life, but in the end I didn't even have him. Today was also the day that I would finally get to see Nick again.
"I want to meet this so called Nick guy soon Vada!" Judy said at the end of class 5 minutes before the bell rang for school to be out for almost 3 months.
"I promise Judy! You'll get to. I'll bring him over first thing next week okay?" I said rolling my eyes as I said her name. That's all she said to me that hour. That's all she said to me whenever she talked to me. She hardly ever talked to me though. She was always so busy with her super hot boyfriend Kevin. I tried to ignore her, but it was hard because I didn't have many friends. Excitement was building up in my stomach giving me butterflies as I could hear the ticks and the tocks of the school clock getting ready to ring. I couldn't wait till Shelly picked me up after school and took me to the Pennsylvania airport to pick up my Uncle Phil's newly son, Nick.
Ring!
And that was the ending school bell. I quickly jumped out of my seat but almost face planted into the floor as I realized my shoelace had been stuck underneath the leg of my chair. Great. I thought to myself, this afternoon was already starting out bad. I didn't want to even think about what was to come when I was around Nick. I knew it would be embarrassing. I got myself unhooked from the chair and walked slowly behind everyone else saying goodbye to my gorgeous ex-teacher. I gave him the brightest smile I could but when I hit the entry of the doorway I picked up the speed and ran out the front school doors luckily dodging every person that came in my way. I looked around looking for my father's car, but it was nowhere to be found. Did Shelly forget? Or was she just running late. My heart started to go slightly into panic mode as I thought about how Nick would feel. Maybe he thought we forgot him, like no one wanted him. It seemed that Shelly knew I was in a deep serious thought because right when I was finished with it, came a long, loud honk coming from the right of me. Like everyone else, I turned to look, and there was Shelly waiting as impatiently as I was. She told me that she was very excited to meet the boy that I couldn't stop talking about.
I ran towards the car and jumped in as quickly as I could, forgetting that a backpack full of heavy school supplies were hanging on my shoulders. I slammed my back into the seat of the car and screamed out in pain. All I could hear was Shelly starting the car and laughing in the background. She must have seen it coming. Before putting on my seatbelt I took my backpack off my shoulders and threw it in the back of the car. Then I heard a click as Shelly surprisingly placed my seatbelt over my chest and into the slot herself.
The next thing I knew, we were pulling into the airport parking lot going up and down each section looking for a place to park.
"Ugh! This is a nightmare!" I heard Shelly say in a whisper, or it could have just seemed like a whisper over the loud plane roaring overhead searching for the runway. Seconds later I felt the car turn to the right and slide to a slight stop before Shelly hit the car parked on the other side of us. It was a close call, but she was lucky.
I looked up at the plane in awe and smiled. "That must be him!" I said loudly so that Shelly could hear my excited expression. I've been waiting this moment since one week after the kiss surprised me that spring break. I stepped out of the car and ran towards the driver's side of the car where Shelly seemed to be taking her sweet time getting out of the car. I quickly grew impatient and grabbed her hand and jerked her all the way out of the car pulling her towards the sliding glass doors of the one place where I knew my prince would be waiting.
I stood there high on my tiptoes searching for his long blonde hair that matched almost mine, but looked slightly softer than anyone's I've ever seen. But he was nowhere to be found. I crossed my arms and slowly began tapping my foot that became more and more unsteady as it seemed to tap it's self faster. I wasn't paying attention to anything in particular until I heard Shelly's voice pointing out boys around my age asking me if that was him. "No. No not him. No Nick's blonde Shelly." Were things that kept coming out of my mouth but something caught my eye. It wasn't the blonde hair that reminded me of someone, it was the glasses that rose high on his nose.
He was someone I used to know. I raised my hand to eye level and I saw for the first time since Thomas J.'s death, my mood ring turned a different color, well different colors. It was a mixture of pretty colors ranging from blue to red. It was a beautiful sight, so magnificent that I almost forgot the reason for being at this airport at this time. I snapped out of my daze and made myself focus when I heard Shelly's soft voice point out more young kids. I was starting to get annoyed when I finally felt like hugging Shelly to her death. I saw him looking around for a girl similar to me and I stepped forward. I was so excited I could barley move. I took another step and I could feel the redness in my cheeks turn from a rosy pink to a hot chili pepper red. I couldn't stop walking, like a force wash pushing me towards him, his force. I smiled as I saw his head turn my way. I wasn't sure if he recognized me because he didn't smile. A few seconds after my theory hit, that's when he finally smiled. My pace sped up as Shelly tried to keep up with me. It felt like I was running from her, but I wasn't. I was running to him.
And then, I was in his arms. I wasn't sure if I landed there, or if he pulled me there, but I was there and I was happy.
After what seemed like a lifetime but was actually only a true 7 seconds, I loosened my grip from his neck and gave him a big smile. I saw him smile back, but that was it. I could feel myself getting ready to blush as I began laughing for no apparent reason. I was thankful that Shelly was there with me because she saved me from embarrassment. She knew that I was nervous so she decided to start her own conversation with the Nick that just looked at me like I was crazy.
"So you must be Nick. Well it's very nice to meet you. I'm Shelly"
"It's Nice to meet you Shelly. Vada's told me a lot about you over the phone. "
I smiled calmly as I tried to hold my breath hoping not to invade his space more than I already have. It felt like something was different about Nick, and I wasn't so sure about it. I was expecting a little more from Nick, like answers to my questions that weren't just two words. I figured that he was just tired from being on the plane, which I could totally understand, so I blew it off like nothing was wrong.
We had made it back to the car within a few minutes, surprisingly. I opened the trunk and grabbed his suitcase to put it in but I pretended like it was too heavy for a little girl like me, (Which it was heavy but not as heavy as I made it out to be.) The next thing I knew he had grabbed the other end and swung it into the back before I could even say thank you. He then turned to the left and quickly got into the car as I slowly walked to the right now worrying about his attitude. What had I done? Was I not supposed to hug him after we haven't seen each other after a couple of months? I was feeling ashamed.
I climbed into the car and shut the door behind me almost snagging my lacy skirt in the door. Shelly pulled out and commented on our quietness as we drove down the road. "You know, I would have figured that you two would be talking up a storm but you two are so quiet. Everything okay?"
Before I could answer back there was a soft, "fine" spilled out of Nick's lips. I looked over at him and saw that his hand was directly in between the two sides of the car seat. Would he be even madder if I held my hand over his like I was trying to comfort him. That's when I remembered what my father said my mother used to tell him all the time. "You won't know till you try it." I slowly stretched my hand towards him pulling back every time I felt I got too close going a little farther each time.
I could tell that he saw my hand fidgeting attempting to make my way to his. I felt extremely relieved when he reached out for mine before I made it to his. Seconds later though, he pulled away. I could feel my smile turn upside down the moment he pulled away. This was going to be quite an interesting drive, I thought to myself as I placed my head against the window and looked out at the passing buildings.
