Well, this is embarrassing. I'm squished on the couch between Mouth and Data, one of Data's contraptions is digging into my forearm. There are chips everywhere, in fact, I think I have chips in my hair, there may even be chips in my dress.
The movie is on. The boys are climbing all over the place, as per usual. Chunk keeps clambering over everyone to try and reach the chip bowl. Mikey gets up every five minutes.
I can't believe that this is my life. It's Friday night and I am watching Star Wars with a bunch of kids. Ok, so they're not really kids, I mean, they're only what, two or three years younger than me, that's not really all that much when you think about it. Not that I am thinking about it. I am mainly thinking about Mouth's fingers.
Wow, that came out wrong.
What I mean is, I'm next to Mouth on the couch right? And it is pretty crowded on here because it's a couch probably only designed for about three people and there are five of us squashed on here. And Mouth's arms are at his sides. Which means his hand is right next to my thigh right? And he is tapping his fingers on his leg right? That's normal yeah? Tap-tap-tap. But every time he does they brush across my leg. Tap-tap-tap. And since this dress is fairly short and I'm sitting down it means that he is touching my bare skin. Tap-tap-tap. So that's what I'm thinking about. I am also thinking thank god I shaved my legs today.
You know what, I don't think my explanation made that sound any better.
Mouth is also strangely quiet, and if you know him at all that is very strange. The other boys are yelling things at the screen and making lightsabre noises but Mouth is just sitting here tapping his leg with those fingers of his. Tap-tap-tap. I almost say something to him, I almost tell him to stop. It's on the tip of my tongue.
But then the front door opens.
In walk Brand and Andy arm in arm.
Oh god.
Just kill me now.
This had got to be the most embarrassing moment of my life.
I can feel my face going bright red. Mouth stops tapping his fingers and puts his hands in his pockets. What does that mean? Was he doing it on purpose and he doesn't want to get caught? Did he know he was brushing his fingers against my leg that whole time?
I'm concerned now.
For a moment they don't notice that I'm here. It's a very nice moment.
Then Andy sees me.
"Stef?" she says, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh I umm, we're just umm…" I can't do this, where are my words?
"We're watching Star Wars!" says Data, "want to watch it with us?"
"No thanks Data," says Brand, "we're going up to my room, hey, do us a favour will you Stef? Give us a yell or something when my parents get home?"
I nod. Mikey watches them climb the stairs. He looks like someone has just kicked him in the stomach.
The other guys start climbing on top of him. I am pushed awkwardly to the side as they form a stack.
"Come on Mikey cheer up." Says Chunk from somewhere within the stack.
"You know what the punishment is if you don't!" says Mouth.
But Mikey does not smile. This is perhaps because he can't breathe under the weight of everyone piled on top of him. So they start tickling him. All three of them on the one, poor, little, asthmatic Mikey. I get kicked at least twice before I decide to even out the odds. I fight on Mikey's side, grabbing ears and pinching arms. This is a terrible idea. Because you see, me trying to defend Mikey just gives the other boys an unwritten invitation to attack me. This is something I certainly do not want them to do. Because, one, I am extremely ticklish and, two, because I wish I was wearing jeans or something other than this stupid dress.
I end up on the floor, in fact, most of us end up on the floor.
This has got to be the most ridiculous night of my life. No, what am I saying? I've been in more ridiculous situations than this. That time I was chased by murderers on a pirate ship is up there.
Oh great. There's Brand. He came down to get Andy a glass of water. And I'm on the floor covered in fourteen year olds. Perfect. Just perfect.
"God, you're so immature!" I yell, throwing them off, trying to make it out like this wasn't really my fault. But Brand has already left, I'm sure I can hear them laughing about me from his bedroom.
I slump back onto the couch and Mikey starts to laugh. I don't know what in particular he is laughing at, probably me and my embarrassingly sad Friday night, but it makes me happy because I know Andy, and I know that she loves Brand more than anything, and I know that she'll never want to be with a kid like Mikey. He'll just have to get over her sooner or later. Now the others are laughing, even I'm laughing. Maybe they aren't quite so bad after all.
We are squished together on the couch again and the movie is almost over. There are cans of soda strewn about the room.
It is the pinnacle part of the movie, I think, when I suddenly realise that Mouth's arm is across my shoulders. Brilliant.
How did this happen? More importantly when did this happen? Has his arm been there for the past half hour of this movie or did he only just put it there now? What if it's been there this whole time? I can't tell him to take it away now if I haven't said anything for the past half hour of it being there! I'm freaking out now. I don't know how to deal with this. What about the other boys? Did they notice? Have they known this whole time that Mouth's arm was around me? Have they been secretly smirking at each other? Man, this whole situation is beyond me.
I shift a little, trying to subtly shake his arm off without him realising I'm trying to shake his arm off, but all I succeed in doing is making his hand slip a little further down so that his fingers are on my collar bone. He doesn't move it back. Great, that is just what I needed.
I stay still as a wall so his hand doesn't slip any further down.
The movie ends. Finally.
But Mouth doesn't take his arm away, instead he brushes his thumb across my neck. Slowly. Just once. Did he do it on purpose? What the hell is he trying to do to me?
"So what's the plan now you guys?" says Data.
I am hoping it's something that involves getting off this tiny couch.
"I say that we should play," says Mouth, and he pauses for dramatic effect, "murderer in the dark."
The other guys jump up straight away, spilling snacks all over the place. Obviously they think that this is a great idea.
I groan inwardly. Actually no, that was an outward grown. Quite loud actually.
"Seriously? Guys how old are you?" I say.
"Come on Stef! It will be fun, besides there's nothing else for us to do," that was Chunk, he is already looking around for somewhere to hide.
"Yeah come on Stef!" that was Data.
"Do it Stef, or we'll be forced to tickle you again," that was Mouth. I think he winked.
"Ok ok fine, screw you guys, but I'm not being in," I say.
Five minutes later and I am crouched in the cleaning supplies cupboard wondering how on earth I got into this situation.
Mouth finds me almost instantly.
