Awww! Thank you guys so much for all your reviews last chapter! So you do love me! Hehehe... So it is for that reason that I decided to post the new chapter much more early than planned! Aaand also because I went swimming today and I got hit in the jaw with a flying styrofoam kickboard and am now attempting to write off the pain. Love you guys!!
Chapter Seven
"Tina? Tina, wake up. We're here," a soft voice cooed in her ear.
She made no move to get up. She was far too comfortable to do so. She hugged whatever she was lying on tighter. The voice chuckled.
"Tina, I know how much you love your sleep, but you have to eat."
"No, I like this." She said and snuggled into her pillow.
"Sooner or later you're gonna have to let go of me," he chuckled again, "Although, I don't really mind this..."
Tina got up with a shock. She had been sleeping and sitting on Artie and she didn't know. Heat filled her cheeks as she shyly looked up at him.
"I'm sorry." She said sheepishly.
Artie shook his head and smiled. "It's okay."
He reached up to the doorknob to find that it was locked. But seeing as the lights inside were on, he knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened and out came his mother.
"ARTHUR ABRAMS! WHAT'S GOT YOU STAYING OUTSIDE THIS LATE AT NIGHT?! I WAS FREAKIN--Oh." She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Tina sitting on her son's lap, her face a deep shade of red.
Tina was so embarrassed at being spotted like this. She made to get up but Artie wrapped his arms around her waist to stop her.
"Mom," he spoke, "Can you please just let us in and give Tina something to eat? We'll explain the situation right away."
Mrs. Abrams wasn't sure of what to do, but one look at Tina's pale face took all hesitation away from her. She nodded and opened the door wider to let them in.
Artie rolled them to the dining room, where Tina stood up to sit in a proper chair (not that she minded her previous position much).
Mrs. Abrams gave both of them a bowl of soup and some bread sticks. Tina dug in immediately, only realizing how really hungry she was. Artie looked amused.
"Oh Tina," Mrs. Abrams exclaimed, "I thought I'd never see you again!" And she really did. Seeing Artie's face after their "date" drained her of all hopes in seeing her angelic face. "I'm so glad Artie came to his senses!"
"Mom, we've got other, more important matters at hand." Artie said with a serious expression on his face. Tina just kept eating, all her other senses drowned by the sensation of having her stomach filled with food again. He smiled and gave her his soup and bread. Tina hesitated and looked at him. He just nodded and she smiled gratefully.
Mrs. Abrams let out an "Awww!" which only made Artie's cheeks go red.
"Anyways, Tina... Tina got disowned, mom." He finally said.
Mrs. Abrams let out a gasp. "What? But how?"
"It's a long story—"
"I got disowned cause they didn't want me in the first place anyway. It was only a matter of time." Tina cut in then bit her bread stick.
"Oh Tina!" Mrs. Abrams hugged the life out of her. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, Mrs. Abrams. It wasn't your fault."
Artie cleared his throat. "So, uhhh, mom... She kinda... needs a place to stay." He said rather nervously, not sure how his mom would react.
"Of course Tina could stay here," she said, "But I'm afraid we don't have a spare bedroom. You'll have to sleep in Artie's room." She told Tina, who dropped her bread stick with shock.
"A-are you sure, Mrs. Abrams? I mean, I don't want to intrude in your home. I can deal with my own problems," she smiled nervously, "And Artie, I'm pretty sure you probably want to keep your privacy in your bedroom."
"Tina, Tina, Tina," he said, shaking his head, "Look what you're doing to yourself! You haven't eaten and slept for a long time! You most certainly can not handle it."
Mrs. Abrams gasped again. "She hasn't? Sweetie, what were you thinking??" She exclaimed and handed Tina another bread stick.
"And I don't mind sharing my room, Tee." He smiled at her. She smiled back.
"Thank you so much you guys," Tina said, "You're all so nice to me."
"Oh dear, you're already like family to us!" Mrs. Abrams hugged her.
"Thanks, Mrs. Abrams." She smiled.
"Don't mention it, sweetie. But please call me Jill."
"Oh. Sorry. Thanks, Jill."
After Tina finished all her food, she was led to Artie's bedroom in the first floor, where a soft makeshift bed of foam and clustered blankets and pillows wait for her on the floor beside Artie's bed.
"Man, I can't wait to go to sleep!" Tina exclaimed once there were just the two of them. "But I need to go to shower. I look like crap!"
Artie smiled at her, glad to have his old best friend back. "There's a bathroom over there," he pointed to a door in the room.
"Thanks," she smiled back.
Just as she was headed to the door, she stopped.
"Um, Artie?"
"Yeah?"
"I just realized... I have no clothes."
"OH! Oh!" He smacked his forehead at forgetting such a thing. "You can wear some of mine, I guess. I mean, mom's clothes are even bigger than mine." He thought of his mother's very plumpy form.
"You don't mind?" She asked, biting her lip.
"Don't worry, Tee." He rolled to his dressers and grabbed the smallest shirt he could find. Then a pair of his boxers. He handed them to her and she smiled.
"Thanks again, Artie." And she went inside the bathroom to take a much-needed shower.
In the middle of her shower, Tina smiled as the familiar smell of Artie's shampoo intoxicated her. For a minute she just stood there, breathing it in and out, and then she went back to her business.
When she was done, she stepped out of the shower area and stepped on something. She looked down and could've screamed.
She'd stepped on her clothes. Not just her clothes, but also her underwear. Surely Artie couldn't lend her any of that!
She just stood there in shock, dripping, until all her clothes were too drenched to be worn. Guess she'd just have to go underwear-less and pray that Artie won't notice!
She put her clothes in the wastebasket and glared at them.
She got into his clothes and went out of the bathroom to find Artie on his bed, his wheelchair beside it, reading a book, wet hair on his head. He'd also taken a shower. When he heard her come, he looked up and waved.
Oh but he noticed.
Oh shoot! he thought. Of course she'd need underwear! How stupid was I?!
But then again, he was still a boy with raging hormones and those hormones overpowered him at that moment. He took notice of her nipples peeking through his shirt. Oh god, his shirt. She had no idea what crazy things she was doing to him.
Tina noticed his eyes on her chest and she blushed. "Uh-err, uhm... I'm done." She said rather weakly.
Artie went back to staring at her face, his face also going tomato red. "Uh, yeah. Uhm... make yourself at home!" He mentally kicked himself at his stupid remark. But she smiled at his awkwardness, thinking it was adorable.
She's felt so stupid when she admitted to herself that she liked the thought of seducing Artie. She wanted to kick herself for thinking those thoughts of her best friend. That was just wrong!
...But she did like him. And she still does. And all the things that have happened only seemed to make those feelings stronger.
Artie felt so embarrassed. He suddenly remembered his conversation with his mom on his way to the other bathroom.
"Artie? I need to talk to you." She said to him.
"Yes, mom?"
"I just want you to know that I don't mind in the slightest that Tina's going to stay with us, but since she's sleeping in your room... Uhh..." She trailed off awkwardly. Artie blushed.
"No! No, mom! I just... no, it's not like that! We're still trying to patch things up between us. No funny business, I promise."
"Okay, okay. But since I suppose you already told her that you can still use your pen—"
"MOM! Stop talking about that!"
"Sorry, sweetie. I trust you." She smiled at him.
"Thanks, mom." He smiled back and rolled to the bathroom.
"There's a pack of condom in your bottom dresser!" She reminded him just as he was going to open the door.
"MOM!" His face heated up.
"I was just saying!" His mother smiled mischievously and walked away.
Oh wow. He promised his mom there'd be no funny business. Yet here he was, greatly aroused by her. His face heated up even more for the umpteenth time that night.
"So, umm..." He said to break off the awkward silence.
"What're you reading?" She piped up.
"Oh, just the fourth Harry Potter book."
Tina laughed at him. "You're such a nerd!"
Artie smiled at her as she walked closer to him and sat next to him on his bed, feeling suddenly confident.
"But you're an adorable nerd." Artie blushed.
"Uhm... Thanks?" He said and laughed as Tina ruffled his hair. They really did miss the good old days.
"But then again, I didn't get to read that yet. Book three was so much drama! Seriously, who could have guessed that Sirius Black was actually innocent? It's Peter Pettigrew that should be in Azkaban with the Dementors, I mean really! And Hermione's time turner really rocked. Not to mention Buckbeak! I cried when I thought they actually killed him! And Harry really thought it was his father that cast the Patronus charm but—surprise surprise! It wasn't!" She finished. Artie stared at her, mouth agape.
"I didn't know you've read Harry Potter!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, I read the first three books last summer while you were away for music camp. I was bored out of my wits."
"Well then how would you like to read with me?"
"I'd love that." She smiled at him.
They spent the next hour reading the book. They got until page 82 until Tina sighed and yawned.
"Bedtime." Artie said and closed the book. He put it on his bedside table. "Don't worry, Tee, tomorrow's a Saturday so you can sleep in as long as you want." He tapped her nose and she giggled.
"Thanks so much, Artie. I really thought you hated my guts, and yet you do all this and..."
"When are you gonna get it in your head that I'm doing this because I lo—errm, because you're my best friend?" He smiled at her.
She got down and lied on her own sleeping place.
"Good night, Artie."
"Night, Tee."
Whoop! Tina's now got a place to stay! YAY! And they still like each other! DOUBLE YAY! But they're still too afraid to break their friendship to actually be a couple! AWW!
This chapter was really fun to write, even though it wasn't my best. I still hope you'll review! The more reviews I get, the sooner the next update would be!!
