Chapter 21

The next day it seemed like nothing new. We were the same nothing had even felt different the night before. We were just the two same people. We bickered and got over it. We fit in some weird way as always. And neither of us made a big deal about our one-month. Except he kissed me differently last night.

I knew he got his records.

But I sat at the window. My legs pulled up to my chest sitting in the window seat watching TV. There was nothing really on. But Queenie and my Dad were out and I was going to a show with Paul in Natick. Jesse was watching the kids.

I put on some random channel and watched Paid Programming shows. The half hour commercials for products that probably don't even work. I barely watch TV I don't have the attention span. But I love watching Paid Programming.

Jesse came in. "Hey," He said. He looked at the TV. "Do you have a life?"

I rolled my eyes smiling throwing the clicker to him. He plopped down n the couch catching it. "I'm exhausted." He sighed. Putting on the news. "It's been a while since I chased little kids around."

I laughed. "Getting old, huh?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. And looked at the headliner. Nothing important. He looked at me. "Are you waiting for Paul or something?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "We're going to a little concert in Natick."

He sat back turning down the TV. "Is he some insane druggie?" He asked sarcastically. This new Jesse was new to everyone. We were used to the tight geeky Jesse with a stick up his butt. But here he was relaxing and asking me something sarcastic.

I smiled. "Nah," I said. "He's sweet. I figure Caitlyn's told you all about him."

He smiled. "Yeah," He said. "Basically. According to her he's a tall big guy who works at the Gap and is emo." I laughed a little.

"She has no idea what emo even means." I said shaking my head looking at the TV. Then I looked at Jesse. "I don't know," I shrugged a shoulder. "Paul's really sweet and nice." He looked back at the TV too. "What about you? You seeing anyone?"

He smiled a little. "Her name's Kim." He said. "She's going to be a doctor a few towns over from my college. She's the same year as me and stuff."

"I thought relationships were a distraction." I said smiling. Quoting him perfectly. When we met I asked him if he ever dated anyone.

He rubbed his eyes. "Some distractions are good things." He said.

"Like Kim." I said.

"And your Paul." He said.

My Paul. I liked having a Paul. A good distraction in my life. Even if this was a conversation between me and my step-brother. Out of everyone Jesse surprised me the most. When I heard Queenie had a baby when she was seventeen and names him Jesse, I pictured a musky pothead with no point in life. I met Jesse and found him nerdy and clean cut. Borderline OCD but more on the fence towards extremely anal. But here he was. Sort of... normal.

"How long have you and this kid been together anyways?" He asked.

"A month," I said. "It hasn't been that long but we met two months ago and dated for three." I paused. Feeling my lips curve upwards like they always do when I answer these generic questions. "It feels much longer."

Jesse looked at me. "You know, you've-"

The doorbell rang and suddenly you could heard Caitlyn hurrying down the stairs. I let her answer the door. "Rainie can I open it?" She yells from the tile before the door.

"Sure," I get up. Walking past Jesse. That's when I hear his voice. He made it up the front walk.

"Hi Paul!"

"Hi Caitlyn," He says smiling at Caitlyn. I smile. He doesn't see me yet.

"What no hello for me?" I ask. And he looks up smiling.

"Hey," He said. I walk closer to him and Caitlyn. Caitlyn starts talking but is interrupted by Jesse calling her into the living room. And she says goodbye running in to see him. With her out of view I kiss Paul.

I would have felt insecure kissing him in front of Caitlyn. "What's up?" He asked. He starts stepping out onto the porch. I shut the door behind me.

"Nothing," I said. "What's new?" I slip my hand into his. His fingers sliding in between mine.

"Nothing," He said. "Did you listen to the band we're seeing tonight?"

I shook my head. "No," I said. "Didn't have time so I'm just trusting you tonight."

"You'll like them." He said.

"I hope so," I said. And he kissed my temple letting go of my hand to walk to the driver's side of his car. I got in. Sitting. Opening his glove compartment.

"Hey!" I shot him a look. He shut his door. "You got rid of Oasis."

He smiled a little. "We've listened to it a million times." He said. "I was getting sick of it."

I remained staring at him. "What the hell?" I asked sarcastically. "It had our song on it. What does that say about this relationship now?"

He laughed, kissing me. "I'll make it up to you somehow." And he kissed me softly. A perfect kiss. Knocking me down. And making me forget.

I smiled and pulled away and we drove away. It didn't matter if he had Oasis we played Sunday Drive and Alkaline Trio. That made up for it.

The club was small. A few kids like us, having nothing to do and twenty bucks, decided to also show up. And we stood in the line. Talking about whatever we had in that car. Which was about how much he hated middle school. And how much I loved it.

"Everything was so pointless." He said rolling his eyes. "All the girls just wanted guys' attention and they were obnoxious to get it."

I laughed. "It's because we wanted you guys to like us." I remembered talking to all these guys with my friends. We used to laugh a lot and wear all the same clothes. And somehow we thought it would make boys like us. It didn't but it was an alright guess.

"I thought all the girls were obnoxious." He said.

"How old were you when you had your first girlfriend?" I asked poking his arm.

"Fifteen." He said.

"And that suck-y attitude is why." I said smiling. He smiled shaking his head.

We made it to the venue about ten minutes before doors so we were close to the end of it when people started filing in. They made Xs on our hands and sent us on our way inside. The room was small and dark. Only the upstairs and there were only a few people- like thirty or fifty people- just standing around watching the first band set up their gear.

The room was cool. Orange and Indie-looking. One half of the room was for people to watch the bands. The stage about four feet tall and just enough to make sure almost everyone could see the bands. There was a handmade carpet spread across the stage with a drum kit being put up in the middle of a few others. The other kits being for- what I assumed was- the other bands.

The divider of this room was a row of columns with arches in between then separating the stage from the side. The bands selling t-shirts and standing around. A few kids going up and talking to them getting pictures and autographs. I didn't know the bands and didn't really care if I met them or not. But they were all just standing around. Nothing big. The room wasn't that loud. It just felt sort of nice in there. The air in the room just had a certain feeling.

I looked over at a gross fat guy on the side selling t-shirts. "Hey," I hit his arm lightly o get his attention. I pointed to the fat guy. "I think I might go after that guy over there."

He looked for who I was pointing at. Then he rolled his eyes. Sighing. I laughed. He looked up at the stage ignoring me now. I smiled looping my arms around his neck and kissing his neck once. He moved his around my waist and still ignored me. "I was just kidding," I said softly smiling into his chest. Holding him tight.

My face buried in his chest. I never realized how much shorter I was than him. I just name it to his neck. Barely even. And he kissed the top of me head. And held me too. I got this different feeling. One I always felt after a perfect kiss. But sometimes it happened without one. And I just was close to him. I liked having him there so close. He made my heart pound. I like him so much.

The band started playing. Saying their name and playing a song. They were pretty good. Everyone moved closer to the stage, we did too. I pulled him more into the crowd of people. He came up behind me. His stomach against my back and slid his hands around my waist and held me close. His arms were a ring around my waist. And I moved my hands over to cover his.

I turned my head to look at him and he kissed me. A perfect kiss. Knocking my sideways and making it hard for me to actually listen to the music. My stomach full of butterflies and my heart just pounding.

The bands were all generally good. None of them sucked badly. One couldn't hold our attention at all. And we just talked through it. Which made me feel sort of bad. But that different feeling wouldn't go away. It came back whenever I looked at him. He smiled at me differently, and somehow we just acted differently. For no reason at all. And suddenly it was hitting me. I just spent thirty days as his girlfriend. We had only known each other two months almost exactly. And here I was. With him somehow.

And suddenly I knew why, I just had no idea how to put it into words.

The band we wanted to see came on. He held me the same way he had whenever we wanted to actually watch one of the bands. There were five. I leaned into his turning my head a little. "Are you sure I'm going to like them?" I asked.

He kissed my temple. "Positive," He said. "You're going to love them. Trust me."

So I did. I trusted him. Leaning into him and listening. Waiting for them to start playing. They started with a guitar riff. A nice one. Very Sunday Drive-esque. And suddenly that split off into the whole band coming together. The singer stepping forward and starting. And he was right. I loved them.

After the first song they tuned their guitars talking a little. I looked at him. And just kissed him. And he smiled. "I told you so." He said against my lips.

"Hey," I pulled away. "I trusted you."

He smiled. And kissed my forehead. The different feeling back. His lips pressing against mine. Quickly and softly. Throwing me off again. But I just listened to the band playing. They were so good. I fell in love with them. And all I had to do was trust him.

We walked out of the club around ten. I smiled, and slipped my hand into his. Swinging it. "I don't want to go home." I said. "Can we go to Our Spot?"

He knew I called it that. And when I said it now he knew what I was talking about. He smiled. "Sure," He said. We walked back to his car. Driving. I played Sunday Drive. And was smiling a lot. It was weird I just felt happy. I don't know why. It felt like I was on some weird drug I had never tried before. I just felt extremely happy. And I looked at him.

Suddenly I understood why.

When he pulled into the dirt patch I got out. Going in before him and sitting down. He sat across from me. I looked at him. "Two months ago we were in this same spot," I said softly looking at him.

"I know," He said. We were quiet for a second. "I feel like I've known you so much longer."

I paused realizing how short two months were. I looked at him. "Me too," I said.

He looked down and then back at me. Opening his mouth and the closing it. I looked at him waiting. "What?" I asked.

He paused again. Hesitating. "I've just heard some... things." He said. His voice soft and I didn't think it was his at first. I waited more. Thinking instantly about Bennett. "About..." He hesitated again. "You and Bennett Williams."

I looked at him. Shaking my head. "They're not true." I said. "We're only friends. I would never do that to you, Paul."

He looked down. His eyes not meeting mine. I get up moving closer to him. My hand taking his and weaving my fingers into them. We've only known each other two months. And I've never liked someone this much for so long. There was something about him. That made him different to me. I held his hand. The rough callused one. And looked at it. His were bigger than mine. His skin a few shades darker compared to mine. And he remained quiet. His eyes down. Looking at our hands too.

I looked up at him. Pushing hair out of his face. I kissed him softly. And closed my eyes. He kissed me back. But as he did I pulled away. My free hand against his neck, feeling his pulse quickening. He looked at me. Softly.

I had just given him a perfect kiss. He just looked at me. His eyes readjusting as they came back to this. To reality. I smiled a little. "I like you too much to ever hurt you Paul." I said in almost a whisper.

And he just looked at me. Leaning in slowly and kissing me again. Pressing his lips against mine. I kissed him back. Feeling my heart pound. And we lay down on the ground kissing. And suddenly I felt his heart racing. My own pounding.

But I never knew anyone's heart could be so fast before in my life.

A/N: Since there has been a slight misunderstanding... These stories are originals. They are not based off of any other book by any other author. They are 100% me even though they are in a catagory for another author's book's. And for everyone who has been reading my work, there is a "Last Place You Look" rewrite in the works now. But I'll be only posting this until it is done. And hopefully when it is I'll be in a good place to start posting "Last Place" much more frequently and as close to all of the chapters as once as I can.

Sorry for the lack there of updates. I've rewritten this chapter a couple times. So I hope you liked it. Let me know.