Wow… My brain is really dead this week… Sorry for the slightly uninspired chapter, but here is:
Chapter 54: Squeals
Rue helps Skeeter to his room and she helps him treat his cuts.
She tucks him into bed and shuts off the lights.
"Wait! Rue!"
"Yeah?"
"Will you kiss me good night?"
She laughs, "Whatever you say, injured child."
She kisses him on the lips and giggles softly.
"Sleep well, Skeeter."
"You too. Text me when you get home, right?"
"Right. Will do."
As soon as Rue leaves, she grins uncontrollably.
She runs to the Campbell household, and when Theo answers she bounces on her feet and says, "Where's your sister?"
"A little excited about something?"
"Yes, Theo!"
He smiles, and calls for Nathalia.
As soon as Rue sees her senior she squeals, "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Nathalia laughs, "Hello to you, too."
"NATHALIA! GUESS WHAT?"
"What?" she tries to match Rue's excitement.
"ME AND SKEETER!"
"Skeeter and I," Nathalia points out her grammar error with a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah!"
"So, what happened?"
Rue thinks, "Well, I mean, he KISSED me! And we're a thing now!"
Nathalia smiles, "DETAILS, Rue!"
She chuckles, "Um…" she decides not to mention it for now, "It was just really sweet, and I could barely even think straight!"
Nathalia squeals, "Oh, I knew this would happen! I knew it, I knew it!"
Rue smiles, "I guess I knew it all along, too."
Nathalia hugs her freshman, "Congrats, Rue. I think you've found a keeper!"
"Thanks. Now, what's the deal with you and Mason?"
"What? Me and Mason?" she turns pink.
"Come on! SPILL!"
"We're just friends. That's all."
"Oh, really? Are you?"
"Yes! He'd never even think about dating me, and I don't want him to."
"I think you're in denial!"
"I'm not in denial…"
"You like him, don't you?"
She turns pinker, "No."
"DENIAL!"
"I'm not in den-"
"YOU LOVE HIM!"
She turns red, "Do not."
"YOU LOVE HIM!" Theo pokes his head in the room and grins, "Who does she love?"
"Nobody."
"NATHALIA LOVES MASON!" Rue says with a giggle.
"Do not!"
Theo and Rue exchange a grin.
"NATHALIA LOVES MASON!" they sing, and she buries her head in a pillow.
"NATHALIA LOVES MASON!"
"TEAM MATHALIA!" Theo and Rue high-five.
"Shut up…" her voice is muffled in the pillow, "It's not true…"
"SOMEONE'S IN DENIAL!"
She takes out her letters notebook, as Theo and Rue dance around the room singing about Team Mathalia.
She hands the book to Theo.
Fine. It's true, but if you tell anyone, I'll slit your throat.
Both of them laugh and high-five again.
And don't you dare call it Mathalia.
"Your secret's safe with me, Sisterino!"
"And, me too!"
She turns red, "I'm on to you."
They both grin, "Come on, Nattie. You're in love!"
"Yes, but nobody else needs to know about it. NOBODY."
"What about Skeeter?"
Nathalia smiles, "I'm sure he's smart enough to figure it out on his own."
Rue shrugs, "You're pretty good at hiding it."
"Thanks, I guess."
Theo smiles, "Mason and I made a pact in the third grade to always tell each other when we find out that a girl has a crush on them."
"But, you and I have a pact in which neither of us tells ANYONE who the other has a crush on."
"It's a paradox!" Rue says, giggling.
"Choose wisely, Theo," Nathalia says to him.
Theo grins, "You know I will. But, if I were to mention it…"
She smacks him, "Don't you DARE!"
Theo laughs and nods, "Right."
Nathalia turns to Rue, "Do you need a ride home?"
"I'm OK."
"No, you're not. Come on," Nathalia smiles. Rue follows her to her car.
She texts Skeeter and sleeps for the night.
The next day, Mason and Theo sit up in his bedroom playing cards.
"Don't you think it's funny? That there are some giddy young couples in this world, and we're just here, playing cards?"
Theo grins, "Yeah."
"Got any fours?"
"Go fish," Theo grins.
Mason picks a card from the deck and laughs, "You still single and proud?"
"Yep. How about you?"
"Well… Um…"
A grin creeps across Theo's face, "So, who is it now?"
"You probably don't know-"
"Nathalia."
He turns pink, "No."
Theo laughs, "YES! YES YOU DO! LOOK AT YOU!"
"No, I don't."
"THIS IS GREAT! THIS IS AWESOME!"
"Shut up!" Mason throws a pillow at him.
"I call it… TEAM MATHALIA."
"No, no, NO. No team Mathalia…"
"TEAM MATHALIA!"
"Don't you dare say a word to your sister or else I'll literally cut your head off."
"Cut my head off? Why, what lowlife person would decapitate someone with an awesome name like Theo?"
"I'll do it. If she finds out, well, I have no idea what she'll think of me…"
Theo grins, "Your secret's safe with me."
And he drives home that night screaming to himself, "TEAM MATHALIA WILL HAPPEN!"
Team Mathalia, anyone? :D LEAVE REVIEWS TELLING ME WHAT YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT!
