Hey guys, I'm back and thankfully under the month mark!
I asked what you guys wanted me to do about the guys game last chapter and I got an equal number of votes for a brief description or a whole scene for it. Since it's a tie, I decided to use my own discretion and do a brief description in this chapter. I'm sorry for the people who wanted the other option, but I did this so I could get this chapter up faster, so I hope it's okay!
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter, I love hearing what you guys think :) Anyway, that's it from me, read on and I hope you enjoy!
Marina
"Did you hear about the storm tonight?"
Joseph leans his shoulder on the locker next to mine, the side of his head pressed against the door so he looks down at me with a lopsided smile. He has his school bag slung over one shoulder and a hand in the pocket of his jeans, looking the definition of casual as everyone bustles around us in a rush to get out of the building.
"Is that all anyone can talk about today?" I ask lightly, crouching down to grab my French and math from the bottom of the locker. When I stand back up Joseph greets me with raised eyebrows. The expression could almost be described as offended if I didn't notice the way his lips tugged up at the corner and the playfulness shining in his eyes.
"Hey, if the power stays out we won't have school tomorrow." He reminds me, shaking his head slightly like he's chiding me. "This is not an event to be taken lightly, your majesty." He narrows his eyes at me but by the way the corner of his mouth quirks up into a smile, I can tell he's taking the situation anything but seriously.
"Right, I'm sorry. I forgot that lives were in the balance." I roll my eyes and his smile turns into a proper grin, causing me to mimic the expression.
"I hope you have your storm shelter ready, it's supposed to get pretty bad." He says, shrugging. "I mean, I have a generator and stuff so you could come over to my place if you want." His easy smile is suddenly replaced with wide eyes. "Not in that way by the way. I just meant if like... you know..." he shakes his head at himself as a smile inches it's way across my face at his nervousness. "Anyway, the option is open." He finishes, a little pink in the cheeks, causing me to stifle a laugh.
"Thanks, but given the amount of rain we're going to have, I'd probably drown on my way over there." I say. "Plus, I already told Maren I'd go over to her place to storm watch." I continue, attempting to fit my book in my school bag as it gets stuck on the side and I struggle with it. Joseph arches an eyebrow at me, another confident smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I lean my head on the side of the open locker, his face suddenly more interesting than the math problems I've been assigned.
"Storm watch?" He questions, tilting his head.
"Maren just likes to watch the lightning and stuff, I don't know." I shrug and he nods understandingly.
"Talking about me?" Maren's voice comes seemingly out of nowhere, and I quickly turn from my locker to look for her in the hall. When I can't see her I turn back, only to find her leaning her shoulder on the other side of my locker, arms crossed. She smirks at my confusion.
"What the hell? Were you invisible or something?" I ask.
"I don't know, was I?" She waggles her eyebrows at me and I laugh, hauling my school bag out of the locker with the book half-hanging out of it as a result of my struggle. She reaches over and fixes the book with a casual push, like I haven't been struggling with it for the entirety of two minutes. "You would have gotten it eventually." She says, noticing my hard look.
"That's encouraging." I roll my eyes and she chuckles. A bruise has formed on her cheek since the game, but she doesn't seem affected by it in the least.
"Hello ladies. And Maren." I turn to my left to see Stanley standing next to Joseph, both hands holding the straps of his school bag by his chest. He has a smirk on his face that I've come to know as his natural expression. Unsurprisingly, any hint of amusement on Maren's face has now been wiped clean due to Stanley's presence. Instead, she only regards him with mock neutralness.
"You know, I'm actually impressed. I've never known anyone that could fit their entire vocabulary into one sentence." She nods and shoots him a thumbs up. Coming from her, the gesture might as well be a middle finger.
"Hello to you too, Miss Congeniality." Stanley quips, his wit just as quick as Maren's. He grins as her eyes harden. Next to me, Joseph's shoulders shake from hardly suppressed laughter. "It must be hard having no joy in your life." Stanley feigns sympathy and Maren only shrugs.
"Not as hard as it is for you to walk around with your head stuck up your ass." She stares deadpan into his eyes, not even flinching as Joseph finally lets out the laugh he's been holding in.
I try not to let my amusement show, but know I failed when I feel a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. I pass my school bag to Joseph so it's easier to zip it up, Maren and Stanley continuing their death staring contest on either side of us.
"Uh oh, should I interrupt? This looks intense." Riley grins as she passes by in the mass of people, about to take a spot next to Maren, who looks far from happy about our friend's comment. Stanley's eyes move from Maren's at the new presence and he seems to remember something.
"You. Here." He grabs Riley's arm and her eyes go wide before he pulls her out of the moving river of students, where she stumbles to the side in her surprise. Her grabs her shoulder to keep her from falling into the lockers and she raises her eyebrows at him in what I think is supposed to be a warning way, but she can only manage a light chiding effect at best.
"Yeah, broken hand here, thanks." She scolds, though her naturally kind expression doesn't go away, so her words aren't really threatening. Stanley just smirks at her.
"Do you have your math notes?" He asks, not even apologizing. "I have some questions to do tonight and I need better notes then I have." She rolls her eyes.
"I told you I'd bring them didn't I? In my bag." She turns around so he can unzip her bag while I zip up my own, Joseph handing it back to me with flourish.
"For you, m'lady." He says grandly, a broad grin on his face. I roll my eyes and take it from him, slinging it over my shoulder. "So I heard you like storms?" He asks Maren, who still looks bitter from her exchange with Stanley.
"Mostly just the lightning and thunder, but the wind and rain are good too." She replies, finally focusing her steely eyes on Joseph instead of staring angrily into the distance.
"Yes, there is something magical about the friction of air practicals producing electricity isn't there?" He muses. Maren's eyebrows shoot up and she almost looks impressed. I am too a bit.
"I think that's the smartest thing I've heard you say, ever." She says.
"I aim to impress." He says with a wink. Maren presses her lips together at the gesture, her praised expression disappearing. Joseph sighs. "The wink was too much, right?"
"Just a little." She replies.
"Damn it." He mutters and she smiles a bit.
"You'll get it eventually." I tell him, closing my locker and putting the lock on. I see movement out of the corner of my eyes and turn to see John stray out of he crowd to stand by Maren.
"Hey." She says to everyone that's paying attention, which excludes Stanley and Riley, who stand behind Joseph arguing about the location her math notes.
"Wow, looks like the whole gang is here." Joseph says brightly, as though we're not taking up half the hallway.
"Please never describe us as a gang ever again." Maren deadpans. John only grins at her attitude, not seeming threatened by her tone in the least. His eyes are kind.
"I don't know, I kind of like it." He says, clearly only agreeing with it to spite Maren, who huffs in disapproval.
"You would." She says. John's raises his eyebrows challengingly at her, surprising since most people would rather leave their dignity in tact rather than give her the opportunity to show them up.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He questions. She shrugs, looking up at him.
"Use your imagination."
John laughs and Maren's stoic expression breaks then, a smile spreading over her face, light and teasing. Funny since keeping a straight face is never really an issue for her. John looks away and shakes his head fondly, the grin still there and something in his eyes that's hard to place. Then Maren looks away and John's eyes linger on her, his smile fading a bit but the affectionate look still there. He quickly looks away and reaches a hand up to rub the back of his neck, stuffing the other in his pocket. I know immediately that he likes her, it's not all that surprising considering who she is. She's hard to win over though so John has a long road ahead of him, but I think he already knows that. Poor guy.
"Anyway," he says, taking his hand down. "I just wanted to see if you were ready to go." He looks at Joseph and I assume he's giving him a ride.
"Oh yeah, I'm good whenever." Joseph says, pushing himself off the locker quickly as though he'd need to run at a moments notice.
"Yeah, we should go now. I want to get BK out before the storm hits." John replies.
"BK?" I ask.
"My dog." He explains, shortly but kindly. "Anyway, see you guys." He starts to walk away and Joseph waves to me and Maren before taking a few steps in the same direction.
Just as I'm about to turn back to Maren, he suddenly steps in front of me again, shaking his head like he's chiding himself. "Sorry, I'm so stupid. I forgot something."
Before I can reply, his lips are on mine, his hand curled around the back of my neck. I close my eyes immediately as warmth fills me, like he's physically responsible for the feeling. The kiss ends too soon in my opinion, but given there are people around, it was probably an acceptable duration. He grins as he pulls away, the look in his eye igniting that nervous, giddy, awesome feeling again.
"I figured it was about time we did that again." He shrugs. Caught by surprise by what just happened, I can't do much more then open my mouth, willing words to come out but not able to think of anything coherent. John calls for him to hurry up from down the hallway and Joseph leans down and gives me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Catch you later, Sea Girl." He smoothly steps around me and waves to Maren before getting dissolved into the crowd.
"Yeah, uh... see you." I say, my mind finally catching up after he's long gone and has zero chance of hearing me. I roll my eyes at myself and press my head against the locker next to mine, exasperated at my situational lack of coherent thoughts.
"Why am I like this?" I sigh, closing my eyes.
"Because your in love, and your nervous, and you were surprised..." Maren shrugs. I look at her out of the corner of my eye and a wry smile appears on her face. "Because you just got kissed in the school hallway."
Warmth fills me again, but this time I know it's only from a blush spreading across my cheeks, full force due to her reminder. I turn so my shoulder leans up against the lockers and try to give her a glare, but I can only muster it for about two seconds before a grin inches it's way across my face. Again, as a result of her reminder.
Maren rolls her eyes at me, a smile working it's way onto her face too, though her's is amused and mine is more giddy. "Yeah yeah, we get it, you're in love." She drawls. I wrinkle my nose at her.
"Jesus, finally!" I turn as Stanley triumphantly pulls an exercise book from Riley's bag with a frustrated look. "How much stuff do you have in there?" He mutters.
"Oh, only bio, English, and chem." She replies. He raises an eyebrow at me over her shoulder.
"Right, only." He rolls his eyes and zips her bag back up.
"I like to get it all done at once, make a day out of it." She explains, then looks up. "You guys didn't have to wait on me, I brought Mavis today."
"Mavis?" Stanley asks.
"Her van." I say, and the confusion on his face clears up. He nods like it's normal.
"We weren't." Maren continues with our former conversation. "We had to wait for lover boy to leave."
She starts to walk away and we all follow suit, the hallway less crowded now that almost everyone is gone. Riley nods as we enter the masses, having to form a single file line due to the width of the hall. Eventually we get outside. It's cold and overcast today, and I can feel light drizzle peppering my face as I step out.
"Well at least I have notes that are readable now." Stanley says, holding up the exercise he ventured in Riley's bag for. She probably already knows the material anyway so it's not much for her to give away notes.
"I wouldn't bet on it." Riley replies. "They look like they were written by a two year old." She shoots a glare down at the cast on her hand, obviously unhappy about her newly messy writing supplied by her left hand. Her usual notes are immaculately tidy and precise, so I can understand her frustration.
"It can't be that bad." Stanley protests. He opens the book while we're walking, narrowly avoiding a parked car we go past. "This actually looks like my writing." He says, smiling at the paper, seemingly happy he's found somebody that shares his writing techniques.
"Hmm..." Maren drawls, walking next to me. "Stanley's writing looks like that of a two year old. Coincidence?"
Stanley closes the book and fixes his eyes on Maren. "You know, just because we did better than you in the tournament doesn't mean you need to be bitter." He says smirking, obviously referring to the three points they got over the other team, as opposed to girl's team only winning by one.
Maren scoffs. "I'm not bitter about it. Both teams won, genius."
"Alright, shh." Riley puts her hand between the two when Stanley opens his mouth to retort. "Be at peace." She soothes. Maren just rolls her eyes but Stanley is back to smirking in a moment. I guess it doesn't take much to set him off, but it also doesn't take much to calm him down. We about to pass a really fancy motorcycle when Stanley cuts off from the group, shoving his arms through the sleeves of a leather jacket I didn't realize he was carrying until now.
"Well, this is where I depart." He sighs.
"Finally." Maren mutters. Stanley stops at the bike and starts unclipping a pouch on the side.
"That's yours?" I ask. I can't help but stop walking, gazing at the machine with a little bit of awe. Even behind Maren's irritation I can tell she's impressed too, even if she will never admit it.
"Oh yeah." He grins and rubs his hand over the handle bar appreciatively. I can see why he's so pleased with it, it's really a beautiful machine, sporty and obviously fast. Even the black paint on it looks sleek, it's edges still reflecting light despite the drizzly day.
He smoothly swings a leg over the seat, sliding his helmet on with ease once he's planted a foot on either side. "You know," he starts, tilting his head back while doing up the straps on his helmet, "I could take you for a spin if your interested." He finishes with the straps and tilts his head at me while my eyebrows shoot up in surprise at his proposition. It's a little tempting but that's all, the thought of flying down the road with only open air on either side of me overpowering my curiosity with fear.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass." I say politely. He just shrugs. He probably didn't expect me to actually say yes anyway.
"If you're sure. I'm a safe driver by the way, just ask Riley." He nods at Riley, who's smile has faded a bit at the mention of herself. I can't see Maren's face right now, but judging by Riley's sheepish expression, she must be fixing her with the 'you did what?' look.
"Anyway, I'll be off. Nice seeing you ladies." He gives us a salute. "And, Maren. Always a pleasure, sweetheart." He winks at her before starting the bike and putting down his visor. Dark jeans, black leather jacket, and a shiny helmet, the definition of a cocky, attractive, rich kid. Yup, sounds about right.
"You rode on his bike?" Maren asks Riley when Stanley pulls out of the parking space. She raises her eyebrows at her and Riley starts to back away.
"I needed a ride one day... and yeah." She says cautiously. I laugh at her slow retreat and she smiles when she sees it, like somebody else laughing makes it okay for her to show her amusement. She still looks guilty though. In Maren's eyes, getting along with Stanley is more like fraternizing with the enemy. "Anyway, I really have to get to work, so..." she points behind her and turns to jog away.
"You could have gotten killed you know!" Maren calls after her.
"See you at five!" Riley replies, ignoring her comment. She sends a wave over her shoulder without looking back, heading toward her van.
Maren and I make our way to her car and soon we're in the lineup of people waiting to get off the parking lot. The traffic moves so slow that it could take up to fifteen minutes to get off the parking lot, probably more today since we got out later than usual. Up ahead I spot Stanley fitting his bike in the space beside the cars in the line, and riding right up to the intersection. I point him out to Maren, and even though it's kind of a dick move, I can't help but chuckle. She shakes her head.
"Asshole."
"Name calling isn't nice, sweetheart." I mock. She laughs sarcastically but without a smile, instead fixing me with a withering glare. I hold back my amused smile until she turns her stare back to the slow-moving traffic ahead of us.
"Marina," She says slowly. "How much do you value your life?"
-Page Break-
I absentmindedly flip trough the channels on Maren's TV, not really interested in choosing a station, but feeling like I should be making the most of the power while it's still in service. As of now, the television is also serving as the only source of light in the room, emitting a soft fluorescent glow that hardly allows me to see anything other than the limited surroundings of the living room. The darkness is on account of Maren's orders. Nothing is permitted to impact her view of the lightning strikes that happen every few minutes, now getting more frequent as the storm presses on.
Maren sits on one of the kitchen chairs she's pulled into the room and positioned by the window so she can be as comfortable as possible while viewing the show, which just happens to be a naturally occurring weather phenomenon. I watch as her face and the entire room is suddenly illuminated by a bright flash, the lightening's doing. She looks peacefully intrigued as she looks out the window, arms folded, feet propped up on the windowsill, her eyes settled on the dark clouds formed overhead. I can only see her for a fraction of a second though, because then the light is gone as quickly as it came, and the limited glow from the television is all that's left. Heavy rain and dense fog is a commonality around here, though we hardly ever get to see actual lightning accompanied with the combination. I admit, the flashes of light make the situation a little cooler, but my infatuation with the weather is definitely not on the same level as Maren's.
Now bored with the TV, I turn it off, my eyes quickly adjusting to the sudden darkness. I can hear the rain hitting relentlessly off the side off the house, the strong winds the driving force behind the heavy sheets of water that I can see running down the window in wide streams. I pad out to the kitchen to grab my own chair before lifting it into the living room, putting it down next to Maren's seat, dropping down into it shortly after and assuming the same position as our resident storm chaser.
"I see you've come to the dark side." She greets dramatically, quirking a eyebrow at me.
"I figured you could use some company aside from wind and rain." I reply. Maren laughs and I smile, listening to the elements beat off the walls that separate us from the storm.
Another flash lights up the room, just as bright as the other ones. I can't actually see where the lightning hits the ground, which tells me it's either not very close or I'm just looking in the wrong direction, which is very possible. Since the window is on the side of Maren's house, we have a view into her neighbour's backyard, where there's a couple trees and bushes planted. The plants are hardly winning the fight against the wind, their leaves and branches swaying with dangerous force. I watch the bushes move in jerky motions in response to the wind and fear that some will have blown far away by tomorrow.
"How long do you think it'll be before the power goes out?" I ask. Maren keeps her eyes focused on the scene outside as she shrugs.
"Probably not long." She replies, seemingly unconcerned. "The real question is how long it'll be out for."
"Hopefully long enough to keep school from opening tomorrow."
"My thoughts exactly."
We settle into silence again, both of us content to watch the storm through the steady rivers of rainwater that cascade down the window. Suddenly there's banging at the door and I jump a little as I turn my head around the look at it. Maren unsurprisingly doesn't even bat an eye, realizing quicker than me that it's just Riley now getting off work.
"It's open!" She yells, loud enough to be heard over the howling outside.
The door opens for only a second before Riley jumps in and slams it shut again, breathing a little heavily, probably from just running in here. Even in the darkness I can see her hoodie is soaked through and her hair is dripping where the ends stick out around her face as a result of her hood being pulled up. Not that it's helping much, though she doesn't come further inside, the only move she makes is to put down the small bag that was slung on her shoulder.
"Hi?" I question when she just continues to stand there, twisting the toe of her sneaker into the mat. She gives me a short salute but doesn't respond otherwise.
"Can you lock the door, R? I don't want any creeps getting in." Maren says absentmindedly, not even noticing our friend's drenched state.
"I actually have something that you should see." Riley chuckles hesitantly. At this Maren actually turns around, smirking in amusement at the dripping mess that is our friend.
"Woah, did you go for a swim on the way here?" She teases, straying time away from her lightning watch to laugh at Riley's state.
"I need you to see something." She ignores Maren's comment, fingers running through her wet hair. "He's in the van." Maren raises her eyebrows while my look of confusion only strengthens.
"He?" Maren demands.
"Uh, yeah..." Riley looks toward the door briefly before turning back, crossing her arms as a helpless expression crosses her features. "I seem to have acquired a dog."
-Page Break-
The gentle sound of a jingling collar follows the small creature as he trots around, sniffing at various items in the room before skipping off to his next adventure, tongue hanging out of his mouth in an adorable way. What is obviously a beagle has certainly wasted no time familiarizing himself with the living room, leaving tiny muddy paw prints on the hardwood in wake of his travels. He bounces around happily as we all stand by the doorway Riley just brought him in from, the same 'what the hell do we do now' look on our faces.
"How did you find him?" I ask.
"I was just on the way here and I saw him running down the side of he road so I pulled over and got out to get him." Riley replies. "He didn't make it easy either, I had to chase him around for a bit." As if just remembering that she's soaked, she pulls her hood down, revealing a stringy mess of hair. She rakes her fingers through it to straighten it out.
We turn our attention back to the dog as he trots around to the couch and starts sniffing around the perimeter. Maren's eyes narrow when he shakes, emitting a strong jingle from the tags on his collar as drops of water fly everywhere. Seemingly satisfied with the room, he trots over to where we're standing and sits down in front of us, tail sweeping back and fourth on the floor.
"His name is Bernie." Riley supplies.
At the sound of his name, the dog's ears perk and he closes his mouth for a moment, staring up her her with dark, expectant eyes. Riley melts immediately under the dogs gaze, smiling softly as she crouches down on the floor, holding out a hand. Bernie takes this as a welcoming sign and wastes no time before jumping up on her, his front paws stretched up to rest on her chest as he licks her face feverishly, obviously grateful for the hospitality. Maren wrinkles her nose.
"That's gross, you don't even know where he's been." She says, watching with disapproval and a little bit of disgust.
"Aw, don't say that. He's a sweetheart." Riley replies, seeming to speak directly to the dog instead of Maren. She picks him up -a little awkwardly because of the cast- obviously not caring about how wet he is, and leans him towards Maren. "Come on, look at his face!"
Bernie stretches out and tries to lick Maren too, but she swiftly steps away, making Riley chuckle. "Mom!" Maren calls while Riley turns towards me, bouncing the dog in her arms like you would to soothe a baby.
"Hey Bernie." I greet him, unable to help my smile as I reach out to scratch his head. He turns his head I chuckle at his cuteness when he licks my hand, quickly resuming his panting afterwards.
I hear footsteps and Katerina emerges from the dark hallway, squinting and in her pyjamas, probably just woken up from a nap. She mutters something about how dark it is and flips the light switch, immediately making all of us squint against the sudden brightness. Before my eyes have a chance to even adjust I hear her say, "What is that?".
"A beagle." Maren replies unhelpfully.
"Really?" Katerina rolls her eyes at her daughter. "Why is it here?" She looks at all three of us and Maren and I quickly turn our eyes toward Riley, who smiles guiltily, still holding the dog.
"I was on my way up and I saw him on the side of the road." She explains. Sympathy quickly dawns of Katerina's face, I assume for the dog. "When I picked him up I was almost here already so I just decide to bring him. I don't have a problem with bringing him home though, because I know it's a lot to ask-"
Katerina cuts Riley's sentence off with a wave of a hand, starting to walk over. "No, he can stay. I don't want you driving back in this weather. Plus..." she smiles and reaches her hand out to scratch his ears. "he's also pretty cute." She finishes, tilting her head and smiling at him.
Her hand goes down to his collar and she flips it over to read the tag. "Hmm, Bernie Kosar is it?" She asks the dog, as though he is going to answer. "We're gonna need to call his owners." She eyes his muddy paws and grimaces. "And get a towel."
After getting Bernie as clean and dry as we can, Katerina calls the number on his collar. We all wait as she keeps holding it up to her ear, eventually putting it down when nobody answers. "I guess he's staying with us until we can get ahold of someone." She shrugs and pushes herself off the couch, reaching over to feel Riley's hood, who's now sitting on the floor with Bernie in her lap. "God, your soaked, honey. Do you need some clothes?" Riley shakes her head and stands, bringing the dog with her.
"No, I actually have my pyjamas in my bag." She points to where her bag is resting on the floor in the porch, Bernie still in her arms. He's honestly a bit big to be carried around, and it seems like he's heavy too by the way Riley keeps shifting him around.
"Ahh, smart see?" Katerina taps the side of Riley's head with her index finger, Riley jokingly leans away from her hand with wide eyes of mock fear. Maren snorts.
"Not that smart. You thought to take a water proof bag but you didn't wear a rain coat?" She remarks, smirking when Riley rolls her eyes, the dog looking like dead-weight in her arms.
"Alright, lets not get into technicalities here." She defends, attempting to reposition Bernie again.
"That's right." Katerina chides Maren, who only shrugs. "Anyway, I'm going back to bed. Only wake me up if something life threatening is happening." She shuffles back down the hall, leaving the three of us in the living room.
Riley shifts Bernie in her arms once more before sighing. "Can somebody take him? My arms are killing me."
I put out my hands to take him but Maren points a stern finger at me. "Not on the couch." She warns. "Why do you need anyone to hold him anyway? I'm sure he can fend for himself for a bit."
Riley opens her mouth to reply when the rumbling sound of thunder stops her from defending the beagle, who starts to whine at the sound. "He gets scared." She sighs, starting to bounce Bernie a little as he lets a high, sharp bark out. She struggles to keep him up so I walk over and hold out my hands to take him. "Thank god." She sighs, gratefully depositing him in my arms before shaking out her own and going over to grab her bag. His fur is a still a little wet, but I don't mind. His whining has toned down now and I kiss his head.
"See? It's okay. Just a bit of thunder." I assure him. I find my voice sounding strangely high-pitched as I talk to him, but I can't help it. Maren arches an eyebrow at me as I start to circle the couch with him, bouncing him gently.
"You do realize he's a dog?"
"What's your point?"
"He can't understand you." She laughs a little.
"What? Did you hear that Bernie?" I ask him, my voice taken on that baby talk thing again. "She thinks you can't understand us." I shift him in my arms to see his dark eyes looking intently up at me. I smile at him involuntarily.
"You're cracked." Maren shakes her head, amused as I make my second lap around the couch, narrowly avoiding Riley as she tries the pull down her sleeve to get her sweater off. She can't quite manage with the casted hand and thrusts her arm toward Maren.
"Pull on that would you?"
Maren reaches out and holds the sleeve while Riley maneuvers her arm out of the sleeve. I shift Bernie in my arms, starting to understand the pain of holding him for so long. Riley finally manages to make progress with her sweater and pulls it over her head with some struggle, the soggy fabric not helping much with the process. She's only wearing a bra underneath but we're all past the point of caring about that stuff anyway.
"Careful, there's a man in the room." Maren teases. Riley laughs, leaning down and grabbing a large t-shirt out her bag.
"Sorry, Bernie. I didn't mean to defile you." She apologizes, pulling the shirt on. I tilt my head down to Bernie and pretend to listen.
"He says it's fine." I inform them. Riley laughs and Maren just shakes her head, though I think I see her smiling.
"Oh come on. How can you not love him?" Riley asks her, pulling on a pair of pyjama pants that pool around her feet a little, but I know she likes them too long. I crouch down by the side of the couch Maren is on to get her and Bernie face to face.
"Look at his eyes." I say. The baby voice is back and I'm sure Maren doesn't appreciate it. She looks at him flatly.
"They're just eyes, Mar."
"They're eyes full of love!" Riley argues. Maren rolls her eyes and stands up off the couch, walking over to the light switch and flipping it off, the room casted in darkness once again.
"I don't care what emotion he has in his eyes." She chuckles. She walks over to the window and plops down in one of the seats positioned there. "Now, are we going to storm watch or what?"
Maren
I stubbornly stare out the window in an attempt to ignore the pair of dark eyes gazing at me from Riley's lap. The beagle keeps looking at me, and it pissing me off. We've tried to leave Bernie alone, but every time he hears thunder or a particularly strong gust of wind, he starts whining and barking and has to be picked up again. Not that either Riley or Marina have any problem comforting him. He stares at me like I owe him something, wether that's a apology for refusing to immediately confess my love for him, or just because he hates me, I wouldn't know.
"Hey, do you have any pizza bites?" Riley asks suddenly, stroking Bernie absentmindedly. I grin.
"In the freezer." I answer. Marina sighs as Riley places the Bernie in her lap, but she's not agitated by the dog.
"Do you know how bad those are for you?" She asks.
"Oh, they're terrible." Riley agrees, already walking out to the kitchen. "But let me ask you this;" she stops at the archway to the kitchen and turns around with an arched eyebrow. "Would you rather have pizza bites when the power goes out, or have no pizza bites when the power goes out?"
Marina lets out a sigh but otherwise remains silent. Riley nods with a triumphant grin and disappears into the kitchen after turning on the light. "Do you want them quick, or do you want them good?" She calls, 'quick' meaning she'll cook them in the microwave, 'good' meaning she'll cook them in the oven.
"Quick, the power might go out pretty soon." I call back. I hear beeping and assume it's her typing in the time in the microwave.
Marina's mood quickly turns around as Bernie squirms around until he's on his back, looking the picture of content. She smiles as she rubs his belly. He nuzzles his head under her chin and I roll my eyes at her soft laugh. She catches the look and just laughs more.
"Shut up. He's cute." She defends.
"He's manipulative." I scoff. She raises her eyebrows at me, an amused smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She looks like she's stifling another laugh.
"Did you just call a beagle manipulative?" She questions.
"Well, what do you call that?" I wave a hand over his sprawled out form. "He's basically got you two hired as slaves." Marina lets a laugh escape at my words.
"Right." She says sarcastically. "He's practically the mastermind of the century."
I shrug. "You said it, not me."
She rolls her eyes with an amused grin, shaking her head.
"Can somebody get some drinks from the cooler downstairs?" Riley calls from the kitchen. Marina looks at me and I shake my head.
"I still have a show to watch." I gesture to the storm outside and a flash of lightning lights up the sky, emphasizing my point. Marina sighs.
"I'm on it!" She calls before regretfully lifting Bernie up. "Sorry, buddy. I'll be back in a second." She says, laying him down on the ground, where he stands, probably confused that nobody reaches down to immediately pick him up again. Marina heads to the door of the stairs while I try to ignore the pair of dark eyes looking up at me. When the wind and rain don't distract me from it, I turn my stubborn gaze to the dog. He looks back silently.
"I don't care how much you look at me, I'm not picking you up." I tell him sternly, even crossing my arms for emphasis. He tilts his head slightly and I stare back with raised eyebrows of defiance.
Suddenly, a clap of thunder rumbles through the house, so strong I think I actually feel the house vibrate. I glare at the dog as he jumps. "Don't you dare-" I'm cut off by a high-pitched whining from him, long and mournful as his eyes dart around the room helplessly. He lets out a loud series of panicked barks. "Hey, shut up would you?" I order, aggravated as his yelps continue. "Jesus, just calm down."
My orders only result in louder whining and barking as he starts to shift around, looking for somewhere to go. I sigh angrily and look around me to make sure I'm alone before glaring at the dog. "I hate you." I mutter as I reach down and lift him up with a slight struggle. I try settle him where my legs and body meet in 'V' shape as a result of my feet being rested on the windowsill, but he won't stop moving around.
"Hey, give it up." I hiss as his paw digs into my side as a result of his squirming. I sigh and grab both of his front paws to keep them in place. It doesn't work and he keeps whining, even though the thunder is long gone. I sigh and roll my eyes at myself as decide on a new strategy. A gentler approach. I need to get him to stop barking.
I swallow my pride before letting go of his paws. "Hey, it's okay." I say as softly as I can manage, which isn't saying much. I reach up with both hands to scratch his head, and he immediately gives into my touch, even closing his eyes as his whimpering stops. I smile in satisfaction. "Okay, now you can get off..."
I go to grab him but trail off as he flops down on me, both paws on either side of my neck. He's bigger than I thought he was, but not too big that it's uncomfortable for me to hold him. He looks at me, head cocked to the side slightly. I notice with a start that warmth fills me as I look into his dark eyes, and I suddenly don't mind him looking at me. I shake my head to clear it.
"Alright, man. You really need to get off, okay?" I tell him, but my hands stay still at my sides and I don't make a move to push him off. He doesn't make a move to go either.
I notice that a surprising amount of heat radiates from him, warming me everywhere he is laying, which basically means my entire torso. He looks up at me with his dark eyes, intent and warm. Though I try desperately to keep my heart at a distance from him, I practically feel myself melting under his gaze, which doesn't happen easily. I sigh, reaching up to scratch the base of his ear and he leans into my hand.
"I hate you." I mutter as I feel a smile tug at the corner of my mouth. He doesn't seem offended and just rolls onto his side, tucking his head under my chin, letting out a contented sigh. To my demise, my smile grows. "Yeah, whatever." I try to sound annoyed by my voice comes out soft anyway, accompanied with a small laugh.
I can't believe it. I actually fell for the freaking dog.
"Oh my god." I hear Marina's voice behind me, tinged with a disbelieving laugh. I close my eyes as my stomach drops. "You guys totally just had a moment." I can picture the smug grin on her face so I don't turn around.
"I only picked him up because he was barking like crazy." I defend hastily. "Dude doesn't know when to shut it." I complain half-heartedly. The dog curled up in my arms probably doesn't make my statement very convincing.
"Right." Marina says doubtfully, starting to walk over. "Doesn't sound like he's barking now." She comes over and takes a seat next to me, reaching out to give Bernie a rub after putting the drinks down. He stays content in my arms.
"He was comfortable." I defend quietly. Marina laughs and shakes her head at my defence, putting her feet next to mine on the windowsill.
"God, you are such a softy." She chuckles quietly. I give her death glare.
"I am not." I protest. She laughs again.
"Yes you are." She insists. My glare hardens but she doesn't seem intimidated, fixing me with a knowing smirk. "You wouldn't even look at the dog when he first got here, but it only took you about fifteen seconds to fall in love with him as soon as you got some alone time."
"He wouldn't shut up, what did you expect me to do?" I question, hating myself as I feel heat rise to my cheeks as a result of her accusation. "And I'm not in love with him." I scoff.
"Don't be embarrassed, Maren." Marina picks up on the blush right away, a teasing grin on her face that tells me she's enjoying my being uncomfortable. It's not something anyone sees often. "I think it's sweet that you care." She nudges my foot with her own and laughs when I close my eyes to avoid looking at her.
"I hate you." I mutter.
"Just like you hate Bernie?" She counters. I clench my jaw and look down at the relaxed form resting on me with a sigh.
"Shut up. He's cute."
I hear a couple high-pitched beeps from the microwave and a cheer from the kitchen, meaning the food must be done.
"Is it ready?" I yell. My voice being so loud must startle Bernie because his head shoots up when I yell. "Sorry." I mutter, gently pushing his head back down to its previous position. Marina smirks knowingly and I wrinkle my nose at her.
"Yup!" Comes the answer from the kitchen. Her footsteps sound lightly around the kitchen until I hear a clatter of dishes and what sounds like a muttered curse, but I know it's just Riley's clean version of profanity. Marina and I share a worried look.
"Are you okay?" Marina calls, turning around in her seat.
"Yeah, just burned myself a little but it's fine." Riley replies tightly after a short pause. The footsteps resume and a drawer opens, I assume she's getting a glove or something to carry the plate with. "Alright, now we're in business." She says triumphantly.
A strong gust of wind roars outside and a defined click sounds throughout the house not a second after. The bit of light that was being provided to the room by the kitchen shuts off, and the house is left in dark silence. The power has gone out. My eyes start to adjust to the sudden darkness almost immediately. Objects begin to take form in dark shadows, blurry at first but now taking on a more defined shape. Riley groans from the kitchen. According to her, her eyes don't adjust well to darkness, and since the cloud cover outside is absorbing any light projected by the moon, she's basically stranded out there.
"Do you need some help?" Marina calls. There's a pause.
"Nah, I got this." She calls back, not really projecting confidence.
Her footsteps are louder now and slower as she unsteadily makes her way out of the kitchen. I see a dark shape appear in the archway of the kitchen that I'm hoping is her. If it's not her in the doorway it would be like the climax of every horror movie ever.
"You're almost out of the kitchen now, just go forward." Marina guides her. Her eyes adjust so good in the dark it's almost scary so Riley doesn't hesitate before doing what she says. Riley follows her direction and successfully leaves the kitchen. "There you go you're almost here. Just keep walking."
"Just follow the sound of our melodic voices." I put in. Marina rolls her eyes and Riley laughs.
"I can see the window now so I don't think that will be necessary." Her footsteps get a bit quicker as she realizes she's almost made it. "Maren, are you holding Bernie?"
Before I can spew off my excuses again, there's a loud thump, followed by a yelp. Riley's dark shape stands by the table, emitting a high-pitched hum of pain as she quickly drops the plate she was carrying onto the table with a clatter. "Holy shi-" she cuts herself off, hopping away on one foot. "F-word, f-word, f-word, f-word..." She staggers around in the open space between the table and the TV, limping, obviously in pain. "God damn it, that freaking hurt!"
It might be a bit rude, but I can't help but laugh at her state. "Are you okay?" Marina tries to sound concerned but can't quite manage to keep the laugh out on her voice either.
"Yeah, I just broke my toe, freaking hilarious." Riley mutters, close enough now that I can see the glare she shoots us. It doesn't stop our laughing. She gives up on her bouncing around and sinks slowly to the floor, taking deep breaths. "I'm gonna need a minute."
"Don't take too long. I don't want the food getting cold." I tell her. She laughs bitterly.
"Next time you'll make your own stupid pizza bites." Apparently recovered, she gets to her feet and limps over to her seat after grabbing the food off the table.
"Broken thumb, burnt hand, and a stubbed toe all in one week." Marina lists the injuries on her hand, tilting her head with feigned wonder. "How have you survived this long?"
"I know." Riley sighs, leaning across me to offer the food to Marina, who takes a couple pieces. Riley laughs as Bernie lifts his head to keep track of the plate. "Watch out, they're still hot." She warns.
I take a couple pieces and ignore her, popping one in my mouth and immediately regretting it as I feel a sharp pain rushing over my tongue. I just shrug as though I feel nothing and I take a long breath in though my teeth to cool the food before swallowing it.
"And there go your tastebuds." Riley shakes her head while I try to ignore the dull sting now inside my mouth.
"I think it was the perfect temperature." I say stubbornly, though I refrain from eating the second one yet. Bernie sniffs at it in my hand and I shake my head. "It's not cooled down enough for you yet." I say. He drops his head on my chest again tiredly, as though losing the will to beg.
"Looks like someone's warmed up to him." Riley teases.
"Oh no," Marina jumps in, holding up a finger as though to correct her. "she only picked him up because he was barking, and now he's too comfortable to leave." Marina repeats my statement sarcastically, raising her eyebrows at me. I stare stubbornly out the window.
Riley shakes her head, amused. "Softy." She teases. Marina snorts as I press my lips together, agitated at both of them for saying the same thing. I lean my head back in the chair and groan.
"I am not a softy."
John
The house seems empty when I come back, defeated after two hours of rainy driving with no luck finding him. I pull down my hood and take off my jacket with a little more force than necessary, angry at myself. I throw it on the hook and kick off my shoes, shuffling into the living room and half expecting Bernie to trot over, tail waging, tongue lolling out of his mouth. The absence of a small-ish dog shouldn't make that much of a difference in a house this size, but the silence ringing in my ears is all too much of a reminder that he's not here. Instead he's out somewhere in the pouring rain and the wind, and judging by how few cars I passed on my search, his chances of being picked up aren't too good either.
I let him out as soon as I came home from school, knowing full well that the storm would scare him and he wouldn't go out anymore that night. I was on the phone with Dad when I heard a clap of thunder, basically the battle cry for the start of the storm. I opened to door and called out to him, before realizing he probably couldn't hear me over the strengthening wind, so I went outside to look for him. Instead, I found the gate to the backyard swinging in the wind, wide open. I made a mental note to fix it before I jumped in the car and began my frantic search, which I now know would yield no results.
I drop down on the couch, staring out the window dejectedly, where the expanse of the dark sky beyond the blowing grass is all I see. The dark isn't an ideal condition to look for a dog, but I tried for two hours once the sun went down, but deemed it pretty useless seeming I could barely see a few feet in front of the car with the rain and wind. If I could see at all I would be out all night until I found him. I reach over to switch on the lamp on the end table, but it stays dark. I try the switch a couple more times until I conclude that the power is out. Dad will probably be home in a bit since it's likely his work would have lost power as well. He'll come home to a house with one less member in it.
I shake my head and get up to look for a flashlight before heading out to the kitchen to make a sandwich or something to distract myself, even though it feels oddly comforting to beat myself up over it. I can only hope he'll find his way back before tomorrow. I'll just go hunting for him again if he doesn't. I go to take a couple slices of bread out of the bag on the counter, my eyes catch the light of the house phone in the corner, the battery still charged even after the power went out. The screen tells me that there are two missed calls on it. My heart jumps and I think of BK at once. Is it too much to hope that someone found him?
I snatch the phone from its holder and see that the calls were from the same person. I dial the number and wait anxiously. A woman picks up on the third ring.
"Hello?" She answers, sounding bored. Her voice sounds strangely familiar.
"Yeah, hi." Not my best start. "Uh, I got a couple missed calls from this number?" I rub the back of my neck absentmindedly, feeling awkward even over the phone.
"Oh, you're the dog guy." She answers, her voice mumbled, like she's chewing on something. My heart leaps and I let out a relieved breath.
"Do you have him? His name is Bernie Kosar." I ask a little too excitedly to sound normal.
"No, I don't have him. There was another loose dog with your number on it's collar." She replies flatly. "Yes, I have your dog." I would be shocked by this woman's bluntness if I wasn't so ecstatic about Bernie's safety.
"Thank you so much." I say earnestly, turning around and leaning against the counter with a relieved grin. "Where are you? I can come pick him up right now." I hurriedly push myself off the counter and stand upright, poised to leave.
"Are you serious?" The woman asks, disbelieving. Even though she can't see me, I frown in confusion.
"Why wouldn't I be serious?"
"Well, the storm is pretty bad right now. Are you actually going to drive in that?"
I look out the window at the dark shadows of trees blowing in the night, rain pouring down in sheets. A strike of lightning brightens the sky menacingly as if on cue with her words. I clear my throat.
"It's not too bad." I argue weakly, but determined to get my dog home as soon as possible.
She either hears my desperation, or doesn't want to argue because she tells me her address. I thank her again and hang up the phone, running out to the porch and leaving the two plain pieces of bread on the counter with the flashlight. I don't bother taking the jacket this time and just grab my keys before shooting out through the door.
The car is still warm from the end of my last search when I get in. Driving is terrible in this weather. The rain beats off the side of the vehicle, the sheets of water illuminated by the headlights and making it difficult to see past it. The wind howls so loud that I fear I may have a door left open, and it pushes against the car so strongly that I have to grip the steering wheel with two hands. I know Dad would not approve of me driving in this weather. Thankfully it's only about a three minute drive and there's nobody on the roads.
I pull into a subdivision about five minutes away from the school, the houses looking oddly familiar, much like the woman's voice. I slowly make my way through the roads and catch a street sign at the last minute due to the rain and darkness obscuring my vision. I turn down the street and search the houses for number 36. The even numbers are on the right, so I only look that way, turning off the radio as though it would help me see better. 30, 32, 34...
House number 36 isn't very special at all, small and white with two windows on the front and a bridge leading up to the door, but I recognize it immediately, even in the rain. It explains my recognition with the woman's voice and her snarky tone on the phone. This is Maren's house. Maren Elizabeth has my dog.
I park on the driveway and have to use my shoulder to push my door open against the wind. The rain hits me just as powerfully and I grip onto the handle as I pull myself up the steps of the bridge, suddenly regretting my stupid choice to leave my jacket at home. I'm only wearing a t-shirt now, and it does nothing against the cold or the rain that's now soaking though my clothes and shoes. I hurriedly push the doorbell, my heart beating hard in my chest. Suddenly getting Bernie back isn't the only thing on my mind.
When I don't hear anything inside the house as a result of the wind, I consider ringing the doorbell again, but that seems needy so I just continue to stand with the rain beating off my steadily chilling body. After what seems like forever, but could only be a few seconds, I finally hear the click of a lock. I put my hands in my jean pockets, trying to look as presentable as possible, which turns out to be quite the challenge with the rain making me squint and the wind forcing my hair in all different directions.
The door opens and Maren stands there, looking bored for a second until she sees who it is. Her eyebrows shoot up and a smile briefly flickers across her face at the sight of me, which probably isn't very pretty at the moment. She looks pretty, not in the conventional way that other girls look pretty, but 'Maren pretty'. A 'loose pony tail that looks like it's been worn all day, t-shirt that's far too big for her, a pair of grey jogging pants that pool around her feet' kind of pretty.
"I should have known you were the idiot who named a dog after a football player." She shoots me a teasing grin and I laugh sheepishly, the cold and the rain suddenly less noticeable.
Screw pretty, she looks beautiful.
"I guess I am." I reply, not really able to find anything else to say. She arches an eyebrow at me and I wonder why until I remember I'm still standing outside, the rain still coming down.
"Are you going to come in or what?" She questions.
"Oh, right." I reply stupidly, stepping inside. It smells like pizza and it's warm. She closes the door behind me and I hastily run a hand through my hair in an attempt to straighten it out. I should really take Maren's advice and get it cut.
"Oh, it's John." I turn to see Marina and Riley occupying two out of three seats by the window. The middle one is empty and I presume it belonged to Maren before she got up.
"Hey." I greet with a wave at them. At the sound of my voice, a furry shape stirs on Marina's lap. Bernie turns his head towards me and wags his tail once before laying back down, seeming to actually settle in more. Wow, so much for an exciting reunion.
"Damn, that was ice cold." Riley chuckles while Marina shoots me a sheepish smile.
"I take it he's being treated well here." I say, shooting a pretend glare at my dog.
"He's practically royalty." Maren replies, crossing her arms and leaning her back against the wall to look at the beagle with a smile different then the others I've seen her wear. This one is softer, less hard edges and more natural. It's a little crooked too, like she's only half-amused, but her eyes say otherwise. I laugh a little at the expression, but quickly turn my attention back to my dog before she realizes.
"Alright, buddy. It's time to go home now." I pat my thigh. "Come on, Bernie." He looks up again, like he's considering the options before flopping down again like he did before. "Wow, I feel loved." I mutter.
Marina laughs and stands up, lifting Bernie with her, who looks relaxed as ever in her arms. "We were feeding him, if it's any consolation." She apologizes as she walks over. Riley trailing behind her. She crouches down and sets him on the floor when she's close, and only then does my dog seem the least bit interested in me.
I drop to a knee as he trots over and sigh as she jumps up on me, his paws on my chest. "You had me worried sick you know." I grumble, pressing my forehead against his as I scratch his head with both hands.
"Ohhhh..." Riley suddenly says slowly. "BK, Bernie Kosar." She shakes her head. "Guys, how did we not know it was his dog?"
"Well for all we knew, we thought his dog was literally named after two letters in the alphabet." Marina points out.
"Sorry about that, I should have clarified." I chuckle, still looking down at Bernie, who now decides to start licking my face. Maren makes an annoyed noise.
"Get a room." She jokes. I laugh and give him a quick kiss on the head before standing up, carrying him under one arm so he doesn't have a chance to run out when I open the door.
"Thanks again for taking care of him, maybe a little too well though." I direct the last part at Bernie. Marina chuckles and comes over to give him one last pat on the head.
"It was our pleasure." She says earnestly, smiling softly at Bernie as she backs away. I notice Riley looking at him the same way. Maren just looks at him with that same crooked smile.
"Oh god, he's got you all sucked in hasn't he?"
"Completely." Riley nods. I shake my head in amusement and tut at Bernie, who doesn't look the least bit guilty.
"Well, I'll go before he can break anymore hearts." I joke, backing towards the door.
"Are you sure you should be driving in that?" Maren asks, suddenly serious.
"It's short drive." I shrug. She doesn't seem convinced. "I'll be fine." I assure her. Her stormy eyes still look conflicted but she nods anyway, pushing herself off the wall to amble over.
"Alright, be safe then. And you," she leans down to Bernie and her smile grows. "don't run away on anymore stormy nights." She scolds gently.
I realize that I'm seeing a rare smile from her, one different then the confident, cocky one she usually throws around. As I look at the gentleness in her expression and the way only one side of her mouth tugs up, I become aware the softness in her smile is because she can't help it. After everything I've said to her, and all the times I've made a fool of myself in front of her, it's a dog that breaks through her tough exterior. I'm glad I at least got to see it once.
"Jeez, get a room." I tease, repeating what she said to be just a minute ago. She rolls her eyes but grins anyway, the soft expression gone, replaced with one of humour and confidence.
"Drive safe." She says when I have my hand on the doorknob.
"Will do." I reply, opening the door and feeling the cold rush in immediately.
"And wear a raincoat next time for gods sake." She scolds with a smile, giving me a gentle push out the door.
I laugh but nod, turning around and giving her a last wave when I feel the rain hit me. She smiles in the doorway for a second before closing it.
When Bernie is in the passenger seat and hooked up, I jump in the drivers seat and begin to drive home. "You shouldn't have run away, buddy." I scold him, pulling out onto the main road as I shake my head. I remember Maren's soft expression and I smile, reaching over to rub his head.
"But maybe I can forgive you just this once."
That's it for this chapter. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think in the reviews :)