Chapter 7
(The next week... Saturday morning...)
Chloe was awash in darkness. She had shut the curtains in her room tightly, and had the covers over her head. She felt safe, calm and peaceful. She thought to herself that she would just like to stay in this spot for of this weekend. It had been a long week, and she was ready to hibernate for the next 2 days. All of her thoughts of sleep were suddenly cut off by the loud obnoxious ringing of the phone on her bedside table.
She opened her eyes and threw the covers off of her face, grabbing the phone and speaking into it groggily. "Hello."
"Chloe... did I wake you up?"
"Brady? Geez. It's..." she glanced at the clock on her table, "It's 8 a.m. on a Saturday. Of course you woke me up."
"Oh sorry, Chloe. Really sorry about that. I didn't even think. I'll call you back later..."
Chloe sat up in her bed and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh, no you don't. I'm awake now, you better speak. And it had better be important."
Brady paused for a moment. "I'm just... calling to say 'hello', I guess."
Chloe groaned. "At 8 a.m.? I don't think so. Keep going."
"Well, actually... I haven't seen you in like a week, so I just wanted to talk. I mean, we're friends and all... it just seems we're friends who never see each other anymore."
"Yeah... I'm sorry about that, Brady. It's been a long week though. Had two really huge tests yesterday, so I've been studying for those and I've just been too busy to be sociable."
"No problem. I understand. So, how did the tests go?"
"Good... I think. I hope."
"Eh. I'm sure you conquered them like you conquer everything else. You're the last person I need to worry about."
Chloe paused for a moment and thought about his statement. "What *exactly* do you mean by that?"
"I just mean, of all my friends and family, I know that you can take care of yourself better than the rest of them."
"Well... that's encouraging. But not entirely true..."
"Don't sell yourself short, Chloe Lane. You've got a lot going for you."
"Well, thanks. A compliment is always welcome... But, what are you setting me up for?"
"Nothing... what would make you think that?"
Chloe rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see them. "Because I know you."
"Alright, fine. The compliment was the truth, but I did call to ask you for something."
"Then you may proceed..."
"Okay... are you busy tonight?"
"Mmm. Noooo. Aren't you? Don't you have a date with Michelle or something?"
"Actually no, we went out last night. Tonight I would like to spend time with my friend Chloe."
"Ohhhh... so then it's a PITY date?"
"Noooo, not at all. It's not even an actual date. It's just you and me, hanging out. Are you completely opposed to that or something?"
Chloe sighed softly. "No, not at all. Thank you for asking. So, should I get my sunday best out or is this a casual kind of event?"
"Uhm, sorta casual. Somewhere between footie pajamas and prom dress."
"You're not taking me to the monster truck rally, are you?"
Brady laughed over the phone. "No, I'm not."
"Damn... and I've always wanted to go. Guess I'll just have to wait until my next 'actual date' for that one."
"Just dress comfortable... but sexy."
"But sexy? Any particular reason you'd throw that in?"
"Because I want you to have fun tonight... and Belle always tells me that looking good is part of feeling good."
"And all of a sudden, you've decided to start listening to your sister."
"She's got some good theories sometimes. I'll pick you up at 8, okay?"
"Alright then... I'll see you at 8. Bye."
"Bye Chloe." She heard the click on the phone and laid the handset back down. She stood up and looked in the mirror at her disheveled mess of bed head. "Now... what the heck was THAT about, I wonder?"
Chloe knew that her plan of sleeping in had been ruined so she grabbed a towel and headed off towards the shower. As was the norm lately, more confusing and perplexing thoughts about Brady Black had filled her head. Shake it off, Chloe. It's NOT a date.
***
(The next week... Saturday morning...)
Chloe was awash in darkness. She had shut the curtains in her room tightly, and had the covers over her head. She felt safe, calm and peaceful. She thought to herself that she would just like to stay in this spot for of this weekend. It had been a long week, and she was ready to hibernate for the next 2 days. All of her thoughts of sleep were suddenly cut off by the loud obnoxious ringing of the phone on her bedside table.
She opened her eyes and threw the covers off of her face, grabbing the phone and speaking into it groggily. "Hello."
"Chloe... did I wake you up?"
"Brady? Geez. It's..." she glanced at the clock on her table, "It's 8 a.m. on a Saturday. Of course you woke me up."
"Oh sorry, Chloe. Really sorry about that. I didn't even think. I'll call you back later..."
Chloe sat up in her bed and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. "Oh, no you don't. I'm awake now, you better speak. And it had better be important."
Brady paused for a moment. "I'm just... calling to say 'hello', I guess."
Chloe groaned. "At 8 a.m.? I don't think so. Keep going."
"Well, actually... I haven't seen you in like a week, so I just wanted to talk. I mean, we're friends and all... it just seems we're friends who never see each other anymore."
"Yeah... I'm sorry about that, Brady. It's been a long week though. Had two really huge tests yesterday, so I've been studying for those and I've just been too busy to be sociable."
"No problem. I understand. So, how did the tests go?"
"Good... I think. I hope."
"Eh. I'm sure you conquered them like you conquer everything else. You're the last person I need to worry about."
Chloe paused for a moment and thought about his statement. "What *exactly* do you mean by that?"
"I just mean, of all my friends and family, I know that you can take care of yourself better than the rest of them."
"Well... that's encouraging. But not entirely true..."
"Don't sell yourself short, Chloe Lane. You've got a lot going for you."
"Well, thanks. A compliment is always welcome... But, what are you setting me up for?"
"Nothing... what would make you think that?"
Chloe rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see them. "Because I know you."
"Alright, fine. The compliment was the truth, but I did call to ask you for something."
"Then you may proceed..."
"Okay... are you busy tonight?"
"Mmm. Noooo. Aren't you? Don't you have a date with Michelle or something?"
"Actually no, we went out last night. Tonight I would like to spend time with my friend Chloe."
"Ohhhh... so then it's a PITY date?"
"Noooo, not at all. It's not even an actual date. It's just you and me, hanging out. Are you completely opposed to that or something?"
Chloe sighed softly. "No, not at all. Thank you for asking. So, should I get my sunday best out or is this a casual kind of event?"
"Uhm, sorta casual. Somewhere between footie pajamas and prom dress."
"You're not taking me to the monster truck rally, are you?"
Brady laughed over the phone. "No, I'm not."
"Damn... and I've always wanted to go. Guess I'll just have to wait until my next 'actual date' for that one."
"Just dress comfortable... but sexy."
"But sexy? Any particular reason you'd throw that in?"
"Because I want you to have fun tonight... and Belle always tells me that looking good is part of feeling good."
"And all of a sudden, you've decided to start listening to your sister."
"She's got some good theories sometimes. I'll pick you up at 8, okay?"
"Alright then... I'll see you at 8. Bye."
"Bye Chloe." She heard the click on the phone and laid the handset back down. She stood up and looked in the mirror at her disheveled mess of bed head. "Now... what the heck was THAT about, I wonder?"
Chloe knew that her plan of sleeping in had been ruined so she grabbed a towel and headed off towards the shower. As was the norm lately, more confusing and perplexing thoughts about Brady Black had filled her head. Shake it off, Chloe. It's NOT a date.
***