Chapter 5

"So, what do you guys want to watch?" Joe asked the others as they chose among the 5 videos that Vanessa and Callie had borrowed from the video rental shop on their way to the Hardy home from the mall. He was hoping that they would choose Matrix, since the other videos that the girls had borrowed were mostly romance or romantic comedy. He had tried to keep from rolling his eyes when Vanessa passed him the videos a while ago.

"I know what you're thinking," Vanessa said to Joe with a tired smile. "You're probably thinking why Callie and I borrowed this videos, even if we know that you're not going to like them. Well, you guys have been picking the movies we've been watching for the last few months, now give. us. the. chance. this time."

"Well, in that case, Matrix it is," Frank said, hoping to avoid being showered with Vanessa and his little brother's opinions about this movie and that. "Callie, you'll go with that, won't you?" he asked his girlfriend.

Callie looked at Vanessa with a questioning look, then shrugged, "I guess we have no choice. Let's just hang out later at our house and watch the other movies we borrowed, Van. Hey, maybe you could sleep over at our place? We haven't done that for some time."

Vanessa thought for a while then said, "Well, since mom won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. Why not? As long as Mr. and Mrs. Shaw wouldn't mind though."

Callie replied, "That's a no problem with them."

"I think I like that too. I'd feel much better knowing that you're with the Shaws than alone in your house for the night." Joe said, while putting his arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss in the cheek.

Vanessa smiled warmly at Joe then said, "All right guys." Then she paused. "I guess Matrix it is."

***

"What a day!" Vanessa said as she crawled into the sleeping bed she brought with her after she and Callie passed by to her house to get her things when they left their boyfriends' home. Vanessa felt tired after all the shopping they did at the mall, the fun they had at the Hardy's place plus now that it's almost 1 am when she and Callie finished the third movie they had watched for that night.

"Yeah," Callie agreed, feeling her own body ache for all they had done for the day. She closed the lights of her room and only the dim light of her lamp was left open. "Do you mind the lamp, Van?"

"Hmmm? Oh, not at all. It's fine with me whether you leave it open or not," Vanessa replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

"I guess I'll just turn it off, then," Callie said and then switched off the pink lamp with light bluish design on the night table beside her bed. "Goodnight, Van."

"Night, Cal," Vanessa replied sleepily. She was so tired, so tired that she forgot about that letter she had put in her pocket that afternoon.