Chapter 12 (Is it me?)
Rachel opened her eyes, her brain sloshed. She tried to figure out where she was as a voice whispered, "Rachel?" The face was foggy, and was apparently male. Thinking she was still dreaming, she caressed the cheek. "Rachel!" Her hand fell back, and she blinked. "Stanton?" She asked in disbelief, and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah." She sat up, and observed his gruff face. Memory hitting with a flash, she hid her face in shame.
"Tymmie told me." She looked up cautiously. "I know you didn't do it on purpose." She nodded, then a tear came out of her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered hoarsely. He hugged her tightly, giving her the comfort that Tymmie could give, but not in the same way. Tymmie was a... friend. But Stanton was her brother. A really loving brother. And she really needed his help.
She looked him in the eye, and asked, "Did he tell you about last night? After he took me home?" Stanton's eyes widened, then his brows pinched in concern. "You guys didn't...?" She shook her head, and let him sit down. "Almost though." She looked up again, and knew that she had to talk with him. There was always a way that he could help her, and she could help him. Such a strange relationship, but she loved it.
"You know that I have a crush on Collin, and after last night with Tymmie I...I don't know what to do. You know my philosophy, so I can't care for both of them!" Stanton heaved out a breath. "Well, I don't know. The scales seem to be pointing to Tymmie." She nodded, and hugged her knees to her chest. "I know that. But... I don't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship." "What makes you think it would be ruined?"
She looked over to her window. "Well, what if we don't work out, and then we have a rocky break up? I don't want to lose one of my best friends. Not after all our friendships." He smiled. "I know what you mean. But I went ahead with it anyway. Pretty foolish." She tilted her head in a girlish curiosity. Stanton looked down at the blanket, and began a long story.
"In A.D. 1258, I had a really good friend. She was the daughter of a peddler in a small village. She couldn't put up with the cruelty from her father that he showed to her, so she ran away. A somewhat pretty girl." He heaved out a humorless laughter and said, "Back then I thought she was beautiful. I found her looking for a place to stay. I gave her one, and stole food almost every day for you, and for her."
She remembered those years ago. She was barely able to talk to him back then because he kept running off. "You must have spent a lot of time with her." She said thoughtfully. He nodded. "I did. After a while, I...realized that I didn't like her as a friend anymore. I liked her as..." She nodded, knowing that he couldn't finish for Serena's sake. "So, after a few nights, I asked her to come over. She did and..."
Rachel's jaw dropped, and she shouted out, "Your not a virgin!?" He gave her an incredulous look, and said, "Give me a break Rachel, there's been more than her!" Her eyes widened, and she asked, "Really?" He groaned and said frustratingly, "Why not? Wouldn't you figure that a 770 year old guy would have had sex at least once by now?" Her eyes shifted from the right, to the left, then burst into girlish laughter. Stanton couldn't help but let a little bit of laughter too.
She sighed, and wiped away a tear. "Okay, so...now do I just wait and see?" She looked up at Stanton again, and he tucked his tongue in his cheek. "Yeah. For now, I'd just wait." She nodded, then asked worriedly, "What am I gonna do about Collin? And all the other guys? Not to mention their girlfriends." Stanton shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll talk to them. They'll understand."
Suddenly, the door downstairs opened, then slammed again, and all the way from the front door, to her room, a loud shouting voice said, "Stanton! Rachel!" She looked sheepishly at Stanton, already recognizing Collins furious voice. He sighed, and shrugged. "Come in!" He bellowed. Rachel got up, went into the bathroom, then got dressed. This was gonna be a long one. (Yes, if you do the math, Stanton is 770 years old.)
Rachel opened her eyes, her brain sloshed. She tried to figure out where she was as a voice whispered, "Rachel?" The face was foggy, and was apparently male. Thinking she was still dreaming, she caressed the cheek. "Rachel!" Her hand fell back, and she blinked. "Stanton?" She asked in disbelief, and rubbed her eyes. "Yeah." She sat up, and observed his gruff face. Memory hitting with a flash, she hid her face in shame.
"Tymmie told me." She looked up cautiously. "I know you didn't do it on purpose." She nodded, then a tear came out of her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered hoarsely. He hugged her tightly, giving her the comfort that Tymmie could give, but not in the same way. Tymmie was a... friend. But Stanton was her brother. A really loving brother. And she really needed his help.
She looked him in the eye, and asked, "Did he tell you about last night? After he took me home?" Stanton's eyes widened, then his brows pinched in concern. "You guys didn't...?" She shook her head, and let him sit down. "Almost though." She looked up again, and knew that she had to talk with him. There was always a way that he could help her, and she could help him. Such a strange relationship, but she loved it.
"You know that I have a crush on Collin, and after last night with Tymmie I...I don't know what to do. You know my philosophy, so I can't care for both of them!" Stanton heaved out a breath. "Well, I don't know. The scales seem to be pointing to Tymmie." She nodded, and hugged her knees to her chest. "I know that. But... I don't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship." "What makes you think it would be ruined?"
She looked over to her window. "Well, what if we don't work out, and then we have a rocky break up? I don't want to lose one of my best friends. Not after all our friendships." He smiled. "I know what you mean. But I went ahead with it anyway. Pretty foolish." She tilted her head in a girlish curiosity. Stanton looked down at the blanket, and began a long story.
"In A.D. 1258, I had a really good friend. She was the daughter of a peddler in a small village. She couldn't put up with the cruelty from her father that he showed to her, so she ran away. A somewhat pretty girl." He heaved out a humorless laughter and said, "Back then I thought she was beautiful. I found her looking for a place to stay. I gave her one, and stole food almost every day for you, and for her."
She remembered those years ago. She was barely able to talk to him back then because he kept running off. "You must have spent a lot of time with her." She said thoughtfully. He nodded. "I did. After a while, I...realized that I didn't like her as a friend anymore. I liked her as..." She nodded, knowing that he couldn't finish for Serena's sake. "So, after a few nights, I asked her to come over. She did and..."
Rachel's jaw dropped, and she shouted out, "Your not a virgin!?" He gave her an incredulous look, and said, "Give me a break Rachel, there's been more than her!" Her eyes widened, and she asked, "Really?" He groaned and said frustratingly, "Why not? Wouldn't you figure that a 770 year old guy would have had sex at least once by now?" Her eyes shifted from the right, to the left, then burst into girlish laughter. Stanton couldn't help but let a little bit of laughter too.
She sighed, and wiped away a tear. "Okay, so...now do I just wait and see?" She looked up at Stanton again, and he tucked his tongue in his cheek. "Yeah. For now, I'd just wait." She nodded, then asked worriedly, "What am I gonna do about Collin? And all the other guys? Not to mention their girlfriends." Stanton shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll talk to them. They'll understand."
Suddenly, the door downstairs opened, then slammed again, and all the way from the front door, to her room, a loud shouting voice said, "Stanton! Rachel!" She looked sheepishly at Stanton, already recognizing Collins furious voice. He sighed, and shrugged. "Come in!" He bellowed. Rachel got up, went into the bathroom, then got dressed. This was gonna be a long one. (Yes, if you do the math, Stanton is 770 years old.)