Chapter 1
The two young teens walked through the snow covered park holding hands. The girl shivered slightly, while the boy just inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp Colorado air. He looked over at his companion and smiled slightly.
"We could head back if you wanted to. Hang out at your house..."
The petite blonde rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Yeah Jonah, that's a great idea. Maybe we could play Scrabble with my parents."
"I was thinking more like Rummy or Gin or..."
She put her hands over his mouth, muffling the remainder of his words.
Jonah grinned mischievously. "I'm pretty flexible though. I'll play anything that has an alcoholic beverage for a name."
The girl slapped his arm playfully, adding to the jovial mood. "You know for a 17 year old, you sure are obsessed with beer."
"Well Lauren, I've found that um...wanna get some ice cream?"
Lauren shrieked in response. "In the middle of January?! Are you insane?!
"Yes."
A moment passed in awkward silence as Lauren contemplated his offer. It would definitely be better than going back to her house. For some reason her parents had never really taken a liking to Jonah, and it was only thanks to her younger brothers' convincing that her parents allowed them to continue to date.
"Why do you hang out with Simon so much? And why is he so taken with you? "
"I don't know..." He shrugged. "I'm likeable."
Lauren looked off into the distance, trying to come up with an explanation. "You're one of the only friends he has, what with him being a geek and all."
Jonah smiled wryly. "Yes well, I have a soft spot in my heart for geeks and nerds."
"Why is that?"
Jonah swallowed. "My... uh... my best friend was a nerd."
"When you lived in Minnesota?"
"Yeah...when I lived in Minnesota...Danny could be annoying at times, but
he was always good for a laugh. He was the best friend a guy could
have."
"Do you still miss him?"
Jonah sighed. "Sometimes. It was hard at first, what with us moving unexpectedly and all. I never really got a chance to say goodbye."
Lauren saw the pain in his eyes and decided to change to what she thought would be a safe topic. "So, when do I get to meet your folks?"
The question caught him completely off guard. "My folks?" His voice squeaked a little, causing Lauren to giggle and him to groan. There were times when he thought that his was a fate worse than death. After all, what could be crueler than having to be a teenager again? But then he would picture Lauren in the dress she wore to the prom last year, and suddenly it didn't seem so bad. "You've changed the subject twice now. We're supposed to be talking about Simon."
"Oh yeah..."
Jonah sighed with relief as he was spared from having to make up yet another tale about 'his folks'. What with him not having any and all, it made such conversations difficult. And he hated having to lie to Lauren, although it was at times necessary.
"So uh, Simon's a geek..."
She nodded. "Right, Simon's a geek. And he only hangs out with you and Tito."
Jonah smiled at the thought of their young Mexican friend. "Ah yes...Tito. You on the other hand, have oodles of friends and admirers and yet for some reason, you choose to go out with me. It boggles my mind."
"Yes, but it doesn't take much to do that."
"Point."
Lauren sighed thoughtfully. "To tell you the truth I don't think I understand it either. I mean, last year we both started school as transfer students. And like you said, you are likeable, and kinda cute."
"It didn't have anything to do with me saving your brother from the
hands of the school bullies?"
She smiled impishly. "No, I liked you before then. Although it certainly didn't hurt my image of you any. Boy when you walloped those kids...that was pretty brave of you."
Jonah inwardly scoffed. She thought that was brave? She should see him single-handedly go up against a snakehead and live to tell about it, that was brave. Ok, it wasn't brave it was stupid, but sometimes they weren't mutually exclusive.
"I need to give your brother some lessons in self-defense."
Lauren laughed.
"I don't think that would help my parents opinion of you any."
"I didn't figure it would. So, uh, how about that ice cream?"
"You're serious aren't you?"
"Always."
She sighed reluctantly. "Well, I guess I could go for a hot fudge sundae."
"Sundaes it is."
They quickened their pace and headed for the local diner.
The two young teens walked through the snow covered park holding hands. The girl shivered slightly, while the boy just inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp Colorado air. He looked over at his companion and smiled slightly.
"We could head back if you wanted to. Hang out at your house..."
The petite blonde rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. "Yeah Jonah, that's a great idea. Maybe we could play Scrabble with my parents."
"I was thinking more like Rummy or Gin or..."
She put her hands over his mouth, muffling the remainder of his words.
Jonah grinned mischievously. "I'm pretty flexible though. I'll play anything that has an alcoholic beverage for a name."
The girl slapped his arm playfully, adding to the jovial mood. "You know for a 17 year old, you sure are obsessed with beer."
"Well Lauren, I've found that um...wanna get some ice cream?"
Lauren shrieked in response. "In the middle of January?! Are you insane?!
"Yes."
A moment passed in awkward silence as Lauren contemplated his offer. It would definitely be better than going back to her house. For some reason her parents had never really taken a liking to Jonah, and it was only thanks to her younger brothers' convincing that her parents allowed them to continue to date.
"Why do you hang out with Simon so much? And why is he so taken with you? "
"I don't know..." He shrugged. "I'm likeable."
Lauren looked off into the distance, trying to come up with an explanation. "You're one of the only friends he has, what with him being a geek and all."
Jonah smiled wryly. "Yes well, I have a soft spot in my heart for geeks and nerds."
"Why is that?"
Jonah swallowed. "My... uh... my best friend was a nerd."
"When you lived in Minnesota?"
"Yeah...when I lived in Minnesota...Danny could be annoying at times, but
he was always good for a laugh. He was the best friend a guy could
have."
"Do you still miss him?"
Jonah sighed. "Sometimes. It was hard at first, what with us moving unexpectedly and all. I never really got a chance to say goodbye."
Lauren saw the pain in his eyes and decided to change to what she thought would be a safe topic. "So, when do I get to meet your folks?"
The question caught him completely off guard. "My folks?" His voice squeaked a little, causing Lauren to giggle and him to groan. There were times when he thought that his was a fate worse than death. After all, what could be crueler than having to be a teenager again? But then he would picture Lauren in the dress she wore to the prom last year, and suddenly it didn't seem so bad. "You've changed the subject twice now. We're supposed to be talking about Simon."
"Oh yeah..."
Jonah sighed with relief as he was spared from having to make up yet another tale about 'his folks'. What with him not having any and all, it made such conversations difficult. And he hated having to lie to Lauren, although it was at times necessary.
"So uh, Simon's a geek..."
She nodded. "Right, Simon's a geek. And he only hangs out with you and Tito."
Jonah smiled at the thought of their young Mexican friend. "Ah yes...Tito. You on the other hand, have oodles of friends and admirers and yet for some reason, you choose to go out with me. It boggles my mind."
"Yes, but it doesn't take much to do that."
"Point."
Lauren sighed thoughtfully. "To tell you the truth I don't think I understand it either. I mean, last year we both started school as transfer students. And like you said, you are likeable, and kinda cute."
"It didn't have anything to do with me saving your brother from the
hands of the school bullies?"
She smiled impishly. "No, I liked you before then. Although it certainly didn't hurt my image of you any. Boy when you walloped those kids...that was pretty brave of you."
Jonah inwardly scoffed. She thought that was brave? She should see him single-handedly go up against a snakehead and live to tell about it, that was brave. Ok, it wasn't brave it was stupid, but sometimes they weren't mutually exclusive.
"I need to give your brother some lessons in self-defense."
Lauren laughed.
"I don't think that would help my parents opinion of you any."
"I didn't figure it would. So, uh, how about that ice cream?"
"You're serious aren't you?"
"Always."
She sighed reluctantly. "Well, I guess I could go for a hot fudge sundae."
"Sundaes it is."
They quickened their pace and headed for the local diner.