Chapter 14: Love Is Like Baseball...Cards, That Is...

Both Chelsea and Tyler were taken downtown to the central police station for questioning, and mainly to try and decipher as to how a couple of sixteen year olds and a dog managed to survive an attack and come out standing without not so much as a small cut and a few bruises on Tyler. After fifteen minutes, Chelsea's parents bounded into the precinct and were relieved to find their daughter completely unharmed. Quickly, she was whisked off by her parent, but before she left, Chelsea discreetly tossed a crumpled piece of paper to him. He snagged it, opened it up and read:

Tyler,

You saved me again and I really want to thank you. Jennifer told me where you live so when you get home, I want to drop off something just for you. I owe you my life again. Thank you.

Love,

Chelsea

Just as he finished reading, he looked up and took one last look at Chelsea as she was rushed through the doors by her parents, and his mom entered.

"Was she the girl you saved?" Eva asked as she took a seat beside Tyler.

He nodded.

"She's a looker. Nice catch," she mused.

"But I haven't caught her. At least I don't think I have," he replied.

"Trust me, you kicked a lot of ass and when a guy protects a girl, we like that. A lot," Eva explained.

"So are you saying I should try and fight everyone?" Tyler asked, somewhat confused.

"Of course not. I mean when you protect her from harm if something bad happens to come in the way."

Tyler nodded, understanding a little bit, but came to the conclusion that the opposite sex was like a tough puzzle. One that he was determined to figure out along the way. He knew enough to get by as a friend, but an advanced relationship was like uncharted space.

The ride home was uneventful and all was at peace in the Bay Area, much to Tyler's relief. It had been a trying day; first with Lithium Flower, then with the thugs. I'm getting too old for this, he thought to himself as he leaned his head against the passenger window inside the car–a bright inferno red PT Cruiser.

Once back home, Tyler went straight for his room and changed into a set of olive green fighter pilot coveralls. His room was much different from when he first moved in, as well. Draped on his walls were different posters of various aircraft. His favorite two posters–one, an autographed U.S. Navy Blue Angels image and the other an autographed 2001 Seattle Mariners poster–were place near his desk where his computer sat, displaying his screen saver that showed the exact locations of planes for certain airlines.

Also on his desk were things he saw as highly important, including his first picture of Eva's parent–his grandparents–Eva, and himself, a picture of Jennifer and himself, an baseball with Ken Griffey Jr's signature, and an 8 inch tall Wing Zero Gundam Mobile Suit robot model.

Off on the far wall, a long fifteen by four foot wooden plank sat on struts connected to the wall. On top of the plank was a painted replica of an airport, scaled way down. In a box under the plank were materials and tools to make small airport buildings. Next to that box, there was another that contained dozens of 1:500 scale models of airliners that his grandpa bought for him when he turned ten. Both he and his grandpa would play for hours, taking the planes off, landing then, and taxiing them along the pained pathways. Once in a while, his grandma would act as a stewardess, performing the preflights or she would act as traffic control. Since Eva's profession–an interior decorator–required her to travel frequently, he stayed with his grandparents often, though they lived three hours south of Seattle in Portland, Oregon.

A gentle knock on the door that led outside jarred him from his memory. He remembered that Chelsea's note said she was going to stop by. Tyler opened the door, and sure enough, there was Chelsea, with her hair tied back into a ponytail, except for a handful of strands that curled around her face.

Though she was in her pajama's–a pair of baggy flannel pants, a small vintage tee shirt, and a pair of flip flops–Tyler still thought she was the most beautiful thing. More beautiful than a Mariners game at Safeco Field or a new motorcycle.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

Tyler jaw dropped. "Absolutely."

Chelsea stepped inside and took in the sight of Tyler's residence. "You really like planes, huh?"

"Uh... yeah. "I've wanted to be a pilot for a while." Tyler said, still shocked that Chelsea was standing there in his room.

He noticed she was carrying something in her hand.

"Hey, I wan to give you this kinda as a thank you. Plus, Jen told me your birthday was next Saturday so–I guess this is a little early, but Happy Birthday." Chelsea said as she handed him the box.

Tyler opened the parcel and found a unique baseball card. It was a hand painted card of himself.

"Chelse, this is amazing," he gushed over his very own baseball card. "You made this?"

She nodded, then looked down at the navy blue carpeted floor. "There's one more thing I want to give you."

"Oh I couldn't accept anything else–" Tyler said, still checking out the card.

Before he could finish his statement, Chelsea put her arms around his neck, pulled him down so their faces were level, stared him dead in the eye where she could see her reflection in his pupil and vise versa–

–Then, she planted her soft lips upon his own.

While she shut her eyes, Tyler's shot wide open. A flood of thoughts that he couldn't even attempt to comprehend raced through his mind as if his brain was a beehive of information. Soon, his mind became at ease and only one thing mattered–how much he really cared for Chelsea. As if under the influence of a foreign substance, his eyes started to roll back into his head, then gradually close as he savored the moment–a moment that only lasted for about 30 or so seconds.

The best thirty seconds in history, at least in Tyler's perspective.

When the kiss was over and Chelsea withdrew, Tyler fell forward onto the floor before Chelsea's feet, weak–in a good way, and still caught in the moment.

"Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling down before him.

Tyler was in shock. It was his first kiss and he couldn't have asked for it from a better person if he could find one. He managed to roll onto his back, then looked up at Chelsea.

"Am I dead? Cause I think an angel's staring me in my face," he whispered as he looked up at her.

"Wow. I didn't know my kisses could cause someone to collapse," Chelsea chuckled. "And you think I'm an angel? You are too kind."

Tyler opened his mouth, but no words would come out. I wonder if anyone else became a veggie from just one kiss, albeit one from the hottest looking girl ever, he thought to himself, before his pondering was interrupted by the sound of rain hitting the house and everything else outside.

"Oh great," Chelsea groaned as she got up, opened the door leading outside, only to find the outside was completely drenched as it was pouring.

Tyler shook off his stupor and managed to get up. "Uh, if you want you can chill here 'till the rain lets up," he offered.

Chelsea turned around, some of the spray from outdoors causing her hair to cling to her face.

"Y'know, we could watch some t.v or play some video games or have a dance off, even though I can't dance," Tyler added in. "Or we could watch a movie or take a nice lil' nappy nap," he rambled due to his nervousness.

"Yeah. I guess I can stay for a while." Chelsea quietly said, shutting the door.

After a couple hours of playing Halo 2, they watched some television. Soon, Chelsea drowsily placed her head on Tyler's shoulder and began to doze off. As not to wake her, he very carefully put his arm around her and moved some of her har from her face. Next, he slowly grabbed the DVD player remote, hit play, and watched his favorite Japanese anime movie, Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

Chelsea adjusted herself, snuggled closer, then began to snore quietly.

"And great, she's a snorer," Tyler quietly muttered as he watched the movie. "Well'p, sleep tight, Chelse."

Soon, he too fell asleep. It had been one hell of a day, but he couldn't have asked for a better way to finish it off. Before he slept, he thought of how things were going to be now that he and Chelsea were possibly moving to the next level. He decided to take it as it came and not try to process what was going on.

And maybe next time, he'd kiss Chelsea instead of her making the first move.

Tyler's eyes fluttered open. The only light in the room was that given off from the t.v., and still nestled beside him was Chelsea, resting peacefully. It was quiet, meaning the rain had stopped, though Tyler wished it wouldn't. On the DVD player's clock, it read 5:27AM.

Chelsea began to muster, moan, then stretch, waking up.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Mmm, hey, good morning," she grogily said. "What time is it?"

"About five-thirty. We should get you back home.

With that, the two put their shoes on and walked up the hill to Chelsea's house. Once there, they noticed the kitchen light was on.

"Oh man," she groaned. "How am I gonna explain this?"

Tyler thought for a moment, then looked up. "That's your room up there, right?"

Chelsea nodded.

On the edge of the sidewalk was a large oak tree with branches that reached close enough to her bedroom window. Tyler had came up with a plan at that moment.

"Chelse? Is your bedroom window open?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah."

"Good, get on my back."

Chelsea cocked her eyebrow, but surrendered, then climbed onto his back, arms around his neck and legs around his torso. Tyler noticed a strange feeling on his shoulder blades as if two blunt, yet soft objects were poking him he knew her breasts were touching him, and amazingly enough he was holding his primal urges in check, but these were like two smaller nubs at the tips of–

"Are you cold? 'Cause..uh..." Tyler stammered.

Chelsea's face flushed bright red. "My God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for them to... y-you know. But yeah, I'm a little cold."

And a little warm at the same time, she thought.

Tyler smiled, "Don't worry about it. It's no problem. Let's get you back to bed so... certain things go back to their normal feeling."

Tyler examined the tree briefly, then found a good footing, and started to climb. Once level with her bedroom window, he tested the integrity of the branch that reached out to her window.

"Uh, Tyler? What if we fall?" she cautiously asked.

"We won't." Tyler said in a low, leathery tone.

Quickly, Tyler skimmed over the branch with the leaves not so much as slightly swaying. Within a matter of seconds, Tyler reached the window, opened it up and walked inside, Chelsea still latched onto him.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" she asked in amazement as she got off his back.

"Uh... I have acrobats in my bloodline," Tyler explained. "I'd better fly, but before I do, there's something I gotta do."

Tyler placed his hand on her face, cupping her cheek and jaw line. Chelsea leaned her head, hen looked up into his face and smile. Through the dark, her eyes seemed to sparkle like a pair of stars in the deep of outer space. Like a 17th century sailor, he followed her eyes as if guiding him into her, then gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Though Tyler controlled his trembling, Chelsea didn't as she became weak in her knees. Before she could collapse–like Tyler did–he finished the kiss, took one last look at her, then jumped outside, landing on the tree, which he quickly descended from.

"Good night, Tyler," she sighed, a large smile on her face.