Chapter 35
It was going to snow pretty bad Tuesday. The meteorologists were having a great time tracking it. They have been since Sunday. But when it hit we were all in school looking out the windows seeing specks of white pouring down. The first snow since November. And it was pretty but looked like a bitch to drive in. Bennett had driven me to school. And when school was let out we drove to this random place by this pond kids go canoeing in and we sat there playing CDs.
He was playing Jimmy Eat World records because he's on a Futures kick again. And he put on this homemade CD with the song "For Me This Is Heaven" on it. And he held my hand and kissed me. Because it was perfect. And we kept kissing through it. Not beign able to listen long before he had to restart it because he wanted me to really listen to it.
By the fourth time we made through half of it. And he hit pause. It all all snowy and we couldn't see out of his windsheild anymore there was so much snow and he looked at me softly. And took my hand and jsut looked at me. He pressed his lips gently against mine. "Okay," He said finally. "This time: you have to listen really hard okay."
I sighed nodding. "Okay," I said.
He hit play and just sat there lookign at me. His eyes decoding themselves for me. And we didn't say anything. The whole song. He just held my hand. Which was cold even though the heat was on and we just looked at each other. It was perfect really it was. When it finished he leaned in and kissed me. There was no other song on that CD. And we started kissing in the silence. It was so quiet it felt heavy in our ears- the silence. And I jsut kissed him.
We went back ot playing songs back and for forth an hour or two. It was perfect.
"There's this show coming up." He said when I was putting on another CD. "It's pretty small, but I'm going with Sean and Becky and if you want I could get you a ticket."
"What bands?" I asked.
"It's this pretty emo one, I forget the name. They're really good. You'd like them, they sound like Saves the Day. But it's in the city. Same club as the Death Cab For Cutie show."
"Sure," I said turning the volume up a little. "I'd love to."
He lsitened for a few seconds. "I didn't know you liekd The Smashing Pumpkins." He said looking at me.
"I do," I said. "My dad had a lot of their stuff when I was little. I used to listen to them till I was ten."
"I jsut started listening ot them. I bought that record a few weeks ago." He said. "Paul and I were talking about them. He's a huge Pumpkins fan, he made Rainie one too."
"So you are Paul are friends?" I asked.
He nodded. "We work together sometimes. We have the same shift once a week. But it's just weird becuase Rainie always comes in when he's working and it's a little awkward, but unavoidable. He's cool though."
I nodded listening. "How long have they been together?" I asked.
"They first started dating in March." Bennett said. "I'd say eight months if you factor in the times they broke up."
I nodded again. And Bennett and I just started listening.
"How long did you and Dave date?" He asked.
I looked at him. He was just curious, there was nothing wrong with that. "Almsot six." I said.
He leaned in and kissed my temple. "Let's try and beat that and Rainie and Paul." He said softly against my skin. I smiled and kissed him. This time we didn't stop. Our eyes closed and we kissed in his car until we realized the white sky was darkening slowly. He drove me home. The snow showing no signs of lightening.
"Is your mother home?" He asked. The driveway had no tire tracks in it. And my car had a sheet of snow on it. My house was untouched by anything.
I shook my head. "No." I looked at the house steadily. She was probably snowed in at the city.
"Do you want to come back to my house then?" He asked.
I smiled at him.
We were sitting in his living room. Talking. The TV muted and the heat was on. But we were sharing a blanket. And it was nice. We weren't kissing we were just talking. We were talking about the dorky picture of him when he was in the first grade smiling so big his face shrunk in comparison to the grin on his face. He looked like a new person compared to that picture too. He didn't reach four feet tall until third grade.
"You better show me a picture when you were this young then." He said smiling. "You won't be laughing then."
"I haven't seen one in years." I was telling the truth. But I was smiling. "I think my mother put them in the attic a while ago. I don't think you'll be seeing one."
"You'll find me one, won't you?" He asked looking at me sweetly. He was going overboard with the acting. I laughed.
Dave and I had never done this. We usually went into his basement and hooked-up or did homework for a half hour or less. But I was sitting on the couch in his living room. Our legs covered by the same blanket sitting cross-legged facing each other. Talking about how short and adorable he was in first grade. I was smiling. A lot more than I have in a while. And he was smiling back.
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to." I said.
He leaned in kissing the corner of my mouth. "I believe in you." He said. I laughed again and he moved his face a few inches away from mine. Touching my face with one of his hands. "I love you're laugh." We were both smiling looking at each other. I leaned in and kissed him. My eyes closing and his hand brushing hair out of my face.
The front door started opening. Or we heard someone shoving a key into it even though it wasn't locked. Bennett moved away sighing. "Sorry," He said. It wasn't that we were interrupted it was something else. I didn't know what at first. Understanding when he got up and opened the front door.
"It's not locked," I heard his voice from the next room. I peeked in hearing the door close.
"I didn't think you'd be home." Another voice said. A women's. I pieced it together, finding myself standing up. Feelng strange sitting on the couch alone, not having any idea what his mother would be like.
"I have someone over," I heard Bennett say softly. Something not intended for me to hear.
Footsteps moved closer. When I first saw her, I noticed how short she was comapred to her son. She was not where he got his height from. But everything else checked out. Her brown eyes, dark brown hair. She was also very skinny. But something that I noticed next was how young she was. She looked fresh and young. Much younger than my mother- but my mother looked a lot older because of the bags under her eyes from work. But Bennett's mother instantly smiled. "Hello," She said.
"Hi," I said. My voice sounded normal. Not too quiet or as shakey as I felt inside. I didn't meet Dave's mother until our third month. I wasn't even officially Bennett's girlfriend yet. My mother didn't even know Bennett existed.
"Mom, this is Elisa." Bennett said. I hadn't noticed him in the room. This had happened so fast. It seemed so much longer to me. But it was only a few seconds.
Her smile brightened. "Oh!" She walked over to me quickly. She hugged me. Her arms moving around me like greeting an old friend. "I feel like I know you already. Jesus, he's told me so much about you." She released me. Holding me in front of her studying me. "I haven't seen him this happy in years. It's like he's a new person-"
"Mom..." Bennett sighed. He wasn't mad or embarrassed like Dave had been when I met his mother and she said more than three words to me. Bennett's mother was moving into the half-appropriate conversation I have never recieved from any boy's mother. He was just smiling. A little embarrassed I think but not much.
"I'll stop. I don't want to embarrass him." She said looking at me. "I'ts just so nice to finally meet you." She seemed more in her twenties than a mother. She reminded me of Amber.
"The snow is crazy, huh?" Bennett asked his mother.
"I'm leaving for work now. Hopefully I can get there on time." She sighed walking halfway out of the room. The room seemed brighter having her here. "It was so nice meeting you Elisa. Come over more often. I'd liek to see you aorund here more often." She went over to Bennett kissing his cheek. "I'll be home tomorrow. I'll call you tonight."
"Okay," He said, smilign a little. "Bye."
In five minutes she was upstairs and down. Dressed for work. Looking liek a real nurse. Leaving. She said a final goodbye. And she was gone. The room loosing brightness as her car finally pulled away.
"Everytime you meet someone significant in my life," He said smiling. "It muct come across as if I can't stop talking about you, huh?"
I sat down next to him on the couch. "No," I said smiling.
"Liar," He whispered putting his arm around me pulling me closer. I leaned against him. I was combfortable. He moved the blanket so it covered our legs again. And he flipped thorugh the channels.
"I love this movie," He said landing it on TV Land. That Thing You Do! "Have you ever seen it?"
"I think when I was little." I said.
"We're watching it. You'll love it."
We did. The whole movie. It was commercial free for some reason. And it was dark when it finished. My mother hadn't called me. Probably figured I was with Dave. I hadn't told Bennett my mother still thought I was with Dave. It was snowing a little less. It was almsot eight. He kissed my temple. "I'll walk you home."
"Okay," I didn't want to leave.
It was so pretty outside. It was so cold. I was shivering. But he slid his hand around mine. His fingers looping into mine. My hands weren't cold one bit. Our streetlight was one. We ended up standign underneath it again. He kissed me. Moving away shortly. A question forming behind his eyes. I knew it before it came out. It wasn't planned out at all. And that last sentence wasn't sarcastic.
I walked into my house a new person. Smiling brighter than ever before. I took my coat off. It was covered with snow. Snowflakes melted on my eyelashes. My mother walked into the room. "Who was that boy?" She asked confused.
"Bennett," I said. "My boyfriend."
A/N: It's winter is my big-ish-small-town. It's been snowing two days straight. It's amazing and inspiring. I love winter so much. I want to say thank you, you guys are amazing. Almost 20 Reviews in two days!!!! I'm trying my hardest to update a ton. I check my e-mail obsessivly. And I jsut want to thank you so much. You make this much more fun than I could even expect.
So how was this chapter. Written to a Remember Maine playlist and a snowy window. I woke up today to a snowy winter day. Hopefully it will be a white Christmas this year. And I just jumped on here to update alongside a plate of leftover Chinese Food. Was it good? Was it amazing. Rushed? I don't think I need to ask you, but Review Review Review.
