Wednesday

I woke up on top of Oliver, James on me. I could get used to this. Oliver took a shuddering breath, so I figured he was dreaming. Or having a nightmare because he started shaking.

"Oliver, Oliver, wake up," I said, shaking him a little. His eyes flashed open with another shuddering breath. He looked at me. Then he hugged me very tightly, getting a bit of James too.

"I just had a nightmare about you. You were dragged away from me, to go back home. It was so sad," he said trailing off. His eyes showed he was extremely worried that might happen. I just smiled reassuringly at him and patted his chest.

"Don't worry, that won't happen. Now if you can get your brother off me, we can try something fun today." Oliver got out from under me and gently pulled James off. He turned onto his other side and let me get off the bed. I whispered a thank you to him and took Oliver's hand to the computer room. I closed the door behind me and sat on the couch. "So what could we do today?"

"Well, you could come hang out at our house and play games. I have quite a collection."

"How about I watch you play. I'm not much into video games."

"Fine with me, but you have to play one," he said, sitting down next to me. I nodded and we just sat there in silence for a little. Then my cell phone rang, in my room. I forgot about it for a very long time. I ran back in and found James looking at it.

"It says mom on it." I took it from him and pressed talk, holding it up to my ear with a quick greeting.

"Venna, dear, how are you?" my mother asked me. I started to wonder why she decided to call now.

"I'm fine; how come you're calling so early?"

"Oh, I forgot the change. Sorry, but I'm glad you were up. Now, I have some good news for you and some bad." Uh-oh. When she said that, the bad news was always sadistic and cruel.

"Um...and what's that?"

"Well, the good news is your Uncle Edmund is getting married soon! They came up with the date and it's in two months time. The bad news," she paused dramatically, "is you have to come back before a big snowstorm comes. They said it's the storm of the century!" Now, Massachusetts was prone to major snowstorms, but never so bad. I was trying to believe that she just wanted me home quickly to keep me miserable, but I couldn't find a trace of a lie. That meant she wasn't lying, which is very seldom.

"But why? College will allow me extra time if I'm stuck here for a bit."

"That's just the thing; it should be going on for a week. Watch the weather channel. I'm sure they will cover America. You need to be home by Friday. Okay?"

No, it wasn't okay, I was about to retort. But I held it in so my mom doesn't come personally to pluck me out of here. "Not really, but I don't have much of a choice, huh?" I hung up looking at a curious James and a worried Oliver. "My mom. She said Massachusetts will be hit by a huge snowstorm and the airport will be closed during the week. She wants me home before it hits."

"What? You can't leave!" James said raising his voice as he completed the sentence. Oliver looked like I just smacked him in the face.

"Just like my dream," he said to himself. He got up in a huff and left the room, leaving me with a seething James.

"Oliver!" I didn't want to get him just in case he was going to blow up at me. It wasn't my fault. It was always my mother's fault. She never really wanted to see me happy, just succeed. Be the best you can be Venna, don't give up Venna, fight if you have to Venna, if you don't win Venna you will be disowned. I hated thinking of this crap, so I embraced James to keep me from my thoughts. He was whimpering like he was at my funeral or something. "James...Shush. Everything will be okay. Even if I can't stay, you should've kept in mind that I'd be leaving. Plus, I'll be back. Hey, where's your cell phone?" I asked.

"In my room." I pulled him off the bed to get it. In his room, I put my number in it.

"Do you know where Ollie's is?" He nodded with a hiccup. I put my number in his too. I hugged James again then took his hand downstairs. Even if it was my second to last day here, I'd be leaving in style.

"Hey, Oliver!" He was avoiding me. In my aunt's house where he has nowhere to run. I couldn't find him, so I thought he was in the basement. Sure enough, he was down there sulking. "Oliver." I sat next to him and rubbed his back. He was sobbing with his knees up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, head buried in his arms. I pulled myself to a kneeling position and held him to me. He unraveled himself and hugged me back, making me fall on my back. I laughed; he was quieting down a bit as I patted his back.

"I don't want you to go," he whispered into my chest.

"I don't either. But you don't see me sulking," I said sarcastically. I would be sulking right now, but I have two very handsome boys to hang out with. "Come on, how about we go somewhere nice for supper? We can go swimming after breakfast and we can play marco polo or something..."

"I like that idea," he said, finally looking me in the eyes. He was crying. I pushed a piece of hair away from his face. Too bad it fell back. We laughed at that.

"You're not getting off me anytime soon, huh?" He shook his head.

"You're nice and warm. Why would I leave my heat source?"

"Uh, cause your heat source is extremely hungry?" I gave him a sideways smile and he got off me.

We went to eat with James in the kitchen. Waffles, and James made them. They were pretty good too. I wanted to go swimming right after, so I walked around the pool a bit. James and Oliver just sat in the chairs, watching me walk around in my boxer shorts and a tank, looking like a complete idiot. After about a half hour, I ran up the stairs to my bedroom and changed into my bathing suit. I put a loose belly shirt on and walked back down, throwing my hair in a ponytail. James and Oliver were still sitting there. I wasn't really paying attention to them, but still they weren't exactly in the pool. I threw the shirt on a chair next to Oliver and ran to the diving board. I had a sudden sense of foreboding, but I cast it aside. I jumped into the water, which was a bit colder than last time, and came up.

Again, something didn't feel right, so I looked down. MY TOP WAS MISSING. It must've slipped off when I dived! Shit. I searched frantically for it, but it seemed like it really disappeared.

"Missing this?" Oliver asked, holding up my top. I sunk down into the water, my face feeling hot. James smirked and took his shirt off.

"Lemme see." He snatched it from Oliver and held it up against himself. "Don't I look absolutely dashing in this?"

"JAMES! GIVE IT BACK!" I yelled. I swam carefully, so I can keep myself covered and went up to the side of the pool, pressing myself against it. "Give it!"

"Hey James, let me see how it looks on me." He took his shirt off and held my top against him. "What do you think?"

"I think you're both losers, now give it back!"

"Oh we will alright." James looked at his brother who grinned. He looked back at me and added, "If you let us see."

Inside I was exploding from embarrassment and utter disgust. Now, I wasn't small, if you know what I'm saying. But I wasn't Pamela Anderson big, you know? Plus, I don't want them looking at me like that.

"How about before I leave so I don't have to look at you anymore."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I'll flash you both before I leave for the airport. That way, I get my top, and you both get your peek. What do you say?" Oliver and James looked back at each other, thinking of what they should do.

"How about a nice snog instead?" Oliver asked, changing his mind.

"Snog? What the hell is that?" I asked loudly, keeping myself firmly pressed against the pool.

"What you would call "Making out". Just a little bit, not too much," James said, still holding my top.

"You're both pigs! Now give it back!" Since I figured I wouldn't get it back, I swam carefully into the low end of the pool and covered myself with my arm. Oliver's eyes went wide and James was staring. I huffed in their direction then walked, all wet, up to my room. I tried to close the door, but someone stopped it. I turned around, pressing myself against the door, and was about an inch away from James' face. We actually touched noses. I pushed him back, closed the door, and got a shirt on before they knocked my door in. James was staring again. I looked down – again – and found I grabbed a thin white shirt and put it over my soaking body. Oh snap. I turned around quickly, covering myself again and blushing a bright red. James and Oliver moved closer to me and hugged me, putting their chins on my shoulders.

"That was amazing Venna. Really," Oliver complimented. They both kissed my cheeks then went back downstairs.

Later we went to their house to play video games. Know who kept winning? Me.

"I told you I didn't want to play," I said after we play a certain game ten times, me winning all of them.

"You're bloody amazing!" James said. I smirked at Oliver who looked royally ticked. I kissed his cheek.

"Aw, don't be mad. Get glad." Oliver smiled and pushed me to the bed. "What a jerk."

"Would you like to repeat that?" Oliver said, standing over me.

"I said James is cute."

"Really now?" James asked. "I knew it." To add to the tease, I crawled to him and sat behind him, wrapping my arms around him. I grinned at Oliver who glared at me. He pulled me away from him and pinned me to the bed by lying on the side of me, holding me down.

"What a sour sport!" I joked. James laughed and lay on the other side. "I love you guys," I whispered.

Later that night, I had a quiet supper all by myself; Oliver and James had to help their mother with some home improvement that involved their rooms. Auntie wasn't home either. I relaxed in the computer room and wrote more of my stories.

"Venna, where are James and Oliver?" my aunt asked me when she got back home.

"They're cleaning their rooms. Why?"

"It's quiet that's all. What are you doing?"

"Writing more of my stories. This website is great for the ease of publishing chapters quickly," I added to Auntie's look of confusion.

"Oh, well, good luck with that. I need to go back out with the girls. I won't be back until late."

"Okie dokie. See you tomorrow then." I wrote for another twenty minutes. I started the line: "Ah!" I yelped, turning around to see a laughing Randy, "what are you doing here?" when I felt something on my shoulder. Startled, I turned around quick to see Oliver. "Jesus! You scared me!"

"Sorry."

"What did you do?" I felt my shoulder again.

"I'll show you again if you turn back around." I looked at him weird, but obeyed, waiting for him to do something. Then I felt it again, but Oliver's hand was on my other shoulder. I turned my face a bit to see what he was doing. He was kissing my neck!

"Ol-" I was about to say, but was cut off. By lips. On mine. Oliver's. On mine. He pulled away before I could react. I swallowed and turned back to the computer. I heard Oliver snicker, going over to the couch. I saved what I wrote and closed the window. I got up quietly and walked over to him. I stood behind him, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I know you're not happy about me leaving. I'm not happy about it either. I don't want to leave you or James, but I have to." Oliver didn't say anything, so I let him go and walked around to the front of the couch. He was blinking back tears. I smiled sadly and sat next to him. "Where is James anyways?"

Flashback: Oliver's POV

"I don't think I should go, Ol. I'm willing to give you and Venna time alone, mate."

"What are you talking about?"

"I see how you look at her." He mimicked his look of when Oliver gazes at her. "You love her, so go get her." Oliver looked at him weird and shook his head. "Do it, or I'll disown you. Is that a better consequence if you don't do it? Or does bogeys in your bed sound better?"

"Alright. Finish cleaning your room." Oliver left his room and told his mother he was going back to Venna's. On his way, he thought heavily of what he could do. I could just tell her I love her and see what happens. Maybe just take her and kiss her. I don't know what to do!"

"She's not downstairs..." Oliver said to himself, looking in the window. The door was unlocked, so he slipped in quietly. He checked down in the basement first then made his way upstairs. There was light in the computer room so he peeked in the doorway first.

"He said he didn't want to stay the night tonight. So, it's you and me in one bed instead," Oliver smiled at me and laughed. I smiled and got back up to shut the computer off. "Well...movie?"

"Which one?" Oliver got up to look through the extensive collection of movies my aunt had. He pulled one out at random...Tristan + Isolde.

"Looks good, there Oliver. You're pretty good at choosing good things at random." Oliver laughed and put it in while I went back downstairs to get some snacks. I was looking through a cabinet when I felt arms wrap around my waist. My shoulder was kissed again. "Oliver!"

"What?" he kissed my shoulder again before letting me go. I grabbed a box of cookies and got some soda before running up the stairs. I jumped over the couch and landed on the cushions. Oliver was right behind me. We started the movie...blah blah blah...then at the kissing scene, Oliver kissed my cheek. I looked at him, but he turned his head to the tv again. I put a hand to his chest, which made him look at me then I kissed him gently.