Is It a Good Idea to Microwave My Heart?

I woke up to a note on my pillow. It read, in Jory's scribbly handwriting...

'Marie,
I went home with dad to get ready for a picnic. I'll get Riley to drive me back to the apartment and we'll both come back.
I love you,
-Jory.'

I smiled and went to get ready. I pulled out a pretty floral blouse with a ruffled collar and denim shorts. I walked into my bathroom and began to shower. After I showered, I put on my clothes and let my hair air dry. I started to brush my teeth when I heard a knock on the door. I walked to the door to answer it and saw Jory, he smiled and hugged me, and I did the same.

"Brushing your teeth?" He asked, smiling. I nodded and then ran to the bathroom to finish. After I finished I pulled my hair into a messy bun and used a thin elastic headband to hold the stray hair and my bangs out of my face. I applied my gray eyeshadow, mascara, eyeliner, lip envy, and a light blush. I looked in the mirror and smiled as I turned off the light and walked into my bedroom. Jory was sitting on my bed patiently. He stood up and wrapped his arms around my waist, smiling.

"You look very beautiful, Marie," Jory said, pecking my lips and pulling away with lip stain on them. He looked in the mirror, confused.

"Umm...Marie, please say this stuff comes off easy. I'll never hear the end of this is my dad saw..."

"Hold still," I said, wiping his lips gently with a paper towel.

"All gone?" He asked. He kissed my forehead. "Yup, all gone."

He smiled down towards me and then Jon interrupted us.

"Guys, are you going to the store?"

"No, picnic at my old house," Jory said, walking through the doorway, his grip on my hand overpowering my will to stay in my room. I grabbed some socks out of the laundry room and slipped them on my small feet. I found my gray Toms and slipped them on my feet. I grabbed my phone and keys, then grabbed Jory's hand again and walked outside to my car.

"I'll drive," I said smiling, getting in the driver's side. Before Jory could get in the car I had turned on the car and slowly started to drive away.

"Come on!" Jory said, smiling. I honked and he chased the car down the driveway. I stopped at the end and let him in.

"Sorry," I said smiling. I slipped my black Ray Bans on my face and started the 30 minute drive to Jory's parents house.

"My mom said she couldn't wait to see you again," Jory said, smiling over at me.

"Really? I miss her. I haven't seen her in forever," I said smiling back over towards him.

"She said she couldn't wait to have a girls day with you also, so you should probably plan one," Knowing Jory's mom, that was a good idea. She loved to be close with her family, and ever since I was younger, she's considered me family. I love being around her, she's the equivalent of my best friend. I always go to her for help.

"Alright, will do. We'll have a girls day, then maybe you could chill and bond with your dad or uncle. I'm sure Bob misses you," I said, turning onto the long stretch of road.

"Be careful around this next turn, it's really sharp," Jory warned then continued the conversation, "I miss being so close to him. I want to head up to Canada to see the rest of the relatives, I just don't know when. They haven't seen you since you were 6," he said, smiling, remembering the time his parents took me with them to Canada. I maneuvered the turn perfectly and found where I needed to turn to get to the driveway.

I noticed his parents sitting on the front porch of a beautiful house. They saw the car, and Mrs. Caron repeatedly hit Mr. Caron on the shoulder. Jory and I laughed at her reaction, and I parked beside Mr. Caron's car. Jory and I got out of the car and walked over.

"Oh, Marie! You look so pretty!" Mrs. Caron said, while hugging me.

"Thank you, Mrs. Caron!" I said, smiling. She grabbed me by my arm and started pulling me into the house. I turned and looked at Jory and Mr. Caron. I mouthed 'Sorry' and 'Hi.' They both started laughing.

Mrs. Caron led me into a beautiful kitchen. The cabinets were a bright white, with the walls being a warm shade of red. The island in the middle of the kitchen was bare. Mrs. Caron offered me a seat atop it, which I took gracefully.

"It's been so long! Do you want to help me with the salad?" Mrs. Caron said, begging for a feminine friend.

"Sure, Mrs. Caron," I said, smiling and walking over to help her. I put the lettuce in a large bowl and started to smile.

"Hey...Mrs. Caron..."

"Yes, Marie?"

"Lettuce dance!" I said, making a joke and dancing in her kitchen. She shook her head, while chuckling.

"I get it, Lettuce meaning let us. That's cute," She said, smiling and cutting cucumbers. I grabbed a knife too, Jory walking around the corner.

"Mom....mom...I don't like that! I don't like that! Marie has a knife!" He said, backing away from the kitchen. I chuckled and began to cut carrots. Jory came over and hugged me, his mom 'awe'-ing at the sight.

"Hey family!" Jory's brother, Bryce said.

"Bryce!" I screamed, running up to him and hugging him.

"Marie! I haven't seen you in forever! Where did my movie buddy go!?!" He said, hugging me.

"Hey Bryce," Jory said, giving a 'man hug' to his brother.

"Hey Jory, so are..uh...you two dating now?" He asked, mainly cutting a weird look to Jory.

"Yeah, she said yes," Jory said, grabbing my hand and smiled. I smiled, though feeling out of the loop. They must have talked about me before Jory and I started dating.

"Children, go sit and talk! Arthur'll help me with the salads," she added, noticing the words 'I'll help' about to form in my mouth. I pouted as Jory pulled me to the Living room area. Bryce was staying for a couple days, his drive here a little longer than ours, so he was taking stuff up to the guest room. Jory and I were in the Living room when I found an old scrapbook sitting on the coffee table. I looked over at Jory, smiling. He smiled and let out a chuckle while picking up the scrapbook and opened it to the first page. I scooted closer and let him wrap his arm around me.

The first picture was a picture of Jory and Bryce with their arms around each others necks covered in mud. I smiled and looked up at Jory.

"Please say you didn't run around the house with all that mud all over you."

"Well then I won't say it. My mom was used to having two hellions..."

"What a saint." I said, Jory laughing beside me.

The picture below it was a picture of Jory and me, standing in front of Jory's parents house, smiling at his mom...with thumbs up.

"Aw," Jory said, poking the dimples that showed in my face when I smiled, and the obvious buck teeth in the picture made him laugh.

"I look like a beaver!" I said, laughing. He joined in and we both sat in silence as he flipped to the other pages. We flipped through page after page where at least one picture was of me and Jory. There was one from high school of Jory and I chilling on the couch watching Saved by the Bell. It was obviously summer and we'd watch marathons of it. Then the picture on the next page was of us on the couch, curled up together. We flipped through the rest of the pages, then got to a large section of blank pages. Obviously reaching the end, Jory sat it back down on the table.

He placed a quick kiss to my lips before his brother could round the corner. He pulled me closer into his side and smiled down at me.