Seasons.

Sitting here in my pretty dress, in a comfortable setting, felt weird. I sat here on the couch, the room was hardly light. Candles were the only thing that was helping me to see John sitting beside me. The sounds of Brighten was in the background, pouring through the speakers in the kitchen. I was quite surprised that nothing happened yet. I mean, Taylor and Josh beating each other to death, or the house burning down. I think John almost did that tonight though, and we don’t need anymore of that.

We sat here patiently, waiting for our food to arrive. I could still tell by John’s face that he was a truly sorry. He’s said it multiple times now. It’s not his fault though. It’s nice enough that he tried to cook for me, it’s the cutest thing that a guy has done for me. Actually, it’s the only thing that a guy has done for me. But, John’s presence just made me feel good either way.

John said that he was going to order a lot. I didn’t hear what he ordered since I had to go to the washroom when he called the place. All he told me was that we were going to have to eat it all, and we’d be sick by the end of the night. That’s all I really wanted though. I don’t need something cliche, like going to a fancy restaurant and then going to some dumb action movie the guy wanted to see. Sitting here, eating Chinese food and talking the night away was my way of romance. It wasn’t cheesy. John was overcoming that.

His eyes circled the room. I could tell that he was thinking something. I wish I could get into his mind and know all the things that he did. Smelling the candles was bugging me. It would normally be a nice smell to anyone, but right now it wasn’t the best thing for me. It was overcoming the smell of John. I pushed myself across the couch, turning around to face my back to John. Then, I fell back and laid my head on his chest.

John looked down at me and smiled. I watched as his hand reached for my hair. His long fingers because playing in my hair. I could feel his hot breath on my face as he looked down at me. I gushed, blushing. John did that me, and he didn’t even have to try. It was like a switch inside my heart that made me do these things when he was around.

The shirt was once covered in the food that John tried to prepare was clean now. I don’t know why, but I never pictured John like this. I don’t think he pictured me like this either. I’m used to see skinny’s and v-necks. His hair messed around, but still in the right position. His hair was combed right now, and on his legs were black pants that weren’t tight at all. We were both out of our elements together.

Then I heard the doorbell ring. I got up from John’s chest. He turned around and got up from the couch. I sat there awkwardly, watching him walk across the room. His hand reached in his back pocket, pulling out his wallet, I’m guessing. John turned left, into the entrance way of the house. Then I heard the door open, and the sounds of rain coming from outside.

“Here you go.” I heard the guy at the door say to John.

“Have a nice night.” John said to the guy at the door.

The smell entering my nose wasn’t the over smell of freshener we sprayed because of the burnt food. Or the crisp rain coming from the front door. I could smell a smell that I was used to. Down the street from my apartment was a Chinese restaurant that I’d eat at all the time. When my mom ‘forgot’ to get grocery’s, Carson and I would go down there and eat. It was the best food around.

John’s face was covered by the boxes of food in his hands. I giggled, getting up from the couch to help him with it. The food was hot on my hands. I grabbed it quickly and walked over to the coffee table. I set the food down and looked at John. “Do you think that we’re going to eat this all?”

“That’s why we have Jess downstairs!” He smiled. “She’ll eat the rest. Trust me.”

“I know she will.” I laughed. I walked across the room one more time.

Before I exited the livingroom John asked. “Where you going?”

“I’m going to get us forks,” I replied. “How the hell else are we gonna eat?”

“True. . .” He nodded, realizing that we’d need utensils to eat our food.

I turned a right at the door of the livingroom. I walked down the hallway, noticing the light in the kitchen was still on. You couldn’t see the light from the livingroom though. I guess that’s how long the hallway is. Then, I noticed that the door going into the basement was open a tad, and it wasn’t before. I raised my eyebrow, walking slowly down the hallway. I shut the door lightly, and then heard noises coming from the kitchen. It sounded like the sound of popcorn.

The bright light from the kitchen was coming closer to me now. The smell of popcorn was coming to my nose now. I walked into the kitchen, to see the tall lanky back body of Stephen. He stood there near the ledge, staring blankly at the microwave. I giggled a little bit making him turn around quickly. He smiled at me. “Why hello there.”

“What are you doing?” I asked. “Making some popcorn?”

“Yeah, I am.” He nodded. “I’m going to go and bring it down to them. And then I’m going to go to Hannah’s house because no one is there right now, and she doesn’t like being alone. I don’t blame her, that house is huge!”

“Where’s Ali and her grandparents?” I asked him.

“Her grandparents are gone to a party for their friends birthday.” He said. “You know, those lame old people parties?”

“Yeah, I know what you’re talking about.” I nodded. “What about Ali?”

“I think Hannah said that she didn’t know where she went.” Stephen shrugged.

“What are you guys going to do over there?” I asked him.

“Exactly what you and John are doing.” Stephen replied. “Sit down, get to know each other. You know, we’re exactly the same as you and John. I just haven’t gotten the balls to ask her out yet. I don’t want to risk anything.”

“But, you’ve known her for a day?” I asked him. “It’s different then me and John.”

“Well,” He turned around back to the popcorn. He took the bag out of the microwave and poured it into the purple bowl in front of him. Stephen turned around with the bowl in his hands. He grabbed a piece and put in his mouth. “I happen to like her more then John likes you. So ha!”

“Pardon?” I gasped, watching him walk past me. I could hear Stephen giggling as he walked around the island in the middle of the kitchen. At the arch of the kitchen entrance, he turned around and smirked at me.

“I’m kidding, now you kids go have fun.” He said referring to how me and John were the youngest here right now. I hated when people did that and they were only a year or a couple months older then you.

“Fuck off . . .” I sighed. “We’re not that young.”

“Dude, it’s a year.” Stephen said. “I’m still older then you.”

With that, Stephen waltzed out of the room. I heard him walk the hallway, and then the creek of the door. I could smell Chinese food and popcorn. I looked around the kitchen, noticing that it was still a little messed from when John tried to make food. Stephen didn’t really seem to notice though. I’m guessing that Stephen wasn’t surprised by this. He probably knew what happened. I don’t know why someone didn’t help him though.

The light was bright in the kitchen. Since the walls were bright, it made the room seem lighter and bigger then it actually was. I grabbed the air freshener that John had already used and sprayed it one more time before walking over to the door of the kitchen. I reached down the wall, and turned off the bright light.

I walked out of the arch way, and into the dark hallway. I could hear some talking coming from downstairs faintly, but that was it. I walked slowly, my black ballet flats hitting the wooden floor. Then I could hear something more then faint talking. It was John’s voice, but I didn’t know what he was saying or who he was talking to.

“Hm.” I heard him say. “Stay calm. Stay calm. Why are you being like this?”

That was one of the questions I could hear John saying to himself, but the rest was a little too hard to make out. He was talking too lowly. I walked even slower so I wouldn’t make it to the livingroom quickly. I wanted to see if I could make out some more of his faint sentences. I thought I wouldn’t be that cruel to him though. I knew I’d ask about it.

The entrance way was right in front of me, but I wasn’t sure if John could see me yet. I took a deep breath, wondering what the next thing John and I would talk about. I’m worried that I’m going to become boring. He wants someone who’s interesting, someone who can keep him in a good mood. I sighed, turning a left, and into the livingroom that smelled like John and the Chinese food sitting on the coffee table. I noticed that John hasn’t touched the food yet.

“Why didn’t you start eating?” I asked him.

“I thought I’d wait for you.” He said nervously.

“Aren’t you a gentlemen.” I laughed.

He shrugged. “I try.”

“You seem. . .” I sat down beside him. “I don’t know. You’re usually smooth, y’know? You seem a little tense or nervous?”

“I’m not nervous,” John shook his head back and forth. “Not at all.”

“Then why were you talking to yourself?” I asked him.

“Fuck . . .” I heard him mumble under his breathe.

I knew that I was going to say something about it. I hear or see things and I know I shouldn’t repeat them. When I do, do that, I put people on the spot. Or I get people in trouble. I usually repeat things that I shouldn’t, or bring up things that I shouldn’t. It was a bad habit and I needed to stop. It shouldn’t have been brought up because I could see the red smearing over John’s gorgeous face. His lips pressed together hard; He seemed really awkward. I’ve never seen him like this before.

John was one of those guys that could do anything. They could say something really weird, and if someone else said it, it wouldn’t be funny. Just because it was John saying it, it was funny. He’s the nice guy, who can talk to anyone. He’s really smooth and good with words. The awkward guy never crossed my mind when I thought John Gomez.

“It’s alright.” I nodded. “I talked to myself all the time when I was home alone. Carson caught me doing it one time, so he put a recorder in my house. I was talking about some weird ass shit. I don’t remember what it was, but it was weird. Carson played in front of his mom and dad at supper one night. Worst moment ever.”

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better.” He sighed in sarcasm.

“Well, what were you talking about?” I asked him. “I couldn’t really hear.”

“Um, I don’t know.” John shrugged. “I just felt a weird feeling. Tried to calm myself down a little bit. I thought you were still talking with Stephen.”

“You seem,” I looked at his eyes. “Nervous?”

“That’s the problem though.” He said. “I’m never nervous. Ever. I mean, lot’s of people in our band like Jess and Brian have stage fright. They get nervous and they do these weird things before shows. Everyone get’s nervous about random things, but not me. I’m guessing the feeling in my stomach is the nervous feeling. I’ve never really had it.”

Then I heard something. I looked behind me to see Stephen with a black sweater over the v-neck that he ordinally had on. One knee was on the floor as he grabbed one of his vans. He slid it on, not even noticing that John and I were looking at him. Before he went to grab his other shoe, he looked up at both of us. “Shit, sorry. I’ll leave now.”

I watched as Stephen put on his other shoe quickly and got up from the knee he was leaning down on. The door opened and then it closed. I could hear Stephen’s foot steps walk quickly off the porch. I looked out the window into the dark night now. It was almost around nine now. I don’t know where the time went. Stephen walked quickly down the lawn and across the street to Hannah’s grandparents house.

I turned around to face John. It wasn’t an awkward silence, but it was creeping about. The street light was blazing in John’s pupils as he looked at me. There was no smile on his face, or anger. He had a calm face, waiting for me to say something to him. I just sat there and looked at him for a moment though. I wanted to study his face.

“Are you nervous,” I started. I stayed quiet for a moment. “Because of me?” I asked.

“I don’t know. . .” He trailed off, trying to loose focus from me. “It could be you. I don’t know why. I’m not used to being nervous. So I don’t know why. It’s probably because of you. I’m worried I’m going to fuck up again.”

“You didn’t fuck up yet though.” I told him.

“I burnt the food!” He exclaimed.

I giggled. “John, for the millionth time, that doesn’t matter!”

“I still feel bad.” He shrugged. “I really do.”

“Well, let’s eat the food that you ordered before it gets cold.” I smirked.

-

The shoe’s that I had on before were kicked on the ground now. My legs were stretched out on the couch and I wasn’t sure what time it was. I knew it was late. John and I just sat here, filling up on food. There was no noise coming from downstairs anymore. Josh came up to tell us that everyone was calling it a night, early tonight. Stephen wasn’t back from Hannah’s yet either. It was a house full of silence, besides the giggles coming from me and John conversing with each other.

John’s shirt was unbuttoned a little bit. His legs were on top of mine. If anyone were to walk in here right now, the first thing that they would probably think is that John and I look comfortable and we were. It was nice just sitting here, getting to know each other. Stephen was exactly right when he said that’s what we would be doing.

“When do you think your dad is going to come home?” John said, not looking at me. His face was shoved in the rice box, chop sticks in hand. He dug to the bottom, trying to get every last piece. I was quite full though, I didn’t need anymore.

“I have no idea,” I shook my head. “I know that he’s going to be gone for at least tomorrow night. He has to go and get my aunt. I’m pretty sure he should be home sometime tonight and then he’s leaving tomorrow.”

John looked up at me with a sly smirk. “Do you know what’s going to happen?”

“What?” I asked.

“We’re gonna have a sleep over.” He laughed. “It’s going to be a party!”

“I can’t wait.” I giggled.

“Well. . .” John said. “We can if Josh doesn’t have an actual party.”

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“Whenever your dad goes out of town, it’s a tradition for Josh to have a party. Ever since grade 10 or so, he’s been known for it. Everyone comes, even people that Josh doesn’t know. So, if your dad is going to be gone, then there will probably be one. The last one before we go on tour.” John explained.

“Oh right,” I nodded. “You guys leave in like six days.”

“What do you mean?” John looked concerned. “Us guys? I thought you were coming to?”

“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “I need to talk to my dad about it. He probably will let me, but he doesn’t have custody of me. I know my mom will do something fishy. That’s why I’m even worried to bring it up to her.”

“Well,” John looked around. “I shoot her in the face if she doesn’t let you.”

“Do it,” I nodded. “Because I have a feeling she won’t. . .”