One of Those Rainy Days

“Well,” I started, going to get four glasses from the cabinet. “Then I’m happy for you.” She smiled as I handed her two of the glasses, which she set on the counter. After getting ice and water, we walked back into the living room, and handed each guy a glass. “What do y’all wanna do?” I asked, setting my glass on the table.

“We could go to the park?” Chelle said in a questioning tone. The loud patter of rain starting to come down on the window, and then the thud of thunder (which made Michelle jump) signaled that going three blocks down to the neighborhood park was out of the question.

“How about we play a game?” Nick offered. He actually sounded more than monotone for the first time since he’d gotten to my house. We really needed to loosen this guy up.

“What should we play?” Michelle asked. I thought for a second.

“How about Get to Know You?!” Michelle grinned, nodding, but both guys looked confused. Chelle and I laughed. It was a game we played at our church years ago, so I didn’t really expect them to know what it was. “Do you know how to play?” Joe and Nick both shook their heads, so I explained. “Basically, everyone gets ten pieces of Toilet Paper,” I started.

“Toilet paper?” Joe asked, confused. I laughed.

“Just bare with me. Anyways, one person starts, and they say ten things about themselves that not everyone know -after their name, which counts as one. The next person has to say ten completely different things, and so on.”

“It’s basically an introduction game,” Chelle continued. “And since Dyl doesn’t know either of you guys very well…” She trailed off. The guys quickly agreed, so I ran to grab a roll of toilet paper from the bathroom, and then gave everyone ten pieces. “Who wants to start?”

“Dylan will!” Joe offered. I play glared at him, but laughed.

“We have to sit on the floor!” Chelle called, before I could start speaking. “It’s how we played in Dallas!” Joe rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, but scooted next to her on the floor, holding her hand. I sat across from Chelle, and Nick sat next to me. I noticed the sizable space between us, like he was afraid it would be awkward if he was close to me.

“Scooch closer!” I said, laughing. “I don’t have cooties.” He grinned sheepishly, and moved a little closer. There was still a good ten inches between us. “Really?” I swung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer. “You will soon learn that this is a very touchy feely group of people to be in.” Michelle laughed. “Comepletely insane, of course, but totally lovable.”

“Totally,” Joe said, kissing Michelle on the cheek. I stuck my tongue out, and Nick made a face.

“MOVING ON,” I screamed, fake covering my eyes. “Starting!” I held my toilet paper up, ripping a piece off every time I said something. “My name is Dylan Rowley, I’m seventeen. I like punk-pop music, I hate most country, even though I’m from Dallas. My favorite ice cream is Sticky Toffee Pudding.” I had five left. “I’m loud, my favorite color is green, I hate camping, I’m a virgin, and…” I tried to think of what the last one should be. Nothing lame. Maybe a shocker? No, that last one was a little TMI. Something cute maybe? “And I’ve never been kissed in the rain.” I threw my last piece of toilet paper into the middle with a laugh. Michelle giggled. “Who’s next?”

“Ladies first,” Nick said, pointing to Chelle. She smiled.

“Okay…My name’s Michelle Meyers, I’m twenty. I’m an actress, but I can sing too. I’m from Grand Prarie, Texas. I like country music, but not rap. I hate the color orange.”

“WTF, Meyers?” Nick said, surprising me with his use of abbreviations. Maybe he didn’t need that much loosening up after all. “Why hate on orange?”

“Because it’s an ugly color. I don’t wanna look like a prison inmate or a crossing guard when I’m out shopping.” She rolled her eyes, and continued. “My mom passed away when I was seven, my dad is French, and…I like Pizza!”

“Amen to that!” I said, holding my hand up for a high five. She slapped my hand back, and we both looked to Joe at the same time.

“Geeze. Guess it’s my turn.” He smiled, removing his hand from Michelle’s, and started ripping. “My name’s Joe Adam Jonas.”

“Middle names, really?”

“Shut up, Dyl,” Chelle said. I laughed.

“I play four different instruments-guitar, piano, violin and the tambourine.”

“That last one so does not count!” I said, laughing.

“Does too!” Joe countered, crossing his arms. “It takes a great amount of precision and dedication.” I rolled my eyes.

“Oh yeah, ya know, cause it takes years to learn how to bang a piece of plastic on your hand in rhythm.” Nick laughed, but Chelle and Joe played hurt.

“Why so mean to my boyfriend?” she asked. I patted her leg.

“Only kidding!”

“ANYWAYS,” Joe called us back to attention. “I can sing, I like disco music.” I snorted, but didn’t say anything. “I still sleep with a blanket I’ve had since I was seven, I’ve never dyed my hair, I can do a backflip, I’ve been on broadway, I’ve had my nails painted, and…I’m NOT a virgin.” He smirked as he threw the last piece of paper into the middle, and I fake gasped.

“What?! Disney kiddies everywhere are crying!” I said in a shocked voice, but then laughed. I had the feeling he wasn’t, but then again, he still had the ring on. I didn’t wanna know, though. Not a mental picture I necessarily needed or wanted to have in my brain. “Your turn!” I said, turning to Nick. He smiled.

“Joyyy. Lets get this over with. My name’s Nick Jerry Jonas, my favorite color is red, blue on an off day. My second favorite ice cream is Chocolate Chip Mint, after Sticky Toffee.” He shot a glance towards me. I almost choked on the sip of water I’d taken. I didn’t know anyone else that like STP besides me and my dad! Michelle hates brown sugar, and that’s basically what the cake is made of. “I can cook-kind of. I like jazz music. I can’t stand posers.” He had four left. “I love rain. I hate snow-probably because I’m from Texas.” This I didn’t know. He was from Texas? I’d have to talk to him about this later. “I can’t stand it when people walk around outside in socks-it weirds me out. And…I’ve never kissed a blonde.” He threw his last piece in the middle, and smiled triumphantly. “I like this game!” he said, bouncing. I think we’ve finally broken him. He’d let down a reserved wall he’d had since he stepped into the house, and seemed to be happy.

After picking up the last remnants of toilet paper, I’d suggested we watch a movie. After finally settling on The Messengers (Michelle had wanted to watch Twilight, but Joe, Nick and I had all protested), Nick helped me get some popcorn made in the kitchen. We discovered that neither of us liked the microwave kind-it always tasted like plastic-much to our families disapproval. Joe and Michelle had both groaned when we said we were using the popper, but once we placed a huge bowl of the all natural, buttery heaven in front of them, they shut up. Thank the Lord.

Nick and I talked and laughed as we got things together in the kitchen. We even got into a mini popcorn fight.

Okay, I was flirting. But who wouldn’t? He was Nick freaking Jonas. But he was more than that. I’d kind of gotten to know him, and he seemed like a pretty awesome guy.

“Hurry it up in there, kiddies!” Joe called from the living room. We both rolled our eyes.

“Why is our bowl smaller then there’s?” Nick asked, pouring a little salt into his hand and then sprinkling it into the popcorn. I wordlessly walked to the fridge, and pulled something out, throwing it onto the counter. “NO WAY!” He picked up the tub of ice cream, looking at the hand written label. “They stopped making this like, last year! How’d you get it?!”

“You’re not the only one who can cook,” I said, grinning as I went to get two bowls from the cabinet. “I made it-with my dad’s help, of course. We have, like, five tubs in the freezer.”

“You made five tubs of Sticky Toffee Pudding by hand?” I laughed, grabbing the ice cream scoop from the drawer. “Yep. And it’s pretty damn good, too.” My testament was proved when we sat down, the large bowl of pop corn in front of us, and Nick took a small bit of the ice cream, sticking it into his mouth.

“Jesus Christ,” he said, swallowing. “This is freaking amazing. Almost better than the brand name stuff.” I grinned. I’d just caused a Jonas Brother to make an orgasm face! My life was officially complete! Not really, but ya know. It’s gotta help somewhere along the line. I started the movie, and we dug into our bowls of ice cream, finishing them in mere minutes. I was trying to find a comfortable way to lay down, on my half of the couch, my head pressing against either the arm rest, in which case I couldn’t see, or the back, which was really uncomfortable.

“Uhm,” Nick started, glancing to where Michelle was laying across Joe’s chest, his hands playing with the ends of her hair. (I know where you thought I was going with that sentence! Perves. Just kidding. I thought the same thing at first when I couldn’t find his hands as I glanced over, but then I spotted them right next to her shoulder, his fingers going over and over the same strand of blonde locks.) “You wanna…” he gestured down to his chest, and looked back up at me. I nodded sheepishly.

“I hate sitting up in movies,” I said, laughing, and grabbing a pillow from the side of the couch.

“Me too!” He laid back on his arm rest, a small pillow behind his head, and I put my pillow on his chest and the sat back, pulling my hair to one side. It was actually a really comfortable position, and I could see the TV perfectly. We sat comfortably like that for most of the movie, and every once in a while, when something would jump in the screen or it was a scary part (I’d seen that move a good ten times) I’d cover my eyes with Nick’s hand and my own. Once I’d moved it, I’d keep my hand under his on the pillow behind my head and his thumb would trace little circles on the back of my hand (total Twilight moment, I know, but there was nothing I could do to keep it from being cliché).

I heard a little giggle from the other couch, and glanced over to see Michelle and Joe looking at us. My phone vibrated in my back pocket, and I dug around, trying my hardest not to hit Nick in any, you know, uncomfortable areas. I was kind of laying like, right down his middle, with one of his legs on either side of mine. So it would have been easy to just reach back and rack the poor guy on accident. It would have been something that would have happened to me, too. I’m extremely clumsy. I checked my messages, and I had one from Michelle.

From: Sissy
Message: TOLD YOU SO. So cute!

I glance back at Michelle, but she was already back to watching the movie, so I couldn’t’ shoot her a glare or anything. I put my phone at an angle so that Nick couldn’t see what I was texting, and replied.

To: Sissy
Message: I know >.> You were right! I do like him. A lot!

I sent it off, and before I knew it she had replied. I had been too bust focusing on the feeling of the callused finger currently making patterns on my hand. Before I checked the message from her, though, I noticed I’d received not one, but two messages. The first one, I was pleasantly surprised to see, was from Robby.

From:Robby
Message: Hey. I’m sorry, but I can’t go tonight. My GMa’s in town. Sorry again.

Okay, maybe not so pleasantly surprised. I let out a little growl on the inside, annoyed.

“Hey, you okay?” Nick’s hot breath tickled my ear, and I thought I’d just about die there and then. I guess that growl hadn’t been so much on the inside. No, I’d wanted to reply. I’m not okay. You just made my heard go a million miles a minute. But of course, I couldn’t reply with that. So I just mumbled a simple “Mm-hm” and went to check the other message from Michelle.

From: Sissy
Message: Again, told you so! But what about Robby. Aren’t yall going out tonight?

To: Sissy
Message: Plans canceled. Tell you later.[/b[

I sighed as I put my phone back in my pocket, and continued watching the movie. Well, as much of it as I could watch with Nick’s distractions.

When the movie was finally over, Michelle helped me clear out the dishes into the kitchen.

“His Grandma is in town?” Michelle said with a disbelieving tone. I nodded.

“That’s what he said.” I poured the remaining popcorn seeds out of the bowl I was holding into the trash, and carried it to the sink.

“Dyl, didn’t he cancel y’all’s last date because of his Grandma’s funeral?” The bowl I was holding clattered into the sink loudly.

“Everything okay in there?” Nick called from the living room.

“Fine!” I called, my voice cracking. I’d totally forgotten. About two weeks ago, we were supposed to go to the movies, but Robby had called me last minute to say that his last Grandmother had passed away and her funeral was that day. Then, he’d brought me flowers at school, and we’d kind of ended up making out behind the quad during lunch period.

“What. The. Hell,” I seethed. “Why would he do this?!”

“To get in your pants?” Michelle offered with a shoulder shrug. I rolled my eyes. Typical. I’d been branded as a slut because my boyfriend from freshman year, Tom, one of Robby’s friends, had decided to tell everyone on the football team how we’d messed around in his hot tub the week after New Year’s.

Just. Fucking. Great.

“Wait a second,” I said, pulling my phone out. I opened up Facebook, heading for the search page. I had a pretty good idea of why he’d canceled our second date in a row, and this was just going to prove it. I typed “Kayla Henderson” into the search box, and her page came up. The latest status was “Party kicked ass last night. Getting ready to have an old friend over. Should be a fun night ;)” I KNEW IT! Kayla was Robby’s cheerleader ex girlfriend, who he’d “dumped” shortly before asking me out the first time. And they’d been flirting last week at lunch, when he was eating with me, I might add. I showed the status to Michelle, who gasped.

“What a douche!” she whispered.

“Whatever,” I said, putting my phone away and throwing the last dish into the dishwasher. “I’m not gonna let it bother me.” We walked back into the living room with smiles on our faces, and then after a few minutes, I excused myself to go to the restroom just as Michelle’s phone rang. On my way out, I literally ran into Nick, who was carrying a glass of very cold water. Which, of course, went all down my shirt.

“Crap!” he called, pulling away. “I’m so sorry!” I laughed it off, saying it was okay, and went back to the bedroom to change shirts while he went to grab a towel to clean up the drippage off the tile hallway. I heard the doorway close and open just as I went into my room, but dismissed it, thinking that Michelle must have had to run out to her car to grab something. When I came out, dressed in a white tee shirt and white cami, Nick was standing a foot away from my door, looking at a piece of paper with an annoyed face. I grabbed the paper and gave it a once over.

Dyl and Nick-
Mom locked herself out. Again. Be back in a bit. Have fun! –Chelle and Joe

I could kill her. She left me. Alone! With Nick!

Hey, wait a sec. This may not be such a bad thing.