Take My Hand

The last thing I remembered doing before drifting off to sleep was watching Toy Story and Toy Story 2 with Jack. After the second movie, he got up to change it to another film. Don’t get me wrong, I actually enjoyed watching Disney movies with him. Toy Story is like my all time favorite movie and it has been such a long time since I’ve seen that film. If you’re asking why I haven’t watched it since I don’t know when, it’s because my copy of it was like one of those really big Laser Discs and our player got destroyed so as the years went by, I just forgot about it.

Lion King was about to start when I felt my eyes get heavy. I didn’t want to end up sleeping here so I tried to fight sleep but I couldn’t and it won over me so my eyes closed up and I fell into a deep slumber.

I didn’t really have dreams – or at least I don’t remember them – as I slept. I didn’t even feel like I slept at all but once I opened my eyes, the sun was back out and its rays were seeping from the window sill.

I don’t remember going back home last night, I thought to myself as I realized that I was lying on a bed. The sheets smelled differently thought. It smelled like guy perfume. Shit. I was in Jack’s bedroom.

I got up from the bed in so much panic. My pulse was going crazy and for a second, I felt numb. It was like my feet were glued to the wooden floor. I stared at the light blue-grey bedroom walls that surrounded me. His room was pretty neat, if you asked me.

“Good morning,” Jack startled me coming into his room dressed in only a towel, with a toothbrush in his mouth. To be completely honest, he did look sorta hot shirtless and his legs were just so…

I instantly looked out the window as my cheeks started burning up. “Uh, g-good morning to you, too,” I stammered and he laughed.

I heard footsteps from behind me and listened as they faintly went away. I slowly turned around relieved to find that Jack went back into his bedroom. I ran for the door and went down the stairs and into the very familiar living room. I wasn’t really sure if I was supposed to stay or head straight out but maybe if I left without saying anything, I’d hurt his feelings again and I can’t just do that, I mean he’s done so much for me.

“Brittany, where are you going?” Jack called from the second story of the house. He came down running – fully dressed – and almost tripped over the last step but luckily I was there to break the fall.

“Umm, I wasn’t really sure if I was supposed to just head out I mean, I owe you – big time.” I said.

“Well, do you have to go anywhere?” he asked me still holding both my hands from when I tried to break his fall. He squeezed them tightly as he waited for my answer.

“Well, I have to go home, that’s for sure,” I said. “But I don’t think I can come back here later today,” I said thinking about the consequences that my mother must be thinking about right now.

“Aww, why?” he asked sticking his bottom lip out as he pouted.

I smiled at him as I looked at the clock that was in his kitchen. It was eight in the morning meaning my Mom’s not out for work yet.

“It’s just my Mom’s really uptight and all,” I told him and he let my hands slip from his.

“Fine, at least give me your number so I can call you and-”

“Jack, don’t worry about it. Besides, I live right next door,” I said playfully stroking his cheek.

“Just hand it over,” he demanded grabbing his phone from his front pocket and handing it to me.

“Fine,” I got the phone from him and typed in the digits for my phone. “Here,” I said handing it back to him.

“Thanks for keeping me company, by the way,” Jack said as I walked to the door.

“Anytime,” I said before opening it up and getting out of the house.

I shut the door behind me and walked down the front porch. To tell you the truth, I was afraid of what was ahead of me once I got home. I walked slowly back to my house and walked in unhurriedly. My hands were trembling badly and my knees were shaking. This is what happens when I know I’m big trouble. It gets this scary.

“Brittany Taylor! Where the hell have you been all night?!” My Mom greeted me as I was trying to go up the stairs unnoticed.

“Um, I was just at Jack’s,” I said coolly. I needed to sound convincing and plus, I wasn’t even lying so what was there to hide, right? “He asked me to stay last night since he was getting pretty lonely,”

“And you think that I’m going to just buy that and let this all slip by me?” You see, I wasn’t really kidding about having an uptight mother.

“Well, that’s what really happened,” I said saying nothing but the truth.

“Well how would I know if you lost your virginity last night? I’m not old enough to be a grandmother and I’m sure as hell that you won’t be a great mother with your kind of attitude!” God, did she wake up on the wrong side of bed today? She was really getting on my nerves. Luckily, through all these years, I’ve learned to stretch my patience with her.

“Mom, we didn’t even sleep in the same room last night,” I said but I wasn’t really certain about that though.

“I don’t care if you slept in the same room or not! You just met the guy for Christ’s sake-”

“Mom, we’re just friends and we didn’t do anything stupid or foolish,” I said as my eyebrows began to meet. “You raised me up to be a smart girl and I don’t think people with intelligence make the wrong decisions,” I said taking deep breaths as I tried to keep my tears from falling. I never talked back to her and I never dared to but I think this time, she needs the lecture, not me.

My mother stayed silent and her face showed every bit of impatience. I had a feeling that with the tension in the air, she might end up slapping me across the face but as the seconds ticked away, the apprehension started to lessen. She walked away without another word.

I climbed up the stairs and walked into my room. I needed a shower, badly.

...........................................................

I took a quick shower and then changed into a black tank top and some white shorts. It was getting kinda warm so I decided to show a little skin.

After I dried my hair and brushed it, I checked my phone that lay silently on the dresser. I received message from an unknown number. It said: Hey, you up for a party tonight? I really want to introduce you to some of my friends and see you again. I hope everything goes well with your mom ;)

I’m guessing this was Jack but there was only one way to know. I called him.

“Hello?” Jack’s voice chimed in from the other line.

“Hey Jack,” I said as I sat on my bed.

“Hey, Brit, are you down with tonight?” he asked casually.

“Yeah, I’m down with it but I have teeny-tiny problem,” I told him. “What should I wear?”

“Well, duh, something sexy, of course.” He said as a matter-of-factly. I rolled my eyes at what he said.

“Where are we going exactly?” I asked him changing the subject.

“To a friend’s house,” he said ambiguously.

“Right,” I said nodding my head. “Fine, I’ll look for something to wear,” I said before hanging up.

“Make sure you dress up sexy!” Jack called from the window in his house that was right across mine. I didn’t know that our windows were right across each other…

“Dream on, Jack!” I called back from my window.

He smiled goofily before shutting his window and getting out of his room.

I sighed to myself as I thought about what to wear. But while I was thinking, I realized that my mother was still ‘mad’ at me. Honestly, I thought that her anger towards me was sort of unreasonable. I mean I did come back home, right? I guess she just has issues with being overprotective.

I didn’t know how to ask her if I could go to the party tonight. Maybe if I let her cool down for a while, she’ll be all cheerful again but knowing how she is, she holds grudges ‘til the next day or at least for a long period of time. So if I wanted to ask her, I might as well just go ahead and do it now.

I walked down the stairs with not only a question to ask my mother but also a stomach to fill. All this thinking was making me hungry and my stomach’s been grumbling a whole lot.

I walked in the kitchen with heavy thoughts. Stephen was the first one to notice my presence. He didn’t seem happy to see me. Maybe he heard Mom’s argument with me and is taking her side. He’s always taken her side because he always thinks that I’m stupid and Mom isn’t. I just hate it when he does that.

“Brittany?” a more calm and collected Mom called to me as she walked in the kitchen.

“Mom, I’m sorry I snapped at you,” I said feeling the guilt that my brother clearly wanted me to feel.

“It’s okay, dear,” Mom said taking a seat beside my brother who was eating a bowl of cereal on the island. “It’s just that I’m going to Arizona today to visit your grandmother. She needs some help over there and all of your aunts are busy.” She told me.

“Why does she need help?” I asked concerned.

“She’s running low on money,” she stated and I swear I really wanted to just roll my eyes. She was a big money spender. She buys so many unnecessary things and then throws them in the garbage after a while. “But I was just wondering if you would like to come and help me out,”

“No!” I said with so much emotion but I really didn’t mean for it to sound like that. It’s just that I really didn’t like Grandma and she didn’t like me either so the feeling’s mutual.

Stephen looked at me like I just told Mom that she was stupid or something. It annoyed me that he thought so lowly of me. I hated him for that.

“I thought so,” she said getting off of the chair. “I have to get going. Come on, Stephen.” She said walking past me.

Stephen sighed and grabbed the car keys that were right on the counter. I swear I heard him mumble ‘bitch’ before getting up and following Mom out the door.

I waited until the car left the driveway before I let the tears fall from my eyes. I didn’t get why they did this to me. It’s not like I stepped on their heads or anything like that.

I took my phone out of my pocket and called Jack again.

“Hey, you found anything to wear yet?” he said as he picked up.

“Jack, c-can I go over t-to your house for a while?” I sobbed crying my eyes out. I just felt so bad.

“Hey, say no more,” he said comfortingly.

I hung up and ran over to his house with nothing else but my phone and a heavy heart. Jack was waiting with the door wide open so when I climbed up the steps of his front porch, I crashed into him and hugged him tightly as I let the tears flow endlessly.

He brought me inside the house and we snuggled on the couch for a while. He asked me several times if I needed anything but I just kept shaking my head.

After about an hour of him trying to cheer up but ended up just holding me in his lanky arms, he came up with a solution. “Hey, what would you say to a trip to the mall?”

“What are we gonna do there?” I asked with my voice hoarse.

Jack got up and went to the kitchen. I followed closely behind him. He handed me a bottle of water and got one for himself.

“Well we’re going to get you something to wear for tonight,” he winked at me before twisting the cap and drinking his bottle of water.

I smiled at him. I was glad I had a friend like him. He was all I needed right now and maybe he’ll be all I’ll ever need.