The Past is Only the Future with the Lights On

I watched with wide eyes as the smirking boy at my doorstep snapped his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket before bending down to pick up mine. He placed it in my hand, then proceeded to put his hand under my chin, closing my jaw.

I looked from Frank to my grandma several times, then threw my hands up in the air in astonishment.

“I’m never trusting either of you guys again!” I exclaimed, laughs coming from both of them as Frank entered the warm home, closing the door behind him.

I stomped up the stairs to my bedroom, all the while trying to think of a reason to be mad with Frank. He was just trying to surprise me, which he’d certainly succeeded in, but I didn’t like it. Surprises weren’t really my thing.

Throwing my bedroom door open, his laugh, practically a song in itself, met my ears, along with his feet coming in contact with the wooden staircase in large, rushed steps. I didn’t even have time to shut my door, his hand was already there, keeping me from closing it.

I glared at his amused expression before turning around with a ‘huff’ and collapsing on my bed.

“Aw, Kelly. Don’t tell me you’re mad at me because I wanted to surprise you,” his voice was softer than usual, due to the fact that my face was buried in my pillow, making it harder to hear.

“I’m not. I’m mad at my grandma, too,” I said, muffled almost to the point of incoherency.

He simply chuckled at my response, just as I felt the bed sink in from his weight climbing on it. His breath was now falling onto the back of my neck, nearly making me forget what I was upset about. Wait - why was I upset? Am I ridiculous or what?

“What can I do to make up for it?” He was speaking in a voice just above a whisper. “I’m yours for the rest of the weekend.” And there was the hint of a smirk I’d been waiting for.

Finally allowing myself to breathe normally, I turned onto my back, noticing his face was closer than I expected.

“Hold me,” I told him childishly, opening my arms.

Half of his mouth pulled into a smile as he did what he was told, falling into my arms obediently and not hesitating to wrap his arms tightly around my waist.

We stayed like that for what felt like hours, perfectly at ease in each other’s embrace. It was almost hard for me to believe that such an amazing person was real, let alone my best friend.

Is that even what we were? I wasn’t even sure anymore. I mean, surely to strangers we looked like a couple, but that was just the way we showed our friendship. However, our friends, who knew us front and back, weren’t even convinced. They were confident in their beliefs that there was something more than closeness and trust between Frank and I. God forbid they ever found out about this morning’s happenings. They’d never leave the two of us alone.

I just wasn’t sure what to accept anymore. If our friends were right, and Frank did feel the same - highly unlikely, but we’re just speaking hypothetically here - wouldn’t he have at least tried to tell me? I know, I’m a prime example of this, but who knows. Frank had to have more balls than myself in this category.

“Are you tired?” I heard him faintly ask. I realized, then, that my eyes had drooped closed and that I was using his chest as a pillow. Hell, he was more comfortable than my bed.

I simply nodded, too lazy to use words.

“You ready for bed then?” he asked, tracing invisible circles on my waist with the tip of his finger.

“I don’t want you to leave,” I mumbled, hugging him closer.

He laughed and skillfully escaped from my tight grasp to walk to my door. I was expecting him to open it and leave, but, instead, he flipped the light switch so my room was enveloped in darkness, the only light coming from the single window that still had the blinds opened.

He climbed back into bed next to me, pulling the covers over both of our fully clothed bodies.

Completely exhausted from not having obtained any sleep the night before, I greedily placed my head back on his chest, feeing his arms snake back in their previous position around my waist.

“Happy birthday, Kelly,” he whispered, kissing the top of my head.

A yawn passed through my lips, interrupting my response.

“You, too.”

The last sound wave to wend through my ears was that of his light laughter, just before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.