The Summer Scene

Days past and time flew by, and soon enough it was Thursday; the day before Nathan’s flight home.

I woke up inside my blackened room, pushing the curtain and shades back to let the sun’s rays fill my sanctuary. I was blinded as I pulled them back, telling me it must be close to noon. I shuffled over to my dresser, quickly brushed through my hair and put it up into a pony tail.

I descended the staircase, noticing Nathan sitting on the couch in the living room watching television. “Morning sunshine.” He greeted me.

“Morning.” I replied, curling my feet under me, taking the seat next to him and resting my head upon his shoulder.

“Sleep well?” he asked, moving his arm around me to pull me in closer.

“Yeah, I guess.” I sighed. Last night was the first night after the graduation party that I did not once dream of that night ending in a multitude of many different ways. “What do you want to do today?” I asked him, picking up my head to look at his face while he answered my question.

“I was thinking about hanging around here with some movies and just chilling.”

“Ok.” I placed my head back down on his broad shoulder, letting out a sigh of contentment.

-xxx-

After watching 50 First Dates on ABC Family, I went upstairs to change into other comfortable clothing that were not my pajamas. Before I started to change, I decided to turn my phone on because it has been off for many days now. When it was fully booted up, I was dressed and descending the stairs again, the phone vibrated multiple times indicating that I had missed text messages. I chose to read through them.

Is your boyfriend keeping you locked away? I miss you. Come over.
Ross O’Callaghan

“Oh.” I said out loud, alarming Nathan.

He was concerned. “What?”

“Ross texted me a while ago, wanting to hang.” I told him, still looking down at that same text.

“Ok, well if you want you can go.” He told me plainly.

“Really?” I questioned because it sounded like he didn’t want me to go. He nodded in response, causing me to bolt back up to my room to change into “going out” attire.

Again I made my way down the stairs fully dressed around four. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?” I asked Nathan, who was standing at the bottom of the staircase.

“Yeah.” he replied. “You can though, I know you miss your friends.”

“Alright.” I moved into him to place a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye, by beautiful.”

“Bye.” I waved behind me on my way out the door.

I pulled up to the familiar O’Callaghan house, which in the past I could call my second home. I parked my car next to the curb, and walked up the pathway where I have said so many goodbye’s before.

I knocked on the door and it took a few moments before someone answered. “Is Ross here?” I asked.

“No, he went out with Kendell.” John told me. He was wearing that white v-neck t-shirt which was my favorite on him, along with none other than navy blue skinny jeans. “Why?” he questioned me.

“I’m bored, the house is too crowded, and he texted me.” I replied with a hint of attitude.

“I’m guessing he made alternate plans with her because you wouldn’t answer him.” He smirked.

Agreeing to this I replied, “I guess so.”

John opened the door wider, inviting me in. I followed in his footsteps to the den where we have spent so many days sitting around with friends and instruments. He sat on the couch facing the television and once I entered the room, Nathan and the past year felt like none of it happened. It was just John and I picking up where we left off.

I placed myself on the cushion next to him; we sat in semi-awkward silence watching the television.

“So what have you been up too these past few days?” He broke the silence during the credits of Billy Madison.

“Shopping and spending time at the house.” I said flatly.

“Sounds like fun.” He said sarcastically and smirked at my lack of enthusiasm.

“I guess you could say that.” I agreed. “What about you?”

“Practice and chilling on this baby.” He patted the couch.

“Well that’s productive, when you’re trying to write a full length.” I joked.

“Hey, shuddup.” He leaned over towards me and pushed me slightly backwards with his hand.

“Don’t touch me.” I tried to say with a straight face, but a smile betrayed me as I pushed him back.

“Watch yourself.” He reached both of his arms out towards me, and started tickling my sides.

“Stop. John. Please.” I was blurting out between my hysteric laughs.

“I don’t think so.” He shook his head and continued to tickle me.

“Come on. Stop. Stop. Stop.” I kept yelling though he kept on going. “Please. John. Please.
Stop.” I used my last breaths to say, and he finally stopped.

I couldn’t move. I was out of breath from laughter, along with my sides hurting from the tickles and laughing. My head was in John’s lap, my eyes were closed and my hands were folded over my stomach as I tried to calm my heart from racing and get my breaths to become even again; and John’s fingers ran through my hair, while the other hand rested upon my own.

When I finally sat up, his hands flew back to my sides, causing me to involuntarily smack him in the face.

“Oh my god, John! I’m so sorry.” I apologized as soon as I realized what I have just done.

He was rubbing his cheek.

“I’m really, really sorry.”

“I deserved it, I guess.” he finally spoke.

“Yeah you did.” I agreed. If he wouldn’t have started tickling me before, then I wouldn’t have been paranoid and felt the need to smack him.

“That hurt though.” He told me. I, fully aware, leaned in and pressed my lips to the cheek that I just reddened. As I pulled away a few seconds later, he chuckled, “What I do to hear that laugh.”

I smiled.

Sleepy Hollow was the next movie being broadcasted on Starz. I wasn’t one for horror movies, so I was sure in for a hell of a time.

As the screen moved to show all the heads piled up in the tree, I held my legs that were already up to my chest tighter, to hide my face behind my knees. John noticed, scooting as close to me has he could get, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me in for comfort. I nuzzled my head into his chest. We stayed like this throughout the whole movie.
He must have been the only one watching it, due to the fact that I kept my eyes closed, resting into his chest, savoring these moments.

I heard him chuckle.

“What?” I finally picked my head up and looked at him, taking notice that this movie had also come to an end.

“You.” I cocked my head to the side and looked at him with a confused expression. “You slept throughout the whole movie.” He enlightened me as to why he laughed.

“I was not sleeping, I was resting.” I informed him, moving my entire body to face him. “Horror movies scare the shit out of me.”

“You should have told me, I would’ve changed the channel.” He looked a little mad that I didn’t tell him, but it came out sweetly.

I rolled my eyes. “Now you tell me.”

We again decided to sit through another movie. Neither of us never once leaving the den, or checking our cellphones.

“Hey.” I randomly said.

“Yeah?” John asked a little weary, obviously knowing some idea was brewing in my head.

“Take me to get a tattoo.” I blurted out.

He looked at my shocked. “Why?”

“Because I want to get one.” I told him like it was obvious.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh come on. I want to do something fun.” I started to coax.

“Go streaking.” He seriously replied, and it took me a moment to answer back; I wasn’t sure if he was actually being serious or joking.

“Come on, you have so many.” I took my hand and moved it, palm facing the ceiling, up and down in front of him.

“I know.”

I crawled over to him and gave him the puppy dog pout. “Please.”

“No.”

I tried again. “Please.”

“No.”

I crawled so close that I was basically straddling his lap, looking him right into his green orbs with a pout on my face.

“Come on.” He finally gave in. “Let’s go to my guy.”

“Yay!” I jumped up off of him, following him out to his truck.

-xxx-

The tattoo parlor, owned by John’s guy, Ted, was very small and was located not more than twenty-five minutes away.

Once we walked through the door we were greeted by a short chubby man. “Hey Johnny.

What can I do for you tonight?” he greeted John.

“Actually,” he started to say. “she wants to get one.” He used his thumb to point over to me on his right.

“Really?” Ted asked, and I thought he was talking about me being so young and wanting one; but boy was I wrong. “You’ve never brought a girl here, she must be special.” Ted looked over at me with soft eyes.

“Yeah she’s okay.” John joked.

Ted turned his attention over to me. “So, what can I do for you sweetheart?”

“Hmm…” I started to think. “I have two ideas, but I don’t know which one I should get.” I decided.

“Ok, shoot.” Ted crossed his arms across his chest and waited for me to explain.

“I either want to get the phrase ‘I must be dreaming’ here.” I said pointing to my lower right back. “Or I want ‘learn’ on the inside of my lip.”

“I’d go with the first one.” Ted advised me. “And if you’re okay with the pain then we can do your lip.”

“Kay.”

When the stencil was ready, I laid down on the bed belly down and endured the little pain that came with the art. I was a little weary when I saw Ted take out a needle, due to the fact that I am terrified of needles. While I was lying down, John sat next to my head and rubbed my hands that were hanging off the front, for relaxation in case the pain got to be too much for me. He is so thoughtful and sweet.

“This is awesome. I love it!” I complimented Ted happily, checking my new ink out in the mirror.

“No problem sweetheart.”

“I can’t believe you got one of my lyrics.” John said, though I knew he loved it.

“It’s not totally your lyric; it’s a phrase to sum up my life.” I retorted. “It suits me.”

He came over, right behind me and whispered into my ear, “Will your boyfriend approve?”

“What boyfriend?” I winked, whispering back.

“Tease.” He stated backing up, to let Ted cover up the ink so it could dry and heal.