Turn Back Time
Seventeen
“Get your asses moving!”
The door flung open, without so much as a knock, and Elise and Garrett had pushed their way into my bedroom. John was still snoring lightly next to me, though I can’t see how, while I glowered at the friends that had woken me up. “Get your ass out.” I mumbled groggily.
I wiped my eyes, cursing myself for not taking off my eye makeup, and smudging mascara all over my face. Garrett began rooting through my closet and armoire, tossing articles of clothing at me, three of four at a time. “Pick something. We’re late.”
“Late for what?” John asked with his eyes tightly shut. “And secondly… who gives a shit?” He wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face into the crook of my neck.
Garrett scratched his head looking at me. “You’re back together?”
“Were we together in the first place?” I countered. I grabbed the box of face wipes off of my bedside table, and began wiping off the cosmetics I’d failed to handle a few hours ago. I felt John frowning against my skin. I heard him whisper, But I want to be. I pretended not to hear him.
“Did you seriously forget that we forgot Jared’s birthday, and are now throwing him a surprise party? The bonfire was supposed to start half an hour ago. Now get your horny asses in gear!” Elise clapped loudly, and she and Garrett galloped out of the room.
“Damn good surprise party…” John mused, “I’m supposed to be throwing it, and I didn’t even know about it.”
“Well, I have to change. Don’t look.” I smirked, and slid out from under the quilt. I pulled my t-shirt over my head, and ducked into a tank-top. The shorts I was wearing dropped to the floor, and were soon replaced by a pair of jeans I’d bought the other day. “Gah, these feel incredibly tight today.”
I turned and examined my butt in the mirror, completely surprised at how differently they fit outside of the dressing room.
“No complaints here.” John said, after collapsing back onto my pillows.
I rolled my eyes, ‘You’re such a guy.”
He shrugged, and then we stood for a moment in silence. He cleared his throat, and I looked up at him while I worked on tying my shoes. “About what Garrett said..”
I coughed in surprise. John pulled a face.
Furrowing his eyebrows, “I want you to be mine. I mean, well not literally mine, seeing as one person can’t own another. I mean, slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century, which it should have been. I just think—“
“You’re rambling.” I laughed. I flopped down on the bed beside him. “Other than the history lesson, are you trying to ask me to be your girlfriend?”
He kissed my slowly, “I think that’s exactly what I’m trying to say.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. I turned onto my back, and pulled him so he was leaning over me. “Hmmm… I don’t know…” He went from nibbling idly on my neck, to pushing up on my chin, and attaching my lips to his. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I grabbed his belt loops. As he moved, pulling me on top of him, our hips ground together.
He pulled away, whispering, “See, you only want me for my body.” I turned to his face, grinning, and he smirked. “But honestly, that’s enough for me.”
---
“Awww, you guys didn’t forget twice!” Jared grinned, running around and hugging each of us. I handed him the last-minute sketch of him I’d done in the car, and he beamed. “Holy shit! This is hotter than I am, and that’s nearly impossible to do!” He left sloppy kissed all over my face, and John squeezed my hand.
“Competition?” He laughed, nudging me with his elbow. I shook my head, and wrinkled my nose. He grinned, “You’re cute.”
I blushed, and I danced over to the immense table of food. I grabbed a plate full of hot dugs, hamburgers, pasta salad, fruit salad, regular salad, chips, and beers. Pat gawked at my massive plate, and followed me as I went to sit down. I set two forks down on the table. “You’re double-fisting it?” He asked, completely bemused.
I shook my head, and nodded towards Elise, who was sprinting for me. “She’s lazy. I make the plate, and I get a tiny portion of it.” Elise picked up the fork, and began shoveling noodles into her wide-open mouth.
“I lub you!” She said in a thick voice as she chewed. Pat wrinkled his nose as a piece of food fell onto her lap. She went bright red, and started laughing, causing herself to choke on whatever she was trying to eat.
I backed away, and ran over to John. “I totally almost killed Elise…” I muttered. Kennedy, who was standing nearby, snorted with laughter.
“It’s about goddamned time this happened. She swallow a tooth pick or something?” He asked hopefully. John and I swatted his arms simultaneously. I rolled my eyes, and pulled John over to the fire pit, where half of the people were now seated.
“It smells like charcoal, and grass.” I smiled, happily settling in onto John’s lap, “I love it here.”
“Hopefully you decide to stay.” He said quietly, watching the flames as they flickered in front of me.
I frowned. I hadn’t thought about that at all. I’d have to go back to Braintree at some point. I couldn’t stay here forever, though I couldn’t tell myself exactly why that was. Would John and I be done by the end of the summer? Would he come with me, or break it off to go on tour? He sensed how tense I’d gotten, and kissed the top of my head.
“I’ll be here as long as you want me.” He whispered.
“I want you all the time…” I said sadly.
The door flung open, without so much as a knock, and Elise and Garrett had pushed their way into my bedroom. John was still snoring lightly next to me, though I can’t see how, while I glowered at the friends that had woken me up. “Get your ass out.” I mumbled groggily.
I wiped my eyes, cursing myself for not taking off my eye makeup, and smudging mascara all over my face. Garrett began rooting through my closet and armoire, tossing articles of clothing at me, three of four at a time. “Pick something. We’re late.”
“Late for what?” John asked with his eyes tightly shut. “And secondly… who gives a shit?” He wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his face into the crook of my neck.
Garrett scratched his head looking at me. “You’re back together?”
“Were we together in the first place?” I countered. I grabbed the box of face wipes off of my bedside table, and began wiping off the cosmetics I’d failed to handle a few hours ago. I felt John frowning against my skin. I heard him whisper, But I want to be. I pretended not to hear him.
“Did you seriously forget that we forgot Jared’s birthday, and are now throwing him a surprise party? The bonfire was supposed to start half an hour ago. Now get your horny asses in gear!” Elise clapped loudly, and she and Garrett galloped out of the room.
“Damn good surprise party…” John mused, “I’m supposed to be throwing it, and I didn’t even know about it.”
“Well, I have to change. Don’t look.” I smirked, and slid out from under the quilt. I pulled my t-shirt over my head, and ducked into a tank-top. The shorts I was wearing dropped to the floor, and were soon replaced by a pair of jeans I’d bought the other day. “Gah, these feel incredibly tight today.”
I turned and examined my butt in the mirror, completely surprised at how differently they fit outside of the dressing room.
“No complaints here.” John said, after collapsing back onto my pillows.
I rolled my eyes, ‘You’re such a guy.”
He shrugged, and then we stood for a moment in silence. He cleared his throat, and I looked up at him while I worked on tying my shoes. “About what Garrett said..”
I coughed in surprise. John pulled a face.
Furrowing his eyebrows, “I want you to be mine. I mean, well not literally mine, seeing as one person can’t own another. I mean, slavery was abolished in the nineteenth century, which it should have been. I just think—“
“You’re rambling.” I laughed. I flopped down on the bed beside him. “Other than the history lesson, are you trying to ask me to be your girlfriend?”
He kissed my slowly, “I think that’s exactly what I’m trying to say.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. I turned onto my back, and pulled him so he was leaning over me. “Hmmm… I don’t know…” He went from nibbling idly on my neck, to pushing up on my chin, and attaching my lips to his. His tongue slipped into my mouth and I grabbed his belt loops. As he moved, pulling me on top of him, our hips ground together.
He pulled away, whispering, “See, you only want me for my body.” I turned to his face, grinning, and he smirked. “But honestly, that’s enough for me.”
---
“Awww, you guys didn’t forget twice!” Jared grinned, running around and hugging each of us. I handed him the last-minute sketch of him I’d done in the car, and he beamed. “Holy shit! This is hotter than I am, and that’s nearly impossible to do!” He left sloppy kissed all over my face, and John squeezed my hand.
“Competition?” He laughed, nudging me with his elbow. I shook my head, and wrinkled my nose. He grinned, “You’re cute.”
I blushed, and I danced over to the immense table of food. I grabbed a plate full of hot dugs, hamburgers, pasta salad, fruit salad, regular salad, chips, and beers. Pat gawked at my massive plate, and followed me as I went to sit down. I set two forks down on the table. “You’re double-fisting it?” He asked, completely bemused.
I shook my head, and nodded towards Elise, who was sprinting for me. “She’s lazy. I make the plate, and I get a tiny portion of it.” Elise picked up the fork, and began shoveling noodles into her wide-open mouth.
“I lub you!” She said in a thick voice as she chewed. Pat wrinkled his nose as a piece of food fell onto her lap. She went bright red, and started laughing, causing herself to choke on whatever she was trying to eat.
I backed away, and ran over to John. “I totally almost killed Elise…” I muttered. Kennedy, who was standing nearby, snorted with laughter.
“It’s about goddamned time this happened. She swallow a tooth pick or something?” He asked hopefully. John and I swatted his arms simultaneously. I rolled my eyes, and pulled John over to the fire pit, where half of the people were now seated.
“It smells like charcoal, and grass.” I smiled, happily settling in onto John’s lap, “I love it here.”
“Hopefully you decide to stay.” He said quietly, watching the flames as they flickered in front of me.
I frowned. I hadn’t thought about that at all. I’d have to go back to Braintree at some point. I couldn’t stay here forever, though I couldn’t tell myself exactly why that was. Would John and I be done by the end of the summer? Would he come with me, or break it off to go on tour? He sensed how tense I’d gotten, and kissed the top of my head.
“I’ll be here as long as you want me.” He whispered.
“I want you all the time…” I said sadly.