Sequel: Unsaid Things ›
Status: Completed
Don't Give up on Me
Birthday?
“Happy birthday.” I whispered to myself, leaning my head on the back of the couch. It’s been a few days since I came to live with Rachel, and I found myself at her home alone, as she had left a little while ago to hang out with Dougie or whatever. She had invited me, but I thought it’d just be awkward if I were to go on her date with her.
I stood from the couch and shook my head, nausea running through me. But I just ignored it as I made my way into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge and taking a long gulp from it. Wiping my mouth, I leaned against the counter and sighed, rubbing my flat stomach softly. I was only a few weeks in, so no one will figure it out for another few months or so.
I bit my lip then, thinking back to the other night when I came so close to telling Rachel. I knew I should have told her, since I’m living at her house and she has the right to know… But I just couldn’t. I was afraid to get rejected again, like my parents had. No one can know until I find myself my own place. I have enough money for it in my college fund, because I couldn’t go to college with a baby. That’s stupid, and it just screams problem.
I jumped slightly when the door opened and slammed shut. Rachel couldn’t already be home; she just left. I peaked my head around the kitchen and looked into the entry way. My breath caught in my throat. Rachel’s cousin was standing there with his dog, slipping his shoes off and unclipping the dog’s leash. He stood up straight and stretched, putting the leash on a table near the door and his dog sat patiently at his feet. I watched as the dog looked right at me before jumping up and running over.
“Charlie?” Danny asked, and I jumped from around the corner so he couldn’t see me. His tiny dog jumping right on me and knocked me down to the ground. I smiled widely, sitting on my bum as his dog licked my face, crawling all over me. “Charlie! Come here! What are you doing?” Danny shouted, before he came around the corner. He jumped at the sight of me, “Oh, sorry about him… Here.” Danny said lifting his dog in one arm and holding his other hand out to me. I graciously clasped his hand and he pulled me up. “Nicole, right?”
“Niccy.” I smiled, “It’s okay. I love dogs.” I mused, dropping his hand and running it through my hair awkwardly. Danny bit his lip before putting ‘Charlie’ back down, running his hand through his hair too. I looked down and at his dog, who was wagging his tail happily, is tongue hanging out. I smiled, and knelt down, his dog jumping all around and laying in my lap. I pat his soft fur slowly.
“Uh, I thought you would be with Rachel at Dougie’s…” Danny said, clearing his throat. “And I was walking my dog so I thought I would come by and get the last of my laundry.” Danny said, kneeling down too. I shrugged with a smile.
“I didn’t want to be the third wheel.” I said, and Danny nodded. “You can go ahead and do your laundry if you want, I was just getting some breakfast – well lunch. Do you want some?” I found myself asking and Danny nodded with a smile, standing up straight.
“That sounds great, thanks.” He said with a soft smile. I stood up and his dog followed him as he made his way into the laundry room.
Shaking my head slowly, I made my way back into the kitchen and flipped the kettle on. After searching around the kitchen, I took the ingredients of grilled cheese and put it on the counter. I heard Danny rummaging around the laundry room as I turned the stove on. I put a pan on the stove and melted some butter on it before placing two spices of bread flat down. After putting pieces of cheese on them, and then flattening them together, I pulled two plates down and repeated what I had just done. I made 4 sandwiches and cut them each in half, putting four slices on each plate.
“I love grilled cheese.” Danny said, as I placed a plate in front of him at the bar type table in the kitchen.
“Me too.” I smiled at him. I took a seat beside him and sipped my tea as I ate.
We silently ate and it was very awkward. The only thing I knew about Danny is that he’s Rachel’s cousin, he’s in a band, and apparently has a beagle named Charlie. But since he was Rachel’s cousin, he has to be a good guy.
“So… you look a little younger than Rachel and me. Well Rachel’s a few years younger than me, but you look even younger than her.” Danny stated casually, looking up at me. I took a bite of my grilled cheese and pursed my lip together.
“Yeah, I am. She’s a year or so older than me. I’m 16, well, no, now I’m 17…” I said, shrugging softly and looking away. Today was my birthday, and no one remembered. I guess it didn’t really matter…it’s just a birthday.
“Oh really? Today’s your birthday?” Danny asked, and I nodded with a light laugh. “Well happy birthday.” He smiled, and I thanked him quietly. We ate in silence before Danny spoke again, “So…how long will you be staying with Rachel?” he asked.
“A while.” I whispered, nodding slowly. I didn’t know how long I would have to stay here with Rachel, and I was kind of nervous because I would be here for a long time.
“Oh, mind me asking why?” he asked, and I shrugged, thinking slowly.
“Uhm…my parents and I for in a big fight…and I don’t see myself welcome in their house any time soon…” I murmured, looking down at my now empty plate. I took a side glance at Danny and he was shocked, his eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly agape. I shrugged.
“Oh…” Danny murmured.
“Yeah, but it’s okay. Rachel told me I could stay for as long as I want, so I’m kind of holding her to it.” I said with a soft laugh. Danny joined in before finishing his plate, grabbing mine too and my glass before putting them in the sink. Charlie was sitting at my feet when I stood and I giggled, kneeling down again to pat him.
“Hey, sorry about stealing the guest room from you…I didn’t mean to make you sleep on the couch.” I said looking up, biting my lip and standing. Danny shrugged with a smirk on his lips.
“It’s alright. I was just going to fall asleep on it anyways. Besides, it’s rather comfy. Though I’d think the bed would be more comfortable.” Danny joked and I laughed, nodding slowly. We stood in the entry way awkwardly before Danny rubbed his neck with a light smile.
“Well, I better get going,” He mused, “Charlie, here, is getting restless.” Danny smiled and turned, placing his hand on the doorknob. Except Charlie stayed put. Danny pulled on the leash, but the little dog wouldn’t move. I nodded slowly, walking up the few steps into the living room with a light laugh.
“Hey, Niccy,” he turned, causing me to turn too. Just the way he said my name made my heart flutter. But I just pushed it in the back of my mind as I turned to him. “Do you want to just come back with me? Uh, well I mean because Dougie lives in the apartment below me and I was going to head over there after anyways…and I didn’t think you’d want to stay here by yourself…on your birthday none the less. We could be a third wheel together.” Danny said with a smile and a soft laugh. I nodded slowly with a smile, thinking it over,
“Actually, yeah. Sure…I’m just going to change really quick, okay? 5 minutes.” I said, holding up a finger before running upstairs. Danny laughed softly and I couldn’t help but smile at the sound. I slipped on a pair of black skinny’s, a black and red band t-shirt of All Time Low, and my black converse. I put on a little bit of eyeliner and mascara before I grabbed my bag from the guest bed and hopped down the stairs.
“Okay,” I said with a smile. Danny nodded and we left the house, Charlie’s leash tight in Danny’s hands and we walked side by side. My hands slid in my pockets as I looked around, trying to get familiar with the neighborhood. I had a little feeling deep inside that tonight was going to be a very interesting night…
I stood from the couch and shook my head, nausea running through me. But I just ignored it as I made my way into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle out of the fridge and taking a long gulp from it. Wiping my mouth, I leaned against the counter and sighed, rubbing my flat stomach softly. I was only a few weeks in, so no one will figure it out for another few months or so.
I bit my lip then, thinking back to the other night when I came so close to telling Rachel. I knew I should have told her, since I’m living at her house and she has the right to know… But I just couldn’t. I was afraid to get rejected again, like my parents had. No one can know until I find myself my own place. I have enough money for it in my college fund, because I couldn’t go to college with a baby. That’s stupid, and it just screams problem.
I jumped slightly when the door opened and slammed shut. Rachel couldn’t already be home; she just left. I peaked my head around the kitchen and looked into the entry way. My breath caught in my throat. Rachel’s cousin was standing there with his dog, slipping his shoes off and unclipping the dog’s leash. He stood up straight and stretched, putting the leash on a table near the door and his dog sat patiently at his feet. I watched as the dog looked right at me before jumping up and running over.
“Charlie?” Danny asked, and I jumped from around the corner so he couldn’t see me. His tiny dog jumping right on me and knocked me down to the ground. I smiled widely, sitting on my bum as his dog licked my face, crawling all over me. “Charlie! Come here! What are you doing?” Danny shouted, before he came around the corner. He jumped at the sight of me, “Oh, sorry about him… Here.” Danny said lifting his dog in one arm and holding his other hand out to me. I graciously clasped his hand and he pulled me up. “Nicole, right?”
“Niccy.” I smiled, “It’s okay. I love dogs.” I mused, dropping his hand and running it through my hair awkwardly. Danny bit his lip before putting ‘Charlie’ back down, running his hand through his hair too. I looked down and at his dog, who was wagging his tail happily, is tongue hanging out. I smiled, and knelt down, his dog jumping all around and laying in my lap. I pat his soft fur slowly.
“Uh, I thought you would be with Rachel at Dougie’s…” Danny said, clearing his throat. “And I was walking my dog so I thought I would come by and get the last of my laundry.” Danny said, kneeling down too. I shrugged with a smile.
“I didn’t want to be the third wheel.” I said, and Danny nodded. “You can go ahead and do your laundry if you want, I was just getting some breakfast – well lunch. Do you want some?” I found myself asking and Danny nodded with a smile, standing up straight.
“That sounds great, thanks.” He said with a soft smile. I stood up and his dog followed him as he made his way into the laundry room.
Shaking my head slowly, I made my way back into the kitchen and flipped the kettle on. After searching around the kitchen, I took the ingredients of grilled cheese and put it on the counter. I heard Danny rummaging around the laundry room as I turned the stove on. I put a pan on the stove and melted some butter on it before placing two spices of bread flat down. After putting pieces of cheese on them, and then flattening them together, I pulled two plates down and repeated what I had just done. I made 4 sandwiches and cut them each in half, putting four slices on each plate.
“I love grilled cheese.” Danny said, as I placed a plate in front of him at the bar type table in the kitchen.
“Me too.” I smiled at him. I took a seat beside him and sipped my tea as I ate.
We silently ate and it was very awkward. The only thing I knew about Danny is that he’s Rachel’s cousin, he’s in a band, and apparently has a beagle named Charlie. But since he was Rachel’s cousin, he has to be a good guy.
“So… you look a little younger than Rachel and me. Well Rachel’s a few years younger than me, but you look even younger than her.” Danny stated casually, looking up at me. I took a bite of my grilled cheese and pursed my lip together.
“Yeah, I am. She’s a year or so older than me. I’m 16, well, no, now I’m 17…” I said, shrugging softly and looking away. Today was my birthday, and no one remembered. I guess it didn’t really matter…it’s just a birthday.
“Oh really? Today’s your birthday?” Danny asked, and I nodded with a light laugh. “Well happy birthday.” He smiled, and I thanked him quietly. We ate in silence before Danny spoke again, “So…how long will you be staying with Rachel?” he asked.
“A while.” I whispered, nodding slowly. I didn’t know how long I would have to stay here with Rachel, and I was kind of nervous because I would be here for a long time.
“Oh, mind me asking why?” he asked, and I shrugged, thinking slowly.
“Uhm…my parents and I for in a big fight…and I don’t see myself welcome in their house any time soon…” I murmured, looking down at my now empty plate. I took a side glance at Danny and he was shocked, his eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly agape. I shrugged.
“Oh…” Danny murmured.
“Yeah, but it’s okay. Rachel told me I could stay for as long as I want, so I’m kind of holding her to it.” I said with a soft laugh. Danny joined in before finishing his plate, grabbing mine too and my glass before putting them in the sink. Charlie was sitting at my feet when I stood and I giggled, kneeling down again to pat him.
“Hey, sorry about stealing the guest room from you…I didn’t mean to make you sleep on the couch.” I said looking up, biting my lip and standing. Danny shrugged with a smirk on his lips.
“It’s alright. I was just going to fall asleep on it anyways. Besides, it’s rather comfy. Though I’d think the bed would be more comfortable.” Danny joked and I laughed, nodding slowly. We stood in the entry way awkwardly before Danny rubbed his neck with a light smile.
“Well, I better get going,” He mused, “Charlie, here, is getting restless.” Danny smiled and turned, placing his hand on the doorknob. Except Charlie stayed put. Danny pulled on the leash, but the little dog wouldn’t move. I nodded slowly, walking up the few steps into the living room with a light laugh.
“Hey, Niccy,” he turned, causing me to turn too. Just the way he said my name made my heart flutter. But I just pushed it in the back of my mind as I turned to him. “Do you want to just come back with me? Uh, well I mean because Dougie lives in the apartment below me and I was going to head over there after anyways…and I didn’t think you’d want to stay here by yourself…on your birthday none the less. We could be a third wheel together.” Danny said with a smile and a soft laugh. I nodded slowly with a smile, thinking it over,
“Actually, yeah. Sure…I’m just going to change really quick, okay? 5 minutes.” I said, holding up a finger before running upstairs. Danny laughed softly and I couldn’t help but smile at the sound. I slipped on a pair of black skinny’s, a black and red band t-shirt of All Time Low, and my black converse. I put on a little bit of eyeliner and mascara before I grabbed my bag from the guest bed and hopped down the stairs.
“Okay,” I said with a smile. Danny nodded and we left the house, Charlie’s leash tight in Danny’s hands and we walked side by side. My hands slid in my pockets as I looked around, trying to get familiar with the neighborhood. I had a little feeling deep inside that tonight was going to be a very interesting night…