Follow Your Bliss

I crumpled up the Subway wrapper and chucked it at Devin. He gave me an evil glare and threw it back at me hitting me square in the forehead. "That was awesome." Devin grinned proudly.

"You guys suck." I pouted as everyone had a good laugh at my expense. I stood up and kicked off my flip flops and shimmed out of my shorts and shirt showing the bathing suit I had underneath. "Mom, you'll never guess who we ran into at Starbucks when we were getting lunch."

"You went to Starbucks and you didn't get me anything!?" Devin's jaw dropped in shock.

"Finish mine; it's in on the table." I shrugged. "Anyway, why of all people, Meg decides to come say hi. She never said it when I lived here. And I thought I would be stuck there taking to her aimlessly, but-"

"You finally killed her didn't you." Devin giggled drinking my iced coffee happily.

"No, but Gerard got us out of there pretty quickly." I smiled down at him before opening the door and getting my tube. "Oh, and Dev, Gerard goes to me, 'I didn't know Barbie was real'." I laughed.

Devin nodded in approval and high-fived him. Gerard shrugged, like it was nothing, even though it really had made me feel better. "I had to do something to cheer her up."

I grinned and leaned back to plop into my tube from the deck. "Caitlin!!!" I flinched startled and completely missed the tube, landing directly into the pool.

When I surfaced Devin and Gerard were laughing hysterically. My mom shook her head laughing. "Caitlin, you're too easy."

He choked slightly on the coffee. "Man, I've missed doing that."

"Glad I could entertain you." I pushed my bangs out of my eyes, noticing how long they have grown out. "Gee, you coming in? It's nice and warm."

"Let me think. It's hot out and there's a pool less then five feet away." He heaved himself up and neatly took off his sneakers and shirt.

I rolled my eyes as he placed everything in one pile compared to my clothes across the floor. "You would think that you would at least make it in one pile like Gerard." My dad rolled his eyes.

"That's because I know you guys too well. And plus, you love me anyways." I grinned cheekily and spun around in my tube. I ducked out of it and swam over to Gerard. He was putting his hand in the water testing it to make sure I was telling the truth. I grabbed his arm and pulled him in the water not giving him a chance.

"What was that for?" He asked spitting out the water.

"You were showing me up." I laughed splashing him.

"I'm supposed to." Gerard sent a larger wave getting my face entirely wet.

"Thanks." I said sputtering water.

"I love you." He said cutely.

I tapped my chin pretending to think about it. I looked over to my dad laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Doesn't that sound familiar? I love you." He chuckled and mimicked Gerard. I rolled me eyes. Every time I'd make a huge mess or I mad a mistake I would say that to my dad and try to sound innocent to redeem myself. "How does it feel to be on the other end?"

"You're not funny." I mumbled.

"Who asked you anyway?" He pointed his finger at me smirking.

After having dinner and some small talk between Gerard and my parents, to get to know each other, they went out because my mom had an urge to got to Pottery Barn. Not just to browse, but to give my dad and her time to deliberate.

And, Devin went to his friend's house to hang out and will probably end up staying over.

Gerard and I were back out in the pool. I had my arms wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist as he carried me around the pool in a slow circle.

"See, not so scary." I smiled and leaned so our noses were touching.

"No, it wasn't." He returned the smiled and leaned closer brushing his lips on mine. He placed his hand on the small of my back and pulling me closer to him.

"Since when have you been here?" Josh called from the house and flipped on the deck lights seeing as the sun was almost below the horizon.

I pulled away from Gerard and looked over to Josh walking onto the deck shutting the door behind him. "Hey." He nodded acknowledging Gerard, sitting in a chair.

"How's it going?" Gerard nodded back.

I couldn't help but giggle at the mannerisms that guys tended to have. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I smiled and shook my head at Josh, knowing that if I pointed out their funny characteristics, he had plenty of evidence to pick out some of my own. "We got here about lunch time." I lowered my hand from Gerard's shoulder and played with the water. "You staying tomorrow?"

"Maybe." Josh shrugged.

"Joshy, you have to it's dad's birthday and we're having company over tomorrow." I sighed hoping he would stay for my dad's party.

"Listen, I'm going to go to Mike's for a while, I'll be back at the latest around one. Let mom and dad know." He stood up.

"Sure." I nodded watching him go.

"You okay?" Gerard spoke up.

"Yeah, I just hope he stays tomorrow. Josh tends to disappear when family comes over." I sighed and looked up to see toe nails clicking on the deck. I laughed seeing all the dogs looking tired. Luke, my parents' dog, pushed the door open, leading their small pack, and lying down on the futons in the sunroom.

"I think this is the most fresh air Olivia has ever gotten." Gerard chuckled.

I laughed. "Luke's taking the older brother role again leading Logan."

"They're brothers." Gerard kissed my shoulder.

"Yeah, we adopted them from North Shore and Logan's always been the runt of the two." I laughed remembering the excuse for getting them. "They were my dad's early birthday present. We just got them in February."

Gerard chuckled. "And his birthday's tomorrow?"

"Yup." I laughed. I quieted down hearing Gerard's phone ringing. "You gotta get that?" I pouted holding onto him tighter.

"It'll be quick." He kissed my lips quickly and got out of the pool to answer his phone.

I leaned on the edge of the pool watching his lips move as he talked and the water drip down his nose. I smiled and went under the water just swimming back and forth waiting for him to finished.

I grinned, the air bubbles leaving my lips seeing his legs swaying in the water. I pushed off the wall of the pool to give me more speed and swam over tugging on his foot and gave his leg a bite before he could pull away. I came up laughing hearing him shriek.

"What was that for?" He laughed. I shrugged and leaned on his legs waiting for him to finish up his phone call. He chucked his phone on the chair and glared at me with pouty lips.

I giggled and pulled myself up to give him a quick kiss. I hurriedly made sure my shoulders were covered. "It's freezing."

"It's not so bad." He shrugged. "I told Mikey to be here around one, they didn't feel like getting up early just for a movie."

I groaned. "You're really going to make me see something scary?"

"Of course." Gerard grinned. "You know what Jane? I think you're making this all out to be worse than it seems."

"Yeah. Okay." I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "I can hardly handle E.T., you really think I can handle something that is meant to be scary?"

I huffed as I watch him lay on his back cracking up. "You're not really afraid of E.T. are you?"

"Yeah?" I looked at him funny. "When he's all white and yucky. It's creepy. And it's just not a childhood thing. Meg, the girl you met earlier, dragged me when we were in high school when it came back in theaters again. Not fun."

"I thought you were joking." Gerard laughed. "Well, you'll be . . . fine?"

"Thanks for the load of confidence." I crossed my arms. "If I get any nightmares tomorrow night, I'm waking you up."

"Deal." He held his hand out for me.

"Okay." I sighed and shook his hand reluctantly. I pulled myself out of the pool and grabbed my clothes off the floor. "Hey!" I stood up quickly after he had so eloquently smacked my ass.

"You have a cute butt." He giggled.

"Come on. We have about a half hour before my parents come home." I grinned pulled him into the house.

"Oh?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "I like the way you think."

"Who said that's what I meant?" I smirked.

"If not, it is now." He grabbed my butt and picked up a bag off of the couch. "So which way's your room?"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "I told you, I was sentenced to the dungeon too."

Gerard chuckled and pulled me back halfway down the stairs. "What's this?"

I followed his gaze to the writing and designs on the wall going downstairs. "Oh, I drew them. And, that's my favorite Shell Silverstein poem."

I smiled listening to Gerard read it out loud. "If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!" He smiled. "I like that one." I smiled and continued to lead him downstairs. "And the moon, that's gorgeous."

"Thanks." I blushed at the compliment looking at the crescent moon covered in vines over the wall light.

"Geeze this definitely is a high class dungeon." He laughed at his own corny joke. "I can't believe you're parents let you draw on the walls." He looked up. "And the ceilings. I was limited to sketch pads and napkins."

I laughed and threw our stuff on the couch. My ceiling was covered in quotes from Robbin Williams to Shakespeare and my walls had murals that I had doodled with black markers. "It's not like I didn't ask them first."

"Why didn't you go into art?" He asked following me into the bathroom watching me turn on the water, testing its temperatures.

"Why no do both?" I shrugged. "I love what I do now and I am able to live comfortably off of its benefits. With art, that will just come along when it's time for me to do that."

He smiled amazed by my carefree attitude. "I love that about you."

"What?" I smiled shyly.

He advanced several steps closer to me, bringing his hands behind me to unclip my top. "That you're not afraid to wait and just let stuff happen naturally."

"If I didn't I would have never let you walk me home, let alone kiss me, the night I met you." I laughed softly. "Even that was a bit of a stretch for me."

"To tell you the truth." He kissed my neck, letting my top fall carelessly to the floor.

"Yeah?" I breathed stepping into bath pulling him in by the rim of his suit.

"I don't know what gave me the courage to ever do that." He let his hands roam over me knowing the kinds of effects it had on me. "But, I never regretted it."

"I'm glad you did." My breath hitched feeling my body heat up under his touch. That was one of the wildest feelings, just how the blood rushed to the skin igniting such powerful reactions.

He kissed my neck making me laugh until he got to one spot. I felt the vibrations of his laugh against my skin. "That one freckle. It's like x marks the spot. Do all your freckles to that?" I moaned at his touch as he wondered out loud.

"I have hundreds of freckles Gerard." I laughed weakly.

"I'm willing to find them all, sugar." His teeth lightly grazed my skin as he kicked off his swimsuit and pulled my bottoms down as well.

He sat down on the bench under the water and pulled me onto his lap. My skin was on fire as I lifted my hips for him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard, swallowing his moans as I lowed myself back down. His fingers dug into my hips as he guided us into euphoria.

"I swear I go blind momentarily. Every time." I washed the conditioner out of my hair.

My body shivered under his touch, still sensitive, as he ran his hands down my sides. "That's because you close your eyes Jane." He laughed.

"Hey," I pouted. "Accept the compliment."

"As odd as it is." He chuckled and kissed me before I could say anything else.

I melted into his arms as he held me devouring my lips. I heard the front door open over our heads and reluctantly pulled away. "Come on before we get caught." I winked and turned off the water. I groaned as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. "It's moments like this where I'm wishing to be home."

"Why?" He grinned wanting to hear it from me.

"So we could continue this." I turned around and shook my head at his cheeky expression.

I groaned when an elbow rammed into my stomach. "Devin, I don't like you."

"Let's go." Devin whined. "It's already quarter to ten. You need to go to take Dad out. He already showered and everything. Just waiting on you two."

"You suck too." I complained to Gerard as he sat up, listening to my brother.

"Nah, you love me." Gerard took my pillow away.

Devin made gagging noises mocking Gerard and I. "Whatever. She's in your hands; be ready in five." Devin jumped off the bed and jogged upstairs.

I sighed and rolled over onto my back. "Well, let's get this movie over with."

"What, no good morning or I love you honey?" Gerard laughed and tisked. "Only you suck? So positive Jane."

"I know." I yawned, not really comprehending what he was laughing at. "Can you toss me some clothes and my sneakers. I pulled on the clean shirt and skirt.

"Gorgeous." He smiled.

"Why thank you." I kissed him softly. "I don't know how you deal with me in the morning."

"You're patience is rubbing off on me." Gerard smirked.

"You're just so happy to drag me to this shin-dig." I stuck my tongue out at him.

The ride was short to the AMC Theater, unfortunately. "Three tickets for The Descent." Horrible chills of anticipation ran down my spine as I heard my dad talk to the kid behind the counter.

Gerard chuckled, his face hidden behind a pair of large sunglasses. "You really aren't too excited huh?"

"No-" I got interrupted by a few young kids asking him shyly for an autograph. "And you thought the sunglasses would have disguised you from bright blond hair huh." I muttered under my breath.

"I heard that Jane." Gerard smirked over at me before striking a pose with a teenager's camera phone.

"He's not so bad." My dad came up from behind me. I smiled up at my dad thrilled that he approved so far.

"Sorry about that." Gerard walked back over to us after a few minutes, rubbing the back of his neck.

I hugged him and let him wrap his arm around my waist. "No problem." I laughed. "He's used to it when he's out with Josh now."

"Ready Caitlin?" My dad smirked knowing how much I wanted to see this movie.

We sat on the side over the exit so I could put my feet up on the banister in front of us. I almost forgot what we were there to see with all the commercials and previews that were viewed and groaned when the opening credits came rolling down.

The beginning wasn't scary at all. There was a group of girls going on this trip in the Appalachians for some annual cave trip.

Why do people find it necessary to explore something dark? And how convenient was it when the rock fell blocking the entrance out of the cave.

That's when the suspense, gore, and death set in. Gore and death no problem, but the suspenseful music got me making everything seem worse that it probably was. I lifted the armrest and snuggled into Gerard's chest as soon as the first creature jumped out.

"Okay, that wasn't so bad." I said uneasily. "I just can never go rafting or hiking in mountains again. Or in the woods without thinking some creatures are hunting me. And never again will I be able to go camping."

"You hate camping anyway." My dad laughed with Gerard. "And you've never gone camping before either."

"Well," I crossed my arms over my chest. "I might have wanted to and now I can't because I've been scarred for life."

"Ain't she a mellow dramatic one." My dad joked with Gee.

"At least it's entertaining." Gerard wrapped his arm around my waist and smiled at my sour face.