Your Heart's Too Weak to Wear on Your Sleeve
Bloody And Sweet
"Heather get up! They're coming home today!"
Heather grunted in annoyance and covered her head with a pillow. Yes, they were coming home, which was exactly the reason she was hiding out in her bedroom. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of last time. She loved the boys, duh, but there would always be that memory...
"Get your lazy ass out here and get dressed."
"Get your pregnant ass in here and make me, Ana!"
Ana ran a hand over her swollen belly while the other hand reached for the alarm clock; she leaned down. "What's that Nick? You think I should let this go off next to your aunt Heather's head? Yeah, me too."
Sighing, Heather swung her legs over the bed and slid her feet into tye-dye slippers. Satisfied, Ana walked off and left Heather to get dressed. Ana and Danny's baby was due any day now, and Heather couldn't be happier. It certainly wasn't that or that the boys were coming home that pissed her off.
It was that he was going to be in the same house as her. Probably sleeping on the same floor.
Grabbing a Lava Bat shirt and clean jeans, she slipped them on quietly and thought about what things would be like. Probably tripping over words and awkward silences. Not like how it was before. Back when they could talk about anything.
"Heather, Ryan's SUV is in the driveway! C'mon!"
Heather re-capped the eyeliner that had been in her shaking fingers and slowly walked downstairs. Just a few hugs and 'I missed yous' would be enough, right? Then she would go out, maybe get something to eat, and come back once everyone had fallen asleep. Sounded like a plan to her.
By the time she got downstairs, the boys had already come in and Ana had Danny in a bear hug. "Oh hun, I missed you. Vacation in Cali fun?"
"Yeah, but I missed you too much. Three months is too long to be away. Whoa, look who came out of the bat cave!"
Heather was smothered in hugs, 'you look so different's, and 'missed you!'s. She managed in a few quick hugs and 'I missed you toos' before slipping out of the crowd of her best friends.
And then there he was.
Just like before they left. That long brown hair, the nose ring, the sunglasses perched on top of it all. Just like when things were normal. He sucked his lip into his mouth when he saw her and shuffled his feet.
"He-heather..."
"Hey Joe."
They both glanced over at the other's for help, but they were all either in their own conversations or making a fuss over Ana's enlarged belly. Stuck...
Joe ran a hand through his hair and chewed on his bottom lip. "You, uh, you look a lot better."
Normally this would sound slightly rude, but after the events of Heather's life, it actually lifted her spirits somewhat. "Thanks. So, Cali was a good spot?"
Seth finally interrupted, slinging his arm around Joe's shoulder. Heather made a mental note to somehow repay him for saving the failing conversation. "Good? It was fan-friggin'-tastic Heather! Oh man, I wish you could've come. I swear my hair grew another six inches."
Unfortunately, Seth then took that moment to leave and start talking to Timmy, once again leaving Heather and Joe in awkward silence. She managed to keep her attention on anything, her shirt, the hardwood floors, anything but Joe's eyes. Those hazy, blue-grey eyes.
"Joe, I, uh..."
"Yeah?" He looked hopeful now, like he knew what she was going to say. Seth quickly came back into the conversation, this time wrapping his slender arms around Heather's shoulder. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I want to go out and soak in the joyous feeling of being home. Come with, dollface?"
FINALLY, an excuse to get away. They headed for the door when that voice called out behind them,
"I'm coming too."
His voice was so innocent.
Just like right before it happened.
Heather grunted in annoyance and covered her head with a pillow. Yes, they were coming home, which was exactly the reason she was hiding out in her bedroom. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of last time. She loved the boys, duh, but there would always be that memory...
"Get your lazy ass out here and get dressed."
"Get your pregnant ass in here and make me, Ana!"
Ana ran a hand over her swollen belly while the other hand reached for the alarm clock; she leaned down. "What's that Nick? You think I should let this go off next to your aunt Heather's head? Yeah, me too."
Sighing, Heather swung her legs over the bed and slid her feet into tye-dye slippers. Satisfied, Ana walked off and left Heather to get dressed. Ana and Danny's baby was due any day now, and Heather couldn't be happier. It certainly wasn't that or that the boys were coming home that pissed her off.
It was that he was going to be in the same house as her. Probably sleeping on the same floor.
Grabbing a Lava Bat shirt and clean jeans, she slipped them on quietly and thought about what things would be like. Probably tripping over words and awkward silences. Not like how it was before. Back when they could talk about anything.
"Heather, Ryan's SUV is in the driveway! C'mon!"
Heather re-capped the eyeliner that had been in her shaking fingers and slowly walked downstairs. Just a few hugs and 'I missed yous' would be enough, right? Then she would go out, maybe get something to eat, and come back once everyone had fallen asleep. Sounded like a plan to her.
By the time she got downstairs, the boys had already come in and Ana had Danny in a bear hug. "Oh hun, I missed you. Vacation in Cali fun?"
"Yeah, but I missed you too much. Three months is too long to be away. Whoa, look who came out of the bat cave!"
Heather was smothered in hugs, 'you look so different's, and 'missed you!'s. She managed in a few quick hugs and 'I missed you toos' before slipping out of the crowd of her best friends.
And then there he was.
Just like before they left. That long brown hair, the nose ring, the sunglasses perched on top of it all. Just like when things were normal. He sucked his lip into his mouth when he saw her and shuffled his feet.
"He-heather..."
"Hey Joe."
They both glanced over at the other's for help, but they were all either in their own conversations or making a fuss over Ana's enlarged belly. Stuck...
Joe ran a hand through his hair and chewed on his bottom lip. "You, uh, you look a lot better."
Normally this would sound slightly rude, but after the events of Heather's life, it actually lifted her spirits somewhat. "Thanks. So, Cali was a good spot?"
Seth finally interrupted, slinging his arm around Joe's shoulder. Heather made a mental note to somehow repay him for saving the failing conversation. "Good? It was fan-friggin'-tastic Heather! Oh man, I wish you could've come. I swear my hair grew another six inches."
Unfortunately, Seth then took that moment to leave and start talking to Timmy, once again leaving Heather and Joe in awkward silence. She managed to keep her attention on anything, her shirt, the hardwood floors, anything but Joe's eyes. Those hazy, blue-grey eyes.
"Joe, I, uh..."
"Yeah?" He looked hopeful now, like he knew what she was going to say. Seth quickly came back into the conversation, this time wrapping his slender arms around Heather's shoulder. "I don't know about the rest of them, but I want to go out and soak in the joyous feeling of being home. Come with, dollface?"
FINALLY, an excuse to get away. They headed for the door when that voice called out behind them,
"I'm coming too."
His voice was so innocent.
Just like right before it happened.