Skipping Heartbeats
And It's Warm and Real and Bright
Twisting the napkin in her lap, Morgan stared at Johnnie with a pink tinted face. He was preoccupied with his glass of water. He was pushing the ice around the cup while trying not to look at Morgan. They had already ordered their food from the waitress that could feel the tension.
Johnnie pushed his water to the side and looked at Morgan. Her face heated and she glanced down. He stared at her continually making her more nervous and fidget. “Are you alright, Morgan?”
She jerked her head up and shook her head, “I-I’m fine,” she stuttered.
They both stared at each other before they blushed and stared at the table as their food arrived. Ignoring each other’s presence, they began eating slowly. Trying not to embarrass themselves.
“And then what happened?” Abigail pressed.
Morgan blushed, “He drove me home and kissed my cheek when I got out of his car.”
As the two girls gushed about boys, Anthony and Johnnie raided the kitchen for food. “Man, her father never shops for food before our sleepovers. I swear that man is too cheap!”
“Hey!” Abigail protested. “If you were polite enough to ask for food I would have told you the bags of stuff to make are in the backseat of my car,” before she finished he was out the door.
Motioning for Morgan to pause, she fled to the door and laughed when Johnnie and Anthony noticed the doors were locked, “Ya need a key Morons!”
Grabbing her keys off the rack, she threw them out the door, “When are the twins getting here?”
Sitting back down on the couch and continuing her conversation with Morgan, Johnnie answered with a grunt and began making brownies and pasta. When the noodles were almost complete, Abigail’s house was invaded by the twins. They situated themselves around the couch and Anthony.
They asked him questions about his home and if kangaroo’s were really cuddly or just pests like others say they are. “They aren’t cuddly,” he laughed deeply. “Which one of you is Alexander?” he got them confused already.
The one on the right answered, “Don’t lie to Anthony, Nicholas!” Abigail hollered from the kitchen.
Anthony stared at the twins who grinned sheepishly. Laughing deeply, he settled into the routine of answering their bizarre questions.
“Never have I ever crushed on a teacher!” Nicholas proclaimed while taking a swig of pickle juice straight from the jar.
He set it down on the table and waited. Morgan reached forward and took a drink as well, shyly. “No way!” Alexander shouted. “Who?”
She shook her head and kept quite. “My turn!” Abigail yelled. “Never have I ever streaked through the school!” Abigail took a drink and shuddered.
The twins reached forward and took their swigs. They waited a few seconds before Anthony took the jar and drank. Eyebrows raised and the twins high-fived him right before Morgan took a drink as well.
“Wait, little shy Morgan streaked through the school?” Johnnie squealed.
She nodded and hid her face in Abigail’s side. Anthony reached forward and grabbed the jar, “Never have I ever been kissed by the same sex.”
After his drink he waited for others, Johnnie took a drink, “Wait, who kissed you?” Abigail pestered.
Nicholas became flustered and took a drink as well. “No way!” Alexander shouted while laughing. “When?”
“Last year at the football game,” Johnnie muttered.
“We didn’t mean to! It just happened!” Nicholas protested.
“You never told me,” Alexander mumbled while looking down sadly.
“We promised we wouldn’t tell anyone,” Johnnie assured him.
The game ended a few turns later when they retired to the living room to watch the Harry Potter films. After the third movie, the twins had fallen asleep along with Johnnie who was drooling on Morgan’s shoulder, which had passed out after the second movie.
“Wanna watch the next one?” Abigail asked.
“Nah, it’s fine. We might as well catch some sleep. I think I can see the sun coming up,” Anthony murmured.
Leaning back into the couch, Abigail could feel Anthony’s shoulder dig into hers. “Do you want to lean on me to sleep?” he offered.
She shook her head and shut her eyes.
Shifting in her cocoon of warmth, Abigail opened her eyes. Sunlight was creeping into the blinds and someone was snoring loudly. Shifting her foot she kicked whoever was snoring and it ceased. Sighing in content, she snuggled into the pillow beneath her.
Her eyes closed again and Anthony smiled as her felt her relax. She wasn’t the brightest person in the morning, but he wasn’t complaining.
Johnnie pushed his water to the side and looked at Morgan. Her face heated and she glanced down. He stared at her continually making her more nervous and fidget. “Are you alright, Morgan?”
She jerked her head up and shook her head, “I-I’m fine,” she stuttered.
They both stared at each other before they blushed and stared at the table as their food arrived. Ignoring each other’s presence, they began eating slowly. Trying not to embarrass themselves.
“And then what happened?” Abigail pressed.
Morgan blushed, “He drove me home and kissed my cheek when I got out of his car.”
As the two girls gushed about boys, Anthony and Johnnie raided the kitchen for food. “Man, her father never shops for food before our sleepovers. I swear that man is too cheap!”
“Hey!” Abigail protested. “If you were polite enough to ask for food I would have told you the bags of stuff to make are in the backseat of my car,” before she finished he was out the door.
Motioning for Morgan to pause, she fled to the door and laughed when Johnnie and Anthony noticed the doors were locked, “Ya need a key Morons!”
Grabbing her keys off the rack, she threw them out the door, “When are the twins getting here?”
Sitting back down on the couch and continuing her conversation with Morgan, Johnnie answered with a grunt and began making brownies and pasta. When the noodles were almost complete, Abigail’s house was invaded by the twins. They situated themselves around the couch and Anthony.
They asked him questions about his home and if kangaroo’s were really cuddly or just pests like others say they are. “They aren’t cuddly,” he laughed deeply. “Which one of you is Alexander?” he got them confused already.
The one on the right answered, “Don’t lie to Anthony, Nicholas!” Abigail hollered from the kitchen.
Anthony stared at the twins who grinned sheepishly. Laughing deeply, he settled into the routine of answering their bizarre questions.
“Never have I ever crushed on a teacher!” Nicholas proclaimed while taking a swig of pickle juice straight from the jar.
He set it down on the table and waited. Morgan reached forward and took a drink as well, shyly. “No way!” Alexander shouted. “Who?”
She shook her head and kept quite. “My turn!” Abigail yelled. “Never have I ever streaked through the school!” Abigail took a drink and shuddered.
The twins reached forward and took their swigs. They waited a few seconds before Anthony took the jar and drank. Eyebrows raised and the twins high-fived him right before Morgan took a drink as well.
“Wait, little shy Morgan streaked through the school?” Johnnie squealed.
She nodded and hid her face in Abigail’s side. Anthony reached forward and grabbed the jar, “Never have I ever been kissed by the same sex.”
After his drink he waited for others, Johnnie took a drink, “Wait, who kissed you?” Abigail pestered.
Nicholas became flustered and took a drink as well. “No way!” Alexander shouted while laughing. “When?”
“Last year at the football game,” Johnnie muttered.
“We didn’t mean to! It just happened!” Nicholas protested.
“You never told me,” Alexander mumbled while looking down sadly.
“We promised we wouldn’t tell anyone,” Johnnie assured him.
The game ended a few turns later when they retired to the living room to watch the Harry Potter films. After the third movie, the twins had fallen asleep along with Johnnie who was drooling on Morgan’s shoulder, which had passed out after the second movie.
“Wanna watch the next one?” Abigail asked.
“Nah, it’s fine. We might as well catch some sleep. I think I can see the sun coming up,” Anthony murmured.
Leaning back into the couch, Abigail could feel Anthony’s shoulder dig into hers. “Do you want to lean on me to sleep?” he offered.
She shook her head and shut her eyes.
Shifting in her cocoon of warmth, Abigail opened her eyes. Sunlight was creeping into the blinds and someone was snoring loudly. Shifting her foot she kicked whoever was snoring and it ceased. Sighing in content, she snuggled into the pillow beneath her.
Her eyes closed again and Anthony smiled as her felt her relax. She wasn’t the brightest person in the morning, but he wasn’t complaining.
♠ ♠ ♠
I See the Light