Jealous Orchard

"Have you started your summer reading?" Susan asked from across the table.

I took her for pancakes at the local diner, but when we got there I realized I wasn't hungry at all. So I sat there and watched her eat while she asked me questions.

"I haven't even bought the book," I said with a chuckle, considering it was nearing the end of July.

"Me either! You want to go and buy them today?"

"Yeah, after you're done eating we'll head out," I said taking a sip of my orange juice that was leaving a ring of water on the table.

It's been two weeks since I've left the cabin and Taylor and Morgan are still down there. I haven't heard a word from Morgan, but that makes sense. Even if she did claim us to be BFFs we hardly were and the last thing on her mind was probably calling me.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said sitting up straight and waiting for me.

I took the bill that was on the counter and went up to the front to pay. It seemed like Susan was standing a close as possible to me.

When I finished I turned to her and smiled as I pressed my lips against hers. We walked out to my car and I got the door for her and the quickly went over to my side.

"Well this is nice," she standing in front of the table labeled summer reading, and grabbed two books.

She handed one to me, and smiled but frowned again.

"What's wrong?" I asked rubbing her arm.

"Nothing, you just never wear your glasses. It's different," she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Different good? Or Different bad?" I asked wagging my eyebrows as she paid for her book.

"Maybe a little different bad. But I'm just not used to it," she recovered with a sympathetic smile.

Susan walked in front of me out of the book store because she knew I was annoyed with her.

And then my cellphone vibrated in my pocket.

They come home tonight

I stared at the text and wondered how long it would be until I finally saw her. Or accidentally bumped into her in town.

"What do you want to do now?" she asked as I started the car.

"Um, that was my mom that just texted me, and she wants me home to clean," I lied and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Oh, okay. Maybe call me tomorrow, we could watch movies at my house. My family will be gone for the weekend."

"Yeah, I'll call," I said once I stopped listening to what she was really saying.

-------------------------------------
"She hasn't called you at all?" Adam asked eating a piece of pizza.

"Nope," I said looking away from him, trying not look him in the eyes.

I haven't told him about the kiss between Morgan and I because I didn't want him to blow it out of proportion.

"That's really strange," he said giving me an awkward look.

"I don't know," I mumbled taking a drink of my soda.

"There's something you're not telling me. Why was she acting so weird on the last day?" he asked putting his pizza down, and staring at me.

"I don't know! There's nothing to tell. I don't know why she was acting strange."

"Holy shit, something happened! Did you make a move on her?"

"Man, will you shut up! I didn't make a move. She kissed me!" I said pressing my hands to my head.

"Then why was she acting so strange?"

"Because she felt bad. She kept apologizing, and it just made me feel like shit."

"A drunken kiss. Wow, I would have never that would have come from Morgan."

"Yeah, well it didn't mean anything, she said we should just forget about it."

"Forget about it? Ouch, that's gotta kill man," Adam said shaking his head.

"I've realized. But that's what I deserve. I can't have everything."

"Man, just fucking dump Susan. Get with Morgan. Clearly she likes you," he said looking at me with wild eyes.

"It was one kiss," I said shaking my head.

"Well are you coming out with us tonight? She asked if you were coming, and I said I didn't know if you would be free," he asked throwing away his paper plate.

"Why wouldn't I be free?" I ask bewildered that he would say that.

"Well Susan always has you doing something, I hardly ever see you, so I just figured you be busy," he said shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, I'm not busy."

"Okay, man, it's not like I don't want you there. I just thought you'd be busy," Adam said laughing.

"God, look at me! One girl and I'm a fucking mess!" I exclaimed throwing my hands into the air.

"You kind of are, but when she's gone you're fine. I mean you never mentioned her once, and you seemed to be fine with Susan," Adam commented.

He quickly jumped in his seat, and pulled onto his phone. He smiled, most likely because it was Taylor.

"Ooh," he said with a smirk.

"What?" I asked taking the bait.

"Morgan isn't coming coming out tonight because she doesn't want to be a third wheel."

"Well tell her I'm going to come out tonight," I said desperately.

"Why? You should go visit her at her house, and then Taylor and I can be alone," Adam said with a sick smirk on his face.

"Man, that's just too much," I said laughing.

________________________

I walked down the street that now seemed fairly familiar to me considering I've walked it a few times.

It wasn't too late but it wasn't that early. The sun would be setting in half a hour. I walked with my hands in my pockets and stared at the faded numbers. Some were still there, others washed off by sprinklers and hoses. As I got closer I could see Morgan laying in her front lawn. Her arms and legs were spread out, and her hair was in a ponytail. She was staring at the sky, and not moving.

It was incredible how tan she actually was. I didn't believe she could get tanner, but she looked like a nut.

I walked up closer to her house to see her eyes were actually closed. I stood on her pathway and stared at her waiting for her to open her eyes.

"I think she's sleeping."

startled, I turned around to see her mother behind the screen door.

"Oh," I said looking back at the strange position she was in.

"Are you thirsty, Brendon?" she asked opening the screen door for me.

I took one last glance at Morgan and walked up the porch, and into the house.

I sat with Mr. Lee while Mrs. Lee fixed the lemonade. They seemed like the perfect family. They were all attractive people. Mrs. Lee was the housewife. Mr. Lee brought home all the money, and was able to always be home early. And Morgan was their perfect child. The most beautiful girl in school. It was like their lives were designed by a fake television show.

"Sorry about Morgan. She went outside, and then next thing I knew she's sleeping on the lawn," Mr. Lee said drinking the lemonade and staring at the paper.

"Morgan said you were busy tonight," Mrs. Lee said turning to look at me.

"Oh, well my friend Adam thought I was but I really wasn't. So I figured I would come visit."

"That's sweet," she cooed at me.

I took a sip of the lemonade as I heard the front door open and close. Footsteps ran up the stairs and they were followed by a door closing.

"Well, she's up, you can go say hello if you'd like," she said pointing to the back stairs at the end of the kitchen.

I nodded and stood up and walked up the stairs.

I knocked on her door as I heard music playing and a door shut.

"Hold on." Her voice was muffed from the door.

The door flew open, and Morgan stood there with different clothes on than before.

"Bren! Hey!" she exclaimed with the biggest smile ever.

It could make anyone feel special. I watched her inch forward but hold back. Clearly she didn't know whether or not to hug me. I opened up my arms and she quickly stepped in between them and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I thought you were busy tonight!" she exclaimed with her arms still around my neck.

She pulled away and her eyes seemed to shimmer in the light coming from the hallway window. Her bright green eyes, blonde hair and tan skin went perfect together, it was almost like her body was a color scheme.

"No, Adam was just an idiot," I said as she pulled me into her room, but closed the door.

It was this time when I realized she had a spin table in the middle of her floor, and the Pet Shop Boys was playing softly from it.

"How are you?" she asked turning around and staring at me as she pulled her hair out of her ponytail.

"I've been fine," I mumbled still trying to figure out why she looked completely different then I remembered.

I tried to think it was the tan, but it wasn't until I broke my gaze from her eyes and realized it was her smile. Her smile wasn't the normal smile she had before. For someone other than me, that doesn't stare at her lips when I could, it would look the same. But it didn't. It wasn't forced, and it wasn't a sad one either. It just changed, as if words were hidden behind her lips that she wanted to say. Or I could just be I wish she had something to say.

"Well, I'm glad you're fine, better than bad," she said turning to walk into her attached bathroom.

"Just let me brush my teeth," she called from inside.

The water started running as I sat on her bed, that hasn't been slept in for weeks.

My phone went off and when I looked at the caller idea I saw that it was Ryan.

"Hey," I said looking back to the bathroom as the water stopped.

"Hey, Brendon. Can you do a band practice in twenty? Brent can't make it tomorrow," he explained into the phone a little rushed.

He probably explained this to Spencer already.

"Band practice?" I asked while looking over at Morgan standing in front of me.

"Band practice!? Oh can I please come?" Morgan asked clinging to my arm.

"That doesn't sound like Susan, or something Susan would say," Ryan said with a curious voice.

"Um, it's my friend Morgan, listen,"

"No I wanna go, Bren! Please let me go with you!" Morgan begged with a pleading look.

"Great! See you in twenty, Bren," he said mocking Morgan's nickname.

He quickly hung up, and then Morgan stood smiling at me.

"I can't wait to see you play," she said going into her closest.

"Yeah, um, I kind of am the singer now," I muttered as she quickly turned around smiling.

"Shut up!" she giggled and I watched her with amazement.

Her pink manicured fingers contrasted with her bright white teeth, as her eyes glittered.

"It wasn't really planned," I said standing up as she did too.

"I'm excited. I can't wait to meet your friends," she said wrapping her arms around one of mine.

"Morgan? Brendon? We're leaving!" her mother shouted from downstairs.

"Oh, I have to go say goodbye, to my mom," she said letting me go and jogging down the stairs.

"Bye, mommy," she said wrapping her arms around her and then going to her father.

"Bye!" she exclaimed as her mom picked up a suitcase.

"Where are you guys going?" I asked coming down the stairs.

"Well, we figured it was our turn at the lake house, so we're heading up there for the week," her dad answered taking his bag and then grabbing her mom's also.

"Gotcha," I said stepping down the last step to stand next to Morgan.

"Guess what, mommy. Brendon is the lead singer of his band!" she said smiling and running her fingers through my hair.

I almost forgot how good her nails felt against my skull.

"Wow, that's great! Did you guys think of a name yet?" her mom asked.

"We have some ideas," I said.

"Yeah, like Bren and the baby boys," Morgan said laughing.

"Don't take advice from Morgan on names," her dad said laughing.

"Well, see you guys!" Morgan said waving as her parents walked to their car.

Morgan quickly turned toward me, and jumped slightly.

"I'm so excited!" she started singing as she grabbed her keys and slipping on her flip flops.

"Please, we're not that great, we've just really started," I explained as she got into the car.

"That's alright. I never knew you sing. Do you write the lyrics too?"

"No, that's Ryan's job. He's the lyrical master mind," she nodded her head, as she quickly pulled out of her driveway.

"Jesus, I forgot you drive like a ten year old."

Her mouth went ajar as I laughed at her as she did a farmers roll through a stop sign.

___________________________

"Guys, this is Morgan," I said as Morgan stepped forward and flashed a peace sign at the guys.

I watched Ryan smile, and Brent give me a curious look.

"I'm Ryan," he said as he stepped forward with his hand out.

"Ah, the lyrical master mind," she said with that irresistible smile.

He gave her a puzzled look but ignored it while she shook hands with Brent and Spencer.

"So, you came to be swooned by our amazing talent?" Spencer asked twisting a drum stick between his fingers.

"Pretty much, and maybe help you with your name," she said smiling.

"We have a few ideas," Ryan said picking up a guitar.

"Alright, lay a song on me, boys," she said smiling and sitting on the couch in the basement.

I stepped up and took my place behind the microphone. Morgan was looking around, probably wondering why we were all so close in this tiny basement. I looked nervously at her, wondering what she was going think about my singing. She pulled her legs up and sat pretzel as her eyes quickly scanning everyone in the band.

She clapped after each of our two finished songs, and she had a huge smile the whole time.

"You guys are great!" she said bouncing in her seat.

"Our first fan!" Spencer exclaimed from the behind the drum set.

"woo!" Morgan exclaimed pumping her arms in the air.

___________________________

I sat at the island in Spencer's kitchen as I watched Ryan and Morgan talk about the lyrics of the song we had yet to name. The whole time she had a smile on her face that was the one I remembered from before. She was actually getting along with my friends, and they were actually liking her.

It almost seemed like that wasn't suppose to happen. My friends were suppose to think she was nagging, and she was suppose to think that they were annoying. But then I realized that it only happens with girlfriends, and that's one of the main reasons why Susan doesn't come to rehearsal anymore, and why Brent has been shooting me questioning looks the whole night. I'm sure once I go home, I'll be ambushed with calls on why I was hanging out with Morgan Lee, the prettiest girl in school.

Morgan had yawned for the fourth time and in the past ten minutes, and she kept twirling her hair between her fingers. It was a clear sign that she was tired.

She glanced over at me and smiled and then quickly glanced at the clock.

I stood up from my seat and stood behind Morgan. I knew she was to tired to stay, but she wasn't going to say.

"You know, I promised Morgan I'd take her our to the fireworks show tonight," I said as Morgan nodded and scooted back her chair.

She looked back at me and smiled.

"It was really nice meeting you all, and I think you guys are amazing," she said hugging Ryan and then over to Spencer and Brent. When she hugged Brent was tensed up and stared at me as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She quickly unwrapped them and laughed at his awkwardness.

"Do I get to become a Band-Aid?" she asked walking over to me and giving Ryan a puppy dog stare that I've never seen from her before.

"Have I told you I love you?" Ryan asked laughing and she did too, as her arms found their way around my own.

When Ryan said that I glared slightly at what he said. I knew he meant nothing of it, and was just amazed that she knew the movie Almost Famous. It still pegged my heart when she laughed with him.

"Bren, you do know you have to take me to the fireworks show tonight, right?" she asked as we walked down the lawn to her car.

"That was just an excuse to get you out of there."

"I know, but we can't lie now can we?" she asked getting into the car.

"Well, you're the one driving, so I guess it's up to you where we go," I said closing my door, and watching her start the car.

She pulled out onto the street, and started her careless driving.

"Do you not want to go?" she asked speeding through a yellow light.

"I do, I just thought you were tired that's all. I'd love to take you to the fireworks show, Morgan."

I didn't realize how wrong it was for me to say that. I knew in my mind it pretty much sounded like I was asking her out, but I wasn't. Morgan and I were just friends, and that's all. Nothing was awkward between us, she still acted the way she did before she kissed me, and I did the same also.

"You know, I bet you we could see the fireworks from my house," she said letting out another yawn.

"Yeah, I'll watch them, while you sleep," I said laughing and watching her pull down her street.

"Thanks for coming to visit me," she said pulling into her driveway and getting out.

"You always seem to assume I don't want to spend time with my BFF," I said holding the screen door open for her as she unlocked the main door.

It was almost scary how easy it was for me to pretend that I only saw her as a friend, and not the girl of my dreams.

My phone went off and she jumped slightly but turned back and smiled at me.

Brent's name flashed across the screen, and I opted to not answering, knowing what was to come of our conversation.

"Hey, when you talk to Brent tell him that I didn't mean to freak him out with the hug," she said flopping down on her couch.

"What?" I tried to act like I didn't know what she was talking about.

"I saw the looks he was shooting at you and then me, I'm not blind, Bren," she said pulling a blanket over her legs and resting her head on my shoulder.

"I'll make sure to let him know."

Fireworks started to go off in the distant, but you could still see the slight glow, and the boom that followed.

"Morgan?" I asked after awhile.

"Mhm?"

"You want to go see the show?" I asked running my fingers down her arm.

This was so wrong.

"I just want to lay here with you," she mumbled into my arm.

This was completely wrong.