Splinters: Part One

Part One | 40

I just listened until we reached the house. I took her zip bag while she took the gift.

"What did you get her?" I asked.

"A new Princess Aurora doll with some accessories," she grinned.

I placed a hand on the small of her back. "You went all out."

Collie flushed. "Net's a cute girl and I remember her saying how much she dreaded brushing out her doll's hair, so I thought she might want a new and improved one."

Just then, we walked through the door. The house was loud, everyone running up and down the stairs, gathering all their belongings. While I was gone, three new friends were in the house.

"Full house?" Collie asked as we went down the hall.

"I guess so," I mumbled, spotting Melissa in the kitchen.

"Oh, hello, Collie," Melissa smiled, still a little edgy with her greeting.

"Hi," she smiled.

The awkwardness wasn't hard to miss. Melissa was still getting over mine and Collie's make-out incident and Collie was still getting over the embarrassment. Wanting to take her out of her misery, I quickly spoke up, grasping her hand.

"Who're they?"

Melissa glanced back, catching the girls running around in the house. "Some of Net's friends."

"Are they all going to fit in the car?"

Melissa smiled at me. "You're father and I are driving separate cars."

"I'm still driving, though, aren't I?"

She nodded. "If you're still comfortable with it." She glanced at Collie who was now watching me.

"Yeah."

"Alright, well if you want to go get your stuff and put it in the car then we can go get ready and leave here in about twenty minutes."

"Okay. C'mon, Collie," I said, pulling her further down the hallway.

We went upstairs in my room, making sure to keep the door wide open.

"Do you need me to help you get anything?" she asked me while I packed my swimming trunks, a hat, and a tank top into my cinch-bag.

"It's okay," I told her, pulling the strings and swinging the bag over my shoulder.

In the corner of my eye, I watched my girlfriend slowly walk around my room. It hadn't really registered that she never truly took it all in. With my room being the third largest, it should be filled with... anything! But it isn't. Melissa has encouraged me countless of times to decorate it, but it never really interested me.

When I was finished, I looked to Collie. "Ready?"

She was staring at something on my desk. Approaching her, I caught what she was looking at. My math test.

"Collie?" I asked.

She smiled, looking up at me, and kissed me. "I love you."

Extremely confused, I nodded. "I love you, too."

It was almost awkward to me, but it obviously wasn't to her. I wasn't exactly sure what was going on in her head at that moment, but the tenderness was almost comforting.

"Wanna go now?" I asked, nudging my head toward the door.

She grasped my hand. "Yeah."

Hand in hand, we both went downstairs and joined the rest. Melissa was still in the kitchen, putting some sandwiches in some lunch bags.