The Co-Star's Epilogue

Chapter 19

"So, how's the book going?" Oliver asked scooting closer on the couch to me. I was going over to his house pretty much every day now, right after I had finished homework. We weren't allowed up into his room together anymore, as per his mother's rule. "Before it was a friendship," she had said. "Now it's a completely different situation." We were both pretty okay with it.

I shrugged. "It's really confusing, but good. I like having a challenge. How about yours?"

"Pretty cool. I'm a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle."

"Are you almost done?"

"Yeah, it's, like, a chapter left."

"Cool." He smiled, and our hands intertwined again. Tentatively, I laid my head on his shoulder, and he responded by simply putting his other arm around my shoulders. I felt a faint pressure against the top of my head, like lips. I twisted to look at him. "Hey, where's Ashley? I want to talk about the sleepover with her. I was wondering when she wanted to do that."

"I think she went for a walk or something," he said.

"Oh, she likes walking?"

"Yeah, I think that she goes to the graveyard. Dead people and stuff. I have a theory that's how she's picking out her future children's names."

"It's not a bad idea."

"I don't know. Some of them are kind of weird."

"Outdated?"

"Yeah."

"Well, you never know. They may come back in style someday."

"With some of those? I hope not."

"What sort of names?"

He made a face, concentrating. "I can't really think of any off the top of my head, but there were some pretty weird ones."

"But just think, when that person had been alive, they had people, who said those names every day, and it was completely and totally normal. Now they're just words on a rock." Oliver was watching me, smiling softly.

"I can't argue with that," he murmured. I blushed.

"Oliver, you home?" There was the sound of a door slam, and his mom came around the corner, smiling. "Melody!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands together. I jerked up from his shoulder, blushing harder. "It's lovely to see you, as always."

"Hi, Ms. Stephens."

"Oliver, can you go pick up your sister? She doesn't want to walk back, and it's getting late."

He sighed, and stood up, letting go of my hand. "Yeah, sure. Graveyard?"

"Yep."

"Okay, um-" he turned to me. "I'll see you later, I guess?" I stood.

"Yeah. I should probably get going, anyways."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." He stood there for a minute, looking like he wanted to hug me, but then was gone. I looked down at my shoes.

"Oh, you two are just adorable," His mom said, approaching me. "Actually, Melody, I was hoping I could talk to you. Can you sit?"

I flinched with worry. "Um, okay." She sat by me.

"I was just wondering about where exactly you are with my son," she began, her tone kind. "I know how much he loves you, for a long time you were all he would talk about." I blushed. "And you are also his first girlfriend. I guess I'm just wondering how you want to handle your relationship."