It's Like Love, But On a Post-It. (Undergoing Severe Plastic Surgery )

Chapter Thirteen.

"I guess I'll have to meet them sooner, or later," I smile.

Evan kisses me, happy that I said yes, but he kind of sprung that on me, how was I going to say no?

What's really messed up is that my parents don't even know I'm with Evan, but he's told his parents all about me. I guess Van was right the other night, I really do suck as a girlfriend...

I wake up in morning to my cell phone vibrating against Evan's nightstand. It take's a couple seconds to pick up my phone and answer it.

"Hello?" I answer, crashing my head back into the pillows.

"Hey, pumpkin," my dad's voice says.

I quickly sit up and prepare to hide Evan, but then I remember that I'm on the phone and he can't see him. Why would my dad be at Evan's in the first place? I have a serious problem with waking up confused.

"Hi, dad," I reply.

"Are you okay? You sound confused," he notes.

"I'm fine, I just woke up," I explain. "So what's going on?"

"Well, I was wondering if we could meet for lunch to catch up. Its been a while and we have a few things to talk about, say, twelve thirty?"

"Yeah, that's sounds good. Where at?"

"I'll make reservations at the Red Olive," he tells me.

"Okay, sounds great, see you then. Bye."

"Bye," he replies, as we both get off the phone.

I quietly get out of the bed and put my clothes back on, leaving Evan's t-shirt on my side of the bed. I tiptoe out of his bedroom and quickly slip on my shoes and grab my keys. I feel bad for skipping out on him, but the awkward morning after—nothing happens—is probably more awkward than when something does happen.

When I walk through the door of my house, it's dead silent. It's only about seven forty-five, nobody should be awake at this hour. This gives me the perfect time to sneak up to my room, but not without hitting just about every creek on the stairs on my way up.

I head straight for my bathroom to take a shower, but before I reach the bathroom door, I stop and stare at the fort that's still up. Let's just hope it doesn't rain anytime soon, otherwise it's going to come crashing down and my room will get soaked. I can't bring myself to take it down yet. On the occasional night this past week, I slept all curled up inside of the fort. My biggest game is pretending that all of the bullshit in my life stops right when I close the blanket that poses as the door of the fort.

Whenever I get out of the shower and walk back into my room, I see a hand peeking out of the fort. I didn't know that he was in here. Did he sleep in my room all night?

I go into my closet and slip on a pair of faded blue jeans and start shuffling through my shirts hanging up on hangers. Cute shirts, t-shirts, blouses, that's-what-she-said shirts, and then I stop on a Batman t-shirt, bringing a huge smile to my face. Last year for Christmas, Van got me a bunch of gag-gifts, it's what we do every year. We never actually get something that the other would like. If you shop for yourself, it makes it easier, so that's what we do.

I yank the shirt off of it's hanger and pull it over my head. The sleeves rest just passed my elbows and a yellow bat is centered on the middle of the black t-shirt. Maybe wearing it will help me get back on his good side. If he could just understand that since I have a boyfriend there are boundaries and his crosses them too often.

I walk out of my closet, drying my hair with the towel and get on my knees in front of the fort. Pulling back the Dora blanket, I peek my head in and see Van sleeping all sprawled out in the comforter from my bed. I leave the towel on the floor, crawl in and lay beside him.