Becoming Normal

Chapter 20

Throughout the morning the next day after entering school where he took a seat on a nearby bench near the front doors, he couldn't stop staring at the list Ally gave him the other night, the list of signs that someone's in love. After going over it, his mind was crowding with thoughts that were making his head ache, thoughts about Autumn, the signs, and what Ally had told him.

"Tanner" Max suddenly appeared while taking the seat next to him "How are you doing?"

He tried to talk, but no words came out.

"What you got there?" Max continued to talk while leaning over to read the heading "Sign's you're in love? Why are you reading that?"

"Ally gave it to me last night" Tanner answered in a mutter "It's been in my head all day."

"What? These signs? Why?"

Once again he was speechless, he was having trouble finding the right words with his mind going crazy with these thoughts.

"Wait-" Max's eyes widen when he realized it "Are you falling in love with Autumn?"

At that moment Tanner felt his heart began to race with that same warm feeling he gets whenever he's around her.

"That's the thing man" he sighed "I don't know. Ally thinks so, but I'm so confused right now."

"Well if you want my opinion-" Max suddenly grinned, "I say she's right."

"What?"

"It's so obvious, I mean the way you always want to spend time with her, the way you look at her, admit it, you like her."

"I am not admitting anything" Tanner declared when he looked up and spotted Dayna who was heading towards them "Now if you would excuse me, I've got someone to dump."

After folding up the list and stuffing it into his back pocket, he got up and headed to his soon to be ex-girlfriend, feeling confident to get the break up over with. But as he got closer, he noticed that she had on a sad look and looked as if she's been crying. Tanner began to feel a pit in his stomach, wondering what had happened to her.

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked in a gentle tone.

She gave a sniff before replying.

"My grandfather's in the hospital" she whimpered "He just had a heart attack and now there's a chance he won't live longer."

Now Tanner could feel his once confident heart breaking. One minute he was planning on breaking up with her, but now, seeing how upset she was, he just couldn't do it. He couldn't cause her more pain.

"Oh my God," he gasped in shock "Dayna I'm so sorry."

And with that, she burst into tears while wrapping her arms around him as he hugged back. For someone as prickly as a cactus, Tanner knew Dayna's grandfather was really nice. And now that he was in the hospital for heart problems, he knew he couldn't break up with Dayna this day. And most likely not for a few days or weeks.

"Can you please come over after school?" she begged after pulling away "I really don't wanna be alone while I wait for my mom."

Once again he felt the same pit in his stomach, hoping that he would see Autumn after school instead. But seeing how hurt Dayna was and thinking that Autumn would like some individual time, he finally came to a decision.

"Okay," he breathed "But let me drop off a friend real quick and then I'll stop by."

"You're the best" she sniffed with a smile while planting a kiss on his lips before walking off, and not long before giving a quick devilish smirk knowing that it was working.

"So uh-" Max went up to Tanner after watching Dayna go "What happened?"

"Dayna's grandfather is in the hospital" Tanner explain with a sad look.

"What?" Max gasped.

"He had a heart attack, and now there's a chance he won't live any longer."

"Oh damn," he breathed in shock "So you didn't do it then?"

"I couldn't. She was in a lot of pain and I didn't want to make it worse. Today was a bad time, it looks like I'm gonna have to wait a while until she heals. Which may be a really long time and that's gonna suck."

"So what are you gonna do about Autumn?"

"Well, I'm still gonna take her home after school."

"No I mean your feelings for her" Max corrected.

Tanner gave a groan of annoyance.

"Oh come on man" Max urged "I know you like her, and I have a good feeling she likes you too. And she's a way better choice than Dayna."

Tanner could feel his head start to hurt again with the confusing thoughts about Autumn. He could feel the list in his pocket, and just thinking about the signs is making him question his feelings for her.

"I don't know what I'm feeling right now," he told Max "But even if I did want to be with her, I can't do it now. Technically I'm still stuck with Dayna until she's completely healed, which once again may take a while."

"Well once it's over with, you gonna move on to Autumn?" Max questioned, "Now I know I haven't gotten the chance to actually get to know her, but the way you tell me about her and how cool and interesting she is, it's clear that she's the one you wanna be with."

Tanner's palms suddenly got sweaty, reminding him that one of the signs of falling in love is sweaty palms. And his heart began to beat in a soothing tune that lifted him up, another sign of falling in love.

"Now I'm not trying to put pressure on you" Max continued to talk "I'm just saying that Autumn's a really cool girl and if you wanna be with her then I say go for it. But if you're not ready, then I won't hold you back."

Tanner then gave a snicker "Since when did you become Mr. Cupid?"

"Since the moment I saw your eyes sparkle the day you and Autumn first hung out after school" he smirked.

Tanner could feel his cheeks turning pink. He needed a moment to think, he still had no idea how he was feeling at the moment.