March - Seven months into Anna Brooks' pregnancy.
The house was empty. The house was desolate, which was odd because I assumed than when two people went on a date there was meant to be two people. Not one. Me.
Today was the day that George promised me a date. Well, I never really wanted to go on a date in the first place so he said it'd be a home date, nothing too fancy or cliché. However, I couldn't imagine that happening anytime soon since he wasn't actually here.
Thankfully, I knew where the spare key was hidden so I could get in the house by myself as instructed by George himself. All he said was 'let yourself in'. That was it. Three words that left me clueless to what our date was going to be like. I wasn't nervous, but I still was curious as to what we were doing. You can't blame a girl for being curious.
I plucked the key out from the soil in the plant pot outside the front door and twisted the lock until I heard the satisfying click that let me inside.
The first thing I noticed was that it was pitch black. Completely and utterly submerged in a darkness that almost mirrored the night sky. Stepping through the door frame I felt a bumpy softness under my feet and used my phone as a torch to see what it was I'd just stepped on.
Roses. Rose petals scattered on the floor leading up towards the staircase. Was I meant to follow them? Probably. Deciding to leave the lights off since it was probably done on purpose, I carefully walked beside the path of crimson, waxy petals until I reached the staircase, and then continued up them.
Of course the rose trail lead to George's room. The door was swung open halfway and so I could see the glow of light coming from inside. My stomach was full of those cliché butterflies and I was incredibly excited. I never thought I'd see the day where I was thrilled to be going on a date, even if it was one at home, with a boy. But I guess with George it's different.
I opened the door, and my eyes instantly widened at the room. Everywhere were tiny little tea light candles dotted around the room, and a picnic blanket on the floor laden with food and even more candles. Right in the centre of the indoor picnic scene was a bouquet of more of the same blood red roses.
I didn't know what to do next. Taking steady steps, I strolled over to the large bed and sat down not initially noticing the package with a note taped to it on the bed.
Put this on and I'll be there in ten with food. George ❤️
Food? Wasn't it already here?
Underneath the note was a small wrapped package that when I picked up was soft to the touch. When I peeled back the wrapping paper, a cotton t-shirt fell in my lap. And it was huge. It could pass as a dress.
It was plain dark blue with a v-neckline and three quarter length sleeves. However, when I flipped the t-shirt around an intricate cut-out pattern was revealed. It kind of looked like an insect. A butterfly? A beetle of some sort?
Deciding I might be able to see it better when put on, I quickly stripped out of my jeans and t-shirt and pulled on George's one. I went over to the mirror turned around and worked out that it wasn't a butterfly or a beetle, but a dragonfly.
A dragonfly.
Why a dragonfly? I'd ask him later.
George
When I opened the door to my house and saw that a few of the roses I left were crushed like someone had walked on them, I knew she'd arrived. I followed the trail of flowers, just like she would have done.
I really hoped Cassie would like this date. I didn't want to do too much, I knew she didn't like being made a fuss of, but I wanted just a nice evening with her. To celebrate us.
Granted, roses were a little cliché, and one thing I knew about Cassie was that she hated clichés, but I wasn't too sure what flowers she liked and I was lacking in imagination. Plus, I like roses. With food slung under my arm and the longing of a child waiting for Christmas day, I entered my room.
Cassie jumped slightly when I came in, a reminder to me how even though she seemed so much better now, there was still that fear inside of her that was easily prickled. The t-shirt I put out for her was slung over her frail shoulders and fit just how I liked, the soft blonde locks of her hair cascading around her shoulders like silky butter. She smiled shyly - adorably - when her brown eyes met mine.
"Hey." She greeted, twisting her fingers in her hands. I watched her black dipped nails pick at each other. Fidgeting, she always fidgeted. I had a feeling it was to do with the fact that she was so edgy.
"Hey." I drew out, dropping the bag over onto the picnic blanket and walking over to Cassie. Before she could say anything else I scooped her up in my arms and tugged her down onto the bed with me, wrapping my body around her.
I took a great deal of comfort from holding her. Which was odd, because I knew she took a huge amount of comfort from me holding her. I wasn't the one needing comfort yet I got so much from just touching her skin, feeling her cool body cradled against mine. I guess it was like I knew she was safe with me. And she knew it.
"I missed you today." I whispered against her flushed cheek. I loved the feel of her waist in my hands.
"But we saw each other yesterday." She said in disbelief. Cassie didn't seem to be so surprised by my being attached anymore.
"I know. I just miss you." I breathed and softly kissed both her cheeks and her nose. A small smile broke out on her lips making me love her even more.
"So what food did you get?" She asked, swiping her hair over one shoulder so it toppled like a golden waterfall around us.
"Chinese. I figured that usually we cook, or I cook so I thought I'd order a takeaway. I've had this before, it's really good."
"Okay. Well let's eat then. I'm starving." She piped and jumped up before placing herself down on the picnic blanket, crossing her slender legs which gave me a brief view of her underwear.
Control yourself George.
I'd already put out some drinks and prawn crackers out beforehand so I wouldn't have to go down to the kitchen later. I sat down next to her, immediately placing my hand on her thigh and leaning forwards so I could kiss her. The softness of her lips between mine was just as amazing as usual, her rich scent clouding my senses and completely overwhelming me.
I loved that when I pulled away it took Cassie several seconds for her to reluctantly open her eyes like she loved savouring the moment, the soft sigh escaping her lips when the contact disappeared. It made me smile, and laugh, which in turned made her blush profusely. She was so pretty when her cheeks tinted pink. It was like some life and joy was finally painting her skin.
"No alcohol?" She commented when I poured her a glass of white grape Shloer, and placed it in her empty hand.
"I know you don't drink anymore, and I don't want you to start drinking again like you did so I thought a substitute which is basically wine but fizzy and not alcoholic would do the job." I explained.
Her face lit up. "Thanks. I don't think I want to go back to drinking like that again either."
"Looked pretty horrid on the night of Halloween if I'm honest." I said. "Was I even pleasant drinking that much?"
She shook her head and took a large gulp of her drink. "Nope, but I was very overwhelmed with the idea of Anna being pregnant. Plus, you blackmailed me into sleeping with you so... you know. A bottle of vodka and a couple dozen pints of beer does help. Although, I only remember her telling me, then waking up with both of you in my room so the amount of alcohol I consumed that night is still a mystery."
I smiled, remembering how sneaky I'd been that night, but the aftermath wasn't good. Especially for Cassie. Seeing her so drunk that she couldn't speak or walk properly. Her face completely drained of colour and her Halloween makeup running down her angelic face like streaky paint. If I hadn't taken both Anna and Cassie home, God knows what would have happened.
The topic of the conversation was turning sombre, and tonight wasn't the night for that. Tonight was for us.
"Anyway, let's eat. I'm starving and I've been waiting all week for this Chinese." I chirped, plucking a box from the pile and handing it to her, whilst picking up one for myself and a pair of chopsticks.
"Hey wait up! What are you doing?" She cried out and snatched the chopsticks from out of my hands.
"Um... eating?"
She grinned and shook her head. "You are supposed to warm them up first silly. Watch."
I watched as she rubbed the chopsticks in her hands rapidly and then gave them back to me.
"Go on, try." Cassie pushed with a cheeky smile before picking up her own pair and doing the exact same thing.
"I don't think this actually helps." I said, though did as she asked and quickly rubbed the chopsticks together in my palms.
"Well, whenever we go out to a Chinese restaurant, the people there always do it for us before we actually eat so I'd advise you take it up with the experts before you disagree."
The playfulness in her tone was adorable, and it took all of my efforts not to turn around and kiss her. Or do other thing with her...
"George?"
"Hmm?"
"Why have you gone all red?" Cassie smirked and raised her eyebrows at me. I hadn't even realised I'd gone red since I was too preoccupied thinking about her lying underneath me with nothing on-
"You were thinking about sexual things weren't you?" She exclaimed and erupted into a flurry of giggles.
"Cassie, you should know me, I'm much more mature than that." I said but even I couldn't convince her. Her mind was set and clearly she found this hilarious.
"I don't believe you."
"You should believe me." I protested setting down my meal and shooting her a glare, which only fuelled her determination.
"Well I don't. I know when you're lying. Don't you know that by now?" She mimicked, the exact words I said to her a couple of months ago. "I think you were thinking about naughty things George."
That was it. She was just too cute.
"Come here missy." And I jumped. Leaped. Whatever you want to call it, but next thing she was wriggling underneath me screaming with hysteria as I tickled her. Everywhere.
Seriously, thank God my parents weren't home otherwise they would have thought some torture session was going on in here.
Once I was finished tickling her with my fingers, I moved on to those barely there, hair raising kisses that I knew she hated.
"George... please, stop!" She squealed and I smiled against the soft skin where her collarbone was and continued to tickle her with my lips. "Please!"
After several minutes of laughter I decided enough was enough. So I pulled away from the delicious fruity scent of her skin and settled to propping my head up on hands, my elbows bent around her head.
Relief spread around her porcelain features and I couldn't help but run my finger over the bridge of her nose and underneath her eyes, up her cheekbones.
"That wasn't fair." She grumbled softly, a charming frown on her lips.
"I know." I replied. Gently touching her bottom lip, I pulled it apart from the other and brushed my finger over it.
In the same second I did so, my finger tip was burning and stained with teeth marks.
"You bit me?" I asked incredulously.
Cassie proudly offered a delightful smirk. "You deserved it."
In no mood to continue the playful argument, I sat up and straddled her waist reaching over to collect my pot of noodles and the chopsticks before tucking in.
"George get off me." Cassie demanded. I'm sure she would have crossed her arms if they weren't trapped under my legs.
"Nope."
"George!" She whined and struggled underneath my body weight which I purposefully sunk onto her. "I'm hungry!"
"Tough luck."
"This isn't fair. This is a date. We're both meant to enjoy ourselves."
"We are." I said simply, mockingly humming with content after every bite of food I ate.
"I'm not!"
"Oh well." I derided, shrugging. It was so difficult to contain the laughter.
"George!"
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. "Fine, you can have some food. But there is one condition. I have to feed you."
Cassie's smouldering eyes widened, her honey blonde hair fanned around her head like a golden halo almost coaxing me to stop teasing her. Why was she so beautiful?
"Okay. But hurry up, I'm starving." She agreed with a reluctant expression. Clearly she didn't know what I was up too.
My plan was to carefully, very carefully, feed her the first mouthful so she realised I wasn't playing anymore. Then I'd continue to taunt her.
"This is really good." She said as she swallowed the first spoonful and opened her mouth for more.
Smirking, I took my time twirling the noodles around the chopsticks, pretending to not know how to do it - just to wind her up - and the finally hung it over her mouth. Just as I was about to drop the food, I quickly pulled back, dangling the noodles just above her reach.
"George, I'm hungry. Please, don't be a tease." She complained, but was resisting the urge to laugh.
"I'm not teasing you. Seriously, I was just working out how to use the chopsticks."
She remained unconvinced and wiggled underneath my body to try and get out, but instead her plan backfired and the food that was once tangled in the chopsticks now was sprawled across her face.
Oh. Shit.
"GEORGE!"
Laughing hysterically, I failed to notice how she managed to tug her arms out of the cage of my legs and grab me by the shoulders to push me down, missing the landing spot of bowls of sweet and sour chicken and burning tea light by a fraction.
She groaned and slapped my chest furiously like a child having a tantrum. Next came my hair, pulled and tugged to the side taking my head along with it.
"Baby, I appreciate your anger but my face is about to be incinerated." I said which instantly caused her to stop, drop her hands and quickly glance at the candle sitting threateningly close to my nose.
She moved it away slowly and did the same to all the other candles scattered around us. Then she sighed, and slid her body down so she was lying on me, her head tucked underneath my chin.
I felt her sink down and sigh in content. She played with the collar of my t-shirt and then ran her palm over my chest in circular motions. Perhaps out of boredom, perhaps to soothe me.
Surprised that she'd give up her fight so easily, I gave in too by wrapping my arms around her shoulders and pulling her closer. As usual I couldn't resist smoothing over her hair and twirling the ends between my fingers. Out of habit. Out of comfort.
"So after all that, you just curl up and cuddle me? No more slapping and punching and tugging?" I remarked. Her head didn't even pop up, she just nuzzled her head against my neck instead.
"No. I can't stay angry at you for long. It's impossible." Her velvety voice resounded against my chest in calming large vibrations.
Oh dear.
"Control your dick, George." She said strictly, but I could pick out the amusement in her voice.
"Sorry, but you don't make it very easy for me." I commented, rearranging her legs so my boner wasn't digging into her thigh.
"You know," She started, suddenly sitting up. "This date is a huge fire hazard. Do you see how many candles there are in this room? How long did you leave them for? Seriously, the whole house could be a pile of ashes right now."
I chuckled. "I know right. It was a risky move but I think it looks cool."
"Yes, it is very magical." She said softly and brushed away some of my hair that had fallen into my eyes.
"So, what do you think of this date so far?" I asked curiously.
"I like it." She piped in reply, scanning the room.
"The roses were a little cliché but I didn't know what else to do." I admitted. "Fucking expensive too."
Cassie laughed at my grumbles. "They were nice. But this would be even better if we played a game."
I considered the meaning of her words. "What game do you have in mind?"
"Well since my face is already covered in noodle sauce I think we should play the noodle game." She explained. "You take a noodle put the tip in your mouth and then see who can eat it the quickest."
"That sounds easy."
"Trust me, it's not. I have played it countless times with Abi and Harry and it's not easy. You see because the noodle is hanging from your mouth you have to find a technique that means you can eat it up quickly without dropping it."
"Still sounds easy." I repeated.
"Pfft." She huffed. "Let's play then. We'll see if you think it's easy when I whip your ass."
"Kinky."
She frowned and I laughed, tapping underneath her chin.
"Let's play."
*
Cassie
Somehow later on we ended up on the bed, George sat casually with his hands around my waist and my legs around his middle. He liked to think he won our many rounds of the noodle game but I was a pro, and he lost. We decided not to talk about it anymore since it almost ended in an argument.
"Some of your friends came to see me on Friday." George said.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Ruby and I've forgotten what her name is... blue hair?"
I laughed. "Blair."
"Yeah her. So they came up to me and asked if I was with you at lunch and break since they never see you anymore apart from in class." He explained.
That was true. I was still in no mood to talk to them, call it harsh but I just think I would be miserable around them. To be honest, I was miserable in school anyway ever since Christmas Eve. Thank God we only had a few months left and then I could go to university and have a fresh start.
"I told them that I was with you at lunch and breaks. Then they asked whether I'd kidnapped you, and I laughed and said no. Ruby was especially persistent to find out why you weren't with the group, but I didn't say anything. Only that when you want to go back and talk to them again, you will. You've just been having a rough time lately." Following his words, he gently pushed a lock of my hair around my ear and rested his hand on my neck with a somewhat pitiful look.
The nightmares had mostly stopped, I only had them once or twice a week now. Therefore, I didn't sleep with George everyday much to my disappointment which also meant we didn't see each other afterschool every day. So, still not wanting to interact with my friends, I spent most of my afternoons in my room doing homework or nothing at all. I would watch Gossip Girl but that was mine and Quinn's thing and since I hadn't talked to her properly for about three months, it felt weird to do it without her.
It wasn't that I was avoiding them, it just didn't feel like the right time to go back and join the group again. I never was the glue to the group or remotely popular with them, I just was there to listen to their problems and join in with the banter. After what happened on Christmas Eve, going back to normal with everyone and joking about the most tedious things just felt wrong. And honestly, I didn't really know why.
I mean... what was stopping me?
"Maybe I should talk to them properly again." I considered to myself.
"Only if you want. Only if you're ready." He consoled.
"Mm." I mumbled. "I just don't feel like talking to them, not because I don't like them, I do they're my friends, I just don't feel like being sociable at all."
"Except with me." George beamed and leaned up to tenderly kiss the base of my throat.
"Indeed. Instead of hanging out at the park with my very hilarious friends, I laze around talking, doing school work and kissing you." I said with a small smile and heavy eyelids.
"Which I enjoy very, very much might I add." He breathed, trailing his kisses along my shoulder and up my neck. Tingles glided down my back in the most pleasurable way.
I couldn't help it. Somehow my lips found their way to his in a split second, devouring up his taste and all the wonderful feelings that came with it.
That feeling. Oh God, that feeling. All warm and cosy.
Before I could fall down that electric blue portal that was George, I pulled away and remembered something I wanted to ask at the very beginning of our date.
"George why is there a dragonfly cut-out on the back of this t-shirt?"
He sighed, dropped his hands from my face and encircled them around my waist instead.
"Well, you know how I call you Libellule?" I nodded. "Libellule in French means dragonfly. You're my dragonfly."
I drank in his words. But why a dragonfly? "Why am I a dragonfly?"
He laughed his laugh of sunshine. "I'm actually not clever enough to have a reason behind it, I just love the word. It's so pretty, like you."
My cheeks warmed and I didn't know what to say. Taking my silence as a que to switch the topic, George quickly began to peck my cheek and every other inch of my face.
"You know your face tastes really nice." He commented, licking the tip of my nose.
I burst out laughing and immediately scurried out of my lap.
"George that just got weird." I spluttered.
"Why?" He asked completely bewildered.
"You just licked my nose!" I exclaimed. I mean I get that licking is erotic, it is, but my nose... really?
"How is that weird? You're skin tastes like noodles."
And then came even more giggles. So many that dragged me to the floor and stitched my stomach up in knots.
"Stop laughing at me!" He said running over to my collapsed form.
With one look at my hysterical face, he broke down laughing too.
And we just laughed. For what felt like years.
*
Next morning I arrived home content. The glow on my face practically illuminated the whole hallway I walked down, that was until my mum's face greeted me.
I'd forgotten she was coming down this weekend. I hadn't seen her in about a week and a half and saying I missed her wouldn't be a lie. Abi and Harry had been avoiding me since our fall out a couple months back and I did the same.
I just didn't know what to say.
So seeing my absent mother finally within my presence was a relief, but that thought was quickly diminished when I saw the expression on her face. I was hard to read; practically impossible.
"Hey." I said and walked closer to give her a smile. She flinched slightly when I didn't proceed to hug her or even call her Mum. "What's wrong?"
Her blonde bob had be cut again since it was as straight and immaculate as usual. Her brown eyes were the polar opposite. Sagging, tired, drained so unusual to her normal alert expression.
"Cassie." She started in a serious tone which instantly had me worried. Was someone hurt? "Why didn't you tell me about Anna?"
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