A/N: Sorry guys for such a long update --- finally getting something normal in my life. That's no excuse tho! So here is chapter five! I hope you all like it, don't forget to comment, vote or save my story to your favourites. -- kiss, kiss, love, love.
Chapter Five
I've lived here in bear paw country for about 3 weeks now, its going smoothly as ever, haven't seen too much of Jay Carter tho. Actually I haven't seen him at all, not wondering the woods late at night or fixing our fixed plumbing. Which is a god send! I wonder what he was up to tho. Just something about that guy, I couldn't think of what or place anything to him it was just a mystery.
I strode into the small dinner like I did every couple days. Cheryl was there as usual.
"Hey beautiful"
"Hey short stuff" she said cheekily.
"You do know I'm not short right, I'm like 5'10", I said standing taller to prove my point, before I plopped down at the table. I ran my hand across the red and white checkered cloth, I really did like how homely this diner felt.
"Point? Just cause you call me beautiful doesn't make me beautiful" came her half whispered reply as she grabbed her notebook out of the front pouch of her apron.
"You're kidding right?" I couldn't help but look at her incredulously, I wasn't just calling her beautiful simply because I could and I'm certainly not a player. Did that behemoth of a jock destroy how she viewed herself. She was always so chipper and enthusiastic, I've never seen her so, so... mellow.
She just looked at me before she by passed the question altogether.
"Same as usual Brian?"
"Yeah" I watched her walk away. I could feel the concern wash over me in a wave. I've never really had friends, and I defiantly never had a female friend. Was she on her menstrual cycle or was their something seriously wrong with her?
This in all honesty was all knew territory. I didn't have any idea what to say or do.
It was by far...awkward.
I watched as she came back, her usual smile on her face, her cheeks just a little bit pink. But her eyes. They held something else entirely. I couldn't exactly read them, usually they were an open book. I wondered why she was keeping herself guarded.
I hesitated a moment.
"A-are you alright Cheryl?"
She smiled at me but it didn't reach her eyes. I wasn't blind.
"Of course Brian"
We stared at each other for a moment. I wondered if she was thinking the way I sometimes think. Completely in pain and just wanted someone to notice. Or she was just to strong willed to say anything so she opts to being silent.
"Because you look downright sad girl"
"It's nothing really," she said turning away. Before I had any thought of what I was doing, I grabbed her arm. Craning my neck to look at her, strained my eyes, but for her sake to know that whatever she had to say it wasn't trivial not to me. She was a friend and I was gonna give her the respect I knew she absolutely deserved. I looked at her.
"Cheryl" I whispered.
She stared at me a moment, before she sighed and joined me at the table. She set her notebook and pen in front of her, and fiddled with the hem of her apron. I sat their waiting for her to speak.
"Do you really think I'm beautiful?", she whispered I almost didn't catch it.
"I wouldn't call you beautiful, if I didn't think it was true", I reached out to her. Chicks like that right? Rubbing her hand with my thumb. I watched her eyes watch my hand.
Silence passed between us.
"Do yo---" she was cut short to the door bell ringing. I turned to see the customer who walked in. I'd be saying if I wasn't just a little bit shocked to say the least.
Wearing faded brown cowboy boots, light fitted blue jeans and a blue plaid shirt was none other then....dun dun dun Jay Carter himself.
"Afternoon Mr. Carter, how are you doing today?" said Cheryl as she got up, grabbing her notebook and pen in a hand.
I watched their interaction.
Jay nodded his head at her and gave a curt "fine" before taking a seat at the table at the back of the room. I watched as he leaned back, kicked a leg out straight and bent the other one, his arms laying across the table leisurely as he looked out the window.
I wondered what he was thinking.
I was so lost in my own thoughts and looking at him that I hadn't noticed Cheryl standing in front of me her hands on her hips and tapping her foot. Looking up at her sheepishly, I smiled.
"Sorry baby, what were you saying?"
"You going to drink the coffee I made with all my love just for you or are you going to sit there and let it go cold as you drool all over Mr. Tall dark and handsome over in the corner" she said cocking her head back a moment, her pink lips moving into a smirk.
I blushed for a moment. I couldn't believe it! I so wasn't drooling! Not over that weirdo.
"Pftt" I grunted before picking up my coffee and taking a sip from the creamy depths of heaven in a cup. "FYI Cheryl hes not Dark or Handsome"
"Sure he is just look at his tan from being out in the field all day tending to his horses" I quirked my eyebrow at this. He had horses? Weren't horses expensive how could he afford to have horses. Wasn't he a plumber?
"Horses?" I questioned.
"Yeah he has a horse ranch up on the mountain actually just about a mile or two from where you are now"
I looked at him. I didn't know what to think of that.
"And prey tell lovely lady, how is that creepy man handsome?" I said leaning forward a bit.
"Creepy? He's sweet and soft spoken! Come on look at his chiseled jaw, that five o'clock shadow he always has on his face, those broad shoulders and just picture the abs that are probably underneath that sexy shirt of his!" she said blushing a bit as she stilled herself from becoming an over active fan girl.
"Into cowboys are you Cheryl" I whispered looking at her.
"Pfft" she said flipping her hand at me "No not at all"
I looked at her. Right. Like she wasn't drooling over all that manliness. She had a point tho. I couldn't help but notice the shoulders, his jaw, his height. I wouldn't call him soft spoken or sweet. He was arrogant and a jerk.
"Right and I'm straight" I said without thinking. I sucked in a breathe.
The awkward silence that followed wasn't pleasant at all.
She stared at me. I blew it. I blew the short friendship I had for once in my life could I not blow something right off the bat.
"Your gay?" she whispered almost brokenly.
I felt bad. Almost ashamed. Why? I never cared before what others thought. Why now.
Because it was a new place, new beginnings. Fresh start.
"Yeah...problem with that sweet heart?" I asked timidly. The timidly is what disgusted me. I felt like I was 12 again, like being this way was wrong. It wasn't my fault. I was born this way. Love is love regardless the gender. If she couldn't accept that well her loss. I am simply fantastic.
"So much for asking if you wanted to go out sometime" she laughed halfheartedly. I stared at her a moment and slowly let a smile come to my face. Like that wasn't and still isn't awkward.
"Sorry babe" I whispered.
"It's cool Brian! Really, now we can talk about boys!" she said clapping her hands together like a five year old who just walked into willy wonka's chocolate factory. I was more than confused, I have never received that reaction from anyone before. Not even my own understanding loving mother! What is this madness that is in this small country town!?
"Cool it girl before you jizz all over the floor and make Mr. Carter over there all hot and bothered" I said pointing my thumb in his direction. I turned my eyes too him. He was watching us. My eyes met his and I lost myself for a moment. I could feel it. I don't know why, but something behind them reminded me of something.
It puzzled me.
"Oh stop it you!" she said slapping me in the shoulder, causing me too look back at her. She was blushing furiously. I smirked and chuckled a bit. She was too easy.
"So are you ready for the final year of school next week" I whipped my head at her.
"NEXT WEEK!?" I exclaimed loudly.
"Yeah.....?"
"It's A-U-G-U-S-T right?" I questioned. Have I really been here two months, instead of 3 weeks. Was I going completely and utterly out of my brilliant mind!?
She laughed. "Don't look so shocked there hun, of course it's August and you aren't completely loosing your mind, being in such a small hick town in the middle of nowhere"
"Oh thank god!" I said sighing to myself throwing my hand onto my chest and leaning back in the chair, "for a second there I thought for sure I was stuck in a cheap re-run of the twilight zone". I chuckled uncontrollably and I knew, I didn't know how; a feeling I guess. That Jay Carter was watching us.