When we were kids, our slumber parties comprised playing games outside at night. Flashlight tag is one of them and scaring the living daylights out of each other. We all paired off into teams and chased each other around, shining the flashlight at each other.
I tiptoed up and grabbed Emma, making her jumped and laughed. She smacked me and whispered, "Don't do that. You almost gave me a heart attack."
I placed my finger to my lips, "Shh."
We heard someone walk by, and when they had their back to us, I turned on the flashlight. "Gotcha," I said.
Liam turned and looked at me. "Fucker," Liam huffed.
"Pbbtt," I replied.
"I'll get even, you shit," he said, pointing at me.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I said.
I saw a flashlight heading toward us, and we ducked into some bushes. We peeked out, and Emma shined her flashlight on someone.
"Damn it," Shawn said. "Mack, I'm out!"
"What the hell you mean you're out?" Mack yelled.
"I'm out. What part didn't you understand?" He yelled towards her, and we sat on the ground, laughing with our hands over our mouths.
We moved out of the bushes and around the side of the house as we heard someone coming our way. I click on my light on someone.
"What the hell? Really? RJ," JJ said.
"You know I fucking rule at this game," I said to him.
"Well, you ruled," Nik said, shining a light on Emma and me.
We looked at him as he smirked, and JJ chuckled, "Come on. You can join the rest of us losers."
We both shrugged and walked with him over to a fire Angelo was making. As everyone tagged out, they joined us by the fire pit. Emma snuggled up to me, and we watched as the victor emerged being Frisco.
"I swear, you cheated," Xavier said.
"You can't cheat with you understand the law of physics," Frisco said.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Xavier asked.
"Plenty and you would have known that if you wouldn't have slept through the class in school," he said.
As they went back and forth, Mel asked, "What now?"
"How about ghost stories?" Austin asked.
We all shrugged and shared some spooky tales. Each person told their own story, and Emma cuddled more into me. I didn't mind, though, since her hair smelled like coconuts.
As we all got enthralled into the stories, someone had a little fun at our expense.
"Roar," someone yelled in a werewolf mask, causing us to jump and scream, then we heard laughing.
"What the fuck?" Austin exclaimed.
"Oh god, you see all of your faces," the person said, laughing as they pulled off their mask.
"Dad?" Austin yelled.
"In the flesh," Frazier grinned.
"What the hell?" Mack yelled.
"Aww, did someone almost wet themselves?" He asked in between laughs.
Then we heard a female voice yell, "Dylan, I told you not to do that!"
Marissa walked up.
"Oh, come on, it was funny," he said defensively to her.
She rolled her eyes, then with a grin said, "Okay, it was funny." They both started laughing.
"Now that we're all done having a minor heart attack. What are you both doing here?" Nik asked them.
"What? Can't a mother and father visit their pride and joys?" she asked incredulously.
"I guess," he said with a slight shrug.
"Oh, relax, they sent us to make sure you kids were okay," she said emphatically.
"And picking up the phone wasn't good enough?" Mack asked.
"Considering Ryan sent us, no," Frazier said.
"Dad? Why did he send you?" I asked a bit surprised.
"Oh, no reason. Your dad wanted to make sure you all were okay after what happened at the dance," Frazier said casually with Marissa nodding.
"Oh, cut the bullshit. We all know you two are terrible liars," Liam said. "Now, what's the actual reason?"
"Uh, I'm offended you would think I would lie to all of you," he said, feigning hurt.
"Yeah, yeah, you're so offended, and we're all virgins," JJ said, causing everyone to look at me. I gave them all a look.
"Well, at least one is," Shawn said.
I put my face in my hand and shook my head. Emma looked at me a bit surprise and said, "Excuse us." I got up and took her hand, helping her up. I led her away from everyone.
"Marvelous job, Shawn," JJ said.
"What? It's not like it's a secret," he shrugged.
"It is when the girl he's dating doesn't know yet," Nik said.
"Wait a minute. Are you guys saying that with the hordes of girls that chase RJ around, he has never had sex?" Maggie asked them. They all looked at each other as she said, "Wow. Learn something new every day."
"I think it's sweet, he waited. Most guys are too busy trying to get into a girl's pants nowadays. That's pretty admirable," Leslie said.
"I like you more and more," Xavier said to her, making her smile.
"Yeah, yeah, it's so noble. You wouldn't say that if you heard what RJ did to me," Liam said.
"What did he do?" Leslie asked him.
"Besides the lifetime supply of condoms on my eighteenth birthday, not much else," Liam said.
Her eyes widen, and her jaw dropped in surprise.
"Trust me, RJ isn't as innocent as he claims to be," Liam said to her.
As they all went back and forth on things, Emma and I were alone.
"RJ, what's happening?" Emma asked me.
I was pacing, trying to figure out what I was going to say as she stood there, confused.
"RJ, talk to me," she pleaded with me.
I walked over to her. "Emma, I have never felt this way about someone before, and frankly, it scares the hell out of me."
"What are you trying to say?" She asked, even more confused.
I looked down and as I raised my head, looking into her steel-gray eyes. I reached up and gently placed my hand on the side of her face. Just as I was about to speak, I heard someone yell, "Just tell her that you love her already! Damn, you and your father are both slow at this!"
We turned to see Frazier and Marissa standing there, grinning like two fools. I rolled my eyes at them as I turned back to her, and she asked, "Do you love me?"
"Yes," I confessed. Emma's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth, and I said, "I get it. It's too soon." Without waiting for her to say anything, I went into the house. I felt too embarrassed to wait around to have someone reject. Fucking Frazier. Dad was right; he was an idiot.
She looked at Frazier and Marissa as Frazier said, "Why are you waiting? Go after him!"
"What do I say to him?" She asked.
He looked at Marissa. "What is with these girls? First, Alex and now, Emma." Then he looked back at her. "Do you love him?"
"Huh?" Emma asked.
He walked towards her. "It's a simple question. Do you love him?"
"I don't know," she said.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Frazier asked.
"I've never really been in love," she shrugged. He looked at her as she continued, "Hello? Never had a date, let alone a boyfriend. How should I know what love is?"
He placed his hand on his forehead, then said, "Aw hell. Look, do you enjoy being with him?"
"Yeah," Emma answered.
"Does he make you happy?" Frazier asked.
"Yeah," Emma answered.
"Do you hate being away from him?" Frazier quizzed.
"What kind of question is that?" She asked him.
"A simple one," Frazier answered.
"Who asks that?" Emma questioned.
"I do," Frazier said.
"Well, that's a dumb question," she said to him.
"It's not dumb," he argued with her.
"Yes, it is. I mean, how can you miss someone when you're always with the person? It's a pretty dumb question," Emma argued.
They went back and forth, and Marissa called Mom, then put her on speaker.
"Frazier, what are you doing?" Mom asked over the phone.
"Trying to help Emma figure out if she loves RJ," he said.
"No, he isn't. He's asking me a bunch of questions," Emma said, causing Frazier to get frustrated.
Mom laughed over the phone as they kept arguing, then said, "Emma?"
"Yes," Emma asked.
"Do you love my son?" Mom asked.
"I don't know. I've never had a boyfriend," she said.
"Okay. Do you get this funny feeling in your stomach when you're with RJ?" Mom questioned.
"Yeah," Emma answered.
"Does your heart beat faster in anticipation, knowing you will see him soon?" Mom asked.
"Yes," Emma answered.
"Do you like the way he makes you feel when your hand is in his?" Mom inquired.
"Yes," Emma replied.
"Do you enjoy the way the things he does with you?" Mom questioned.
"Yes," Emma responded.
"Well, my dear, I do believe you love my son. Now tell him," she said to her.
With that, Emma went into the house.
"Thanks, Alex," Frazier said.
"Frazier, I love you, but you are an idiot," Mom told Frazier.
"Duly noted," he said as he hung up the phone. He looked at Marissa, said, "Let's go get the others." She nodded, and they went to get the others.
Emma ran up the stairs and opened my bedroom door to find me sitting on my bed. I looked up to see her standing there. I quickly stood up and said, "Look, I know what you will say. I shouldn't have said that. I get it."
Before I finished my sentence, she walked over to me, placed her hands on my face, and pulled my lips to hers, giving me a sweet kiss. I put my hands on her waist. Then she pulled back, "I love you, too."
Those words took me by surprise. "You do?"
"Yes," Emma answered. Before I said anything, she said, "Your mom is pretty wise."
"What does my mom have to do with this?" I questioned curiously.
"She was the one that explained to me what being in love is. Your Uncle Frazier doesn't know what love is," she said to me.
"Hey!" Frazier yelled.
We both looked to see Frazier and the rest of them standing there as Marissa said, "Well, she is right. You know nothing about love."
"Yeah, okay, you got me there," he grinned.
"Okay, let's give them some privacy," she said, ushering everyone away from the door and closing it.
I looked at Emma. "Remind me to thank my mom for the next time I see her."
"That I can do," she smiled.
"I love you, Em," I said.
"I love you, too, Ryan," she said, surprising me. I rarely use my full name since it confuses people with dad and me too much.
"Can you do me one favor?" I asked her.
"What's that?" She asked me.
"Can you only call me Ryan when it's just the two of us? If you call me it around the others, they will think you're talking about dad," I said to her.
"Okay," she said with a smile.
Besides my parents, Emma is the only one I will ever allow to call me by my full name. She is that special to me.