"You know what?" Aunt Ruby started the next morning.
"What?" I asked looking up from book I was reading. I was actually starting to feel comfortable and calmed down, more relaxed than how I was when I got here. Don't get me wrong, I still am not completely happy that I have to be here. I still wanna go back home?
There is nothing I want more than to be back home, where it is warm and I am around people I know. Except, having Bennett - and my aunt of course - here, in the cold, doesn't make it that bad. The best thing would be me being back at home, and that Bennett is there too.
But that will never happen. We just met. How am I going to expect him to move across the country?
"Earth to Kendall," Aunt Ruby said snapping her fingers in my face.
"Im sorry, what's up?" I asked shaking my head free from my thoughts.
"You never told me how yesterday went," she said excitedly reaching out to grab my hands, "so how was it? Was it everything you hoped for and more?"
"Aunt Ruby," I said pulling back hands flabbergasted. I don't want to think what I am sure she in insinuating.
"What?" She questioned, playing innocent.
"I literally just went to the mall with him. Besides it wasn't just the two of us, he invited his friends along. Trust me, I was absolutely okay with it," I said answer what would of been her next question. "Well, for the most part."
Aunt Ruby was nodding along throughout my response like it was some major thing. Instead of four sentences of a mini date, more like a hanging out session.
"So, then who were the people he invited? And are you sure you were okay with it? Amd why did you say for the most part?" It seems like she wont stop questioning me, I knew they still will keep coming, rather I want to respond or not.
"There were three of his friends. A couple named Gloria and Sam, and another guy named Danny. And yes, I am 100 percent okay with them being invited, I prefer that a lot, actually. Because I am not quite ready to be alone like that with him yet," I paused because I was rambling and nothing was sounding good, "But I am sure I will soon enough. I just need to be around him more. And I need him to like me, also."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Aunt Ruby said after nodding multiple times again. "Still didn't answer my last question."
"Thanks," I muttered looking back down at my book. "I met Tiffany."
"Oooh, who was that? Between you and me, I don't like her. She is too stuck up and too invested in herself," Aunt Ruby said leaning forward to gossip.
"I feel the same way," I finally said. "I don't like her. At all. She makes me question a lot about myself."
"Kendall, there is nothing you need to question about you. You are amazing, both inside and outside. There is nothing wrong about you. You care about others, you want to make other people happy. No matter who they are or what they do. Don't compare yourself to anybody. Definitely not her," Aunt Ruby said, pulling me into a hug and rubbing my back again.
I let out a sniffle. Those words meant a lot. It felt nice to hear them. More than I thought I needed to. "Thank you, it means a lot," I whispered pulling back.
"So, how are you going to accomplish Bennett liking you? What's next?" Aunt Ruby questioned, trying to change the subject, most likely.
"Are you bored or something?" I blurted out on accident, wiping my eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to just say that."
"It's alright, Kendall," she said, running her hand down my hair. Another comforting thing to me. "Yes, I am kind of bored."
"I could tell, you won't stop asking about yesterday," I said, wiping my eyes again and sitting back down. I think I am done being emotional for now. I don't know where it came from and I don't want to be emotional.
"Okay, I'll stop asking you questions," she said after a few moments.
"Thank you," I muttered.
"On one condition," she finished.
"What," I asked casually.
"I will stop asking you question, if only you try to enjoy Minnesota. And yes, that means going outside," she added after looking at my face.
"But--" She cut me off.
"Take Bennett with you. That way you will be killing two birds with one stone. You'll be spending more time with him," she said trying to make it sound better. "Besides, you don't have to be doing anything more than step outside for 10 minutes. For starters. Work yourself up there."
"Okay," I sighed, "I'll do it."
"Yes," she fist pounded the air, "What's the plan?"
"Eh eh ah," I said smiling while waving my finger in her face, "You promised to stay out if it." That was just to postpone the moment. I really don't have a plan. I don't know what will happen.
"Hold on --," she started before I cut her off.
"Nope, you don't get a say in this. But don't worry, I'll be safe, promise," I said standing up and heading up to my room.
"Thanks for that," she muttered.
"Heard that," I shouted from my room.
I really hadn't planned on doing anything today. I was just going to spend the day by myself and have like a mini spa session. I was thinking about inviting Aunt Ruby. Make it a day for the two of us. Just a comfort and relaxation thing, I felt like I deserved something like that. Especially after yesterday. I need a day to feel good about myself. I was letting Tiffany's looks into my head.
But now, thanks to Aunt Ruby, I had a better idea. And a better sense of self worth. The only problem was that I barely had anything planned. The only thing I know for sure, is that I have to go out in the snow, and it would be better if I have Bennett with me.
Inside of my room I went straight to my warm winter clothes and put on a few pairs leggings figuring that was enough, and after that I moved onto long sleeves shirts and my winter jacket. Before leaving my room I grabbed a few long socks and my boots.
I shouted a goodbye to Aunt Ruby, before being caught off guard when she threw a beanie and winter gloves at me. "You almost forgot those," she said and followed it up with a smirk.
I shook my head and rolled my eyes and left the house, heading straight to Bennett's.
As I was walking up the driveway, I decided that this was a stupid idea. And I also had a sense of Deja Vu. I seem to be walking up this driveway a lot, and it always seems to be a stupid idea.
The only thing running through my mind right now was that I have a phone and that I have his phone number. I really need to be thinking, and that I should plan things ahead of time. But where is the fun in that?
With a newfound momentum, I made my steps quicker and put a smile on my face. As soon as I reached his door, I let out a breath and knocked.
Just as I had hoped, Bennett opened the door. The best part of seeing him, is when his eyes locked onto mine, the seemed to sparkle and a smile appeared on his face. Seeing his smile, made mine grow. And before long, we were standing in front of each other with stupid grins on our faces.
"Hey Kendall," he breathed out a few moments later.
"Hey," I responded in the same tone.
"So what's up?" he questioned nodding at my outfit, "You look like are ready for the Minnesota weather. Finally."
"Yeah, I guess so," I muttered looking down at my outfit and back to him. "Anyway, I was wondering if you had anything planned today?"
"You're in luck," another smile, "my plans fell through."
As much as I liked that statement, something about it irritate me. "So I am your second option?" I blurted out.
"No, of course not," he said quickly shaking his head. "I was trying to sound not like a loser. I actually had nothing going on today. I was actually thinking about seeing what was going on with you. If you had any plans."
That sounded better. Almost how I liked it. Gosh, that makes me sound like a bitch. I really don't mean to have those thoughts. Especially not out loud. So I will take it. Therefore, the only thing I could manage to say was an, "oh" with a lot of nods.
I am really starting to take after Aunt Ruby.
"Did you have an idea on what to do today?" he said awkwardly.
"Yes, actually. And I was wondering if you wanted be part of them," I said more confidently than I knew I could be.
"Do you even have to ask?" he smiled again, "Just give me a moment. You can come in if you want."
I nodded, silently agreeing with him before following him inside his house.
Bennett's house was unexpectedly comfy looking. I'm not trying to say anything about him, I just didn't expect his house to be the way it was. Everything inside screamed family and comfort.
The entryway walls were filled with photos of his entire family. There were pictures of all of the through various ages, I could see tell based off of Bennett's face. There were individual photos of him, again starting from a little baby - which I couldn't spend enough time looking at.
However, my eyes were stuck on a photo of a young girl, she couldn't be more than five in the latest family photo. She must have Bennett's sister. Something about her, I don't know what, but it was hard to look away.
My guess was because I love little kids, I think almost everyone is adorable.
"Ready?" Bennett asked appearing next to me once again.
I jumped, startled as I didn't even notice he left. "Yeah," I said, moving my eyes back to him.
"I see that you have found my mom's favorite place of the house," Bennett commented.
"I like it," I said turning to look at him, "I really do. It shows that you have a close family."
"Thanks," he said with a look of pride and something else on his face. It didn't last long before a smile crept back on his face. "For your plans, do I need to dress warm. Wait, that is a stupid question. Don't answer that. Yes, of course I do."
I couldn't stop my smile as he continued to ramble.
"What?" he said slowly looking at me.
"Nothing," I answered, sill smiling. "Lets go outside."
I can't believe it, but I was actually excited to go out and play in the snow.
"Can you tell me what we are going to do today?" he asked slipping a beanie on his head.
I opened my mouth to respond, but got distracted by how he looked in his beanie. Everything about him was gorgeous and sexy, but that dang beanie, only made everything more intense.
I must have been staring at him too much or something because Bennett cleared his throat and a smirk graced his face. "Ya done?"
I blushed and ignored his rhetorical question. "Lets go," I said dragging him by his hand outside.
Bennett tried to say something, though I didn't let him finish what he wanted to do because I pushed him into the nearest and biggest snow pile.
He sputtered sitting up, startled and all I could do was laugh as I looked at his face.
There, now I got my pay back.
Although my laughter didn't last long before I was pulled face forward in the cold snow. Then it was his turn to laugh. And he did, loudly and for quite some time. Why does he get to laugh at my embarrassing moments more than I get to laugh at him?
The first few moments of his laughter I just layed down in the snow, surrounding in the freezing snow. I stared up at him because of the beautiful sound of his laughter. But that started to get old, and was getting really cold. So when he wasn't looking, too invested in his laughter, I grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at him, more specifically at his face.
His laughter stopped almost instantly and just blinked at me, "did you seriously throw a handful of snow at me?"
I nodded with squinted eyes. I don't understand the problem here.
"Wait a minute," he paused with big eyes, "do you know how to make a snowball?"
I froze before muttering, "Pff, yeah. Of course I do, duh."
"Oh my gosh," he laughed again, "you don't."
I was getting mad at this. I don't take getting laughed at very well. Definitely not when it is to make fun of me. I am fine with laughter at me when it is in a good sense. "What's the big deal about this? I live in Florida. I never came up to Minnesota in the winter. My parents don't like the cold, we only visited Aunt Ruby in the summer and the warm weather." I said trying not to let my anger show.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you. It's easy," he said smiling his smile.
"Fine," I sighed, brushing my face. It's embarrassing. How do I not know how to make a snowball? They seem so simple, it's literally in the name.
"Oh, cheer up. It's fun," Bennett said bumping my shoulder with his. "First you scoop up the snow like this."
I copied his motion while rolling my eyes secretly. I was sort of joking when I said I didn't know how to make a snowball. It's common sense. It's so easy, but the look on his when he offered to help was the best thing I have seen ever. He looked so excited and happy.
"Alright, after that you just squish the snow into a ball in your hands. Press it firmly," he paused with his eyebrows scrunched together.
For doing such a simple task, he sure put a lot of concentration into it. It was adorable watching him. His eyebrows were still scrunched together, eyes small as slights, lips pressed together. So much concentration.
"Next off, and finally --"
He was cut off by my snowball hitting him in the face. And for the second time today, I laughed at him, right in his face.
And again, I was surprised. I was enjoying it here. Maybe this winter break wasn't going to be that bad. Especially with the stunned boy in front of me.