Auriella sat on the bleacher in a Liberty Baseball hoodie at the game. The boys were 10-7 it was the last inning.
At the games, she usually sat up towards the front because she likes to see the games completely.
As Jeff was up to bat the umpire went out to talk to the coaches. Monty was at second and had a perfect view of Auriella on the bleachers. He looked over at her mesmerized.
She waved over at him smiling. It was like his heart melted in his chest. He was happy to see her there, to have someone at the game for him. Of course, he knew she was always there but today was different.
The umpire came out finally and yelled "Play Ball!" and the games resumed. She was focused on the game again. Soon enough it was over.
After school, she had gone home to change and shower. She had her hair still curled from earlier and just threw on some jeans and a cute top that was hidden under the Liberty hoodie she wore because the games could get breezy.
She sat on a bench not far from the door to the boy's locker room. She sat on the further end, she didn't want anyone to ask any questions so she sat in plain sight in hopes of not being noticed.
"Ready to go baby doll?" she heard from behind her.
"Hey, yeah I'm ready." She stood up smiling.
He stuck out his hand to her so she could hold it. She intertwined their fingers as he adjusted his duffle bag on the other shoulder. The walked over to his jeep and got in to drive to Rosie's.
"You look n-nice." he spoke looking over at her at a red light.
"Thank you, you too." she smiled at him.
They had an amazing time at Rosie's. The night consisted of her cracking jokes and being goofy, him pretending to get an attitude, and the two of them laughing together. It was so odd that such an angry boy like Monty would click like he did with Auriella. Maybe the goofiness and stubbornness evened everything out.
After the date Monty drove her to a park where he would sleep sometimes when nobody was around to give him somewhere to stay.
They sat there for hours and just talked.
"You know we should probably get going, we have school tomorrow." she got out in between laughs
"Oh shit, yeah come on." He got up offering her a hand and walking back to his car.
-
As he pulled into her driveway she looked over at him.
"Do you uh, do you have a place to stay?" she asked him.
He hesitated at first but shook his head. His dad kicked him out again the other day so he had been obviously staying at Jeff's.
"Come in, my parents won't be home for another 2 days." she offered.
He turned off his car and followed the small girl up the front steps and into the house.
"Welcome to Casa de Garcia" she spoke smiling and spinning around. "There's juice and food in the fridge if you get hungry tonight. Um I don't have any guy clothes but I can go to my brothers room and get you something if you want" she shrugged her shoulders as he followed her up the stairs to her room.
He looked up and down the hallway as he looked at old pictures of her and Aaron on the walls.
Getting to her room he looked at her door and across the hall at Aaron's door. "Auriella Jade" hers read and "Aaron Carter" his read.
Monty chuckled as he looked at her again. She raised her eyebrows at him confused.
"I've never thought you would have a name plaque and tiara on your door is all." he shrugged
"shut up and come in" she laughed walking into her room
He stood there in the doorway and took in the image of her clean room. Pink, grey, and white filled the room. Picture frames all over and a bed made as if it was a hotel.
"You did this?"
"What my room? Yeah, I decorated everything and made the bed and all that before I left to Jeff's last week. It was like almost all pink before that." she laughed
"Pink huh?"
"Listen, de la Cruz, if your judge me for my color choices you can go." she laughed.
She began to take off the hoodie she had been wearing at the game and throughout the date.
She went through her dresser and took out some shorts and a t-shirt. She looked over at him and laughed.
"I'm going to change and then I'll figure something out for you okay?" she smiled and walked into her bathroom.
After she walked out she threw her dirty clothes in her hamper right outside her bathroom.
"Your own bathroom too huh?" he looked at her up and down.
"I grew up with 3 brothers, 4 if you count Jeff." she laughed.
"I thought it was only you and Aaron." he questioned
"Nope, Andrew, Aiden then Aaron and me. Andrew's 22 finishing college in New Orleans and Aiden lives down the hall across from my parents, the guest bedroom is technically Andrew's room but ya'know Jeff sleeps there all the time." she smiled as she began braiding her hair.
"Two more brothers, any other secrets?" he asked her as he finally sat on the corner of her bed.
She took a seat on her floor in front of her mirror, like she did everytime she did her hair or makeup.
"Nope." she laughed looking up at him through the mirror.
"Good" he smiled as he took off his flannel and his jeans revealing some shorts.
"How do boys wear shorts under skinny jeans?" she questioned as she finished up her braids.
"You get used to it" he shrugged as he threw his dirty clothes in his duffle bag.
"here give me, we can wash it." she smiled holding her hand out for the bag, she knew it was full of dirty clothes.
"I'll uh, I'll come with you." he smiled following the girl down the hall to where the washer and dryer were.
She grabbed the bag from him and dumped it all out.
"Jesus dude" she said laughing and covering her nose.
"It's not that bad babe come on." he laughed
"B-babe?"
"Let's just put this to wash okay, we need to get to bed." he pushed past it and started handing her his clothes and underwear and whatever else he had in the bag.
"Bag too" she stated reaching her hand out for him to give her the bag.
He chuckled and handed her the bag. After putting everything to wash she began to make her way down to the kitchen.
"Where we going?" he asked.
No answer.
"Ice cream" she said after she pulled out a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream and pushed herself up on the counter.
She grabbed two spoons from the drawer under her leg. She extended her arm out to him, handing him the spoon.
"Ice cream" he spoke back to her, grabbing the spoon.
"This is my favorite, you should remember that." she smiled scooping som in her mouth.
"Cookie Dough?" he asked reading the container.
"Yup, Aiden used to buy it for me all the time when my parents weren't home." she smiled.
He came closer to her and stood between her legs. She placed the ice cream next to her and wrapped her arms around his neck looking into his eyes.
"You know, you can call me babe under what condition."
"Oh really? What's that?"
"I think you know." she told him
"Ella" he rolled his eyes.
"Okay, Monty" she said letting him go and sitting back
"Come on, don't be like that"
"Be like what Monty, I told you I'm not just another piece of ass you can grab in the hallway or call when you want a kiss. I'm not doing it."
He just looked at her, he didn't know what to do.
"If you don't want this, we don't have to Montgomery. We can pretend nothing ever happened." she said pushing past him and jumping off the counter.
She turned to put both the spoons in the sink and placing the ice cream back in the freezer.
As she closed the freezer she was greeted with his face, very close to hers.
"I want to do it okay, I just don't know how. I've never had a girlfriend."
"Did you know how to play baseball or football before you started playing?"
He shook his head no.
"Well then" she shrugged looking up at him.
"Well then, do you want this? Do you want to be my girlfriend?"
"I don't know Monty, do you want me too?"
He rolled his eyes looking down at her. She giggled leaning her head on his chest.
She finally looked up at him and nodded. The smile on his face was like when you surprise a little kid with a toy.
And within that same moment, he picked her up placing his hands under her butt and leaning up to kiss her. He made his way up the stairs and back to her room. He laid her on the bed as they continued kissing.
"M-monty." she tried to get out
"Monty hey" she spoke a little more sternly.
He looked down at her.
"I'm your girlfriend and I want to be with you but we have to slow down okay? We'll do it eventually." she looked up at his face trying to read it.
"Y-yeah okay, but um can we still kiss and stuff?" he asked her cautiously
"Yeah of course" she giggled pulling him back down and kissing him again.