The Art of Life (50 page)

               
Laughing, Jeremy grabs my
arms.
 
“Relax, it’s me.
 
Are you okay?”

               
“Yeah,” I pant, holding my
chest.
 
“You scared the crap out of me.”

               
“I see that.
 
Can’t you sleep?”

               
Shaking my head, I say, “No, nightmares.
 
What are you doing up?”

               
“Actually, I haven’t really been
sleeping much tonight.
 
I have a lot on
my mind,” he replies.

               
“Oh,” I moan.
 
“I am sorry.”

               
Jeremy rubs my arm.
 
“It is not necessarily all about you.
 
Yes, I am worried about you a lot.
 
Actually, before you got up, I was about to come
check on you.
 
I just…..well there is a
lot in my past that keeps me up at night.
 
It’s just a combination of things.”

               
“I thought I woke you up,” I
mumble.
 
“I just can’t get the nightmares
to stop.”

               
“Do you want to
come
sleep with me?” He asks.

               
I shrug, “Yes and no.
 
You are really comforting, and it makes me
feel a lot better, but I don’t think I should get used to sleeping in your
bed.”

               
“We can sleep in your bed,”
Jeremy quips back.

               
That makes me laugh.
 
“No, I mean, I have to get used to having bad
dreams.
 
I can’t run to you every time
that I have one.”

               
“They will slowly start to stop
as time goes by,” he says.
 
“Trust me, I
know this.”

               
“I sure hope so.
 
I am just so tired and every time I close my
eyes, I see him.”

               
Jeremy pulls me into his
arms.
 
“Come on, just come to bed.
 
It is nothing sexual.
 
Just having someone near you can help.”

               
“Fine,” I sigh into his shirt.

               
“We can sleep in your bed.
 
That mattress is seriously comfortable.
 
I forgot I bought such a nice one.”
 
He grabs my hand and pulls me into my
room.
 
Jeremy jumps on the bed and lies
down on the opposite side.
 
“Come on
toots.”

               
I get into bed and lie there
staring at the ceiling.
 
You know, we
slept next to each other last night, but tonight
is
just as awkward.
 
He rolls over onto his
side and looks at me.
 
“What?” I ask, turning
to look at him.

               
“Nothing,”
Jeremy chuckles.
 
“You are acting
like you are going to jump away from me again.”

               
Taking a deep breath, I
exhale.
 
“I am just overwhelmed.”

               
“Sweet, I am overwhelming,”
Jeremy says with a grin.

               
“Really, are you ever serious?”
I ask.

               
That seems to egg Jeremy
on.
 
He crawls over and lifts himself
over me.
 
I just raise an eyebrow.
 
“I can be very serious when needed,” he murmurs.

               
“Can you please stop doing
that?” I snap.

               
“Doing what?” Jeremy replies.

               
Waving my hand, I say, “Being
all alluring.
 
I am immune to it.”

               
He bends down and whispers,
“Really,” against my lips.
 
My whole body
tenses and my nerves tingle.
 
“I seem to
cause some reaction in you.”

               
“Well,” I stutter.
 
“Yeah, of course you do, but just stop it.”

               
“Why?” Jeremy asks.
 
I can barely see him, but I definitely see
him smiling.

               
“Because I said so, we are
supposed to be going to sleep.
 
If you
don’t plan on that, I will go sleep in your bed and you can stay in here.”

               
With a groan, Jeremy falls down
next to me.
 
“Fine.”

               
I roll and face him.
 
“I may not want to jump you, but I wouldn’t
mind having you touch me while I sleep.”

               
Jeremy lifts his arm up.
 
“Come here then, Miss I am immune to my
studliness
.”

               
“You are ridiculous,” I mutter,
as I scoot next to him.

               
Pulling me tight against him,
Jeremy says, “Most people like to sleep in a spooning position.
 
Are you sure you want to face me?”

               
“Then I don’t have to wake up to
empty space.
 
It scares me.
 
Like he is going to pop out and get me.”

               
“Well, he won’t get anywhere
near you.
 
Hey, and this way, you can
smell me all night,” Jeremy quips.

               
That makes me snort.
 
“That is an added bonus.”
 
I lay my head against his chest and close my
eyes.
 
Okay, he does smell good and this
feels great.
 
“Night Jeremy,” I whisper.

               
“Night Isabelle,” he replies,
kissing my head.
 
It doesn’t take me long
to fall asleep.

               
The next morning, I awake still
in Jeremy’s arms.
 
His breathing is
steady, telling me he is fast asleep.
 
Part of me just wants to stay this way forever.
 
It feels so good.
 
Knowing very well I can’t, I start to pull away
from him.
 
I am almost free, when his
arms tighten and pull me back.
 
“Where
are you going?” Jeremy mumbles, not even opening his eyes.

               
“I am going to go make coffee
and use the bathroom,” I whisper.

               
He huffs, nestling up next to
me.
 
“Are you going to make coffee in the
bathroom?”

               
I laugh.
 
“Yes, it gives it extra zest.”

               
“Gross
Isabelle.
 
I don’t want you to
go.
 
I want to sleep more.”

               
“Then sleep,” I reply.
 
“Why do I need to be here?”

               
Jeremy opens one eye and
replies, “Because this feels good.”

               
“It does, I know, but I am fully
awake.”

               
Shrugging, Jeremy says, “I don’t
care.
 
You can be my human teddy bear.”

               
“This teddy bear will wet the
bed pretty soon,” I state, pushing away from him.

               
With a groan, Jeremy lets go of
me.
 
I get out of bed and stand up.
 
He rolls over onto his stomach and goes back
to sleep.
 
With a smirk, I turn and walk
out of the room.

               
When the coffee is brewing, I go
and use the bathroom.
 
I check out my
neck and grimace.
 
Wish there was a way
to make that heal faster.
 
I brush my
teeth while I am in there.
 
I am living
with a boy now.
 
No need for morning
breath.
  
A little while later, I am
sitting at the table with a cup of hot coffee.
 
I went and got my sketchbook, because I realize I haven’t done anything
but that jerk’s picture.
 
Taking out a
pencil, I start to draw.

               
It turns into a willow
tree.
 
I zone out farther and farther the
more I draw.
 
Suddenly, I feel a hand on
my shoulder, but I don’t jump.
 
“I wish I
had that much patience this early in the morning,” Jeremy yawns.

               
“It’s relaxing for me,” I sigh,
putting down my pencil.
 
“I didn’t want
to wake you up.”

               
“I would have slept longer if
someone hadn’t left the bed,” he sarcastically growls.

               
Standing up, I say, “It was time
for me to get up.
 
I do have to start
going back to school soon.
 
Wait, don’t
you have to work?
 
It’s been a few days
now.”

               
“I called my boss,” Jeremy
responds.
 
“Told him I had a family
emergency.
 
I said I would be gone until
Thursday.
 
If you aren’t going back to
school tomorrow, Kent is going to
come
hang out with
you.”

               
“That’s nice of him,” I
mumble.
 
“I would say that I don’t want
to be a burden, but I have a feeling you would get mad at me.”

               
Jeremy nods his head.
 
“Your assumption would be correct.
 
He wants to teach you how to defend yourself
anyway and there is no one better to do it.”

               
“I thought about that when
Howard was attacking me.
 
How I laughed
Kent off.
 
I wish more girls learned how
to fight back.
 
It would have helped.”

               
“Well, you will learn to kick
butt and then if you see Howard again, I will have to stop you from killing
him,” Jeremy quips with a smile.

               
Shaking my head, I say,
“Violence doesn’t solve anything.”

               
“Yeah, well, sometimes I feel
like it is warranted, but you are probably right,” Jeremy replies.
 
“On that note, I need some coffee.”

               
I make us breakfast and then we
get ready.
 
My guidance counselor is
coming, we have to look nice.
 
I take a
shower first, since it will take me longer to get my hair done.

               
While Jeremy is in the shower, I
put on one of the dresses that Cassandra helped pick out.
 
It is pretty but casual at the same
time.
 
I feel just a wee bit awkward
wearing a dress, but I have to get used to it sooner or later.
 
After a while, I realize Jeremy takes
obscenely long showers.
 
I am going to
get a cup of juice, if I have to wait to put on my make-up.
 

               
When I carry my drink back to my
room, the bathroom door opens.
 
Jeremy
comes waltzing out….only with a towel wrapped around his waist.
 
Uuuhhhh
.
 
I think my jaw is
hitting the floor.
 
Quickly, I cover my
eyes.
 
“Oh
my gosh
Jeremy!
 
I didn’t realize you were coming
out.”

               
“Yeah, that’s what you do when
you are done in the bathroom.
 
Why in the
world are you covering your eyes?” He asks.

               
“You are naked!” I yell.

               
Laughing, he retorts, “No, I am
not!
 
I am completely covered.
 
You can’t see anything.”

               
“Jeremy,” I squeak.
 
“You being in a towel
is
naked enough for me.”

               
“Are you afraid of the towel
falling off or something?”

               
I groan.
 
“Jeremy, please,
go
put clothes on!”