The Art of Life (51 page)

               
“What is the difference between
me walking around in shorts or this?” He counters.
 
“I mean, really Isabelle?”

               
My mind is going all over a
bunch of dirty thoughts and I shake my head.
 
“Jeremy,” I plead.
 
“Please, just
go put some clothes on.”

               
“I love making
you blush,” he chuckles.
 
“Alright, I will go put some clothes on.
 
No more towels, but I promise you will have to get used to me being
unclothed.
 
I do walk around in shorts a
lot.
 
That I am not giving up.”

               
“Fine,” I moan.
 
“I don’t have to worry about those falling
off.”

               
He walks over and I feel him
kiss my forehead.
 
“You are too much
fun.”

               
Holding my hand tight over my
eyes, I say, “Go put clothes on, please.”

               
“I am going.
 
By the way, you look very cute today.
 
Nice dress.
 
The scarf makes it very pretty.”

               
“Thanks,” I mumble.
 
When I hear his door shut, I finally pull my
hand away.
 
My heart is going a mile a
minute.
 
You are ridiculous Isabelle!
 
Stop drooling all over him!
 
Just because he is drop dead gorgeous, and
makes you melt, does not mean it’s alright to gawk over him!
 
I sigh, because it’s really hard to live by
those guidelines.

               
Grumbling to myself, I go into
the bathroom to finish getting ready.
 
When Jeremy’s door opens again, I don’t look.
 
I don’t even want to know what he is wearing
now.
 
He walks into the bathroom.
 
I can see him cross his arms out of the
corner of my eye.
 
“Is this better?” He
asks.

               
I turn and look at him.
 
He is wearing a nice button up shirt and
black pants.
 
“Yes,” I answer.
 
“That doesn’t make me all…..well, it’s just
better.”

               
“Well, I don’t want you
uncomfortable, as much fun as it is.
  
So, I promise, no more towels.”
 
Jeremy puts his arms around me.
 
“Forgive me?”

               
“There is nothing to forgive,” I
sigh.
 
“I am still just really shy.
 
I am not used to being around boys, and I
know you are my best friend, but you are still a guy.
 
It makes me have butterflies in my stomach.”

               
Jeremy kisses the top of my
head.
 
“It’s good that you are still
modest.
 
It should be that way.
 
I promise I won’t get out of hand.”

               
“Okay,” I reply.
 
“What do you want to do for right now?
 
We have like three and a half hours before
Miss Cunningham is going to be here.”

               
“Let’s go buy you a dresser and
desk,” Jeremy replies.
 
“The furniture
store isn’t that far away.”

               
I nod my head.
 
“Okay.”

               
We leave and Jeremy drives us
over there.
 
When we get to the store, I
climb out and then look at him.
 
“Really Jeremy?
 
Why
can’t we just go to a cheap store?”

               
“Why?
 
So the furniture can fall apart in two years.
 
No, I would rather buy something that will
last,” he answers.

               
“Whatever,” I groan.
 
He comes around and takes my hand.
 
I look up at him.
 
“This is really unnecessary.”

               
“Will you please stop?” He
growls.
 
“This is what I am doing.
 
If you don’t want to put in your two cents
then wait in the car.”

               
That shuts me up, but I just
glare at him.
 
He sticks out his tongue
and then pulls me to the store.
 
We walk
around for a while.
 
Everything is really
pricey and I keep saying that.
 
The only
response that I get is Jeremy glaring at me.
 
So, I finally just close my mouth.
 

               
As we are looking at two desks,
a girl comes over.
 
I look at her and
realize she is really pretty.
 
Oh boy,
here we go.
 
“Can I help you guys with
anything?” She asks.

               
“Yeah,” Jeremy replies
seriously.
 
I am taken a little off
guard.
 
He isn’t making his usually
goofy, flirty moves.
 
“We need to buy her
a desk and tall dresser.”

               
“Well, my name is Hillary. I can
definitely help you.
 
What were you
looking for in your furniture?” She inquires.

               
I reply, “Simple and cheap.”

               
Jeremy shoots me a look.
 
“Ignore her.”

               
“Hey!” I exclaim.

               
“We would like something that
will last but will also meet all her needs,” Jeremy explains.

               
Hillary nods.
 
“Well, these two desks are our most
popular.
 
We have had some great feedback
on them.”
 
That sends Jeremy into a
thousand questions.
 
I just roll my
eyes.
 
It shouldn’t be this difficult.

               
Towing me
along, Jeremy and Hillary walk around the store, showing me a whole lot of
stuff.
 
Every time she quotes a
price, I squeeze Jeremy’s hand really hard.
 
He doesn’t respond at all.
 
Finally, we pick out a desk.
 
It
is a lot fancier than anything I would normally need.
 
Jeremy at least lets me choose what dresser I
want.
 
I give in and actually pick a very
pretty one, with a mirror on top.

               
As, we are being rung up, I turn
to Jeremy.
 
“Thank you.”

               
He smiles in return.
 
“No problem toots.
 
I want you to feel comfortable and at home.”

               
“So, how long have you two been
together?” Hillary asks.

               
“Oh,” I squeak.
 
“We aren’t boyfriend and girlfriend.
 
Jeremy is my best friend, nothing more.”

               
Grabbing his chest, Jeremy
gasps, “You said that awfully quickly.
 
Ouch, bruise a man’s ego.”

               
Hillary laughs.
 
“It’s just the way you two are around each
other.
 
There is obviously a
connection.
 
It’s great to have true
friends like that.”

               
“Yeah, he is good to me,” I
state, looking up at him.
 
Jeremy gives
me a very sweet smile.

               
“Well, you are all set.
 
Delivery will be on Friday around 4.
 
If there are any problems, feel free to call
me.”
 
Hillary hands a card to Jeremy.

               
He takes it and nods.
 
“Thank you.”
 
Turning to me, Jeremy asks, “Are you all set toots?”

               
“Yeah,” I reply.
 
He puts his hand on my back and I wave at
Hillary.
 
“Bye.”

               
“Bye,” she says, smiling.

               
Jeremy makes me drive back to
the apartment.
 
I do a perfectly fine job
if I do say so myself.
 
We make sandwiches
for lunch, as we wait for Miss Cunningham.
 
I am nervous.
 
I won’t lie.
 
I am really nervous.

               
Finally, almost on the dot,
there is a knock at one o’clock.
 
Jeremy
goes and answers the door.
 
“Hello,” he
chimes.

               
“Hi, are you Jeremy?
 
I am here to see Isabelle
Nimon
.”

               
“Yeah,” I say, coming around the
other side of the door.
 
“Hey, Miss Cunningham.
 
You can come in if you want.”

               
Jeremy steps aside and Miss Cunningham
walks in.
 
She looks around the
apartment.
 
Thankfully, we picked up a
little bit.
 
The next thing she does is
eye up Jeremy.
 
He just gives that
glowing smile of his.
 
She smirks in
return.
 
Yeah, it’s a little hard to not
do that with Jeremy.
 
He waves his hand
to the couch and chair.
 
“Would you like
to take a seat?” He asks.

               
“Yes, thank you,” she
replies.
 
Miss Cunningham walks over and
sits down in the chair.
 
Jeremy and I
take the couch.
 
I try to sit far away
from him, but he scoots over next to me, and takes my hand.
 
Miss Cunningham sees that, and slowly says,
“I didn’t think you guys were a couple.”

               
“We aren’t,” Jeremy
replies.
 
“She has just been through a
lot and is really scared right now.
 
I
would want someone to be holding my hand in the situation.”

               
I gently squeeze Jeremy’s hand
and he does the same in return.
 
“He is
my best friend, Miss Cunningham,” I finally state.

               
“Well, that is very good,” she
replies.
 
Bringing forth a book bag, Miss
Cunningham hands it to Jeremy.
 
“These are
your books and your assignments.
 
Your
art teacher said you can finish your project when you come back.
 
He won’t make you do the ones you are
missing.”

               
“That’s nice of him,” I whisper
awkwardly.
 
What do I say?
 
“So,” I mumble, twiddling with my scarf.
 
“What did you want to talk about?”

               
Miss Cunningham folds her hands
and says.
 
“I would like to go over what
happened again, if that is alright with you?”

               
My nails dig into Jeremy.
 
He interjects, “She is a little timid talking
about that.”

               
“I understand,” Miss Cunningham
says quietly, “but I need to know what is going on.”

               
Reaching behind me, Jeremy rubs
my back.
 
“You can tell her babe.”

               
With a deep breath, I pull off
the scarf.
 
“My mom’s boyfriend did
this.”
 
Miss Cunningham gasps a
little.
 
“Yeah, that’s why I am not in
school.
 
If someone saw this, it would
make my world a mess.”

               
“I completely understand
Isabelle,” she states.
 
“Did he actually
succeed?”

               
“No,” I reply.
 
“Howard, that’s his name, he held me
down.”
 
I go over the story again, having
to take deep breaths every once in a while.
 
After what happened at my mom’s, I tell her about how I got to Jeremy’s,
then that we went to the police station and the doctor, and then how we moved
me out and what happened.
 
“So, that’s
about it,” I finally mumble.

               
“So, Jeremy?”
Miss Cunningham starts.
 
“You believe
that you can take care of Isabelle?”