home, she came in to check on me. “Caroline said you needed some tampons. Should I run out and get some?”
Apparently, my dad hadn’t told her. You’d think he’d have the courage to discuss menstruation with his own wife but apparently not. “No thanks. Dad took me to Target. But I appreciate you asking.” And I did. She could have just blown me off and gone to bed.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“Good night,” I said. Maybe I should make more of an effort to like her.
An hour later, the house was quiet. I stopped by the bathroom and took care of the necessary tasks. Then I slipped on a bra and clean shorts and t-shirt. It was too weird being outside braless, not to mention hanging out with a boy. Sure I’d done it for the first decade of my life, but that had been pre-boobs. I was only a B-cup, but they seemed pretty big and bouncy to me.
It was just after midnight when I slipped through the gate at Jonathan’s. Mojo didn’t even bother to greet me. When I got closer, I saw that he and Buddy were cuddled up at Jonathan’s side. He was sitting on the swing. The cot, blankets, and pillows were on the patio.
“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t know for sure if you’d be coming.”
I sat down on the cot. “It doesn’t look like he needs me, does it?”
“Oh,” Jonathan said in a loud whisper. “He does. Mojo just settled down. I think he knew you were on your way.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“You can sleep here again. That is…” He looked uncertain. “Was it comfortable? I figured it would be more comfortable than the cot.”
“It was fine,” I told him. “But I can sleep on the cot.”
“No,” he disentangled himself from the dogs and stood, holding the swing to minimize the swaying and creaking. “You should get to sleep with Mojo.” Then he hesitated. “Unless you don’t want…”
Good grief. “I’ll take the swing. Thanks.” I knew I should probably suggest that we rotate nights or something. That way he wouldn’t have to sleep out here all the time. But I liked having him out here. I didn’t want to give him an excuse to go inside, or even worse, make him think I wanted him to leave.
I moved onto the swing and he tossed me a pillow and blanket. Then he stretched out on the cot.
“Move over a little, Mojo,” I said. “I can’t get my feet on.”
Mojo actually did what I said, but I’m pretty sure it was a fluke. I stretched out and covered up. “Where were you today?” I asked Jonathan.
“Colin had a soccer scrimmage. Me and Dave went to see him play.”
“How’d they do?”
“They won. Colin’s amazing. He’s always been good at sports. He plays everything.”
“You’ve known him a long time?”
“We’ve been friends since second grade.”
“Madison and I’ve been friends since first. She’s almost like my sister.”
“Yeah,” he said, sounding surprised. “Colin’s like a brother.”
“Maybe your brother can teach me some soccer tricks,” I said. “I signed up to play JV.”
“Really? That’s awesome.” He rolled over on his side. “I could ask Colin—”
“Oh, no. I was just kidding. I’m really not very good, and it would just embarrass me.”
I couldn’t see him, but I suspected he rolled his eyes. “It’s just Colin.”
“He may be like a brother to you, but he’s a stranger to me.”
“Fine. I’ll let Ben show you some moves.”
“Your little brother?” If I could learn something from a four-year-old, I really had no business being on the team.
“He plays.”
“Um, okay.”
“So it’s okay for Ben but not Colin? They’re both my brothers.”
I threw my pillow at him and the swing squeaked in protest. “Fine. I’ll do it, if you put on a skirt and let Caroline teach you some cheers.” Crap! Why had I brought her up? Things were going so well.
“Not freakin’ likely,” he said and threw the pillow at me. Hard.
“Ow!”
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I underestimated my
Apparently, my dad hadn’t told her. You’d think he’d have the courage to discuss menstruation with his own wife but apparently not. “No thanks. Dad took me to Target. But I appreciate you asking.” And I did. She could have just blown me off and gone to bed.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“Good night,” I said. Maybe I should make more of an effort to like her.
An hour later, the house was quiet. I stopped by the bathroom and took care of the necessary tasks. Then I slipped on a bra and clean shorts and t-shirt. It was too weird being outside braless, not to mention hanging out with a boy. Sure I’d done it for the first decade of my life, but that had been pre-boobs. I was only a B-cup, but they seemed pretty big and bouncy to me.
It was just after midnight when I slipped through the gate at Jonathan’s. Mojo didn’t even bother to greet me. When I got closer, I saw that he and Buddy were cuddled up at Jonathan’s side. He was sitting on the swing. The cot, blankets, and pillows were on the patio.
“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t know for sure if you’d be coming.”
I sat down on the cot. “It doesn’t look like he needs me, does it?”
“Oh,” Jonathan said in a loud whisper. “He does. Mojo just settled down. I think he knew you were on your way.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
“You can sleep here again. That is…” He looked uncertain. “Was it comfortable? I figured it would be more comfortable than the cot.”
“It was fine,” I told him. “But I can sleep on the cot.”
“No,” he disentangled himself from the dogs and stood, holding the swing to minimize the swaying and creaking. “You should get to sleep with Mojo.” Then he hesitated. “Unless you don’t want…”
Good grief. “I’ll take the swing. Thanks.” I knew I should probably suggest that we rotate nights or something. That way he wouldn’t have to sleep out here all the time. But I liked having him out here. I didn’t want to give him an excuse to go inside, or even worse, make him think I wanted him to leave.
I moved onto the swing and he tossed me a pillow and blanket. Then he stretched out on the cot.
“Move over a little, Mojo,” I said. “I can’t get my feet on.”
Mojo actually did what I said, but I’m pretty sure it was a fluke. I stretched out and covered up. “Where were you today?” I asked Jonathan.
“Colin had a soccer scrimmage. Me and Dave went to see him play.”
“How’d they do?”
“They won. Colin’s amazing. He’s always been good at sports. He plays everything.”
“You’ve known him a long time?”
“We’ve been friends since second grade.”
“Madison and I’ve been friends since first. She’s almost like my sister.”
“Yeah,” he said, sounding surprised. “Colin’s like a brother.”
“Maybe your brother can teach me some soccer tricks,” I said. “I signed up to play JV.”
“Really? That’s awesome.” He rolled over on his side. “I could ask Colin—”
“Oh, no. I was just kidding. I’m really not very good, and it would just embarrass me.”
I couldn’t see him, but I suspected he rolled his eyes. “It’s just Colin.”
“He may be like a brother to you, but he’s a stranger to me.”
“Fine. I’ll let Ben show you some moves.”
“Your little brother?” If I could learn something from a four-year-old, I really had no business being on the team.
“He plays.”
“Um, okay.”
“So it’s okay for Ben but not Colin? They’re both my brothers.”
I threw my pillow at him and the swing squeaked in protest. “Fine. I’ll do it, if you put on a skirt and let Caroline teach you some cheers.” Crap! Why had I brought her up? Things were going so well.
“Not freakin’ likely,” he said and threw the pillow at me. Hard.
“Ow!”
“Sorry,” he said. “I guess I underestimated my
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