by Naomi Niles
“The morgue. It’s in the hospital.”
“I know where it is, Dylan,” Taylor said.
She still held me as I tried not to cry in front of the officer.
“You’ll take him there? I can meet you. Go around back,” Officer Wylde said. “You’ll see a sign for morgue parking.”
“Okay. We’ll go there,” she said.
She tugged me to the car, opening the door for me.
She stayed silent on the drive, but she held my hand the whole way. She should have both her hands on the steering wheel, but I needed the comfort. My mother was really gone. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.
The hospital was located on a side road. Taylor maneuvered the car into a spot. She turned to me. “Can you do this?”
“I have no choice. I have to know that she died.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“You’ll come with me?”
“I can go as far as the waiting room.”
“Fair enough,” I said.
I was just happy that she was there. I needed to lean on someone. I hadn’t thought to call Mr. Dean, but maybe I should.
I stopped her before we entered the lobby. “Would you call your dad and let him know?”
“You want to wait until you’re sure?” she said.
“Not a bad idea.”
She squeezed my hand as Officer Wylde walked up behind us. “Ready?”
“I am.”
Taylor took a seat as the officer led me back to a cold room with drawers. I shivered, but only because of the situation. A man in scrubs pulled a drawer out. He pulled back a sheet.
It was my mother. “It’s her.”
I turned away. The reality of it struck me – all at once, I was alone in the world.
When I walked back to the lobby, though, I realized that I wasn’t.
“It’s her,” I said.
Taylor took my hand as we walked out. She pulled out her phone and called her father. She told him about my mother.
“I don’t want to go home yet,” I said.
“Okay. To the park it is.”
She drove to the same park we’d talked at last time. We sat on the same picnic table. Taylor had yet to stop touching me, which was good. I was cold. She was warm.
“I’m so sorry, Dylan.”
“I kind of knew it was going to happen at some point.”
“Still. How can you prepare for something like that,” she said.
You can’t. I knew that, but at least I had some kind of family to help me out.
Chapter Twenty Five
Taylor
Dylan moped few a few days, then seemed to be okay. I didn’t blame him. It was selfish of me to delight in all the time I was able to spend with him, but I did. I liked being with him.
I shouldn’t use a tragedy to take advantage of the situation, but Dylan seemed to like that I was around. We still hadn’t talked about that night. I hadn’t forgotten it. I had hoped he hadn’t, either.
Dylan and I did homework together in the basement every night. My father came down at least once a night to sneak some junk food. It was proof he was feeling back to normal.
My mother and I were okay. We hadn’t made any progress, but we hadn’t fought in days.
The prom was coming up and tickets would go on sale in two weeks. No had asked me. I guess everyone assumed that I was going with Dylan, but he didn’t ask.
I decided to bring it up while we were doing homework. My father had already been downstairs and my mother was out at a class to learn about getting her real estate license.
“Prom tickets go on sale in two weeks,” I said.
Dylan grunted. He was working on his laptop, doing programming homework I thought. He liked that class the best, from what I could tell, and wanted to study it in college. We hadn’t talked about college, but I knew he was going for a visit soon.
I wasn’t ready to think about us parting. I had looked at colleges for nursing and most of the ones with a four year program were at least an hour away – no commuting, I’d have to live there.
“Are you planning on going?” I said.
Dylan’s fingers stilled over the keyboard. “Uh, I hadn’t thought about it.”
“No?”
“No, not really.”
He went back to typing.
“No one has asked me yet. By this time before the junior prom I had a date.”
“It’s the twenty first century. You should ask someone.”
Was that an invitation? Was he telling me I should ask him? I didn’t know what to think. I’d never asked a guy out.
“Okay. I hadn’t thought of that.”
He laughed, but didn’t look up at me. I wanted to see him naked again. I wanted him to make me climax again.
I shrugged all of that off because I’d be happy if he just kissed me again – if he looked at me as if I were the only girl in the universe, the only girl that mattered.
And, we needed to talk about it. I wanted him to know how I felt, but the longer time went on, it seemed more and more awkward.
I sighed. “If I asked you, would you go with me?”
His fingers stilled again. His gaze rose slowly from the screen to me. I was holding my breath, but I kept my gaze steady.
“Are you asking me?” he said.
“Yes.”
He frowned. It was not the reaction I was hoping for. My heart sank. I wanted to run out of the room, but that would be childish.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because I doubt that your father would want us to be together.”
I thought about that for a minute. I thought that I could get around that. “So, it isn’t that you don’t want to go with me.”
He laughed. “You’re fishing, Taylor.”
“Yes, I am. I want to know where I stand.”
I needed to know that he felt something.
His eyes fell closed. “What I feel doesn’t matter. It’s a moot point. We can’t be together.”
“What if I could get my dad to agree that you should take me to the prom?”
“Wishful thinking. I admire your optimism.”
“I always get what I want with Daddy,” I said.
He shook his head. “Not this time. This is a whole different realm of wanting a car or a material thing. This is you, going out with someone like me.”
“What does that mean? My father loves you.”
“He wouldn’t if he knew what we’d done. What I’d done to you.”
I put down my pen. “You didn’t do anything to me. I was a willing participant.”
“I’m the more experienced one, so I’m more responsible.”
“Is that how you feel? Is that why you’ve been avoiding me since that night?” I said.
He nodded. “We can’t do it again, Taylor. My stay here can be shortened if something happens between us. I have only a trailer to go to and nothing else. My future depends on being in this house.”
I knew he was right, but I wanted to be selfish. “But I want to be with you. I want you to kiss me.”
He rubbed a hand down his face. “I thought you were over that. I don’t think we can spend time together.”
As he started to get up, I said, “Wait.”
“What?”
“If I get it past my father, will you go with me? I can’t imagine wanting to spend that night with anyone else.”
He frowned. “If your father agrees, I’ll go. If he doesn’t, I’m not sneaking around.”
“Fair enough. And please, don’t leave. I’ll stop talking.”
He eyed me for a moment. “Okay, but stay quiet. I’m programming.”
“What are you working on?” I said.
He laughed. “That’s not being quiet.”
“Okay, fine.”
I let him work and I tried not to stare, but I knew what he looked like naked. I knew what that body could do to mine.
“Staring at me isn’t helping.”
“I’m not staring.”
“Liar,” he said.
“One kiss?”
“Taylor, stop.”
“One kiss and I’ll shut up,” I urged.
I always got what I wanted.
“Fine.”
I stood, then climbed onto his lap. I put my lips on his and our tongues met. This wasn’t going to be a half-hearted kiss. If I was only getting one, I was going to get a good one.
Chapter Twenty Six
Dylan
Taylor talked me into a date. I don’t know how she managed to, but that girl was persistent. Her parents were going out. We knew the restaurant they were going to and their plans. So, Taylor talked me into taking her out for dinner.
Nothing fancy, and a few towns away so we wouldn’t run into anyone we knew.
I had to admit I was nervous, even though it was Taylor. This was still a first date. What if we spent time together like this and then didn’t like each other? Things would be awkward at the house.
I dressed in clothing that I’d wear to a mathlete meet and a tie that Mr. Dean had lent me. I guessed I should get another one since I had two more meets before the mathlete season ended. Not that anyone really cared about what I wore, but Taylor had suggested that I wear different ties. Probably something only a woman would notice.
I tugged at the collar. Mr. Dean wore one of these every day. Guess you got used to it.
I glanced in the mirror to make sure that there was nothing on my face before I walked down the hall to get Taylor. Knocking softly, I realized I probably should have gotten flowers or something.
Too late.
She opened her door and my mouth went dry. Taylor stood there in a red dress that hugged her curves. I bet if her father saw this dress, he wouldn’t let her out of the house. He certainly shouldn’t let her out of the house with me.
I had designs on this date starting and ending in her bed. With maybe some food in between. I could microwave like a demon.
I’d seen her naked, but this was even better than that.
“You like?”
“Holy crap, Taylor. A blind men would like.”
She smiled. “Good.”
“You’re mine for the night? I get to look at you all evening?”
“Until right before my parents come home. Then I turn into a pumpkin,” she said.
There was nothing pumpkin-like about her. She had a tiny waist and lovely hips. Her breasts peeked out over the neckline.
Damn. “You’re beautiful, Taylor.”
She blushed. Who knew this popular girl could be insecure? Who knew this bad boy would reform and be able to be in the same space as this almost woman? Well, in some ways she was a woman. I’d taken care of that.
“Thank you.”
I just wanted to stare at her for the next hour. How did I get so lucky?
Instead, I held out my arm. “Milady.”
She laughed as she took my arm. I escorted her out to the car and held her door for her. I did all the things I’d seen men do in movies. Hopefully, I was doing the right stuff.
Taylor smiled at me when I climbed into the car.
The restaurant was forty minutes away, which I had to remember for our return trip. We knew which movie her parents were going to, so we knew when they’d be home. Hopefully, their plans wouldn’t change at all.
I was just as nervous about being found out as going on this date.
I’d made reservations at the restaurant, so it wasn’t long before we were seated. I’m pretty good for a teenage boy. Not all of us are buttheads. Okay, I’m usually a butthead, but not tonight.
I pulled out her chair for her and everything. We ordered sodas, and when they came, Taylor held up her glass. “To our first real date.”
I touched my glass to hers, then sipped. I felt like a grownup.
“Tell me one thing that most people don’t know about you?” Taylor said.
“That’s hard since you know so much about me.” I scratched my chin. “I was born in Iowa.”
“Iowa? How did you end up here?”
“My mother’s brother offered us the trailer to live in,” I said.
“Do you remember Iowa?”
“No, I was two when we moved.”
“You’ve lived in that trailer that long?”
“No, at one point we were in subsidized housing, but my mother got us kicked out,” I said. “We went back to the trailer then.”
“Hm.”
“You’ve lived in the house all your life?”
“No, we moved into it when I was six, but I don’t remember that much about the old house. My father had a job change and his raise was a lot so we bought this house.”
I nodded. This was nice – just two people talking. Not that I wasn’t thinking about her naked. I was. How could I not? I’m a guy and I’d seen her naked.
“It’s a nice house.”
“It’s home.”
I laughed. “It’s become home to me, too. That’s why I don’t want to mess anything up.”
“I know, but I really like you, Dylan. I want to be with you. I think I know a way we can go to prom. Let me think on it.”
“Just be careful. I’ll be the one paying the price if it gets messed up,” I said.
I didn’t relish being back in the trailer. I was used to the comforts of a real house. Four walls. Couldn’t hear the wind at night. The place didn’t shiver with a large gust. No animals underneath it.
And Taylor. I got to see her every day.
We had fifteen minutes to spare when I pulled her car into the driveway after dinner. No one was home. “We better hurry and get out of these clothes and go watch a movie,” I said. “Act normal.”
“Okay, but I want one more kiss before the fairytale ends,” she said.
I took her face gently into my hands and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Her lips were swollen when I stopped, but she smiled. “Thanks, Dylan, this was fabulous.”
The sound of a car outside had us both running upstairs. Taylor was putting in a movie and I was eating some chips when Mr. Dean came downstairs.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Dylan
I drove Taylor and I to the college fair at our high school that Monday evening. We entered the gym to see rows and rows of tables lined up. Other students were strolling around.
“Where to do we start?” Taylor said.
“Have you done any research?”
I hadn’t. so I wasn’t going to judge her for not doing any.
“I did some. I think those schools are supposed to be here.”
“What did you want to major in?” I asked.
She frowned. “I haven’t talked to my parents yet, but I’d like to be a nurse.”
“That’s great, Taylor. Why haven’t you told your parents?”
“Because my mother wants me to be an engineer,” she said.
“But your math skills are horrible.”
Of course, that needed to go through another filter. I’d been helping her with her math, and she was terrible at it.
She laughed. She could have gotten mad at me. “Yeah, I know. I’m good at science, but not so good at math.”
“You better talk to them soon. We’re behind, not having applied to schools yet. Don’t waste time applying to a school you don’t want to go to.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know, Dylan. What about you?”
“Computer science,” I said. My favorite class was my programming class. “I’m getting an A in the class without a lot of work. I must be good at it.”
“That’s cool. Must be nice to know what you’re good at.”
“Why do you want to be a nurse?”
“I know this is going to sound odd, but I like helping people. Every year the cheerleaders do community service. I really like it. I figure a nurse is a way to help people and actually get paid to do it.”
“Makes sense. I’m sure if you tell your paren
ts that it will make you happy and you can get a job doing it, they’ll support you,” I said.
She nodded, but I didn’t think she was convinced.
I stopped at the first table. “Computer science?”
The man smiled wide. “Yes, Penn State has a good Computer Science Program. You just need to be ready to take calculus your first semester.”
“I’m taking precalc now,” I said.
“Then you’ll be fine.”
He handed me some brochures. “Thanks.”
“We have prospective students nights coming up next month, if you want to attend. You can ask alumni questions about the school.”
“Okay.” He handed me a card. His excitement was infectious.
Taylor stopped at the next table to look at a school with a nursing program. She read the brochure she was given. “If I go an extra year, I can get my Masters.”
“Does that benefit you?”
“Not sure, really. I’ll have to do some research.”
“Go back and ask. That’s why people are here,” I said as I tugged her back in the direction of the table.
“Hi, I just talked to you. I wanted to know what benefit getting a Masters in Nursing gives me,” Taylor said.
The woman smiled and listed off what she could do with a Masters in Nursing. It sounded impressive to me. Taylor nodded, but I didn’t think she was taking it all in. Hopefully, she’d get the idea of what the woman was saying.
“Thanks,” Taylor said.
We kept walking. “Wow, that was a lot of information,” Taylor said.
“I think the bottom line was that you can do a lot of things. I guess it depends on what you want out of your degree,” I said.
“A lot to think about.” She tugged me in the other direction. “Computer science.”
And so the night went. We looked out for each other’s majors. Both of our bags were full when we were done.
“You want to get coffee?” Taylor said. “I’m not ready to go home.”
“Sure.”
We drove to a coffee shop. I guess this was our second date, in a way. Taylor had her brochures laid out when I got back to the table and put down her drink. “Thanks.”
“What do you think?”
“I think I need to talk to my parents and maybe visit some schools. I have a better idea now.”
“Why didn’t you do this earlier? I didn’t think I was going to college, but now I can, that’s why I didn’t do it.”
