Chapter 34

Caitlin's Point of View.;)

I didn't realize how hungry I was until after I had downed half my plate of spaghetti. The guys were basically done with their food, and I am going to need a box. They were basically shoveling whatever was on their plate before, into their mouths.
Lunch wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, I had a lot of fun. I'm finding it easier to get along with Sidney again as we're spending more time together and Max can hardly look at me. Like, when he talks to me specifically, he's playing with the salt shaker or something, looking like he's totally concentrated on it.
While we were eating we ended up playing the question game, just asking each other some crazy random questions. Most of my questions weren't difficult, or anything too weird, like I was hoping. Except one time Marc Andre asked me how much I loved Sidney. I had to shove a bite of spaghetti in my mouth and pretend there was a bad taste to hide the face I was making. When I finally swallowed I said, "this much!" And gave him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. Marc Andre clapped and Max reluctantly joined in. I can see how it would be hard to watch the person you like plant a kiss on someone else's cheek.
After I finish up what I can eat, I get the box I need and Max pays for the bill, leaving a nice tip for our waitress. We walk out of the restaurant happily. Even me.

Back at Mario's, Jordan Staal and Tyler Kennedy have showed up and I let out another sigh when I notice them. "What?" Sidney turns toward me.
I shake my head, not even wanting to admit to myself that I wanted alone time with Sidney. "Nothing." I smile and we head back to the room where the guys are hanging out. It's so much easier to be around everyone when they're distracted. I'm always afraid they'll talk to me and I won't know what to say.  So, the guys are playing video games. What's new?
Sidney stays with me while the rest of them sit around the room, all facing the TV. I cuddle into Sidney's shoulder, glad to be over the feeling of mistrust around him, and glad that Max is facing the other way. I can't stand the look of pain on his face when Sidney and I are together. I tell myself that I need to get over it if I want to even be friends with either of them.
Around 7:00, the guys start to leave. Of course, Max is the last to go. He kept standing around trying to make conversation, but it kept getting awkward and he finally gave up. "Finally," Sidney says, nuzzling his nose under my ear. "I thought they'd never leave." he whispers.
I smile, enjoying the moment while nobody's around. It feels so empty, without everyone laughing. Mario walks into the room and I notice him before Sidney.
"Sid,"
"Yeah?" He straightens up quickly, surprised.
"Dinner's ready." Mario says, leaving back to the kitchen already.
Nathalie made some really good smelling casserole thing. I can't say it looks good, cause it just looks like somebody threw up into the pan. "This stuff is sooo good," Sidney says. I have no clue how he could possibly be hungry after everything he ate earlier, but, somehow, being a guy, he is and he heaps a huge pile of the stuff onto his plate. I take a little bit more realistic portion of the casserole and pass it on to one of the kids beside me.
"So, Caitlin, you're staying over tonight?" Nathalie looks at me as though she might be Sidney's real mother. I guess if he's living with her, she's got the right. It would be no fun to be blamed for something Sidney did cause he was living in your house.
"Yup," I say after chewing a delicious bite of the casserole.
Nathalie and Mario both nod in unison, then go back to eating. Everyone else at the table is silent, and stuffing their faces. I remember my great grandmother always used to say that was the sound of good food, and silence at the dinner table was almost always a compliment to the cook. I miss her.
After dinner, Sidney takes me up to his room where we hang out, talking and talking for hours about nothing in particular. It's so nice to be with him again. It's horrible when things are strained. I make a mental note to myself not to get so overwhelmed and freak out at the next thing he does wrong. This is so much better than what I put myself through this past week.

Ruthanne's Point of View <3

I wake up way before the thought ever enters Kris's mind. I'm nervous about him leaving. I roll back over into his arms the way we fell asleep. My movement wakes him up and he looks at me, confused. Normally, I don't wake up all that early, but when I'm stressed, or worried or something, I can't sleep.
"What's wrong?" He asks, as I stare dumbly back into his face. He touches my cheek and I see a tear on his finger as he pulls it away.
"Nothing," I say. I didn't even know I was crying and I still can't figure out why.
Kris just stares back at me, looking concerned. "I love you," he finally says, then he kisses me on the cheek, squeezes me to his chest and tries to go back to sleep.
I lay there, wide awake and afraid to move while he's asleep. I don't want him to be tired later. "Are you still awake?" He asks after a couple of minutes.
"Yeah," I say quietly. He looks down at me again.
"I'll be back tomorrow. And you can still decide to come with me," he says, knowing exactly what I'm upset about.
"I know."  I say. But I'm too stubborn to decide to go with him, even though that seems like the easier choice now.  "I've gotta pee," I say, an excuse to get out of an awkward conversation,  and wiggle my way out of his arms and out of the bed. I hear Kris sigh behind me, but I just run to the bathroom.
I thought I was going to the bathroom to get out of the conversation, but upon reaching the toilet, I suddenly feel like vomiting. Kris comes running in to save the day as I'm getting sick all over the place. Hunched over the toilet with Kris behind me, I feel uglier than ever and I'm embarrassed about the mess.
"Are you ok?" He asks, kneeling down beside me after I'm done and flushing the toilet. I nod, not sure why I got sick and lean into his open arms. "I can cancel..." He says reluctantly after a couple of minutes.
"don't." I say firmly. Although I would be happy to have him here for the rest of the day while I'm sick, I don't want him to cancel his plans. At least while I'm sick I won't have to talk. I can nap on the couch all day.
Kris hugs me again then gets up and turns around out of the bathroom. He comes back with a fresh pair of pajama pants and one of his old t-shirts for me. While I'm changing he gets my toothbrush and toothpaste ready and he hands them to me after I finish. Kris is the best, there's no denying it. He stands behind me, looking at us in the mirror as I brush my teeth.
It's 5:30 in the morning and I feel like sleeping again, but Kris's alarm was set for 5:45 so there's no point in laying back down. "You are going to take it easy today." Kris says, leading me downstairs.
"Yes, Father." I say as we reach the bottom.
"I'm serious! You're sick. My  mom will take care of you. Here." He says, helping me lay down on the couch. I really don't need all this help, but Kris is so concerned for me.
A moment later I hear someone else coming down the stairs. Kris runs over to him mom as she reaches the bottom and tells her about me being sick. "That's too bad," she says. "we'll run you to the air port, then I'll come back and take care of her." Kris's mom smiles reassuringly at him, probably knowing deep down that I'm absolutely fine.
Kris's step dad comes downstairs and stares at me for a moment before getting into the fridge. I'm sure I'm a mess, my hair's down and tangled and all over the place. I'm wearing ratty pajamas.
Kris disappears into the downstairs bathroom and I lay here on the couch, staring at the ceiling. I put my hair into a ponytail while he's gone and I wait for him to reappear.He comes back with a big old blanket that looks really warm and soft.  He's not nearly as graceful tucking me into the couch as he normally is, but it's a nice gesture anyways. "I love you," he says, reminding me of those movies where the girl's dying and the guy has to leave her for some important reason or another. Jeez I hope I'm not dying. I smile to myself and close my eyes when he kisses me saying "See you tomorrow."