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So, I might delete this come tomorrow, but this is what I’ve written tonight and I’ve been wanting to share a snippet for so long. Never feeling quite sure about what will grab you, never sure of what will be quality enough for you…. but my inhibitions are low right now and so I’m doing it. There’s a startling amount before and after it, but here’s the snippet (which may disappear come tomorrow so hopefully you’re up right now reading it….)

Chapter Title (tentatively) “Slumber Party” (Notice: It starts from Teagan’s POV)

P.S. Please excuse the errors, this hasn’t been reviewed and edited AT ALL!

-Bryce-

When I got home my dad was playing with Déjà outback, which let me know Teagan was here, even though her truck wasn’t. And when I reached the second floor I could hear music spilling out of Brynn’s room so I knocked. They must not have heard me so I let myself in.

I found them dressed in frilly skirts with mismatching tops and large party hats. They danced together in front of Brynn’s mirror, twirling the beads that hung around their necks in their fingers, singing along to the music like little girls. My God, it was adorable. I leaned against the door frame and just watched, incapable of hiding the smile I felt across my face.

When they finally noticed me standing there Teagan’s cheeks were bright pink, and Brynn tugged me into the dance. The three of us danced in this circle like it was completely normal, like there was a party going on around us or something. Teagan smiled at me like we hadn’t just spent most of the week apart, like nothing awkward had ever happened between us last weekend and somehow I wanted to believe it hadn’t.

The song changed and Brynn’s eyes popped open with an idea. “Hey, go get your camera! Take pictures of us.”

Teagan looked embarrassed over the idea, but Brynn pushed me towards the door. I returned to find them posing in front of the mirror, switching hats and adding more gaudy jewelry to their ensembles. I took pictures of them for at least an hour. After so many frames they’d disappear into the closet and return in a new funky outfit ready for more. Watching them giggle like school girls had me smiling the entire time and the pictures I was capturing of them were impeccable. Ones I knew they’d both really enjoy when they were finished playing ‘dress up’.

Eventually Teagan started to get tired, yawning trying to keep up with Brynn’s zealous energy. Apparently they’d been dancing and playing in Brynn’s closet for hours before I got there. She flopped down on the couch and said to Brynn, “I think I’m done. Can we get in our pajamas now and watch a movie or something?”

Brynn flopped down beside her, still hyper and sighed, “Yeah, I guess.”

Surprised by the mention of pajamas I asked, “You’re spending the night?”

Brynn leaned forward to look past Teagan and smirked at me, “Yup, we’re having a slumber party! You wanna watch a movie with us?”

I looked at Teagan to see if she minded, she said, “Yeah, you should join us!”

Oh, exciting. My heart started jumping in my chest at the fact that Teagan would be sleeping here, at my house in her pajamas and I’d be watching a movie with them. I escaped to my room to change while they did. When I returned they were setting up a giant pile of blankets and pillows on the floor in front of the TV.

Teagan sprawled out in the center of the blanket on her belly while Brynn picked out a movie and got it started. I lay down on my stomach beside her. She looked so soft in pajamas. I wanted to scoop her up and cuddle her so bad it was ridiculous. She was blushing, for what reason I wasn’t sure, and she said, “Can you believe I’ve never been to a slumber party before?”

Brynn spoke before I could reply, “But you’re enjoying it so far, right?”

She giggled, “Of course!”

Brynn was about to hit play and lay down on the other side of Teagan when she startled us both and said, “Oh! I’m going to see if we have any popcorn. Be right back.”

Once she was gone Teagan let out of an exhausted sigh, “Man, she’s hard to keep up with. Where does all of that energy come from?”

I laughed, knowing all too well how Brynn can be and exactly where all of our energy comes from. I’m just better at taming it than her. “She’s never been to a slumber party either so I imagine she’s pretty excited your staying the night.” I didn’t mention that I was too.

She smiled like she enjoyed knowing she wasn’t the only girl her age who had managed to miss out on such things. To kill the time until Brynn returned I pulled the camera off of the coffee table and wiggled a little closer to her, the warmth from her shoulder bleeding into me, the smell of her hair enticing my nose. Teagan’s smile matched her smile in the pictures as we glanced through them. She was visibly happy and it seemed like she liked seeing herself that way. She pointed out her favorites and I mentally took note of mine.

By the time we’d reached the last photo Brynn burst through the door with popcorn, sodas, and Déjà in tow. He licked Teagan in the face and sniffed at mine as he passed us, and then sauntered over to the vacant couch and made himself comfortable. Brynn passed out her goodies, turned off the lights and started the film.

Three quarters of the way through the movie Teagan’s head fell from her hands and onto the pillow facing me. She was knocked out, her breathing slow and deep. I laid my head in my arms and just stared at her smiling. Her face was so peaceful, so close to mine. This was so much better than all of the times she’d fallen asleep on my shoulder, but far harder not to wrap myself around her. She seemed so cozy and inviting. Brynn popped up on her elbow on the other side of her and whispered, “She asleep?”

I nodded with my finger over my lips so she didn’t wake her. She grinned at me and went back to the movie. She knew I’d be happy with this; it’s probably why she invited me to watch the movie. I could lay here and watch her sleep forever. And I did, long after the movie had ended and Brynn had passed out too. When my own eyelids started to feel heavy I knew I’d better head to bed. I can’t imagine how she’d react if she woke up laying next to me, or if I’d be able to keep my hands to myself in my sleep knowing she was beside me, especially after how things went down last weekend. It was better that I leave now.

I tucked the blankets around my sister and then Teagan and just as I was leaving her eyes shot open, her hand stretching out where I had just been in a panicked search. She looked up at me in the doorway and frowned. She whispered, “Where are you going?”

In an effort to not wake Brynn I squatted down beside her to whisper, “I just thought that… I mean after last weekend, I figured I should go sleep in my own bed.”

She tugged on my arm, shaking her head no like she wanted me to lie back down. “Stay.”

Confused, but obviously willing, I laid back down beside her with a decent gap between us just in case I was reading her wrong. My heart rate skyrocketed though, a wave of excitement and worry tore through me. I wondered what was going on.

We lay there facing each other for a few minutes and Teagan’s eyes were heavy with sleep. Unexpectedly, she wove her fingers through mine rubbing her thumb against the back of my hand. She whispered, “I missed you so much this week Bryce. I’m sorry about last weekend and for being so…” but she never finished the sentence. Her eyelids started to fall, incapable of fighting sleep any longer.

I whispered, “I missed you too, a lot,” not really sure if she even heard me.

I had been so tired just a few minutes ago, but I couldn’t tame my pulse now. I couldn’t figure out why she was suddenly so okay with me laying beside her, or holding my hand like this for that matter. I didn’t want to question it because it felt so perfect, but if last weekend taught me anything it was to be weary with her. I was so elated at the moment though that she wanted me here, that she put her hand in mine, that I couldn’t rationalize the possible consequences.

I stared at her for quite some time after that, until I too couldn’t fight the urge to let my eyelids close and just before I did she pulled our hands into her chest forcing me to close the gap between us. She buried her face into my chest and cooed happily in her sleep as she draped her arm around me. I wrapped mine around her too and just hoped when morning came it wouldn’t be a repeat of last weekend.