You Call This a Gift?
Chapter 25: Annalisia

Jonah came in the door chips in hand.

“Hey, guys!” he said while placing the chips on the table. He glanced around looking at where everyone was sitting. Sable hoped up and moved to my other side to make room for him.

“Thanks, girl!” I thought in my head knowing she was listening.

She squeezed my hand and gave me a wink. Lorraine put the movie in and everyone got situated with their snacks. We were watching Saw. I hated horror movies. Scared the life out of me. I didn’t want Jonah to see me weak and scared of a stupid movie, so I fought every urge to jump and swallowed every scream. I noticed him looking at me a few times in the window reflection behind the TV. I smiled and felt warm inside knowing he was focused on me, not the TV. I wanted badly to reach out and grab his hand, or snuggle up to him like Lorraine did with her boyfriend, or hang on to his arm like Kenna did with Bradley.

The movie was almost to its end and I noticed that everyone had fallen asleep. I looked over at Jonah who was asleep too. This is my chance to make a move and see how he reacts. I moved closer to him careful not to wake him up and placed my head on his shoulder. He smelled like pine, which I loved and the sound of his breathing lulled me.

I woke up to Bradley and Jonah whispering to each other about curfew, but I didn’t open my eyes and I didn’t move. I hoped and prayed Jonah would stay and not leave me. I loved being this close to him and I didn’t want to give it up yet. I noticed that I had moved or been moved from on his shoulder to his chest. His arm was wrapped snug around my back. He was so warm and now I could hear his heart beating below me. It sounded a bit faster than a normal heart rate. Maybe he was as nervous as I was to be this close to each other. Or maybe it was his fear of missing curfew and he just didn’t want to wake me. Maybe he didn’t care at all.

Bradley left and Jonah planned to stay for a few more minutes so I decided to enjoy this while it lasted. I yawned and swiftly moved my hand to his stomach just below my head hoping he would think it was just sleep movement.

I woke up hoping to hear his heartbeat continue. I sat up and saw that he was gone. “Did he wake and see me close and run in disgust?” I wondered. I remembered every detail of the night and how close we were. I wished that could happen more often. I wanted him in ways I never thought I would. He went from the annoying boy at camp who made me crazy to the sweet, charming, handsome, boy at camp who still made me crazy, but in a new way and I wanted to be with him. I missed him whenever he was gone and felt immense joy whenever he appeared.

I sat at the table with a cup of coffee between my hands. I felt the warmth spreading to my wrists. The girls joined me at the table eating breakfast. I was lost in space daydreaming about Jonah.

“Are you with us?” Kenna said waving her hand in my face.

“Yea, yea, I’m here,” I said giving them my full attention.

“Who are you thinking about?” Lorraine asked with a smirk.

“What? No one,” I said after sipping at my coffee.

“Anna and Jonah siting in a tree, K. I. S. S. I. N…” Kenna started singing until I interrupted her with, “No. Stop it. He doesn’t even like me like that, we’re just friends.”

“Oh that means you like him!” Sable giggled out.

“He totally does like you, he tells me all the time,” Lorraine added in.

“Does he really?” I asked trying not to spill over with joy.

“Yea, he does. I can set you guys up on a date if you want,” Lorraine replied.

“Uh, sure why not,” I said trying not to sound like I was dying of joy.

“Consider it done!” she said finishing the conversation.