A Hope and a Chance(43)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Hope and I attained our clothes and began dressing. I noticed her birth control pill package lying on her dresser and I couldn’t help but grab it. “Please make sure to take one of these every day. We already have a lot of explaining to do.”

“I never forget, Chance; you don’t have to worry about that.” She kissed me one more time.

After doing a quick check out the window, Hope and I held hands as we sauntered down to the living room. She turned on the television while I went into the kitchen and made us both some tea, and then headed back and sat on the couch to cuddle next to her. When we heard Buffy pull up we scooted apart and acted like we were surprised to see her back so soon.

“Oh goodie, you’re both already here. I’m so excited.” Buffy said as she came into the room. “I got us two movies to watch and extra butter popcorn.”

I picked up the movies and rolled my eyes as I looked at the first one. Who wrote these cheesy stories anyway? Hope looked over at me and I held up what would be a nightmare for me to sit through.

Buffy left for a second then came running back into the room. “I forgot to give you your movie.” She handed me a movie out of her purse, and I immediately smiled. She’d gotten me a horror flick even though she hated them.

“I know I loathe them, but I figured that we could all sit on the same couch and you could protect Hope and I from whatever’s on that DVD. You do have two shoulders we can hide behind, ya know.” She disappeared into the kitchen to make the popcorn.

I got the biggest smile on my face as I headed over and put my movie in, ignoring the other two. I sat down next to Hope and leaned into her. “Do you like scary movies?”

“Actually, I do,” she whispered.

“Damn, I was hoping you could hide your eyes in my shoulder.”

She smiled back at me. “Oh, that can be arranged.”

Buffy walked back in the room with a giant bowl of popcorn. We turned off the lights and all three of us sat on the couch ready to watch. About halfway into the movie Hope located a blanket and wrapped it around herself. I slid my hand down to my side and slipped it under the blanket without making it obvious to my sister. It was there that I found her fingers waiting to be held.

Buffy fell asleep while Hope and I continued to watch the movie. Her hand never left mine and I found comfort being able to do such mundane things with her. She was so special to me and I couldn’t help but love the fact that she enjoyed these kinds of movies.

When it was over I leaned over to Hope. “I better call it a night,” I whispered.

She brought her chin up and brushed her lips over mine. “Okay.”

“Walk me into the kitchen?” I asked in a quiet tone.

She nodded and followed me in there with our cups in her hands. I leaned down and kissed her lips. My thumb came up and rubbed her bottom one. “See you in the morning, baby.”

I headed out toward my place. It killed me to do that.

I made it in the door, grabbing my pack of smokes. If I couldn’t be with Hope tonight then I was going to have my first cigarette of the day. I stripped down in my living room to only my boxers and headed out to the picnic table, where I’d watched Hope seduce me just days ago. The smoke filled my lungs and I realized how lonely I was without her close to me. It was unbelievable how in just a short amount of time I’d come to love someone so much that I didn’t want to be away from them.

She had no idea how grateful I was for her.

There was the giant issue of her father warning me to stay away from his daughter, and the fact that the local cops were breathing down my neck for an alibi that I couldn’t give them.

I know Hope said she wanted the truth to come out, but I couldn’t let her do that. If she told the cops we were together, I would be out of trouble with them, but have to then deal with Mark. It was a lose-lose situation.

I finished my cigarette and put it out in one of my sister’s new flower pots. I would have to remember to remove it in the morning so she never saw that I’d done it. She hated that shit.

I went in the pool house and tried to find something to watch on television, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t stop thinking of Hope, and wondered what she was doing, and if she was thinking about me too.

Finally I headed into my room and lay on my bed. I was getting ready to play around on the internet on my cell phone when I got a message.

It was from an unknown number, but there was only one person it could have been.

I couldn’t stand being in my room, so I snuck downstairs and got Chance’s number from my father’s office. I got so excited that I started texting before I had even made it back to my room.

I miss you already ~ Hope

I stared at my phone and when I didn’t get a reply I wondered if Chance was awake, or even if this was still his phone number. I located my stuffed frog he’d won me on the boardwalk and hugged it.

Finally my phone vibrated.

Me too! ~ C

I got a big smile on my face.

So what are you wearing? ~Hope

A pair of long plaid pants. A Hawaiian shirt that is button up. And some argyle socks. ~C

Lol. I bet that looks so hot on you. ~ Hope

I can’t sleep. There is something wrong with my bed. ~C

What? Did you break it? ~Hope

You’re not in it. ~C

I held the phone to my chest and started laughing.

What would you do if I was? ~ Hope

I would hold you all night long. ~ C

: )~Hope

<3 Goodnight ~C

<3 Goodnight ~Hope

I wished we could talk all night long, but I needed some rest. It had been a long emotional day for me. I hugged my stuffed frog tight and finally fell asleep.

25

When I woke up Buffy was sitting on the edge of my bed. I didn’t even have to open my eyes all the way to know it was her. Her bright pink tank top was burning my eyes.

“Oh hey, Buff. What’s up?” I asked.

“Sorry to come in your room so early. I actually had something I wanted to talk to you about.”

I tried to focus and listen, but I was not a morning person. “Okay, is it about the wedding?”

“No, actually it’s about my brother,” she stated.

Her eyes were fixed on mine and I didn’t know what to do. If I changed my expression she would know I was hiding something. I remained as calm as I could. “What about him?”

“Well I was wondering if you have seen him with anyone, especially when we were away?”

“Oh, um…no, I didn’t see him with anyone.” That wasn’t a lie. He’d been with only me the whole time.