Chapter 33

(Shayla)

"Matt, tell Lauren about the ex that stalked you," I laughed as we all sat on the couch in front of the television.

"You mean, Victoria?" He asked me.

"Yeah! Tell her about Victoria!" I stood up.

"Alright," he began as I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. I took out the photos Michael and I took and looked at them. I miss him so much. Just as I was getting ready to return back to Matt and Lauren, the phone rang.

"I got it!" I called as I went over to my nightstand and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi. May I please speak with Shayla?" Michael asked.

I blushed, "this is she," I said as I sat on my bed.

I heard him smile, "hey, babe."

"How are you?" I asked him.

"I'm great now that I'm talking to you... I have your letter by the way."

"Really? Did you send it?"

"I don't have the address to your dorm..." he sang. I laughed and gave it to him. "What are you doing for the summer?"

"Oh, gosh. I don't know. More than likely, I'll be a lifeguard again. That's in, like, sixth months, Michael."

He smiled, "a lifeguard? What pool will you be working? I might come and visit."

I laughed, "oh, Michael..."

"I'm serious! I want to come by your pool over the summer."

"I'll tell you when I get hired, okay?"

"Alright... I'm serious, Shayla!"

"I know, I know," I nodded. "So, how is everyone?"

"Everyone is great, but it's not the same without you."

"Aww, I'll be back soon. I really miss you all."

"We miss you too. Especially me. I miss you, baby."

"I miss you more."

"I have a question," he told me.

"Shoot!"

"What do you think of marriage?"

"Um, I think it's a beautiful thing and I'd like to get married someday. I've always dreamed of getting married after college. Like, when I'm twenty-five."

"Twenty-five? Isn't that a bit too young?"

"I mean, yeah, but at least I'll be done with college. I think twenty-five is the perfect age for marriage."

"Really?"

"Yeah. What do you think of marriage?"

"I actually never wanted to get married... But now, I think I'd like to get married someday and start a family, you know?"

"Me too," I smiled. "Have you already thought of potential names for your children?"

"Um, no... Have you?"

"Of course! I like the name Olivia and I already told you I love the name, Michael."

"Really? So, we would have a Michael Jr. running around the house, huh?"

"I guess so!"

"I'm just messing with you," he laughed. "But on a serious note... Say you're twenty-five and I'm twenty-eight. We're on a beach-"

"What about Mount Everest?"

He paused, "...okay, Mount Everest... And we're at a beautiful restaurant-"

"Why not climbing up Mount Everest?"

"Dang girl, I'm trying to be romantic and all. You're just not up for the romantic stuff, are you?" he teased.

"No, I have three older brothers for Pete's sake! All that is kind of girly, don't you think? I'm an outgoing chick. I'm not afraid to get a little dirty."

"Woah," he laughed. "I think I like the sound of that... But anyway, you're twenty-five, I'm twenty-eight. We've stopped while in the midst of climbing up Mount Everest and the snow is blowing really hard and we're both freezing cold, although we have our parkas on. I get down on one knee, pull out a little blue velvet box from my coat pocket, look you in your beautiful brown eyes, open the box and ask... 'will you marry me?' What would you say?"

I caught my breath after all the excitement built up from listening to him paint the picture of him proposing to me. As I opened my mouth to respond, Matt ran in my room and slammed the door behind him. "What the crap, Matt?" I shouted.

"Who are you on the phone with?" He nodded toward the phone, breathing breathlessly.

"What's wrong with you?" I made a face.

"I'll tell you when you get off the phone. I don't want whoever that is to know what happened."

"Can it wait?"

"No!"

I sighed, "fine... Michael, I'm going to have to call you later. Something unexpected happened."

"Sure. Just be prepared to tell me what you would say."

"Sounds good. I'll talk to you later, babe. I love you!" I said as I put the phone back on the receiver. "Now, what do you want?" I looked at Matt.

"That was Michael? You could have told me."

"It's too late now," I shrugged.

"Well, uh, Lauren and I were talking about Victoria..."

"Okay..."

"And I guess it was her way of sympathizing with me, but we started making out... Like, really making out, Shayla."

"Come on, Matt! I know you like being with different girls and all, but Lauren is my friend and my roommate!"

"I know, I know... But let me finish... So, we're making out and I'm getting excited, right?"

"Matt, stop. I don't care to hear what happened next. That's between you and her," I covered my ears.

"No, Shay! You don't understand! She wanted me to go down on her!"

"Matt, stop!"

"Listen! So, I'm like, 'I can't do that' and she's like, 'why?' Now, me being the nice person I am, I didn't tell her the real reason was that she looked like she stank. Plus, I don't just go down on anyone. That's for wifey only. But she kept pressing me to do it and I ran in here."

"Matthew James Johnson, I do not care about that. Call Robert and tell him. Anyone, but me."

"I know you don't care. I just thought I'd let you know for the fun of it," he laughed.

I rolled my eyes at him, "you interrupted my phone call for the fun of it?"

"Mostly," he shrugged. "But I also wanted to talk to you about Michael?"

"What makes you think I'm going to tell you now?"

"Because I'm your favorite brother," he smiled and hugged me.

"And? That doesn't mean anything."

"Come on, Shay. What happened? Did he try to make you do something you didn't want to do? If so, you know I'll kick his ass off the wall!"

"Matt, you're so corny. He didn't try to do anything. He's not like that at all."

"Allguys are like that, Shay."

"Well, I guess he's the oddball of the bunch, huh?"

"Fine, so, what happened then?"

"What do you mean, 'what happened?' Nothing. We just had a ton of fun."

"Like what? Did he feel you up?"

"No, Matt!"

"Then tell me. You're the one making me guess these things."

"We just kissed, went to the beach, we slept together a couple of times-"

"He popped your cherry?!"

"Ugh! Oh my gosh, Matt! No! We didn't sleep together as in have sex... Michael is a gentleman! We literally just slept. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just slept."

He sighed a breath of relief, "you know you have to be more specific with me."

"You've got a nasty mind," I shook my head.

"What do you expect?"

"For you to be more mature!"

"Eh," he shrugged. "Life isn't fun that way. Okay, so let me get this straight, he never asked you to give it up?"

I sighed, "no, Matt." This is getting annoying. Why can't he just accept the fact that Michael isn't like that?

"Did he get 'excited' around you?"

I scoffed, "how would I know?!"

"Did he see you in a bikini?" I nodded. "He definitely got excited alright," he mumbled to himself.

"Matt, stop being so overprotective. Who cares if he got excited around me? At least he didn't try anything on me. I would have done it even if he asked. That's all that matters."

"He's just...different, Shayla and I can't quite put my finger on it yet."

"You've got to get to know him?"

"Is he...funny? You know like a homosexual?"

"What?! No! He's dating me for Pete's sake!"

"He could be experimenting," he shrugged.

"I highly doubt it, Matthew."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'm your big brother, you know? I have to watch out for you. Especially when you're blinded by love. I know how boys are."

"Matthew, you're literally only a couple of years older than Michael. He's the same age as David. He's not a boy. Now you're trying to act like daddy," I laughed.

"I am, aren't I?" He laughed too.

"Let's go back out there with Lauren," I got up.

"Are you kidding me? She's going to pounce on me like some wild beast!"

"I doubt it, Matt. Come on," I pulled him as I opened the door to find Lauren gone...