"Not hardly," she snorted.
"Yeah. That’s why you’ve been toting it around like your best friend for three days."
"Braden, if you try to get me all gooey in front of your parents, I’m going to slug you!"
"Promises, promises, Sugarlips." She looked at me in complete horror. Didn’t think I was going to use that nickname in front of the parental units, did she? Hee hee. Let Mom and Dad think I was talking about the upper lips. If they did, that is-they’re not stupid.
Mom and Dad were chuckling. "Do you guys have plans for the day?" Dad asked.
"Yeah, we’re going to the class picnic."
Mom turned around and looked at me. "You are going to a school event?"
"Yeah, and in the nude, even," Maggie giggled. "The Program lasts until Sunday, for school events."
"Maggie wanted to go," I shrugged. "She’s the junior class social butterfly."
"So, you’re going because Maggie wants to go," Mom said incredulously.
"Yeah, isn’t it great?" Maggie grinned. "We’ve been together less than a week, and I’ve got him sooooo whipped!" Ok, Maggie, touche. That gets me back for the Sugarlips.
"Yeah, dream on," is what I said. "I’ll just keep buying you teddy bears. And flowers. And cute little heart-shaped boxes of chocolates! I might even, for no reason whatsoever, go down to the Hallmark and buy you a really, really mushy card."
"You, Braden, are going to make me go into sugar shock, you know that, right?" she grinned. "Diabetic coma, here I come," she said to Mom, sitting in front of her. "And I’m not even diabetic. Your son is the King of Gooey."
"Fine, I’ll just take that teddy bear back then."
"Not on your life! And you’re still whipped, you know."
"You keep that up. I’ve got other ideas. Maybe even a little heart-shaped pendant. On a chain. Inscribed, to Sugarlips, love Gooey," I grinned at her.
"You’ve lost all your marbles. If you had any in the first place, that is."
"You know what, Benson? If we weren’t cooped up in these seatbelts, I’d come over there and kiss you until you couldn’t breathe."
"Hold that thought," she grinned. My parents were in absolute hysterics.
We got back to the house, and I helped Dad with the bags. We got everything in, and I said to Maggie, "When do we have to go to this picnic?"
"Well, it’s what, eleven? It starts at noon. So, we have time. I should stop in at home, I haven’t been there in three days," she laughed. I looked at my parents to see if they caught that one. Ooops. I think they did. Ah well. "But right now, I need to use the facilities."
"You know where they are."
"Be back soon," she said, and kissed me on the way. I sat down in the living room with my parents, who were still grinning.
"Chuck," Dad said, "if you’re smart-and you are-you will hold on to that young lady. Do not let her get away."
"I agree," Mom said. "She’s delightful. And she’s perfect for you."
Wow. I must say, this I didn’t expect! "Yeah, I agree with that."
"I don’t think you’ll ever be bored," Dad laughed.
"Not a chance."
Mom got a bit of a look of concern. "However, did I hear her say she hasn’t been home for three days? I take it she’s been here."
"Yeah," I admitted. "She has been calling home."
"So they know where she is."
"Yeah," I said.
"We really don’t mind, as long as her family doesn’t. You’re a big boy. She is crazy about you, you know," Mom grinned at me.
"The feeling’s kind of mutual," I grinned right back. Just then, Maggie emerged back in the room.
"We were just telling Chuck how perfect you are for each other," Mom said.
"I hope so," she grinned.
"Trust us," Mom said, "we know our son. You keep him on his toes."
"Yeah," Maggie said, a little subdued.
"You OK?" I asked her.
She sighed. "Well, I don’t know. You know how I am. I worry." She looked at Mom and Dad. "You should know certain things, since I’m dating your son."
"They don’t have to know, Maggie," I told her.
"Chuck, if something happens, they’re going to have to be the ones to deal with you," she said adamantly. She turned back to my parents. "Chuck’s my first real boyfriend. He’s not my first, if you know what I mean, and not by a long shot. I’ve never done monogamy before."
"You’ve never been in love before, you told me that," I said to her.
"True. But, you know. I just hope…you know. My mother," Maggie said haltingly.
"What about your mother?" Mom asked.
"I haven’t seen her since I was ten. What was worse is that my brother Joe was only five. She got bored, and just walked out." Her voice got a little softer. "I worry I’m like her. I’ve spent this week euphoric. I’m worried that when that wears off, I’ll hurt Chuck."
"You’re not going to, not intentionally, and you’re not anything like your mother. I’ve figured that out," I told her.
"How can you say that?" she asked.
"Amanda. Jared. Ed, Mike, Cassie. Vinnie and Joe, those most especially. When it comes to people you love, there is nobody more loyal than you are. You don’t hurt people you love, you just don’t. I’ve figured that out." He turned to his parents. "When we were driving to pick you guys up at the airport, you know what she told me? That she’s looking at colleges she can commute to, because she’s the closest thing her little brother Joe has to a mother, and she doesn’t want to go away and leave him when he’s 14, 15. Does this sound to you like someone who’d just dump someone she loved for no good reason?"
"No," Mom grinned, "not at all."
She launched herself into my lap, and buried her head into my shoulders-desperately, I could tell, trying not to cry. "Thank you," she whispered to me with a sniffle. After a minute of that, she controlled herself, pulled her head up, gave me a big grin, and said, "If you ever make me almost cry in front of your parents ever again, I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to Eddie Bauer’s dogs. Capice?"
"You’re right," I grinned at the folks. "She’s pretty much perfect, isn’t she?" I stood up from the chair-picking her up as I did. "Let’s go to a picnic, shall we?"
"Put me down!"
"You didn’t seem to mind last night, when I was carrying you to bed." She actually blushed. Mom and Dad were trying to stifle giggles. "See you tonight, folks," I said to them. "She’ll probably stay over again. If, that is, she’s still speaking to me by then." And I carried her out the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE MAGGIEHe’s insane. He’s crazy. He’s completely out of his mind. And he’s the most wonderful thing ever.
I don’t think I could ever properly thank him for saying what he said. It meant the world. Because he’s right. I am loyal. Sometimes I forget that.
"Braden, what is this big thing with carrying me?"
"I don’t know. I just like it." He smoothly opened the car door and deposited me inside.
"You are crazy," I said when he got into the passenger’s seat.
"Only when you’re around, strangely enough."
"Yeah, yeah. We do need to stop at my house. I need to check in with Daddy. Plus, I need suntan lotion. If I’m going to be out in the sun naked, I’m getting me an all-over tan."
"That’d be cool," he grinned. "Well, lead me to your house, Sugarlips."
We got there. Chuck met Daddy. Daddy liked him. And, then, here came Vinnie.
"Vin, this is Chuck, my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you," Vinnie said, shaking Chuck’s hand. "Boyfriend? You actually tamed my sister?"
"Not possible, even a little bit," Chuck grinned. "I just convinced her to hang around the same patch of jungle."
"Oh, good answer, Braden!" I punched him on the bicep. "He’s so whipped," I told Vin.
"I just-a wanna be, your teddy bear," he sang in a half-passable Elvis. I slugged him again. "Come on, Sugarlips. Let’s hit your party."