Picturing Perfect (10 page)

Her number had been programmed into my phone for days and I was finally getting enough nerve to call her. I'd known her for most of my life, why was I so nervous? I picked up my cell and dialed her number.

She answered after three rings, just when I thought it would go to voicemail. I had to clear my throat before speaking.
God, what is this girl doing to me?

"Haddie?" I asked, embarrassed.
Pull it together, Kelly
.

"Jason, hi," she said. Her voice cracked and for some reason, I felt like she may have been crying.

"Everything okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Oh sure, just watching a movie."

"Which one?" I asked, secretly hoping it was a certain John Hughes movie we watched together years ago.

"
Pretty In Pink,
" she answered.

That's it. That's the one. And I don't think I'll ever forget it.

"Jason, get out of here," Auden said, her hands on her hips, staring down at me as I lounged on the couch in the basement. It was my favorite spot. It's where our big screen TV was and everybody knows movies and video games are much better on a bigger screen. My dad let me help him pick it out at Best Buy. Since then, it had become my favorite spot in the house.

"No, I'm good," I said with a smirk. I crossed my arms in front of me in defiance. I was so tired of my stupid middle school younger sister always telling me what to do, as if she was in charge, as if I cared what she wanted.

"I'm serious. We want to watch a movie."

"Who's 'we?'" I asked.

"Hadley's sleeping over. She'll be here in a few minutes."

Haddie. I was hoping that Auden had no idea how I felt about her best friend. Ever since she had given me my favorite t-shirt, I couldn't get her out of my head. My friends had been pushing me to date a girl named Heather, but I wasn't interested. She was pretty and all, but she just didn't do it for me. And I didn't want to be one of those dick guys who dated girls just to get something from them. That just wasn't my style. My friends probably thought I was gay or something because I didn't really date a lot of girls that school year. But, I was hung up on a 13-year-old. How pathetic was that? I knew how she felt about me, but I was always afraid of doing anything to show her how I felt. Probably because Auden was always around.

No matter what, Auden was always there. I never had a chance to talk to her without my sister breathing down our necks, annoying the hell out of me. Every once in a while, we'd share a laugh or a quick conversation about music or movies. But, usually it was over as quickly as it started, with Auden walking back into a room or putting down her cell phone and focusing her attention back our way.

"Fine, you guys can watch down here," I said, acting more put out than I really felt. I was excited to see her again.

"Don't do me any favors," Auden said, rolling her eyes. When I didn't move from the sofa, she glared at me.

"What?" I asked, exasperated.

"Aren't you going to go park your ass somewhere else?"

"No, I told you that already."

"Whitman!"

"Don't call me that, you little shit!"

"Why not? It's your name!" She always knew exactly how to push my buttons. She and Maya both. Stuck between two hormonal pain-in-the ass sisters. Life would've been so much better if I'd had a brother.

"Shut up," I groaned, picking up the book I had to read for Lit class.

"You're seriously not going to leave?"

"Nope." I smiled wide, purposely trying to piss her off.

"Fine, whatever. Don't bug us."

"Wasn't planning on it," I said with a smirk.

"Riiiight," Auden said, rolling her eyes, placing a DVD into the player.

"Shouldn't you wait for Haddie?" I asked, regretting it right away.

"What is your deal with her? Do you like her or something?" Before I was able to answer her, I heard the door to the basement open and footsteps starting down the stairs. I put my nose back in my book, knowing it was Haddie.

"Hey guys," Haddie said, placing her duffle bag and backpack by the stairs. I waved silently from the couch, my eyes never leaving my book. I wasn't trying to be a dick, but I couldn't face her after what Auden had just said.

"My mom let me buy that Molly Ringwald movie," Auden said, flipping her hair.

"Really?" Haddie asked, "The one with Blaine?"

"Pretty In Pink," Auden said with a snip.

"I know what it's called. I just wanted to make sure," Haddie said, taking a seat on the couch. Auden sat between us and I wanted to groan.

"She was in a lot of movies before she dropped off the face of the earth," I added.

"True," Haddie smiled, "and I love her."

"Why?" I asked her, placing my finger in my book, holding my place.

"Because she was just a normal girl. She's not like all these gorgeous actresses who just pretend to be the average girl. She really was."

Good point. I was kind of tired of the fake ugly duckling movies where you seriously put some makeup on a chick and she was magically transformed into a beauty queen. Molly was pretty, but not hot like the girls I was used to seeing at the movies.

"Shut up! It's starting," Auden said, pushing the bowl of popcorn onto Haddie's lap.

Thirty minutes later, Auden's cell phone rang and she whispered to Haddie that it was some guy named Chad. Auden squealed a little bit before hopping off the couch and walking into our father's office on the other side of the basement.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"He's in her algebra class. She's been into him for a while."

"Do I need to be concerned? Kick his ass maybe?" I asked, laughing, karate chopping the air, which probably made me look like a total dork. I wasn't exactly the guy that got into fights. I pretty much lived by the mantra "live and let live." Haddie knew that about me. Her small giggle said it all. She got my humor. She ran her fingers through her hair and placed the popcorn bowl on the coffee table.

"Nah, he's fine."

We didn't say anything else for a little while. As much as I hated to admit it, the movie sucked me in. I really wanted this Andie girl to get the guy. And it pissed me off that she didn't think she was good enough for him. When I scoffed at Blaine for the third time, Haddie laughed and turned towards me.

"You're really into this," she said.

"It's all right." I shrugged. Lie. I was totally into it. There was no way I was going to miss the ending.

"It'll end happily, don't worry," she teased me. Her golden hair was hanging in loose curls down past her shoulders and I wished I could run my fingers through it. Instead, I kept my hands in my lap, waiting for Auden to walk back in and destroy my night entirely.

A loud laugh came from Dad's office and Haddie shook her head knowingly.

"She's going to be in there for a while," she said, smiling.

"Good." I smiled and watched as Haddie's pale cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.

Without wanting to seem too obvious, I sat up on the sofa, shifting so I was a few inches closer to her. She swallowed hard as I moved closer and I knew I was making her nervous. I didn't want that so I didn't get any closer. After a few minutes, her breath seemed to even out and she seemed to be engrossed in the movie once again.

When the final scene came on the screen, I watched Haddie smile as Blaine professed his love to Andie and gasp as Andie followed him out to the parking lot for their big kiss. God, I wanted to kiss her.

When the credits rolled, Haddie reached for a tissue to wipe her soaked cheeks. Even when she cried, she looked beautiful.

"Did you know that John Hughes changed the ending?" she asked, turning her body to me, moving a few inches closer.

"Really?" I was intrigued.

"Yeah. In the original ending, Duckie got the girl."

"Duckie? Seriously?"

"Mmm-hmm." She smiled proudly. "But, test audiences hated it. They wanted her to be with Blaine."

"Interesting," I said, leaning my body to face hers, putting my head on my elbow.

"What?" Haddie asked, her cheeks getting redder by the second.

"Well, you tell me. Blaine or Duckie?" I asked.

"Blaine." She smiled, and her cheeks turned red.

"Why?" I'd always been fascinated by stories and characters. No wonder I became a writer.

"Because he's romantic and handsome. Because he deserves her, even though he doesn't think he's good enough. And because everyone else pales in comparison," she said, looking into my eyes. Her forehead creased with anxiety.

"Good point." I nodded.

"Do you think she should've been with Duckie?"

"No, I don't," I answered honestly. "The entire movie is about her and her feelings for the popular guy. For her to end up with the geeky best friend, that'd just be weird."

Leave it to me to dissect the plot. I knew that wasn't what Haddie was really asking me. But, my writer brain always seemed to take over.

"I agree. She didn't like him like that."

"Exactly." I nodded. A long pause hung in the air as I tried to decide what to do. Just as I was getting the balls to tell her that I liked her. That I would never treat her the way Blaine treated Andie. That she was the coolest girl I knew, that everyone else paled in comparison…Auden walked out of the office. I heard the creaking of the door and knew she'd be in the room with us in just a few seconds. I picked my book back up from the coffee table and went back to my assignment. Wishing I had grown a pair.

"Oh my god," Auden shrieked as she ran over to Haddie, pulling her from the couch. "Movie's over, right? I need to talk to you!"

She dragged Haddie up the stairs and I didn't see her again for the rest of the night. Damn my sister.

"How many times have you seen that movie?" I asked with a hearty laugh, remembering the tears streaking down her young face and picturing similar tears on her face right now.

"Too many to count," she replied.

"I believe it," I teased. "You always had a thing for that guy… Blake…"

"Blaine," she corrected me, so much sarcasm in her dainty voice.

"I know," I said with a cocky grin. "I remember watching it with you."

"You do?" she asked, sounding surprised, which gave me pause. Was she oblivious to how I felt about her?

"Oh yeah," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "Auden spent the entire movie in my dad's office."

Haddie's voice was soft and almost hesitant, "Yeah, she did." A long pause sat in the air, as heavy as a boulder sitting on the phone line.

"I remember," I insisted. More silence hovered between us. I must've been making her uncomfortable. "Do you still need help with your Valentine's Day dance?"

"Oh," she paused, "yes, definitely."

"Cool," I said, unable to control my smile.

"Can you come by Sunnyside sometime this week?"

"How's Thursday?"

"Perfect. Any time in the afternoon works for me."

"I'll see you then," I said.

"Thanks," Haddie replied. Her voice sounded a little sad.

"Oh, Haddie?"

"Yes?"

"Enjoy the movie. I hear the guy gets the girl" I said, my tone bold and flirtatious.

"Which guy?" She laughed, playing along. I could hear her smile through the phone. It felt good to make her smile. Really good.

I paused before answering, "The one who deserves her."

Silence. Beautiful silence. I think I stunned her. I hope I did, anyway.

"Good night, Haddie," I said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Night."

I hung up the phone, smiling to myself. I knew she had a boyfriend, but things can always change. We had a past, we had a history and I was now convinced that we could also have a future.

My stomach was in knots as I hung up the phone.

I knew he was planning to call about volunteering at Sunnyside, but I didn't expect him to say those words.

I hear the guy gets the girl.

The one who deserves her.

Jason Kelly was into me. He was
really
into me. There was no other way to interpret those words. The thirteen-year-old girl in me wanted to bounce off the walls. But, the grown up took over and knew it was never going to happen.

In nine short months, I would be a mother. I would have a
child
. And even if Tucker wasn't in the picture, it was hard to believe that any single guy would want to take on that burden. A new girlfriend
and
a brand new baby? It'd be foolish of me to think anyone, even a kind generous soul like Jason, would want that. I had no idea if Jason ever wanted to be a father, let alone date a woman who was carrying a child who wasn't his.