I wake up to the sound of a door closing and female giggling. Then someone disables and re-enables the alarm. I would tell them to keep it down, except I’m so comfortable. I’m all warm and snug; and for some reason I feel really safe. Plus, it’s just the girls and they’re drunk. I can tell by the sound of them tripping over each other.

“Oh look,” I hear Ella coo. “Blain must have made Henry watch a movie with him. They fell asleep out here.”

Someone laughs, probably Maya because she says, “Aww.”

“Oh my God,” El whispers and she sounds much closer, but I still don’t want to get up.

I just keep my eyes closed and bundled in my pocket of warmth.

“What?” Maya answers, I can hear her take a few steps. To where? I have no idea.

“They’re so cute.”

I’m almost positive they’re trying to whisper.

“Look at Blain,” Ella coos again. “He’s the small spoon.”

At first, I’m not sure what she means. Then I get it, I can feel a toned arm around my waist and a flat chest pressed against my back. It takes everything I have not to move or smile or giveaway that I know what’s going on. I should move, pretend just to roll in my sleep or something, but I haven’t been this comfortable in a long time.

Then a new voice says, “Oh no, Blainy left his glasses on,” and I realize it’s Brie.

She must have come down to see Maya and ended up going out with them. Now I really want to get up, but I just can’t get myself to open my eyes.

“They both did,” Maya’s voice come from behind me.

“Maybe we should wake them up so they can sleep in their beds,” Ella suggests.

As soon as it’s out of her mouth, I feel Henry’s arm tighten around my stomach and he shifts himself closer. I feel what I presume are his glasses – along with his cheek – hit the back of my neck and he breathes in loudly.

“Aww,” Ella practically squeaks this time. “Let’s just leave them here.”

“I have to at least take Blain’s glasses off,” Brie reasons. “It’s the only pair he has. Knowing him, he won’t get a new pair if these break. And I love him in glasses.”

“Me too,” the other girls agree in unison.

“You think I can get Henry’s without him waking up?” Maya asks.

Nobody says anything for a minute and I figure maybe they’ve decided they should leave us alone. When hands touch my face, I jump a little, but manage to keep my eyes shut. When I feel Henry’s glasses slide across the back of my neck, it doesn’t surprise me so much. But as soon as they’re gone completely, he turns his head again. I can feel his forehead where his cheek was and his nose on my spine. It literally sends a shiver down my back.

“I’ll get the TV,” Ella volunteers and a second later I hear the click of it turning off.

When they walk away, I hear my sister saying, “So, that’s Henry?”

“Yea,” Ella confirms, “he’s a good guy.”

“Blain looks pretty comfortable,” Brie comments.

I hear a couple giggles and then Maya, “He was giving Henry the eye last night.”

“I knew it,” Ella almost shouts.

It’s a wonder that Henry has stayed asleep through this whole thing. They don’t know the meaning of quiet; especially when they’re drunk.

They’re voices finally turn to mumbles and I can’t quite hear what they’re saying anymore. Growing up with so many girls around, I expect the gossip. It feels weird when it’s about me.

But all in all, I’m too tired to care. Like I said before, I feel warm and safe. I’m going to pretend it has nothing to do with Henry and just fall back to sleep. Or maybe, I’ll just let my hand fall onto of his.

When I do, he breathes in deep again and scoots ever closer. His cheek replaces his forehead once more and he adjusts his arm so that it’s on top of mine. And just like that, he’s intertwined our fingers and holding them again my chest.

I could get used to this.

-----

The next time I wake up, I feel cold. Opening my eyes reveals a blurry, but empty bed. Sitting up, I keep one eye closed as to not tip back over. That’s when my senses return and I can smell something mouthwatering. At the same time, I can hear the pop of grease and the simmer of the coffee pot.

Pointing my one eye to the kitchen, I can see a figure. Saying as it’s taller than the refrigerator, it has to be Henry.

“Morning,” I hear him say.

“Hey,” I respond still a little groggy.

“I hope I didn’t wake you up.”

I shake my head, but stop because it makes me dizzy. I hate not being able to see, “Do you know where my glasses are?” I run my hands up and down my face a few times, leaving them there after I’m done.

“Oh yea,” he responds. His footsteps are heard before he’s taping my on the shoulder, “Here you go.”

Luckily, I’m nearsighted. So when he’s holding my glasses out to me, I can see them and quickly put them on.

Blinking a few times, I look him over. He looks all dressed, in jeans and a clean tee, “Much better.” Stretching my arms over my head, I arch my back, “You let me fall asleep here last night.”

Now I’m glad I have my glasses because I can see his cheeks go pink, “Yea, I fell asleep out here too.” He turns his back and walks straight into the kitchen, “But, I’m making breakfast; made enough for the girls too. I figured after a night of drinking it’s always good to have food in your stomach.”

“It smells great,” I tell him honestly as I stand up.

“Thanks,” he turns to give me a smile and gets back to the food.

“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I let him know, “and then I’ll get the girls up.”

He nods, but doesn’t say anything else.

I make my shower quick. Once I’m done, I throw of a pair of jean and a clean shirt of my own. Instead of putting contacts back in, I go with the glasses again. I’m not sure what the rush is about, but apparently I have somewhere to be. It’s probably just the food. I’m actually really hungry.

Not thinking twice, I walk through the house into Ella’s room and shout, “Wake up, babes!”

Three different shouts resonate through the air and Henry chuckles from the kitchen.

“Time for breakfast, babes!” My shouting continues and I’m met with three different glares. All different colored eyes give me the same evil look; Brie’s bright blue like Dad’s, Ella’s hazel that she got from her scumbag father, and Maya’s are almost black like her mom. “Henry made us food. Now, get your tiny asses out of bed and come eat!”

Ella, who’s in the middle of the three, gets a vicious smirk on her face and she looks from Brie to Maya, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

Both the other girls nod; and I feel like I should run. Which would have been a good idea had I thought of it a few seconds beforehand. Without warning, three girls launch themselves at me. Lucky for them, I break their fall.

“Good morning!” they all chorus, one after the other over and over again. They dot smacking kisses all over my face wherever they can reach. I can’t help, but laugh.

When I can open my eyes, I see Henry standing over us smiling. The girls turn their attention to him and he looks nervous.

To save him, I draw the attention back, “Leave him alone, girls. He didn’t know I was waking you up. Plus, he’s new; you have to break him in a little bit first.”

He steps back and gestures toward the kitchen, “Foods done.”

And just like that, three girls are off me and running towards breakfast.

I chuckle from the floor as Henry offers me his hand. I take it and he helps pull me up with a laugh. Dusting off my clothes, I look over to see the girls grabbing food to put on their plates and discussing each item.

Apparently, for once, they all wore pajamas. Not much pajamas because they’re all in mismatched tank tops and short shorts, but clothing none the less. It’s a good thing they’re all practically the same size. They share clothes like most people share their opinions, often and without care.

“Who the blonde one?” Henry asks quietly.

I smile up at him and start walking toward them, “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

“Brie,” I call out and see her sticking a piece of bacon in her mouth. When she raises her eyebrows, I continue, “Brie this is Henry, our new roommate. Henry, this is my sister Brianna.”

“I would shake your hand, but,” she says around the food as she wiggles her fingers that are full of grease. “Nice to meet you, though! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You have?” he looks a little confused.

She nods and points to me, “I talk to Blain on a daily basis. And Ella is pretty fond of you too.”

“Henry George Thomas,” El breaks into the conversation with a mouth full of what looks like half chewed French toast, “this food is amazing.”

He chuckles and shakes his head, his cheeks going a little pink, “Thanks.”

“Doesn’t anyone have a rubber band for this mess of curls?” Maya asks holding back her dark curly locks. “I can hardly see my food through this mane.”

“Um,” Henry sounds and pulls a plane tan band from his wrist, “I have this.”

She walks right up to him, grabs his face and kisses his cheek, “You’re a lifesaver, Henry.” Then she turns and walks back to her full plate.

We all chuckle as she pulls her mass of curls back and binds it with the band.

As they tuck into their food, I look up at my newest roommate, “We should probably grab some before it’s all gone.”

We fill some plates and stand on the inside of the kitchen island. Maya and Brie sit in the chairs across from us and Ella sits on the counter at the end.

“How long are you in town, Maya?” I ask after eating a couple bites.

She looks up at me, “A week.”

“I have to leave tomorrow afternoon,” Brie confesses.

“Well then,” I reason aloud, “we’ll have to have everyone over tonight.”

“I’m not sure we have room for everyone,” Ella looks a little nervous.

“It’s tradition, El,” Brie reminds her.

“But it’s never all of us,” she says, “usually some of the parents or some of us are out of town. If we do it tonight, it will be the five of us-”

“I can go somewhere else,” Henry interrupts.

“No,” all four of us answer at the same time. His eyes go huge and he backs a step away.

Then El continues, “It would be the five of us, Day, Topher, and Nikki; my mom; and Riel and Tripp. That’s eleven people.”

Just then, there’s a knock on the door. I set my plate down to answer it. In front of me stands a man that I haven’t seen in years. He’s the only guy that I could run to when I had too much of the girls. Before I greet him, I yell over my shoulder, “Make that twelve.” My arms wrap around Toby and give him a squeeze, “Good to see you, man.”

“Likewise,” he tells me returning the hug. “I was hoping your dads gave me the right address.”

We break apart, “Come on in. Your sister’s in the kitchen.” As I shut the door, I announce, “Maya, your brother’s here.”

Whereas we’re all generally around the same age, I’m the oldest. Then it’s Toby, who’s six months younger than me, and Ella, who’s a little under a year behind him. Maya came four months after El and then Brie is the youngest, five months after Maya. Brie’s not actually twenty one yet, but her birthday is in like two weeks. So I try to look the other way.

“Bubby!” Maya shouts when she sees him and launches from her chair.

Toby’s actually the shortest one of all of us. So when Maya jumps into his arms, he staggers back a few steps, “Hey, little sis.” He definitely didn’t get his parents height.

“I didn’t think you were going to make it in while I was here. Aren’t you supposed to be touring?”

He’s another one that likes fame, except that his passion is music. Truth be told, Ella writes a lot with him. They make a good team.

Ella’s up next in the hugs. She’s only slightly taller than he is – not even an inch. He wraps his arms around her easily. When they break away, he kisses her right on the mouth and says, “Hey, Girl.”

It doesn’t surprise any of us. They do this all the time; if anyone in our group were to get together it would be those two. They just have so much in common.

Brie gives him a hug last. And since she’s tall (almost my height), she has to bend down a little to hug him.

“Hey shorty,” he says to her with a smile as they pull apart.

We all chuckle except for Henry who just stands in the kitchen and stares at Toby. When I see his eyes are round and his fork is suspended halfway to his mouth, I step in.

“Toby,” I put my hand on his shoulder and point to my roommate to say, “This is Henry. He moved in a week ago. Henry, this is Toby. He’s Maya’s brother and apparently skipping out on his concerts.” I look back to my shorter mixed-race friend, “Maya said you were touring.”

“Nah,” he laughs, “I have one in Philly tomorrow. I thought I would come see my little sister while I was so close.”

“There’s food if you’re hungry,” I gesture toward the counter.

Ella takes his hand and pulls him back over with her, “Henry George Thomas made all this food for us. He’s really good. He should snap out of it any second.” El takes a seat on the counter and Toby stands between her legs picking off her plate.

Walking back over to Henry, I take his food out of his hand and set it on the counter next to mine. I also put his fork, that hadn’t moved yet, down and take his hand. Pulling him with me to his room, I shut the door behind us. He sits on his bed and puts his head in his hands.

He wasn’t like this around Maya who’s starred in at least four movies. He wasn’t like this around Brie who does some modeling on the side to pay for college. He wasn’t like this when he found out who I was or who Ella was, so there is only one explanation.

As he breathes into his hands, I walk over to his rather large music collection. Sure enough, every single one of Toby’s CDs are stacked neatly amongst everything else. I chuckle, picking one up and turning around, looking it over.

“I blew it,” Henry says when he finds his voice.

I laugh again, “No, you didn’t. You didn’t say anything dumb. Hell,” I chuckle, “you didn’t say anything at all.”

He picks a pillow off his bed and throws it at me. I gently deflect it with my arm and look back at him.

Shrugging, I put the CD down behind me, “Look everyone understands-”

“You told me not to do that,” he interrupts me before I can finish.

I give him a confused look, but don’t say anything.

He lifts an eyebrow, “You told me not to treat them differently.”

“Oh,” I sigh lightheartedly. I walk over and sit next to him on his bed, “What I meant was, don’t like overdo it. We all know there is going to be the initial shock; it’s what you do after that’s the offensive part.”

He shakes his head, his cheeks turning that cute pink color, “I acted like an idiot.”

I lift his chin with my finger and look into his eye, “No one’s perfect.”

He doesn’t move away from me, but his entire face turns the color of his cheeks. I feel myself swallow because for some reason my throat gets thick. Our eye contact doesn’t break, but my heart rate accelerates quickly. If I lean in a couple inches, I could kiss him.

But then I remember it would be his first kiss and close my eye. I have to break whatever just happened. I can’t ruin his first kiss.

Clearing my throat, I drop my hand and turn my head.

The tips of his ears flame as he looks down to his fidgeting hands.

“How about,” I break the awkward silence, “we go back out there and you can have a second chance?”

He nods, but doesn’t bring his face up, “I’ll meet you out there in just a second.”

Without saying anything, I stand from my spot and leave his room. I don’t look back; I just open the door, walk through it, and close it behind me.

~A/N~

WHAT!?! THEY DIDN"T KISS!! HoW DARRE YOU!1211!!!!!

Happy Sunday. Thank you guys for being understanding. I was driving home from my mom's house today. That's whay it's late. I love you all!! 

Toby on the side!!