Age 15
Muriel Age 16

I love the Christmas Holiday. Not only because of Christmas and all the new shit I get, but because that means the Reazpoe's are here for two weeks. More specifically, Murry is here for two weeks.

This time of the year is always bitter sweet. We get them for two weeks before nine long months of nothing. All I get of Murry is our phone calls and constant messaging on our Myspace accounts, during those nine months which is like a sweet form of torture.

I'm fully aware my feelings for Murry are more than just on a friendship basis. Fucking hell, if it's possible she gets prettier and prettier everytime I see her. It's like I've been blessed with the most perfect girl, perfect looks, personality, smarts, this one has it all. But I can't touch. All I get is stolen looks of longing when I know no one is looking.

But all that is about to change. This holiday trip I'm going to tell her. They leave tomorrow, so she will have nine months to either get over it, accept it, or forget about it. Sure, this is a coward's way out, but the fact I'm growing the balls to admit it is good enough for me. It is terrifying yet empowering.

By this time next year, I'll be able to breathe and get this fucking shit off my chest. And who knows, maybe once I admit it outloud she might see me in a different light? It's highly unlikely but I can dream...

"Hey, Olls, could you run up and get Murry. Biscuits and popcorn is done and I'd like to get that photo of you lot in your Christmas pajamas before they're gone tomorrow." Mum asks wiping her dusted flour hands off on her apron. The smell of fresh biscuits fills the room of the kitchen making my mouth water with need.

"Sure, but I require payment." I say shuffling the warm fresh treats into my shirt I'm using as a bowl.

"Save some for the rest of you twit." Mum tries to scold me but the smile on her face shows how I can get away with anything. Just a little bat of my eyes or a pout of my lip and that woman gives me anything I want.

Too bad that doesn't work on other people...like a pretty red head, perhaps.

"He's a growing boy, Jane." Jolene, Murry and Gemma's mom, chimes in sipping from the large wine glass hiding a grin.

"He's a spoiled lad, that one." Mum interjects as I saunter out of the kitchen carrying my bounty of biscuits off as I go.

I pass the movie room where Gemma and Maggie are chatting, and I hear dad and Henry chuckling in the family room. I head upstairs and walk down the hall shoving two biscuits into my mouth at once and stop dead in my tracks at Murry's door.

Her door is cracked and she's wandering around in the room with a pencil in her mouth, a book held out before her face, and her free hand removing her socks and unbuttoning her jeans.

Bloody hell, look away.

My mouth full of biscuits is frozen mid chew as she pulls her jeans down her hips.

Fuck, don't be a fucking creep.

Twisting around and moving to the wall I swallow the shit in my mouth and feel my cheeks burn and my stomach flip and twist all around. I ignore the shit happening between my legs and debate having a look.

I really want to look...but she's my best friend. I'd feel like total shit for stealing a look when she's preoccupied and undressing.

Although...no one would know....

Accept, I would.

I continue my internal struggle with being a decent friend long enough to where I'm sure she's dressed and stand in the hallway stomping my feet to give off the sounds of someone coming down the hall.

I inhale sharply and let it out to compose myself and then shove through the door seeing her laying on her stomach ankles crossed and a textbook open under her arms. "I brought some treats." I say with a large smile.

"Oh, yum." She pushes herself up and considers which biscuit she wants from my shirt. "This one." She snags it and folds her legs, nibbling on the treat and raising her glasses up onto the crown of her head.

Why does she have to do that?

"Mum wants you to come down stairs for a photo." I say ignoring the building pressure in my gut from her and her appearance.

Her hair is down and pushed back behind her ears, the ends curled left over from yesterdays style, while she's wearing a button up plaid flannel shirt and matching pajamas. With no hint of makeup she looks so unique, everything on her is a warm shade of pink. From her hair, her skin, her lips, even her eyelashes.

"Okay, my eyes need a break anyways." Her knuckles massage her eye sockets and she finishes off the biscuit quickly. Murry rises from the bed but I quickly sit, wanting to prolong the alone time I have with her. Each year it is getting more and more difficult to get her on her own, for some reason Henry always butts in.

"What's this your working on?" I ask glancing to her color coded notes and the text book spread open.

She laughs but sits and takes the book into her lap smiling down at it, "It's actually some research I'm doing, for my Junior project."

Murry has skipped her tenth year in school and went right into her eleventh, so now it feels as though I'm two years behind her, however her school in New York goes till twelfth grade while mine in London only goes till eleventh. So at least, it sort of balances out.

I chuckle and tease her, "Does Henry approve of this one?"

"Henry doesn't have a say in this one." She chides grinning.

I've witnessed Murry becoming a little more vocal with Henry this trip. She still is miss goody two shoes and always listens but I can tell she's testing the waters in her own way, which is questioning him rather denying him.

"So I'm writing this paper on the world's oldest living organism."

I take a bite of a new biscuit and take a glance at a huge ass tree in the text book.

"A tree? You're writing about a tree?"

"Yes, it's so fascinating. You see, this tree is 5,065 years old. It's the oldest living individual non-clonal tree in the world. There are some clonal organisms that could be around 200,000 years old but all that is speculative. However, with this tree they were able to count the rings and verify."

"200,000 is way more impressive than 5,000, Murry." I say finding her enthusiasm so adorable and comical.

"Yes, but those are clonal. Meaning those trees are genetically identical sharing a root system that keeps them living. But there are other trees, non clonal, on their own root system completely original, their genetic makeup unique to themselves, like a human. And this tree, started growing before the pyramids of Egypt!" She says smiling wide and nearly out of breath. "Imagine seeing something that old in person. It's amazing, really."

I smirk wanting to tease her slightly about this new obsession with trees, "I still say 200,000 is more impressive."

She shuts the text book and shoves my shoulder.

I know she's not intentionally flirting with me, but this summer as well as the last few weeks I've noticed how touchy she's been. Which, perhaps, she's always been this way and now I'm just hyper aware of any physical touch because I know how good it feels to be touched in other ways.

Tally Davis, a girl from school, is hot and I don't regret my first time at all because the tits on that girl were amazing. But she's nothing compared to Muriel. No one comes close to Murry. The only guilt I feel towards Tally is that Murry doesn't know. She's shared with me that she still hasn't been kissed, so I don't want her to be embarrassed that I've gone way passed that stage and make her feel even worse about herself than she already does.

"Come on, let's do this picture so mom and Jane can get drunk and make fools of themselves." She says breaking me from my thoughts.

My chest shudders knowing after the photo and the movie is when I plan on telling her about my feelings.

I stuff the remainder of the biscuits into my mouth to prevent myself from hurling as my nerves flood my body and follow Murry down the hall and stairs.

When I reach the bottom step dad walks by giving me a wink glancing to Murry ahead of me, fully aware of my plans for tonight.

"Ollie, I'd like to talk to you a moment." Henry says back in the archway of the family room.

Shit

Dad catches up to Murry saying something to make her giggle while I double back and meet up with Henry in the family room.

"What's up?" I ask, slightly nervous for some reason, he's made me feel uneasy this entire year.

"Let's sit by the fire, I want to talk to you about something."

The small fireplace crackles with a small flame. I sit near it on one of the old brown sofas while Henry sits across from me tilting his head to the side, "Each year we have a better and better time together, our families."

"Yes, sir."

"I wanted to congratulate you on the show. I haven't seen it, but I've read the reviews and I have to say I'm impressed."

"Thanks." I relax a little and lean back against the couch, "It is pretty cool."

"You know I always say if you're going to do something be sure to be the best at it. I read that article by Simon Prince and he said you show great potential for being the best."

I hadn't read that article. Reading shit like that is weird and slightly intimidating. I find it much better to just leave that stuff out rather than let it inflate my head or drag me down.

"I'm having fun and really love it that's all I can ask for really."

"Sure." He nods and crosses his leg over his knee still relaxed easing the remainder of my nerves. "When you find something you love. You're good at it, and it pays well I say throw yourself head-first into it. Don't let anything get in the way."

I nod unsure what to say, I'm fifteen I don't know what I want to do with my life yet. Sure, this is the most fun I've had yet working this job but I'm young, I want to make a few mistakes before I decide what I want in life.

"Take Muriel for example, we've got her set up to graduate early and NYU is already eyeing her resume. She's on track for valedictorian and a promising internship as long as her grades keep up and she doesn't become distracted."

"Murry doesn't get distracted," I laugh unsure why he's even bringing this up .

"Right, she's working hard Oliver, I'd hate for anything to throw her off track, she can't afford to...make mistakes if you know what I mean?"

"Mmhmm." I'm not understanding. He's talking but what he's saying isn't matching the intensity in his blue eyes.

"Okay, son. I don't think you understand. " Henry leans towards me resting his elbows on his knees, "We don't need you to distract Muriel."

My heart beat rises into my neck and I'm suddenly even more confused than I was before. "I haven't been distracting her? I'm confused, did she say something?"

"No, no. Not at all." He smiles coolly and relaxes back, "I'd like your word, Oliver that you'll let her continue with her studies without interrupting the system we have going."

My word? What the hell?

"I'm sorry, Henry, I'm still not getting it? What do you need my word for?" I laugh nervously. I've never bombarded her, at least I don't think I have. We talk on the phone or message each other until I go to sleep, then she does her school work. The time difference from London to New York works perfectly, at least she's never told me it doesn't.

Henry sighs then his blue eyes connect to mine, "I'll be frank with you Oliver. You aren't good enough for my daughter."

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Could you imagine being 15 and hearing this from an adult you've known your entire life!?

Poor Ollie 😫

I guess he never told Murry about his feelings that night, right?

Do not worry, Henry gets what's coming to him!