I got up and crossed the room, found a pair of shorts and a shirt, and walked to the bathroom, where I peeled off my wet clothes and threw on the nice dry ones. They smelled of Adam. That alone was quite comforting. I padded back to his room, leaving my wet clothes in the tub to dry out overnight. He was already on his side of the bed under his fluffy comforter. I walked around to the right side and sat down before throwing my legs up and relishing the warmth.
“I’m not going to pry into what happened tonight,” he muttered as he rolled over and looked at me, his brown eyes glinting. “I have a feeling it is something that I don’t need to know. I’m just glad to know that you are okay.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, giving him a warm smile.
“You’re really pretty when you take all that black shit off your eyes,” he said as he stifled a yawn.
I laughed softly and rolled onto my side to face the wall. I felt him move and his arm came around my waist, pulling me close.
“You’re quite the charmer when you are half-asleep,” I said, touching his arm.
“Get some sleep, Weathers. We have to be up early to get you to your house so you can get ready for school.”
“I could just wear some of your clothes,” I said, enjoying the feeling of him close to me.
“I will make sure to lay out my Jesus Loves Me t-shirt for you in the morning.” He yawned again, right in my ear.
“Good night, Adam.”
“Good night, Dawn.”
I slept better than I had in a long time. It was almost as nice as those first nights with Wesley. I felt warm and cared for like nothing could hurt me. Not a single nightmare penetrated my thoughts that night. I just reveled in the fact that I was in the arms of someone I cared about.
****
“Dawn!” Adam’s voice penetrated my mind, drawing me out of my sleep.
“I’m up! I’m up!” I said, rolling over and looking up at him. He was holding a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.
“I called your mother and told her that I would bring you home after school. I couldn’t get you up, so I had no other option.” He waved the clothes in my face. “They may be a little big, but they will get you through the day.”
“Thanks,” I said, sitting up and taking the outfit from him.
“Now, hurry up. I have breakfast on the table. We have twenty minutes till we have to be out the door.” He left the room, shutting the door behind him.
I got up and dressed as fast as I could. The pants were quite a bit longer than I anticipated so I had to roll them up several times in order not to step on the fabric. It looked a little goofy, but I was in no position to complain. I threw on the t-shirt and sighed with relief — at least something of his fit me. I brushed my hair with my fingers and went downstairs. The smell of pancakes was making my stomach rumble.
“I put your damp clothes in the wash before they started to smell. Your shoes and a pair of dry socks are by the door,” Adam told me as I entered the kitchen.
“Did you do all of this?” I asked, looking down at the table.
“I got up early,” he said, stuffing pancake into his mouth.
“You didn’t have to,” I mumbled, taking a seat next to him.
“I know. I wanted to.” He glanced at me as I started eating. “It was nice having you here last night. Even if you did wind up on my doorstep at three in the morning, soaked to the bone.”
“What did I do to deserve you?” I said, honestly, as our eyes met.
“Looked alone in choir,” he said plain and simple. “Now eat up. I put a new toothbrush in the bathroom for you.”
After we had finished eating, I rushed through brushing my teeth and completing the usual morning routine. When I looked in the mirror, however, I saw I had missed something vital. And now it was too late to do anything about it. After several months of remaining mahogany brown, my eyes had turned a brilliant blue.
“No, no!” I gasped, rubbing them furiously. No matter what I did, the color would not change.
“Time to go,” Adam called, banging on the door.
“Slight problem,” I said, throwing the door open and staring at him.
“What? Your eyes, you mean? They’ve been that color since you walked through the door last night. Trust you to leave your house without your contacts.”
“Oh, yes. Trust me,” I said quietly.
“Never mind. I doubt anyone will notice anyway,” he said, handing me a jacket.
****
Walking through the doors of the school I felt odd and out of place. I wasn’t sure where the feeling came from. Maybe it was the fact that I felt exposed, vulnerable. I knew I didn’t look like myself without my usual black outfit on. I looked just like a normal girl. I was standing at my locker when a pair of familiar arms locked around my waist.
“Hey.”
A set of lips found their way to my cheek, and I turned around to face Aaron.
“Hey, yourself,” I said, praying he didn’t notice my eyes.
“What’s going on with the wardrobe?” he asked, looking down at what I was wearing.
“I slept at Adam’s last night,” I explained.
He looked startled.
“Don’t worry. It was nothing like that, Aaron!”
He shook his head, and the look of suspicion on his face vanished. “What happened? Did you and your mom have a fight?”
“No, nothing like that. I can’t really explain it, but I wound up in front of his house during that downpour last night. I’m not sure, really, how I got there.” Well, at least I was answering him truthfully.
