I chuckled. "I'm not much of a reader, but if I was going to steal your stuff it was the least I could do."
"You're one of the few people who have ever read any of my manuscripts…" She sighed.
"You want to get them published?" I continued, thinking back to her artistic words from a girl I knew who was usually quiet.
"Um," she replied, stammering as she shifted her sitting position. "I would love more than anything to be able to have my words on paper for others to read one day. Even if only one person reads my words I'll know that I had impacted one person."
"Interesting," I took in what she said was true passion, but she was definitely holding back. "So are you dating any guy that I should know about? I mean I am your husband after all.”
"Ha!" Rachel laughed dryly. "I've never even been on a date! How about you?"
"Well, I'm personally not dating any guy, just not my style, but I'm seeing Amanda." I took my eyes off her and to the TV screen remembering the girl with short black hair that I've been dating.
Rachel and I shouldn't have almost kissed the night before. Amanda would kill us both if she found out. Silence took over the two of us. Then a thought dawned on me.
"Wait, if you never had a date before does that mean last night would have been your first kiss…" the words came out slowly, afraid of the answer, but knowing it anyway.
She just nodded her head, poking at her ketchup with a fry.
"Good thing we didn't kiss then if you're with Amanda," Rachel’s voice was timid as her hair started fall forward to shield her face.
"Yeah," I whispered, unable to look at her, I ran my fingers through my hair pushing the strands to the side.
An explosion on the TV was the only sound that filled the room.
"So…" Rachel started before pausing. "We're leaving tomorrow."
"Yup, that should be fun. Another long car ride."
She gave a weak smile.
"I know my siblings will totally be ready for making up for the last few days of not being able to bother me."
She laughed. "Sibling love?"
"I really need to bring you to the March household." I chuckled as the tension in the air eased.
"With this project we might have to meet outside of school," she pointed out.
I interrupted her, "Just whatever you do, don't take my brothers seriously, they'll eat you alive if you do."
Her eyes widened.
"Not used to a big family?" I questioned her because of the gleam of nerves in her eyes.
"No, small, quiet family…"
I grinned. "Oh you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
"Seems to be a trend of mine." She locked eyes with me as we both grinned.
The following morning I woke up facing the wall that was keeping Rachel away from me. Yet she did wake up in a better mood than the day before which did help our day of packing and getting ready to go back home to New Jersey. Late afternoon I put our bags with everyone's luggage while she went onto the bus to save us a couple of seats. When I got onto the bus I saw her lips spread ear to ear as she was leaning over seats talking to a girl with short reddish brown hair. They both were giggling as I got closer. Rachel's eyes were sparkling at me causing me to smile.
The entire bus ride to Jersey, I had to deal with the girlie chit-chat between Rachel and her friend Holly. Holly's guy Micah, who I was pretty sure had been in my Science class the last three years had headphones in his ears, ignoring it all. After some time when it had started to grow dark Rachel started to drift to sleep a little causing her to lean her head onto my shoulder. I could not think of someone doing such a gesture before or trusting me in that kind of manner. I wrapped an arm around her while I rested my own head against hers. My eyes grew heavy before everything went black
With a hard thrust Rachel and I were jerked forward, waking us up abruptly. Our eyes were both wide open. We had arrived at the school with a parking lot filled with cars, but no parents were out and about waiting for their child with open arms after not seeing them for a few days. I couldn't remember who had the challenge of picking me up from the trip. The jerk of a bus driver caused me to hit my forehead once more. I rubbed it looking out of the window. We were ordered to get off the bus and get our things before heading out to the gym.
We passed the auditorium on the way to the gym and I noticed the doors were open and the room was filled with our parents. Scrunching my face I tried to gaze into the room to get a better look. One of the cops standing by the door noticed my attention causing the doors to the auditorium to be slammed shut. All of the students jumped.
"Nick," Rachel’s voice started to falter.
I took her hand in mine, interlacing our fingers tightly as we squished each other’s hands. "Rachel, stay close to me."
We walked side by side, so close that our arms were touching. The bleachers weren't out as we all made our way into the gym, being told to go all the way to the other side in poor attempts of forming rows. Sitting down, the bag was loose on my shoulder as Rachel's hand was still in mine. Whatever the reason they had us in this room was not going to be good news. The principal walked into the room.
"During the trip you all were told you were doing a marriage project. What all of you seemed to have missed is that was a real judge marrying you all for real in my
