Take Me

Chapter Seven

"When you're an introvert like me and you've been lonely for a while, and then you find someone who understands you, you become really attached to them. It's a real release."    

- Lana Del Rey            

♔ Chapter Seven ♔           

"TOMASZ! TOMASZ TAFELSKI! GET YOUR LAZY ARSE OUT OF BED, RIGHT NOW!"

I stirred briefly, cringing under my mother's screaming. She almost blasted down my bedroom door with the strength she was using to batter at it. She was always like this in the morning - if she had to get up early on weekends to work, I wasn't allowed lie-ins. Her words.

I sighed and turned over, burying my head under my pillow. I slouched, rolling slightly, and felt something hard and warm beside me. Forgetting everything from last night, I'd jumped up right away, stunned.

Isaac was still here. That made my stomach flutter and tighten. Looking at him sleeping was the greatest gift of the day. His face was innocent and lost in his own little world, smiling, everything about him so ghostly and serene.

For a second, I almost didn't believe he was actually there, like I'd imagined him from thin air. Like none of this was real, or could have ever been real. I'd been questioning whether any of this could actually happen anyway, because in what sane worlds do hot straight guys start straying for their ladies for someone like me?

"Stop staring," he said suddenly.

I almost jumped out of my skin once his voice breached my ears, and I nearly fell off of the bed in a lame attempt to dive backwards and away from him. But he'd grabbed my wrist almost instinctively and pulled me towards him, saving me from falling off the bed and earning myself another bruise.

"Morning," I told him, expecting he'd let go of my hand. He never did. He sat himself up and groggily wiped at his face and hair, but kept my hand entwined with his. He took it in both, and sat with his legs crossed, playing with my fingers like they were the greatest things since wheeled cheese.

"TOMASZ! ARE YOU UP YET? THAT'S IT, I'M COMING IN!"

"Shit," I almost squealed. "No! Mum, wait, I'm not decent!"

"It's nothing I haven't seen before. I've wiped your little baby bum, I've seen everything," she blabbed like every mother ever as she swamped her way into my room.

Then there she was, and there Isaac was, and they just kept looking right at each-other. My mum's mouth dropped open instantly after spotting the nearly naked boy in my bed, right next to me, another nearly naked boy. I hadn't been paying enough attention, but at some point, Isaac had let go of my hand and it was sitting lamely by his leg.

"Oh," she muttered, blinking blankly at him. "Who's this, then?"

I totally spaced. My mind went entirely blank. I couldn't even think straight. Thank God Isaac was there to save the situation.

"Sorry," he began. "I'm Hebe Hollern's boyfriend, Isaac. My parents were away this weekend and I didn't want to be alone. Tom said I could stay here for the night. I hope that was okay." He had that kind voice that all friends had when they met the parents of their lover, like he wanted to impress her.

"Thank god!" she almost screamed, releasing a huge held-in breath and throwing her arms up in the air in relief. "For a moment there, I thought you two were the boyfriends! Gosh. I almost died."

"Can you please go, now?" I said plainly, trying not to look as upset as I felt at what she'd just said.

"No. I don't mean it like that, Tom. I just mean, if you two were gay and making sweet gay love, then it would only make life harder for you. You're already bullied for being small and quiet, and let's not pretend like that wouldn't make life harder for you."