like i can \/ nancy wheeler

viii. pyt

"you need some loving, t.l.c (tender love and care)."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

WHEN COLBY AWOKE THE NEXT MORNING, HE WAS SURPRISED TO FIND NANCY WHEELER SMILING DOWN AT HIM. Shocked, the boy immediately jumped away from her, seeing as he'd found himself laying on her chest. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, cursing himself in his mind. He felt like an idiot, and that meant she thought he was one, too.

"Good morning." she greeted, still smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

"I'm sorry," he breathed out sincerely, "I'm so-"

"Would you calm down?" Nancy rolled her eyes, getting off the couch. "While I was reading, you fell asleep. No big deal."

"Right." mumbled Colby hesitantly. "No big deal."

"Well, I'd better get dressed." Nancy walked past Colby, who tripped over his own ankles as he backed away from her. The door shut.

Colby took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair, which was wild and unkempt. He dug through his backpack, trying to pull out his clothes from the day before, whilst also trying to calm himself down.

He pulled on jeans when the sliding door to the room Jonathan was sleeping in opened. In came Jonathan, who grinned at the frantic sight of Colby getting dressed.

"Morning, Colby."

The sheer volume of Jonathan's voice scared Colby so bad that he tripped and fell on the floor while pulling his shirt over his head. As if Colby couldn't have embarrassed himself anymore. His face flared a deep red as he glared at the ground, cursing his fate.

"Go-Good morning, Jonathan." said Colby nervously. "Heading upstairs?"

"That I am." the older boy nodded. "You want to come with me?"

"In a second, I'll be up." nodded Colby, throwing on his sweater and sneakers. He sat on the couch for a second, trying to figure out why exactly he was so shaken. Nancy didn't care that he'd fallen asleep on her— it was no big deal. That's how it should've been to Colby, as well.

Except it wasn't, because Colby liked Nancy. He knew the feelings weren't reciprocated, hence why she didn't care about him falling asleep on her. It didn't faze her in the slightest. Murray's prediction was half wrong. Of course, Colby also couldn't shake what Murray had said about Colby lacking love. Maybe he lacked romantic love, sure, but other types of love he had. Right?

Colby staggered up the stairs, still mumbling under his breath when he was met by Murray, standing at the top of the steps with a wide grin. It was almost as if he knew something Colby didn't, although the boy always felt like that when it came to the man.