We Could Be

Chapter 4

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken." -C.S. Lewis

Jane's Point Of VIew:

Maura has long since forgiven me for accusing Lip of wanting nothing more than to put his snake into her Chamber of Secrets. Although she has forgiven me, I can still feel an awkward tension floating between us.
"So I meet you at your house?" She asks hesitantly, keeping her eyes anywhere but where mine are.
"Yep."
"Okay, I'll see you in a few." She replies before walking away. I can't help but watch until she disappears.
"God, just ask her out already." I hear a voice say behind me causing me to jump.
"Oh shut up." I say, playfully punching Barry in the shoulder.
"I'm being serious. It's clear you two like each other, maybe even love."
"Love? What are you a girl? We are too young to know what love is." I say as I slam my locker shut.
"Jane, come on. Let's be real here. What's stopping you?"
"Our friendship. What if we don't work out as a couple and we can never be friends again? Or what if she doesn't feel the same way and that ruins our friendship?"
"If she cares about you, she won't walk away. Jane, come on."
"Barry, she is happy, okay? Just drop it." I snap at my best friend.

We reach my house with Maura right behind us. I lead my friends into my run-down house, kicking off my shoes and flopping on the couch.
"Make yourself at home." I say before Ma appears from the kitchen.
"Hey, Janie, Barry." She says before her eyes land on the honey blonde.
"Is this a new friend?" Ma questions, walking up to the three of us.
"Sorta. This is Maura, from karate, the one that moved."
"Oh! I've heard a lot of good things about you. Welcome." Ma says before pulling her into a big hug.
"It's nice to meet you Ms. Rizzoli." She says politely with a small smile on her face.
"Please, call me Angela."
"Okay, Ma. We have a project to work on." I interject. The three of us head up the stairs to my room.
"Sorry about the mess." I say kicking the pair of jeans in the corner with the other dirty laundry. Barry immediately gets comfortable on the bean bag on the floor by the foot of the bed. Maura on the other hand, stands there awkwardly not knowing what to do.
"Sit down, stay awhile." I say playfully and she places her backpack on the bed then sat on the third bean bag, the three bean bags creating a triangle.
"Want a snack? Or something to drink?" I ask my two friends.
"Sure." They both respond. I nod my head and go to the kitchen. Ma is putting the dishes away when I enter the kitchen.
"So, Maura." She says drying the bowl.
"What about her?" I question
"She seems very sweet."
"She is."
"Well let her know she is welcome anytime."
"Okay." I say as I walk back to my room. I set the bowl of grapes and bottles of water in the middle of the us.
"Shall we get going on the project?" I ask
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Barry says pulling the sheet out.
"Do we want to do a poster or powerpoint?" I ask
"I think a powerpoint will be easier and quicker." Barry says
"Let's do that then." I say pulling my laptop off of my desk.

About four hours after starting the powerpoint, we manage to finish the project. Of course there was a lot of goofing off.
"Crap, it's six o'clock." Barry says looking at his phone.
"Gotta hot date?" I tease
"No, I promised Nina I would go to her volleyball game. It starts in thirty minutes." he says grabbing his bag and slipping his shoes on.
"Want a ride?" I offer.
"No, it's not that far of a walk." He says.
"Okay, see ya tomorrow." I reply, turning back to Maura
"Bye Jane, Maura."
"Bye." Maura says and he disappears.
"I'm surprised we were able to finish this early." I say to Maura.
"Yeah, now we don't have to worry about it." She says giving me a smile. We sit there for a few seconds in silence just staring at each other. The tension can be cut with a knife, and luckily the knife comes when somebody knocks on the door.
"Come in!" I say and Ma opens the door.
"Maura, would you like to stay for dinner tonight?" Ma asks
"I would hate to intrude."
"Please, we would love to have you."
"Yeah, please." I say giving her puppy dog eyes.
"That would be lovely." She answers.
"Okay, It is ready." Ma says.
"Okay." We say and follow her into the kitchen.

When we enter the kitchen, Ma, Frankie, and Tommy are already sitting down waiting. Ma on the end and my little brothers on one side. Me and Maura took a seat next to each other on the opposite side of the boys.
"No Pop?" I ask looking at Pop's empty seat at the end across from Ma.
"No, he's working late." She says
"Oh, okay." I say as I put a scoop of pasta on my plate.
"So, Maura, tell us about yourself." Ma says as Maura put some pasta on her plate.
"Well, I was born in Boston, moved to Italy when I was ten. I went to an all girl's boarding school, then moved back here a few weeks ago." She says smiling at Ma.
"What do your parents do?"
"My mother is an artist and my father is a professor, so they travel a lot."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Ma says looking down.
"It's really okay."
"So you speak Italian?" Frankie asks changing the subject.
"Yes, and French."
"And French?" Tommy says shocked.
"Yes, my mother side is French so I had to learn French because we go to France every year to visit family." She responds.
"That is so cool!" Tommy says
"This is delicious, Ms. Rizzoli, Thank you." She says politely after taking a bite of the Gnocchi.
"Please, I already told you to call me Angela." Ma says as we heard the front door close.
"Pop!" Tommy yells excitedly causing everyone to look at the kitchen doorway.
"Hey, Tommy!" He says putting his plumbing bag down on the floor.
"Dinner is still hot if you wanna join." Ma says
"Okay let me wash my hands first." He says as he heads to the kitchen sink.

When Pop takes his seat, his eyes fall on unfamiliar hazel eyes.
"Pop, this is my friend Maura. Maura this is my dad." I say introducing the two.
"Hello, Mr. Rizzoli." She says politely.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you." He says.
"It's nice to meet you as well."
"Tomorrow, I get to find out if I made the basketball team." I say turning the subject on me.
"I bet you made it, sweetie." Ma says
"And tomorrow, I get to see if I made the basketball team!" Frankie adds.
"And I get to see if I made the soccer team!" Tommy says
"Look at you guys." Pop says proudly.
"I'm so proud of you. I got three great kids."

Maura's Point Of View:

When I get home, it is about seven thirty. I enter the front door, and saw my parents eating dinner.
"Hello." I say
"Where have you been? It's almost eight o'clock." My mother asks sternly.
"I was at my friend Jane's and her mother offered me to stay for dinner." I reply
"Jane Rizzoli? As in your friend from Karate?"
"Yes, she goes to school with me and we have a biology project together."
"We were worried, next time please let us know." My father says
"Okay, I will." I reply before heading upstairs. Once inside, I lock my door and began studying my human anatomy poster, which like any normal teenaged girl I have.
"Maura, are you still hungry?" My mother yells up the stairwell, and I shake my head before realizing I am in my own closed quarters.
"No, thank you mother!" I yell back, leaning on my bed. I hear a knock on my window and turn to find Lip on the shingles outside of my window, and I run over to it to open it. Lip is covered from head-to-toe from the downpour of rain (that somehow I didn't even hear start), and he has a goofy grin on his face.
"Hey there, dollface." Lip says, lighting a (somehow dry) cigarette and leaning against the window.
"How'd you make it passed the gate?" I ask, and Lip shrugs as if it were nothing.
"You mean: How did I pass the gate, evade the security cameras, and get up to the second floor to your window which is next to an extremely small ledge?" Lip asks, and I nod, fanning the smoke away from my face.
"Well, I got this ride from a magical unicorn over the gate, and my unicorn buddy is also a master hacker so he took out the cameras, and flew me to your window." He explains as he flicks his cigarette and steps in my room.
"It's warm in here." He says closing the window.
"Let me get you a towel." I say disappearing into my en-suite bathroom. I hand him the fresh towel and he puts it around his shoulders. I lean in and give him a peck on the lips.
"Your lips are so soft." He says
"I use a moisturizer." I say and he laughs kissing me again, laying me down on the bed.