Take My Heart, Part Eight.

[[Part Eight]]

 

A week passed. And another week. And then a day. Or well half a day. Spencer and Jenn had gotten much more closer as friends. So had Veronica and Jenn. Marek hadn’t moved in yet, due to school difficulties (his fangirls were happy for that, Marek was just pissed off.). He couldn’t move until sometime in February.

Well now it was February 16th. Spencer remembered the time when Jenn wouldn’t tell him anything, but now to him, she was practically an open book. She still had missing pages, and blank pages and no title, but she opened up to him a lot more than she used to. She was one of his best friends and he wouldn’t trade the world for her.

Spencer knew about her dad. Jenn still hadn’t told Veronica the truth about it, but she figured that it was mostly true anyways. He was on a business trip… with his girlfriend. Jenn often had dinner with Spencer’s family. His little sister and brother were so cute! Spencer said they were disasters, but Jared and Jessica were anything other. How could such cute kids be so disastrous?   They couldn’t. Thus Jenn didn’t believe him.

Spencer had only known Jenn for three weeks at the most, but it felt like he’d known her forever. She was his bestest friend.   Occasionally, Jenn had brought Veronica with her when she came to visit. She called her Ronnie. Marek and her would be great friends.

Spencer was getting released on Valentine’s day. So he was happy about that. But he was still bedridden when he got home too. Oh well. Jenn would be here soon and then he’d be happy for sure. She always made him smile especially if she was smiling. If she was sad, he felt her sorrow and lived it too. He glanced at the clock. Then out the window.   A white blanket of pure innocent snow covered everything. The birds were gone. The rare few who had stayed were in a safe place. Someplace dry and warm. He glanced at the clock again.  

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The door opened and Spencer could tell by her uneven breathing that it was Jenn. She was breathless as usual, her cheeks red. She was wearing a coat his mom had lent her because she didn’t have on, and a white hat on her head, which accented her dark, brilliant black hair. She had no gloves on and he could see the coldness stinging the tips of her fingers red. She shut the door behind her, took in a big breath of oxygen, and nearly collapsed, right there.

“Jenners! Are you okay?” Concern latched onto his voice. He could tell she’d had a tiring day. He hoped Taylor wasn’t bothering her. Cause if she was, when he came back to school, she had another   thing coming.

“Hello to you too. Yeah I’m okay. How about you?” She walked over to his bed and dropped her backpack by his bed. She shed her coat but kept her hat on.

“I’m okay. I get released on Saturday.” He smiled and spread his arms for a hug. He felt her shiver as he hauled her up on the bed and on his lap. But he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or… something else.

“That’s good. You want me to come over?”

He tightened his arms around her. “Sure.”

She kicked off her boots and curled into a ball for warmth. “Okay,” she murmured.

Spencer felt her hands, then her face. “Holy mother of pencil cases!   Jenners, you’re like a popsicle! You’re freezing.”

“Mhm. Don’t lick me then.” She sounded sleepy.
Spencer wrapped the thick blanket around both of them. “Maybe I will,” he whispered in her ear. Her head shot up, her nose brushed his lips.

“Don’t.”   Her face was in his.    

“Why not?”   Spencer frowned.

“Because.”

“But I I do it then I’m just showing you how much I love you. And because isn’t a good reason.”

Jenn snuggled back on his chest, barely paying attention. There was a pause. Then Spencer, figuring she wasn’t paying attention and was dozing off to sleep, gently moved her hair away from her neck and pressed his lips to it. Jenn didn’t move but her hand pinched his cheek.   “Why’d you do it?” she asked, slipping in and out of consciousness.

“Do what?”

“Don’t play dumb, Spencer.”

“I didn’t lick you. I kissed you. Big difference.”

“Still… why’d you do it?”

“I felt like it Jenners. I’m sowwie.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you.”

“Because you love me.” He hugged her tight. She had no idea what crazy things she was doing to his skin alone.

“Yeah.”   She mumbled and fell asleep. Spencer watched her sleep, caressing her cheek. Her skin was so soft. And it smelled like roses. Spencer had finally remembered to ask her and her favourite flower was a white rose. Eh, he was close. He smiled at the sleeping girl in his arms.


x-x-x

“JENNY!!!” squealed Jared and Jessica.

“Hey cuties. How are ya?” She ruffled Jared’s hair and gave Jessica a hug.

“WE excited! Speny coming home!” they chimed.

“Yeah I know. Are you happy for him?”  

“YES!!”

Jenn laughed. “Okay. I’ll talk to you guys later, okay?”

“Okay Jenny!” They hopped away. Cute hyper kids.

“Oh hello Jenn. How are you? Spencer’s mother, Mrs. Cherish or Stephanie asked.

“I’m okay. How are you?”

“Fine thanks. So what brings you here?” She let Jenn inside. They went to the kitchen after Jenn had taken off her shoes and coat.

“Oh. I was wondering if I could help with anything.”

“You’re so thoughtful Jenn. But its okay. We don’t need help with anything.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well… there’s one thing.” Stephanie smiled. “You could stay the night. You’d help that way. Then when we go to pick Spencer up, could you watch the twins?”

“I’d love to.” She grinned. They were becoming like family to her. They knew about her dad, but the same thing Veronica knew.

Mr. Cherish, Spencer’s dad walked in. “What’s that? Jenn is spending the night?”

“Yes. And then she’s going to watch the twins for us when we go to pick up Spencer.”

“Thank you Jenn.”

“No problem. I just want to help.”

“You can stay here whenever you want Jenn,” said Mr. Cherish.

“Okay, thanks.”

Jenn played with the twins for awhile before dinner and watched a movie. With them after she got shooed away from trying to help with cleaning up and doing the dishes. They watched the first Lion King, but the twins must have been tired because they fell asleep half way through the movie. Jenn shut down the DVD player and carried them to their beds. When she slept over, she usually slept in Spencer’s bed. So she went into Spencer’s room. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

x-x-x

“Come on you two! Speny’s coming home any minute.” Jenn helped Jared into clean clothes as Jessica, the little angel she was cleaned their room. She had already dressed and eaten. Jared had eaten, but he hadn’t changed his clothes. “There. Go help your sister and then we can watch another movie.”

“Shrek!” he shrieked before running to help his sister. It was 10:55 am. Jenn put on Shrek for them and made them some popcorn.

At 11:15ish, a key turned in the lock and the front door opened. The twins jumped up, running to the door. Jenn paused Shrek and figured she should just disappear for awhile, let them have their family moment. She went upstairs into Spencer’s room.  
__________________________________



Spencer saw his siblings and laughed. He kneeled down so they could hug him. His parents went about to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. “Hey guys. How’s double disaster?”

“Still strong,” Jared whispered.

“We’ll get you.” Jessica continued. Then they grinned like angelic innocent kids and ran off to finish their movie.

When he had walked in, Spencer had seen Jenn out of the corner of his eye go upstairs.   He wondered where she went.   He went upstairs. The door to his room was open just a crack. Quietly, he peered inside and sure enough, there was Jenn standing by the window, looking out at the white world outside.

“Hey Jenners. How are you?”He grinned. She turned her head to look at him.

“Hi. How are you?” she turned to face him. He closed the door behind him.

“I’m okay. Good to be out of the hospital.” He walked towards her. Unconsciously, Jenn stepped backwards.  

“That’s good.”

He walked over to her and stood beside her, looking out the window.   “Yeah.
Marek’s moving here Wednesday.”  

“Really? This Wednesday?”

“Yeah.” He smiled.

Jenn smiled lightly. There was   a moment of silence.

“Do you know what day it is?” he asked quietly.

“No.” She looked curiously into his eyes. He stared at her intently, his eyes almost twinkling.

“Its Valentine’s day.”

“Really? I forgot.” It took Jenn a moment to realize what Valentine’s day was. “Oh no!” She screamed. She hadn’t gotten anyone any presents. “I have to, have to buy gifts and….. you!   I didn’t get you anything! How horrible am I? Oh no, I’m the suckiest friend ever. I’m so sorry Spencer. I understand if you don’t want to be friends anymore.” She stopped ranting and hung her head. Spencer found it sort of cute how she did it. Anyone else and it’d just be whinny and annoying. But for Jenn, it was okay. Because that’s the way she was.

Hesitantly, reaching out, Spencer put his arm around her and drew her in close. She refused to look at him. “Hey,” he whispered. “It’s okay.” She still wasn’t looking.

“Hey Jenners...look at me, please?”

Reluctantly, Jenn looked up, but the opposite way he was.  

“I got something for you. It’s your Valentine’s Day present.”

Slowly she looked at Spencer, but trying not to get drawn into the deep pools of
amber-hazel.

“I’m sorry,” she started to say.

“Shush,” he interrupted gently. “It’s okay.” He poked her nose. “Ready?”

Jenn nodded.

Moving slowly, Spencer leaned down, and as he did, his grip tightened around Jenn, and he knew he wouldn’t stop. He softly, as if barely noticeably, brushed his lips by hers.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, hun.” He whispered against her lips, tickling them softly as he spoke.

The best Valentine’s Day ever.

And he got up and walked out, smiling on the inside and out, not knowing that he’d left Jenn breathless.

Jenn didn’t understand how she felt an earthquake, and him only a mild tremor. Her knees gave out an she fell. She couldn’t understand how he could still walk.

“Happy Valentine’s day.” She whispered.