"Color your skies with the palette you choose, because they represent your soul in a way every music has its own notes."

-

The exams end soon enough. I haven't said much to Oliver lately. We haven't been alone in a while.

I toss and turn in my bed. I don't have to wake up early because our school closed after the exams had ended. We have Thanksgiving break now.

I woke up early anyway. I'm wasting my time in my bed, overthinking about me and Oliver.

I hear the bell ring. As I make my way downstairs, I see Mom opening the door.

Samuel Bradbury is home.

"Mom!" Sam says as he hugs mom.

I am angry at him so I stand on the staircase looking down at him, narrowing my eyes.

Sam drops his bags on the floor. He catches sight of me.

"Oi, G," he says. I narrow my eyes even more.

My brother looks disgusting. He has long hair falling around his face. He can pull them back in a ponytail if he pleases.

I scrunch up my nose. I want to throw up. Harry Styles might look good with long hair, but my brother isn't Harry Styles.

"Why that look?" Sam says going to the kitchen as I follow him. I need breakfast.

He takes a raw cookie from the tray Mom is about to bake. Mom scolds him and slaps in his wrist. Sam laughs and eats it anyway.

Look how he lights up everything as soon as he arrives.

"So what's going on with you?" Sam says as he looks for food in the cabinets. He doesn't forget to ruffle my hair on his way.

"Hey!" I protest loudly. I hate when he does that.

"What has been going on with our little G?" he says as he finds a tin of biscuits.

What's going on with me?

"Nothing," I say. "Just so you know, you look disgusting."

Mom mumbles, "Don't say it like that."

I roll my eyes.

Sam protests, "Hey, I look hot!"

"'I look blah blah,'" I mimic him. "Honestly, you look so bad that it makes me want to throw up on your face. You look worse than Justin Bieber from 2015."

"Mom!" Sam says. "Your daughter is bullying me! I just got home after a year and a half, and this is what I get!"

Mom chuckles.

"Yeah, yeah," I say. "You deserve worse."

My brother rolls his eyes. We banter as we eat this and that. Mom bakes the cookies, and we fight to finish them.

The next day we are in the kitchen again, and Mom is lecturing us.

"You two, get everything from the list. If you miss one thing," Mom warns again.

Mom pours herself a glass of wine. She is wearing a facial mask. She looks comical. Don't tell her.

"Get the things and come back home immediately," Mom says.

I groan. What is torture? Torture is your mom sending you off to grocery shopping with your big brother.

I groan. "Can I not go? Sam can do this alone!"

"Oi," Sam smacks on my head. "Mom said 'you two' not me alone."

"Ouch," I say and I slap my brother's shoulder. And then we keep tapping each other's hand.

"Gwen Aidy Bradbury, Samuel William Bradbury, get your butts out of the house!" Mom shouts.

I scream, covering my ears dramatically as Sam ducks down. We head for the door worm style.

"Run, G, run. Mommy has turned into a monster!" Sam says as he stands up to open the front door.

Before we finally get away I hear Mom saying she can't believe we are highschool and college kids.

I mean, we are, obviously. But we don't always have to act like it.

We walk on the pavement. Sam throws his hands over my shoulder and asks, "So Mom told me about a certain Carlson that you've been doing the nasty with?"

"I-what?!"My eyes go wide.

"Yeah, she also told me to tell you to have some patience because you are still in school," Sam says casually.

"No, obviously she didn't," I say. "And patience? What does she mean by patience?!"

Sam rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, go around showing off your boyfriend's work. Of course Mom won't say that."

"My boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend!" I say.

Sam narrows his eyes. "Really? Then who is he?"

I fidget. "Umm, someone. He hasn't asked me out yet, so..."

"Hmm, I need to have a few words with this someone," Sam says thoughtfully.

If you think my brother is one of those possessive big brothers who will hide his sister from the whole world and probably give her boyfriend a really hard time, you are wrong.

The scariest thing my brother can do is trying to appear scary, and the next second you know he is making friends and probably saying embarrassing things about me. Then he will team up against me with the guy and make fun of me.

Yes, and I certainly don't want him telling Oliver how I used to go running around wearing Mom's makeup ( makeup as in lipstick on my cheeks and eyeshadow on my lips) and shoes acting like I was an adult and talking to myself. Nope. Obviously not.

As we go to the grocery store, I look at him and say, "Good luck!"

I try to vanish between the aisles and hear my brother squeal, "G, wait, noooo!"

I find the chocolate aisle and pick a few for myself. Sam is paying. Why do I have a big brother if he can't buy me some chocolates?

When we finally meet on the counter, my brother glares at me. I have to try hard not to laugh. I make him buy three large chocolate bars for me.

My brother isn't one to lose. He dumps the grocery bags on me. When we ran from the house, we didn't bring a car.

It is just the beginning. My brother stops here and there every time he sees someone he knows. He starts chatting as if he is the mayor of the town and has to make sure everyone is doing fine.

Then we go inside this book store and he starts chatting with the shopkeeper.

I'm sitting with my legs stretched in front of me, on the corner between two aisles on the floor of the bookstore. I left the shopping bags by the counter, where my dear brother is.

As you can guess, I am bone tired from carrying the grocery bags and walking around, so I am taking a rest.

I see a guy coming. I don't move.

Soon he comes to the aisles I am sitting between. He doesn't see me instantly, but I see him.

Oliver Carlson is looking for books.

I haven't seen Oliver for two days. It feels like a year to me. After that little incident in the janitors closet, we haven't talked properly. I forgot when we kissed last.

I haven't hugged him in so long.

Oliver crouches down looking for his book.

"Kiss me," I blurt out.

Oliver jumps a little. He looks around. Then he spots me sitting there on the floor.

He opens his mouth, but without saying anything he closes it and shakes his head.

"Hi," I say this time.

Oliver stands up straight. He stares at me.

Then he strides towards me. I look up at him as he leans down and presses his lips on mine. He gives me a small kiss.

God, have I missed him.

"What are you doing here?" Oliver says as he leans back and straightens up.

"Taking a rest," I answer. "Sit down."

Oliver shakes his head hopelessly as if he expected that from me. He goes to the aisle again and looks for his book.

I stare at him. I don't really care if he asked me out or not. Right now, I just want to be with him.

Oliver finally gives up when he can't find the book he wants. He sits down on the floor, leaning against the aisle.

"Look where I brought you down to, " I say smiling. "The floor."

Oliver lends his hands towards me. I take it and snuggle into him.

I missed him so much I can't even say it in words. I can feel tears in my eyes.

Oliver cups my face as I lean back. This time he kisses me properly.

When we pull apart, Oliver whispers, almost as if he doesn't want me to hear, "I missed you."

"Mhm," I say, resting my head on his shoulder.

I feel Oliver's fingers curling my hair. I listen to his heartbeat.

My eyes well up a little. There's a little squeeze in my heart. I know what I feel. It's the earth shattering truth that's on the top of my tongue.

"I love you," I say.

Oliver freezes. His fingers stop brushing my hair. His heart skips a beat. And he doesn't breathe.

Shit.

Did I just-

"I-I-," I quickly lean back, away from him. I didn't just say that out loud. Oh God. No.

"I love your hair. Yeah, that's what I meant. It's so smooth and soft," I say as I gulp. I look everywhere but at him. I don't have the courage. I don't want to see the look on his face.

I stand up hurriedly. My legs hurt, but I stay upright. "I, um, I should be going."

Oliver is still sitting down, right where he was.

"My brother came home and he is a headache. He made me carry grocery bags and stroll the whole town with him. He is so annoying," I keep talking because if I don't, I don't know what will happen.

Oliver finally stands up and says,"Your brother?"

"Yeah, Sam. He came home for Thanksgiving. He is around the corner," I say.

"Sam made me walk a lot. Because of him, we didn't take the car and now my legs are hurting," I complain. I am talking nonsense because I am so nervous.

My heart is beating staccato.

Oliver gazes at me. Then he says, "Piggyback ride?"

"What?" I say in surprise.

Oliver turns around for me to get on him. I look around. Is this really happening?

As I get on him, Oliver stands straight without so much of a problem. Why is he suddenly giving me piggyback rides?

"What did you have for breakfast? Are you quite alright?" I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Oliver holds my legs as he walks forward. He shrugs.

I have the upperhand on Oliver now. Because my hands are free and I am on Oliver, so I can basically do what I want. And I know he won't let me fall.

So I grab his ears.

"Gwen," Oliver warns.

I chuckle as I snort his hair. It smells good. I didn't lie when I said I love his hair.

Oliver shudders a little. "What are you doing?"

I run my nose through his hair and my hands grab what they want to.

"I am giving you a piggyback ride. It's not a groping contest," Oliver mumbles.

"Hehe," I say. I don't know when I will get another chance.

I can see Oliver having a hard time. We reach the counter. My brother is still chatting with his good friend.

"Yo," I say.

My brother turns around and his eyebrows shot a centimeter upward.

"Gwen," Sam says. He looks at Oliver. Oliver stiffens a little.

"You can put me down now, before my brother has a heart attack and dies," I whisper in Oliver's ear.

Oliver puts me down gently.

Sam folds up his sleeves as if to appear scary. Narrowing his eyes, he says, "So, you are Oliver Carlson?"

"Yes," Oliver answers back as he narrows his eyes too.

I stand between Sam and Oliver watching their exchange amusedly.

"Heard you been giving my sister a hard time?" Sam says as he crosses his arms over his chest taking that big brother stance.

I snort.

"I have been giving her a hard time?" Oliver says and then looks at me. "It is the opposite, actually."

My mouth falls open. I slap Oliver on his arm.

Sam shakes his head and then lets his hands loose. "Yeah, yeah. I know. She can be a pain in the ass."

This time I slap my brother.

There. I told you. He ain't got shit.

Oliver shakes his head in agreement. Both of them look at me like I am some sort of criminal. They can't ignore me, neither can't they get rid of me.

I stick my tongue out at them.

Sam shakes his head and Oliver... well, it's Oliver, so he doesn't react other than by staring at me.

When we start heading home, Oliver is carrying all my bags and I am leading the boys. Well, he insisted, so why would I say no?

Sam is blabbering about the concert he went to last week.

"Sam, he didn't ask about your Keith Urban Concert, did he?" I say as I turn around and walk backwards.

Oliver is walking side by side with Sam. Sam throws me a look.

"He is a better listener than you." Sam says and nods at Oliver. Oliver smiles a little, looking at me as if to say, "How's that?"

I roll my eyes as I turn around, leaving Oliver with Sam, since he has no problem with it. We reach home.

"Mom!" Sam starts yelling as we get in. Oliver places the bags down on the floor.

"Is that Oliver?" asks my mom, coming down the stairs.

Then I realize the only person who hasn't met Oliver yet is my dad. He will walk in any minute, that's for sure. Oliver will be bombarded with my family.

Oliver nods as Mom comes forward and hugs him. He stiffens like before and stands there like a poll.

I thought he got comfortable with hugging. Then I realize the only person he hugs is me. That makes my heart ache in a good way.

Mom draws back and pats on his cheeks, showing him her motherly love. Oliver looks extremely awkward. He is not used to this.

"It is okay, Mom," I step in. "That is enough."

I stand in front of Oliver, shielding him from the upcoming attack of love.

"What is your problem though? It's like you want to hide your boyfriend away from us," Sam comments, putting down the bags.

"He is not my-" I start.

Oliver squeezes my hand. My heart jumps.

"It's fine," Oliver says to me in a low voice. I stare at him.

"Oliver, what do you say about having dinner with us tonight?" Mom suggests. "Chris would love to meet you."

Oh, crap. Who's next? My granny? My great granny?

"I would love to," Oliver says, "but unfortunately I have family dinner tonight."

Oliver sounds like he regrets not being able to be here. I look at him with surprise. He glances at me.

"Okay. But you have to have dinner with us sometime. We would love to have you here." Mom smiles a hundred watt smile.

Oliver nods. I grab his hand and say, "As much you love to have him," I roll my eyes, "he has work to do. Let's go."

"I don't have any-" Oliver says. I glare at him.

"Yes, you do," I say, and drag him outside with me. Before we can make it outside, I hear Sam saying to Mom, "Now that's a gentleman. I approve of him. I don't know what you were-"

Couldn't he wait? Couldn't he wait until we get outside?

I have to control the urge to facepalm.

"You okay?" Oliver asks, looking amused as we stand on the pavement.

"Shut up. My family will always find a way to embarrass me."

Oliver smiles, "I don't see what's so embarrassing. I don't mind."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Yeah, that's why you freeze every time Mom hugs you."

Oliver shrugs. "But that doesn't mean I hate to be here. I would have loved to have dinner but-"

Oliver makes a face.

"Are you in love with my family, or what?" I say.

Oliver smiles. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me closer.

"It's not every day I have people asking about me and telling me to have dinner with them, and neither does anyone hug me and tell me they love having me around." Oliver brushes a strand of my hair. "I am not that lucky, Gwen."

My heart aches for him. He deserves so much more.

I bury my face in his chest.

"And Gwen," Oliver says, resting his chin on top of my head, his hands in my hair.

"Hm?"

"I love your hair, too."

*****