...A Place To Hide

CHAPTER 2

Over the next few days I continued to watch her from my front porch. Everyday, never failing, at 2 o�clock she walked outside in her bikini to tan. She laid her towel on the ground and then sat on it. She rubbed tanning lotion on her legs first, then her arms. Her stomach and chest followed, but she could never quite reach all of her back. I remember watching her and wishing I could help her. I was yearning to touch her skin. To breathe the same air she was breathing. Again. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair. My skin tingled at the thought. I couldn�t sit there any longer. At first I thought of just getting my journal and writing because she inspired me in ways I�ve never been inspired before. But then I realized that wouldn�t help right then. I needed to speak to her, to hear her voice. Once again I gathered up the courage to go talk to her. My heart started beating faster as I got closer to her. I think she noticed I was walking up to her even though she pretended she didn�t.
�Nikkolette?� I called her name as I walked into her yard. �Remember me?�
�Of course. It�s not everyday a person meets someone like you,� she replied. I pondered that for a minute and realized I had no idea what she meant. Was that a good or bad thing? I asked her.
�I believe in not saying anything about a person unless it�s nice. You know that old saying.� That was all she said. I guess she wanted me to draw my own conclusions. She didn�t give anything away. I liked it and I wanted more. I sat down on the grass beside her and watched. She had her eyes closed. I have no idea if she knew I was scrutinizing her. Her body was magnetic and my eyes were the magnets. Her skin was flawless. I felt the tingling sensation in the tips of my fingers. I had to do something with them or there was no telling what I�d do. I ran them through my own hair and sighed. She looked up at me then and our eyes locked.
�Nikkolette�� I started. I didn�t know if I could finish. But I had to. If I didn�t, I wouldn�t have what I do today. And there�s a good chance I would have went insane.
�What are you doing Saturday night?� I breathed a sigh of relief; I was halfway there.
�Nothing yet. I just moved here remember? Besides you, the only person I know is Starre, my best friend and cousin. Why?� Nikkolette asked.
�Well, Ike�s friends are throwing a party. Would you like to go?� I was afraid to look at her. I was afraid of rejection. Under normal circumstances if she said no, she said no. But with Nikkolette, it was different. With Nikkolette it was always different.
�I�d love to.� She answered quickly which took me by surprise. She looked like the type of girl who would play hard to get, or at least make me suffer. I guess looks really are deceiving.
�So how old is your cousin?� I remember asking her thinking I could play matchmaker. Neither Isaac nor Zac had girlfriends; I couldn�t lose whether or not she was older or younger. I had wanted to help. I hadn�t even met the girl and I was trying to set one of my brother�s up on a blind date. The thought that she was a snob or something worse never even crossed my mind. Maybe I just thought she�d be perfect like Nikkolette. If they were related and got along so well they had to have similar personalities, right? As it turned out it was okay that I didn�t worry. She was perfect for him. Once again I�m a great older brother.
�She�s 18.�
�Wait, how old are you? I just realized I don�t know anything about you except your name and that you just moved here. From where I don�t know either.� She laughed. God how I love that laugh. It fit her personality; it was perfect.
�20. And I moved from Kansas. My life is pretty much an open book. If you want to know anything, just ask. But I�m not going to sit here and tell you my life story.�
�Sounds fair. So, would Starre be interested in meeting my brother?� I asked going along with my plan.
�Oh I�m sure she�d be interested.� Nikkolette smirked. I didn�t know it then but I was to find out later that both girls were fans of us. If they hadn�t have told us, we�d have never known. And what makes them even more perfect was that they never treated us any different than the guy next door. �Are you sure? Because I don�t want to tell Zac I�ve fixed him up when I didn�t.� I said laughing.
�Oh, I�m sure,� was all she said.

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