Up in the Air

Chapter 16

Dedicated to intellectualpotato_, my soul-linked sister.

Sidebar: Diana Agron as Amanda Reynolds and Hercules by Sara Bareilles. I need your help with casting everyone else!

I'll regularly be updating this story every MONDAY (and THURSDAY if I'm feeling extra write-y).

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Chapter 16

I should be happy.

Earlier in the week, Adam and Becca told me they were going on a Babymoon – basically a vacation couples take before they become parents – over the weekend. I personally felt like they were taking this vacation earlier than they should; Becca wasn't due to give birth for another four months. But she'd had been especially testy recently and maybe a weekend away was what they – and by that, I mostly mean Adam – needed. Ginny, on the other hand, was catching the Friday Red Eye to Miami for a week-long family reunion and my parents weren't coming back until Saturday afternoon.

That left me with an empty house for a whole night. The reason for my happiness isn't because I'm throwing a party. Considering my one time foray into the world of high school parties involved too much alcohol-induced behavior on my part, I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to be hosting one anytime soon – or ever.

Nate found out I was going to be left alone for a night in a large and rather drafty house (his words, not mine) and quickly suggested I stay over at his house. Apparently, we were going to have one of our Friday night movie nights.

Ginny and Mrs. Anderson were individually more excited than Nate and I combined. Ginny promised Nate all the double chocolate chip cookies he could eat (which definitely made his day) and Mrs. Anderson promised me all the tiramisu cupcakes I could wish for (which nearly made me cry of happiness). Mr. Anderson even offered to pay for the pizza and chips. I'm pretty sure if my parents were home, they would've vouched for the drinks.

Spending one night with my childhood best friend should have made me happy.

Note the should in there.

My current inability to be over-the-moon joyful at being able to hang out with Nate had nothing to do with any resentment on Amanda's part – she was perfectly fine with the whole thing. Like Ginny and Nate's parents, she was all for it actually. If she reacted negatively to the whole shebang, she wouldn't be Amanda Reynolds, would she?

I definitely should have been psyched.

Should.

*   *   *   *   *

I arrived at Nate's doorstep at five-thirty on Friday afternoon, armed with my overnight bag and the big Tupperware of cookies Ginny baked. The smell of cooling cupcakes greeted me when Nate opened the door and my eyes involuntarily rolled into my head in pleasure.

"Oh. My. God," I leaned into the doorframe. "I forgot how your house smelled so much like how I imagined heaven would." I took in a deep breath of the wonderful scents that resulted from Mrs. Anderson's baking.

I could hear Nate's cheery laugh. He was probably even shaking his head at me. "Come on in, Mom wants to see you in the kitchen."

Following him into the house, I happily sighed. "Your mom wants me to come closer to the source of all this amazing goodness? Yes, please."