Up in the Air

Chapter 33

Dedicated to _Just_A_Fangirl_ for the banner and for leaving awesome comments, even though she was rereading the book. State I'm In by Brandyn Burnette in the media bar.

IMPORTANT NOTE AT THE END.

Chapter 33

I woke up from school on Monday with the sense that I'd woken from more than just a night of sleep.

It was if I'd woken up from a dream – a happy dream, surprisingly – that had spanned a whole day, spilled into Sunday and, based on how I felt when I opened my eyes, today.

I wasn't sure what to make of it.

More importantly, I wasn't sure what to make of what I felt about it.

It was like I had a ball of emotions bouncing around inside me – a kaleidoscope buzzing inside my body.

It was bright and colorful and managed to make me smile so soon after feeling like it wasn't possible. But it was also perplexing, moving at a speed my brain couldn't comprehend, at a speed my heart couldn't keep up with. I managed to contain it for an entire day but I couldn't stop the question that fueled the madness from bubbling out when all four of my friends were at my house on Tuesday evening.

"How long do you have to be single before you can kind of date again?"

Up until that point, it had been a very quiet study session.

Jenny, Allie and Louis looked up from the carpet where they were surrounded by piles of my notes and school books. Nate's pen was poised on top of his Geometry homework, his other hand in the middle of sending a text to Amanda – I assumed to ask what time she would be joining us.

"What's going on?" my best friend asked cautiously.

"I was just curious," I explained in a small voice. "I mean, really, how much time has to pass before it's okay to kind of go out with someone?"

Nate abandoned caution all together. "How can you kind of go out with someone?"

"I asked a question first, Nathaniel. Wait your turn." I could play the snooty card very well when I had to. I turned to Jenny, the most contemplative person in the room. "If you and Louis broke up, wouldn't a week seem too short to start dating again?"

"I don't really think it's the same thing," she started. "I mean, Louis and I have been dating since freshman year. You and Daniel broke up after, what, a couple of months?"

Nate nodded. "Redhead has a point."

Jenny chuckled. "Thank you, Jockhead."

"And we're not breaking up," Louis added to the quick exchange.

"But if Amanda and I did break up, I don't think I would be asking anyone out after a week," Nate pointed out. "Maybe not even a month." Jenny and Louis simultaneously agreed.

I sighed – they hadn't really give me an answer.

I turned to Allie. Normally she was the most vocal of my friends but she'd been unexpectedly quiet. Her eyes widened and she raised both her hands in sign of surrender. "Theo and I just started going out so I'm hoping I don't have to ask that question anytime soon – or ever." She sighed dreamily.

Nate's focus was still on me. "Why're you even asking that question in the first place?"

I cleared my throat – my first mistake – and spoke up. "I'm just trying to calculate what would be my next move at this point." I cleared my throat again. "Should I go out on a date? Should I ask someone out? Should I say yes when I get asked out?" I cleared my throat one more time. "It's all very confusing." I was able to stop myself from clearing my throat at the very end.