Something Like Love

Chapter Nine

Paul and John lay on the grass by the parking lot waiting for Dot to show up with her little friend. It was a sunny day, a bit chilly when the wind would blow. Paul was laying next to John, but not too close. They stared up at the sky while others were walikng past, in a hurry to get home.

Paul scooted closer to John and wrapped his hand his. Their shoulders were pressed against each other, their jackets covering their hands. Hopefully no one could tell what they were doing.

"John?"

"Yeah?"

"Why were you so quick with agreeing to...be my boyfriend?" Paul whispered the last part incase anyone was listening.

"Why do you think?" John asked, turning to look at Paul. Paul pretended to think for a moment.

"Mmm....free guitar lessons?" Paul teased, trying to stifle a smile. John laughed. He loved when Paul would joke like this, which happened rarely; him being a perfectionist and all, he was usually whiny. John didn't mind that too much, though.

"Well...that's part of it." John giggled in a mock girl way as Paul elbowed him in the ribs.

A few minutes later Dot and Cynthia walked up to two boys wrestling on the grass, dirt getting all over their uniforms. Cynthia giggled slightly at the scene, but Dot was more than annoyed.

"Paul!!" she yelled.

The two lads stopped wrestling, but didn't look at the girls standing before them. Paul was straddling John, looking into his brown eyes, trying to catch his breath. They sat there for what seemed like a century, just smiling at each other.

John could see from the corner of his eye that the girls were starting to get confused and frustrated, waiting for them to get the hell up from the ground. He ruffled Paul's hair and pushed him to the ground quickly before running over to the girls.

"You bastard!" Paul yelled, hurrying to fix his hair.


John chuckled softly, walking over to help Paul up. Dot sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Look at you! You're filthy!" she nagged, starting to wipe the dirt off of Paul. Cynthia stood there awkwardly, waiting to be introduced to these two strangers. She guessed the auburn haired one was John, considering Dot called the other one 'Paul'.

"Ello, I'm John," John introduced himself. He offered her his hand and she shook it, smiling warmly. 'He is quite good looking,' Cynthia thought.

"Cynthia," she replied.

Dot had finished wiping the dirt off of Paul and turned toward Cynthia and John, noticing they had already introduced themselves.

"Alright...well Cynthia this is my boyfriend Paul," she said taking his hand in hers. "Let's go."

----------------------------------------------------

They made it to Dot's house in one piece. She told everyone to sit on her porch while she made some tea. Cynthia sat next to John on the porch swing. Paul sat in a separate chair, eyeing Cynthia with a hint of jealousy.

She noticed the weird look Paul was giving her, shifting uncomfortably on the bench.

"So Paul, where did you meet Dot?"

"Hell," John mumbled under his breath.

"School," Paul replied. Cynthia nodded her head as if to say "ah, of course."

"You've been going together for a while, then?"

"Two years."

"And you don't have a girlfriend?" she asked looking over at John. He shook his head in response, not daring to say anything for fear he might slip up and say something about him and Paul.

"Why not? You're a good looking guy. The girls should be all over you." John cocked an eyebrow.

"You're beginning to sound like me mum."