The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 13

Author's Note:

I apologize to my readers for not posting a chapter yesterday. I try every year to volunteer my time at Christmas to an organization that provides Christmas Hampers and Toys to the needy during the Holidays. Yesterday was an incredibly busy day. Please forgive me if I miss a day here and there as I will be busy right up until the 23rd of December when we deliver the loot. LOL HOHOHO. 

Kelly woke to the shrill sound of her alarm clock and reached a tired hand over to shut it off. She opened one blurry eye to confirm, yup the sun was up, and glaring through her bedroom window. She and Donnie had stayed up late talking until the cows came home, and as a result she was plum tuckered out.

She moaned and rolled over in her bed and turned her back on the bright morning light. All she wanted or -- more accurately -- needed was a couple more hours of sleep and oh where, oh where was she going to find that? This was so unlike her she would normally 'a spring out of bed in the morning' kind of gal. Heck the snooze button on her alarm clock looked brand new on the five year old clock radio.

She usually had no trouble falling straight to sleep, but these days if it wasn't her talking it was Donnie being the culprit and keeping them awake well past the time they should be asleep. She must have heard every childhood story of his by now. He had some pretty entertaining years in the all boy's Catholic boarding school he attended in Rome, Italy. He and his friends had been real pranksters and had given the nuns and priest there a real hard time, but when she let loose with one of her colorful southern saying and accused him of being able to make the bishop mad enough to kick in some stain glass windows.

He'd laughed for ten minutes straight until she had to throw her pillows at him to get him to stop and nearly burnt the apartment down when one hit one of the elemental candles.

Then she had said angrily, "Donnie Alfero you can kiss my go to hell!" and glared at him, but when he heard that he nearly died of laughter again.

She rolled over -- turning her back on him entirely – fully intending to sulk herself to sleep, but she couldn't stop herself, she tried to hold it in, but she couldn't. His laugh was too infectious. Soon they were both laughing and exchanging Southern phrases for Italian hand signals.

He showed her half a dozen ways to cuss at someone using only her hands and she tried to explain the many expressions southerners have for Yankees or Northerners. Her favorite being: how they're just like hemorrhoids 'painful when they come down, but a relief when they go back up.' He made her explain that one several times until it wasn't funny anymore which was just too darn funny for him.

Finally she'd fallen asleep with a smile on her lips and a laugh in her throat. And as she lay in her bed with her eyes closed she couldn't help thinking she was going to miss him when they straighten everything out. He had become a true friend.