Chapter 12
“Wanna sit on the roof?” Hannah asked.
“The roof? Are you sure that’s safe?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Sam and I would do it a lot and nothing’s happened to us.”
“Sure. Why not?”
Hannah led Jordan into the house and up to her room.
Entering, her room was that of a basic teenage girl.
Stuffed animals on her bed, posters on the wall.
She surprisingly had a game system. An Xbox One to be exact.
“When were you going to tell me you had an Xbox?”
She turned to look at the console. “Oh. I’ve had it for some time. I’ve barely touched it though.”
She opened her window and climbed out onto the roof.
Jordan followed suit, accidentally bumping his head on the window. “Ouch. Dammit.”
“Careful! I don’t need you getting brain damage now.” Hannah giggled.
“Yeah. Thanks.” He rubbed his head as he carefully took a seat next to her.
She sat looking up at the starry sky. “It’s beautiful out.”
He looked at her then up at the sky as well. “It is.” The stars looked almost as if they formed a constellation into the shape of a heart, it was a mesmerizing sight.
Maybe it was his mind imagining something but it felt so real within that very moment.
“I just wanted to say…Thank you for tonight. I'm glad you asked me to go with you. I probably wouldn't have gone if you didn't."
“Of course, Hannah. I wanted to make it special.” He gave her a gentle smile. "Just for you. I knew how much you wanted to go. Plus I knew the only person who would've taken you was probably Sam."
“Why do you have to be so sweet to me?” She blushed.
“Because you deserve it.” He said, placing his hand on top of hers.
“You make me really nervous, y’know that?” She said, flustered as she fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
“I don’t mean to.”
“I know you don’t. I guess I just have to get used to...this again"
"It's about Mike, isn't it?" He asked.
“He really hurt me that night.”
“Yeah, well unfortunately, he has a track record of thinking with Michael Munroe Jr instead of Michael Munroe Sr."
"I hate him."
“I would imagine so. Although, no offense, you shouldn't have thought it was ok to cheat with him."
She looked away in shame.
"But, I'll give you benefit of the doubt considering everyone had alcohol in their system. Everyone does something stupid when they're intoxicated. I've seen it happen way too often at family get-togethers."
“He really made me feel like I’m not good enough and that people would only want me for...”
He could hear the crack in her voice as the sentence finished leaving her lips.
“I know...you don't have to say more.” He said, lifting her head up. “But you’re more than good enough. I say that as someone who's known you for years.”
"You have a perfect way of cheering people up." She moved a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I try my best to see the people I love happy." He smiled at her. "Wanna hear an analogy?"
"Sure."
“I've always thought of high school as a garden. There are multitudes of different flowers. There’s roses: The royalty of flowers and there are things like sunflowers.”
Hannah looked at him confusingly but listening intently.
“The roses represent the popular kids. Everyone fawns over them, everyone wants them and the sunflowers represent the losers, the overlooked, the outcasts.” He continued. “Nobody particularly likes sunflowers. They’d pick a rose over a sunflower any day of the week.”
“What are you saying?” She asked.
“I think you’re a sunflower, Hannah." He looked her in her eyes. "You may not be everyone's type but you’re my type.”
Hannah sat shocked. “Wow…that was…beautiful.”
"Yeah, my mom's got a knack for poetry."
She scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I want to. I really do but I’m just scared.”
Jordan let out a relieved sigh.
“So let’s just...take our time. Ok?” Hannah interlocked her fingers in his hand.
He nodded. “If that’s how you feel then...I’m more than willing to take the time showing you my true intentions. Scout’s honor.”
“I trust you. You’ve done nothing but make me feel like the only girl in the world tonight and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
The two of them begin to yawn.
“We should really get some sleep.” Hannah began to climb back into her room.
“Yeah fair enough. I should get home. My parents are probably worried.” Jordan began to climb in after her.
“If you want, you could...stay here for the night...with me.” She walked over to her dresser to remove the contacts she wore the entire night.
His eyes widened. “Are you sure? I wouldn't want to disturb your collection of furry children."
"Don't talk about my children like that!" She laughed. "But seriously, as they say in French: Mon chez-moi est ton chez-toi, et tu es toujours le bienvenu ici."
Jordan raised a confused eyebrow. "I don't speak French."
"Thankfully, I have an A+ in French, I suppose I could teach you." She lightly smiled. "It means: My home is your home, and you are always welcome here."
"I'd like that." He laid down next to her and she immediately clung to him.
“I’m glad you’re here with me.”
“As am I, Hannah.” He responded, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
He turned off her bedside lamp and snuggled closer to her, eventually drifting off to sleep with the girl of his dreams, Hannah Washington in his arms.