Page 110 of More To Us

"So what'd you end up doing last night?"

"I went to hear Austin's band. Then we went out and got something to eat."

"You've been spending a lot of time with that boy. Is this getting serious?"

"No." It's not true, but I can't tell my dad that. He's always lecturing me not to get serious with a boy until I'm out of college and have a job. This is despite the fact that he met my mom in college and married her a month after they graduated. But apparently I'm not supposed to do the same thing.

"I don't want him interfering with your school work. And you shouldn't be spending all your time with him. You need to find some other friends, preferably girls."

"Yeah. Got it," I say, still snuggled up next to Austin. Thank God my dad can't see us. Austin is shirtless, and I'm in a tank with no bra and a pair of lace-trimmed, boy-short panties. "So is Mom around?"

"She's doing laundry. Your brothers and I got ourselves into some mud and you know how your mother is. As soon as we got home, she had to get to work on those stains." He chuckles. My mom's stain obsession is a long-running joke in our family. "She said she'll call you later."

"That's fine."

There's a loud noise in the background.

"That didn't sound good," my dad says. "I better go see what your brothers are up to. We'll talk soon, honey."

"Yeah. Bye."

"How's the family?" Austin asks, taking my phone and setting it back on the table.

"Crazy as always. They just got back from a camping trip."

"How'd it go?"

"There was mud and a snake. That's about all I know."

"Sounds like a fun trip."

I smile. "Sound similar to your family trips? With four boys, I'm guessing there was a lot of mud involved."

"Mud. Snakes. Frogs. You name it. If it was disgusting or made a mess, we were all over it." He chuckles. "I don't know how my mom survived. At least your mom had a daughter to help balance out all the testosterone."

"True, but I was kind of a tomboy growing up. I kind of still am. I like camping, and I don't mind getting muddy. I'm not a girly-girl."

He slips his hand under my waist and pulls me against him on the couch. "I think you're pretty girly." His other hand tugs down my tank and he cups my breast and smiles. "Like this right here? All girl."

"Well, yeah." I kiss him. "I'm girly in some ways."

We continue kissing and end up back in the bedroom.

The next week, school gets even busier. I'm assigned tons of reading, a paper to write, and I have two tests to study for. I'm taking four classes, or five if you count the lab. I had to take a science course, so I took biology which has a lab. Actually, biology isn't that bad. So far, I'd say it's my favorite class. I've never considered myself a science person, but I am interested in health and fitness, which is a type of science. My biology class is for non-science majors so the professor tries to limit the scientific jargon and use examples we can relate to. Right now, we're studying metabolism, which I find interesting because I like learning about nutrition.

Austin has been coming over every night, but I only let him stay a couple hours. I'd love for him to stay longer but I need time to get my homework done. I've been in class for two weeks and already feel like I'm falling behind.

Now it's Friday night and we're driving over to Van and Dylan's house for a party. They only live a block away from their college campus so I'm sure the place will be packed with college students.

I've been preparing myself for tonight, knowing girls will be coming up to Austin and touching him and asking him to sign their bodies. I hate that they do that, but I've accepted that it's just part of dating a guy in a band. I knew that when I met him, so I'm trying to be okay with it even though I don't like it.

"So I talked to Harold today," Austin says.

"Why'd you talk to Harold?"

"To check up on him. See if he needs anything."

"Does he?"

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