What Is Normal? Can I Be?

I ran to the basement and gathered rollers, pans, brushes and a little foam brush to do the trim which I hoped worked because I didn't want to tape all of the trim.  I just wanted to paint it and be done.  I went back to the basement after carrying all of that upstairs and grabbed the old fan off of the shelf.  I opened all of the windows in my room and set the fan in the middle window and turned it on to suck the paint smell out of the room.

By the time Shaun got there I had the foam brush and was starting the trim around the closet door.  I ran downstairs to let him in.  He was dressed in old shorts that showed off some very tan and very well shaped legs. An old t-shirt of some baseball team that looked like it had been through a few other paint jobs.  My chest did a little flip flop when he smiled at me and then followed me upstairs.  He didn't have his glasses on so I assumed he had contacts in.  I liked how he looked with his glasses.  Without his glasses made him look much younger.  I was pretty embarrassed by the way I looked but he did ask for this.

"So you need to get this done today?"  He said as he looked in to my room.  "You're kidding, right?"  He looked around the room.  

"You don't think we can? It's 'one coat' paint."  I pointed at the can.

He just looked at me and smiled.  "We'll see, but this is a pretty big room.  And you'll be lucky if it really covers in one coat."

"I think we can do it.  Besides, I won't be able to stand it if I don't get it done."  I picked up the foam brush and the old butter container I was using as a little bucket.  "From the looks of your shirt you've done this before."  

"We just painted most of the inside of your house and I helped my older brother paint his not too long ago.  Good thing I saved my grubbies."  He gestured to his clothes.  He didn't wait for me to tell him what to do.  He took a brush and started on the trim around the windows after putting the paint can at his feet.  I really like the look of this color going on over the yellow.  The yellow was just too bright and doesn't suit me.

I looked over to watch him and he was carefully but quickly trimming the window.  He turned to look at me and smiled "I'm glad you let me come over."

"I can't say I mind the help.  And I'm glad you came over."  We started to talk and paint and neither of us stopped doing either until I heard mom come in downstairs.   I put the roller I was now using, down, and told him to come with me.  I couldn't believe it was after 4:00.  We walked in the kitchen and mom was standing there opening the mail.  I introduced mom to Shaun and could see she was thrilled.  She looked so happy I couldn't help but feel good.  I got some pop out of the refridgerator and handed one to Shaun.  The pop all but disappeared.  I didn't realize how raw my throat felt until I drank the pop and must have washed down all of the paint fumes with it.  

"I didn't know you were planning on painting your room today."

"I wouldn't say I was 'planning' on it.  But I didn't have anything else to do...."

"How does it look?"

"Pretty good, I like it."  Shaun was obviously a little shy as he stood there just grinning.  Mom picked up on it.

"I think I'll go up and look at it.  I'm going to put some shorts on and I'll go get some pizza for dinner.  That all right with you two?"

Shaun nodded.  He's parent shy!  "Sounds fine mom."  I got myself and Shaun a glass of ice water.  Mom left the room with a mom smile plastered on her face.  We sat at the table to take a break.

"I get so nervous around other people's parents."  He drank half of the water and got up to refill it at the sink. He sat back down.

"That's kind of funny.  I wouldn't have suspected you of being nervous around anyone."

"You've got to be kidding.  Why would you think that?"

"I don't know.  I guess I see you as popular, easy going, always comfortable.  Not the nervous type."  He looked at me like he was trying to figure something out.  His looking made me uncomfortable.  I drank my water taking care to look in my glass as I was drinking.

"I guess we aren't always what we seem."

"I guess not."

"Now if were to talk about you...."

"Let's not."  The water looked very interesting.

"It's nothing bad.  But I would have to say you're very studious.  Very serious, quiet.  You seem to always have a purpose."  I laughed and he grinned.  "Is that not true?"

"Well, I guess I always felt flighty.  Maybe not flighty.  But 'studious'?  I think that would be a stretch.  It seems kind of difficult for me to focus well enough to be considered studious."

"See what I mean?  I guess I can kind of see why you thought I was comfortable around others, because it's what I had to do.  Or what I did to get what I wanted.  I liked sports so obviously I had to be around others who were part of that world.  Coaches, other kids, parents.  Anyone 'new' in my life makes me nervous. You appear to be studious because you have to work harder at it.  But yeah...being around people isn't always easy for me.  They make me nervous."

"What about me?"  I had no problem looking at him while he spoke now.  His voice was gentle and he was trying to tell me things about himself.  He didnt' want that 'new' to be a problem.

"If I hadn't been so scared of meeting people, or worried about what you thought of me.  I would have asked you out two years ago."

"What??????"   He's liked me for two years????

"I swear."

"You are so kidding."

"No I'm not.  I've wanted to talk to you for two years."

"Why didn't you?"  I remember this conversation from the graduation party.

"I just told you."  Mom came downstairs and walked in just long enough to say the room looked nice and she was leaving to get pizza, tell dad she would be right back.  Shaun smiled at her and she floated out of the house.

"We better get back to work."  I headed up the stairs and he followed.  We picked up where he had left off.  Painting and talking.

With his back to me  he continued talking.   "Why don't you believe that I wanted to ask you out for two years?"

"I don't know.  I haven't had time to give it thought. I guess it's just funny to think about someone liking you for two years.  It's kind of flattering."

"Well....you're welcome."

"Well....thank you."  We looked at each other over our shoulders and I felt a very unfamiliar tingle of excitement.  But it was a good tingle.  Tingle isn't  a good word.  Thrill is more like it.