URIAH

People have been talking about us all morning. You'd think that they would have better things to do other than gossip the entire day. I've had at least six different people ask me why it's taken so long for us to start dating. Have people seen the way we look at each other or was it just really obvious to everyone besides us? I don't have that answer and either way I'm not sure that it matters in the moment. I'm a bit nervous to get to lunch because that's when we're supposed to see Hayley and Jacob. And by now, the news has probably spread to them about us walking through the school hand in hand. I don't know what out friend's reaction will be. I'm hoping it's a positive one.

After my last class before lunch gets out, I head to Natalie's so that we can walk together. I can't keep the smile off of my face when I see her. Just yesterday I was thinking about how much time I've wasted being scared of her rejecting me that I never said anything. From what I know, my namesake never would have been scared to tell a girl how he felt. I never met him but I look him to him about the same as I look up to my dad. I think part of me is still thinking this might be a dream, but when she leans in to kiss me, I know that I'm awake. She beams at me.

"I missed you," she says.

"You saw me two hours ago," I remind her. But I'm unable to blame her, as I missed her probably about as much.

"Two hours is too long," she grins.

I wink at her before taking a breath. "Are you ready for this?"

She looks at me curiously. "For what?"

"For telling Hayley about us."

Natalie laughs. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I think everyone hasbeen talking about us.I stlhe felt. I never met him but I look him to him about the same as I look up to my dad. I stl been talking about us."

So I haven't been the only one to notice this. "Yeah, what's up with that?"

She shrugs. "Who even knows?" She takes a breath and then stands up straighter like she's preparing for something, I grin at her.

"You really think it's going to be so bad?" I ask her. "She kept a secret boyfriend from us for two years. You don't need to worry about it."

"Can I worry about it a little bit?" she asks.

I grin. "Yes. You're allowed to worry for a few seconds."

I tug on her arm as I lead her into the cafeteria where Hayley and Jacob are already starting. Natalie squeezes my hand the closer we get. But by the look on Hayley's face shows me that she's more than pleased about the recent development in our relationship.

"Finally!" Hayley claps her hands and pulls Natalie into a hug.

Natalie looks at me with a confused expression on her face. I shrug. "Finally what?"

Hayley pulls back and sits back down next to Jacob. "Finally that you two got together," Hayley says with a smile. "You guys have been doing the flirtatious dance for the past few years. It was starting to get tiresome."

Natalie and I look at each other and she blushes. "Have we really?" Natalie asks, brushing her hair out of her face. "I hadn't realized."

"Of course you wouldn't," Hayley chastises her cousin. "You were too obvious to."

Natalie narrows her eyes, so I lean over and kiss her cheek. "What's that for?" she asks me.

"Just because."

She smiles. "I like the just because kisses."

"Good," she says. "Because you're going to have a lot of them."

"Can we eat now?" Jacob asks. "You guys are sickeningly sweet."

Hayley pouts. "I thought we were sickeningly sweet."

"In private we are," Jacob says.

"That's what you think," Hayley says kissing Jacob. He turns bright red, but he looks pleased. I really am glad that Hayley has someone to look out for her. Even if that someone is someone she's kept secret for the past two years.

"Okay, okay," Natalie says. "Enough with the kissing. I think it's time to move on to other means of conversation."

Hayley makes a face. "Mom and dad found out about Jacob this morning," she says.

"How's that happen?" Natalie asks.

"I told them," her cousin grins. "But because of that, mom wants to have this great dinner party thing. With your parents too, Jake."

Jake sits up straight. "Seriously?"

"Very serious," Hayley says.

"Hey, any way you could get me in on that?" I ask Natalie, nudging her playfully.

She smiles at me and my heart stops. I can't even being to understand how she gets these kind of reactions from me. She's so beautiful and she doesn't even know it. "I think we could work something out," she says slyly.

I kiss her cheek again. "Oops," I say. "You said no more kissing."

"You're forgiven," she says rolling her eyes.

"Is there a way I can get out of this dinner party?" Jacob asks.

Hayley glances at him. "What do you mean?"

He shrugs. "It's just that my parents still aren't really used to being in the city. They're so used to the way they were raised and traditions. They still feel like outsiders."

"Do they really?" Natalie asks. "Because from what I've heard from my parents is that they've been working on that. They don't want them to feel like they don't belong. Everyone is welcome. They've even been talking about going back out to the Fringe and trying to find more people."

"I think I've heard my dad talking about that," I say. "Mom's been talking about wanting to join in on that."

Hayley looks at Jacob. "Do you think that's a good idea? Do you think your parents would want to join in on that as well?"

He shrugs, looking uncomfortable as the subject of conversation has dramatically switched courses. "I have no idea," he says, harshness coming out in his tone. "They don't really like to talk about life in the Fringe."

His tone is filled with finality that we all just drop it and begin talking about our classes. I feel Natalie looking at me and I glance in her direction, offering her a shrug. As a guy, I could be able to give insight on what just happened with the guy sitting cross from me, but I don't even know where to start. Sure, he's been going to school with us for years, but I've never actually taken the time to get to know him. That's more than likely my fault. But I make a mental note to start hanging out with him and see what we can do to lessen his discomfort. So long it's just been him and Hayley. He's got to feel welcome with us too.