He sneaked into her room by her window and smiled at her sleeping form. He crossed the room quietly and put his hand over her mouth before he gently shook her. She jumped, slightly startled, but he felt her smile under his hand. He returned her smiled and moved his hand so he could kiss her.

“Get up, sleepyhead. You are going to be late for school.”

The girl laughed and rolled to face him. She drew back the covers and he laid down beside her. They curled up for a moment as she tried to ‘collect her thoughts’. They both knew she just like to sleep beside him. He let her sleep for a little bit before he shook her again.

“School is important. We needs our edumications.”

She groaned but got up, grabbed her clothing and walked to her bathroom. He knew she was going to take a little while, but he did not mind. She had very interesting things to look at in her room. When she came back, he snorted like a horse and galloped towards her. He stopped short and bowed, holding one of her horse statues above his head.

“James, you are crazy and needlessly happy in the morning.”

“I’m not a morning person, I am a night person. How many times to I have to tell you, Michelle?”

“So you just stay up all night?”

“Well yeah, then I can party all night and I make sure I can sleep next to you. Okay, I might sleep in class too, but this isn’t too bad, is it?”

She shook her head at him. “I need to get to school. My parents should have left by now… I think…”

“Car wasn’t in the drive way. Your dad has a shotgun. Do you think I want to get caught even if we aren’t doing anything bad?”

Michelle shook her head. “True.” She put on her thick coat and put on her backpack. “Does it always have to be winter?” She grabbed her purse.

James smiled. “It will get warm again and then you can go sun bathing with your friends.”

“You are coming, too.”

He laughed and led her out of the house and waited for her to lock the door. Like a gentleman, he opened the door for her and let her get in before closing it and getting in his own side. He turned on the heater and let it warm up a bit before he started to drive.

“Michelle… about this summer… I really want to go with you, but my sister…”

“How has she been?”

“Sick… It has been really bad lately. I’m worried about her.”

Michelle bit her lip. “Is she… gonna…”

“I’m not sure. That is why I haven’t been sleeping, honestly. She gets really bad at night. It messes with her sleep. She’s in pain,” James looked straight ahead, his jaw set.

Michelle put her hand over his hand on the gear shift. “I’m here.”

“I know…”