Loving Cousin

While he took the plates back to the kitchen to clean up our dinner mess, I went to wash up and change into my pajamas. I put on a knee-length cotton nightie that looked like a long, short-sleeved t-shirt, with a faded unicorn design I'd loved when I'd first gotten it. Of course, at the time it'd gone almost to my ankles, but I couldn't bear to stop wearing it.

When I returned to the living room, John was already reading on his tablet. He looked up at me, but at least I didn't catch him checking me out this time. I plopped down on my side of the couch and pulled down the blanket I kept folded over the back.

"Share that with me?" he asked.

"Sure." I sat sideways like him and threw the blanket to cover both of our legs. When I felt him move his legs against mine, I worried that my legs were too stubbly, but he didn't seem to notice because he immediately returned to his book without a word.

I grabbed my backpack and pulled out my binders. I kept organized notes during lectures, but many