"Well if it isn't my one and only sister that has completely forgotten my existence in the last two days."
I look up, raising my head at the direction of the door where my brother Sage stands. I pause the episode of Orange is the New Black that currently plays on my computer and close my laptop.
It is the next day, Saturday to be exact. Currently the time is half past eleven. I had gone downstairs around 8:00 and served myself some cereal. My dad was gone, probably at his cycling class, or maybe it was yoga. I then went back upstairs and decided to watch some good ole' Netflix. I had seen a lot of people talk about the Netflix series Orange is the New Black and wanted to see what all the hype was about.
"What are you doing here?" I question.
"That's how you're gonna greet me? What are you doing here? Not, how have you been brother? Or I don't know, maybe something along the line of Aaron Reeves and I kissed at homecoming."
"How did you know that?"
"Did you forget we go to school with a bunch of teenagers that live for drama and gossip? But no, Dixon West had to tell me."
"Who's Dixon West?" I question.
"Some senior, but that's beside the point. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well homecoming was just yesterday and I got home really late. Last night was kind of crazy so as soon as I got here I passed out. And when I woke up, eating was my first thought, not telling you what happened."
"Crazy night? What did you and Aaron Reeves do?" Sage questions with wide eyes.
I let out a scoff, offended he would think I would actually do something like that with Aaron Reeves.
"Did you seriously just come here just to get the details about last night?"
"Well," Sage says, "yes but that's not exactly why I'm here. Hearing all the drama is just a plus."
"What do you mean?"
"I came here with mom."
"Mom?"
"Yeah."
"Our mom?"
"Well I mean she is the only mom I have so," his voice trails off.
"What is she doing here?"
"I'm not sure. But I think dad had just gotten here when we arrived as well. He didn't look too surprised to see us either. I think something is going on between them, just being in the living room with them was so uncomfortable."
I could still remember the day my dad left the house and my mom yelled at him as he walked toward his car. It was in broad daylight, midday in the summer before seventh grade.
"Once you're gone you can never step foot in this house again," she yelled, "and don't think I'm gonna beg you to come back because I won't. There's no way in hell I will ever willing see you again!"
That same year around Christmas, dad had invited us, including mom, to his new house. Sage and I went, awed by the big house but my mom never stepped foot inside. She would always drop us off and then leave once we stepped foot inside. So her being here was a big deal.
"What do you think is happening downstairs now that you're gone?" I ask Sage.
He shrugs as he slumps on my bed.
"I have no idea, but mom was in a weird mood all day so I don't think it's anything good."
"You don't think they're...," my voice trails off before I could finish my thoughts.
"Getting back together? Oh hell no. I can still remember when mom told him that she'd rather have a hot iron burn her face a hundred times before ever thinking of getting back with him."
I nod. "You're right," I say, "but then why in the world is she here?"
It's as if both mom and dad could hear the conversation Sage and I are having because seconds later I can hear their voices calling out to us, asking us to come down.
I glance at Sage worriedly and he shrugs before standing up.
"Come on," he says as he slowly walks out of my room. I catch up with him and together we walk down.
Mom and dad are sitting in the living room. Not together, on the opposite side of each other. Sage and I stand between them, not daring to actually enter the living room.
"Sit you two," says mom. There's a tone in her voice that takes me on edge and suddenly all I want to do is run back to my room.
Sage nods and takes a seat next to mom while I walk over to my dad and sit beside him. For a while nobody speaks causing a tension to go around that makes me want to crawl out of my own skin, but before I get a change to do anything, mom finally speaks.
"So this must be weird for both of you," she says.
"Not really," I blurt out, lying for the sake of protecting myself from speaking my true thoughts.
Everyone gives me a surprised look but luckily Sage speaks.
"Actually this is kinda weird," he says, "what exactly is going on?"
"Well your mom and I wanted to have a family meeting," answers dad.
"Family?" I can't help but say.
Mom lets out a small chuckle. "I know, that word is weird right?"
I purse my lips, not wanting to say anymore.
"So here's the deal kids, as you both know I have not talked to anyone from the side of my family since Lux born. We all know that there was a big disagreement between me and one of my sisters but I just found out my closest cousin is getting married. She and I have kept in touch since my fall out and has invited me to her wedding, which of course the rest of my other family will be going."
"And you want to go?" I ask.
"Yes," mom replies, "I want all of us to go."
"Including dad?" voices Sage.
Mom makes a face and my dad begins coughing.
"Yes, including your dad."
"Not trying to sound rude or anything but why would dad go?" says Sage.
"Well because," mom says through gritted teeth, "I never told them that your dad and I got divorced."
My mouth falls open and I look between my mom and my dad. They've been divorced for almost five years. How could she not tell them?
"And you're not planning to tell them?" I ask confused.
"No."
"Um, why not?" Sage asks.
"Look kids, it's kind of complicated and hard to explain everything. Your mom's family aren't exactly understanding when it comes to these things. I mean they barely agreed for us to get married in the first place. It's just one day that we will have to go over there for the wedding and just act like your mom and I still together."
"But you two divorced?"
"Yes," replies dad.
"And after this you will remain divorced?"
"Yes," they answer together.
"Okay," I say hesitantly, "when is the wedding?"
"The first of November."
"That's practically in a month."
"Yes it is."
Sage and I look at each other.
"Damn all of our family is crazy," he says.
Surprisingly enough Sage and my mom stay a little longer. We all order takeout and eat while watching TV. It is the weirdest thing ever and Sage and I can both testify to that. By the time mom is ready to leave it is half past three in the afternoon.
"Bye," she says acknowledging my dad and me before she walks out.
"Don't think that just because we didn't have time to talk about it now, we won't talk about it sooner or later," Sage whispers to me.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"About the bad boy and you and all the crazy stuff that happened yesterday."
"The bad boy? Oh shit," I say as my eyes dart to the clock.
"What?"
"Oh shit," I say again and run upstairs. I grab my sneakers and put them on as fast as I can.
Sage is still standing in front of the door, dumbstruck.
"Dad I'm going to the park, I'll be back soon."
"Okay," dad replies from the living room.
"Aren't you leaving?" I ask Sage as I grab my car keys.
"I'll explain later, I have to go now. Bye."
I run to my car and drive out of the driveway as fast as possible. I make it to the park within ten minutes, thankfully without a single speeding ticket.
I get down and look around the crowded area only to find kids running all around, but no Aaron Reeves.
I unlock my phone and notice the messages on Instagram. With my mom being at my dad's house, I didn't really have a chance to check my phone.
I click on the messages and read them.
12:45 P.M. omw to the park
12:57 P.M. I'm here
1:05 P.M. Its been five minutes already...
1:12 P.M. Are you seriously gonna make me wait
1:14 P.M. Do you think that I have all the time in the world or what?
1:28 P.M. You better be here soon
1:36 P.M. I'm not gonna wait any longer if you're not here within the next five minutes
1:42 P.M are you fucking serious right now
1:48 P.M. I've been waiting for almost a ducking hour
1:48 P.M. *fucking
1:49 P.M. **FUCKING
1:53 P.M. This is seriously starting to piss me off.
2:01 P.M. At least tell me that you're not coming.
2:17 P.M. Why aren't you answering me?!
2:17 P.M. Are you ignoring me on purpose?!
2:17 P.M Answer me.
2:18 P.M. ANSWER ME.
2:34 P.M. It's seriously been an hour and a half.
2:38 P.M. You're fucking lucky I'm still here waiting.
2:45 P.M. I'm giving you until 3, if you're not here then you better prepare yourself for monday.
3:03 P.M. Do you honestly think I'm a joke or what
3:07 P.M. Are you coming or not Lux
3:12 P.M. Fine
3:12 P.M. You know what
3:13 P.M. Fuck you.
3:28 P.M. Are you really not coming?
The last time he messaged me was a little more than fifteen minutes ago. I can't help the knowing feeling of guilt that I have knowing he actually waited more than two hours for me.
I take another walk around the park in hopes of finding him but I don't. With a defeated sigh I get back in my car and begin driving.
As I make my way home I immediately notice a guy walking on the street alone, hands in his pockets and a leather jacket on his shoulders. I move the car closer to the sidewalk and begin to drive slowly as I pull down the window.
"Aaron Reeves," I yell.
He stops and turns his head to look at me. Once he realized who I am he makes an angry face and flips me off before walking again.
"Aaron come on," I yell.
"Leave me alone," he says.
"Look I know you're upset. I was busy and didn't have my phone on me. I didn't even realize what time it was until recently."
"Yeah well no shit, you're three fucking hours late."
"Just get in the car."
"Fuck off Lux."
"Look for some reason I'm feeling really guilty about not getting here in time so just get inside the car so I can take you to your house or whatever so that I can at least have a clear conscience."
"Fuck your conscience."
I let out a groan. "Come on. I'll buy you ice cream."
Aaron stops this time and looks at me.
"You'll buy me ice cream?"
"Yes."
Aaron gives me a skeptical look.
"Fine," he says, "but first you have to say sorry."
"What are we in third grade?"
"Fuck you then," he says and begins walking away again.
"Ugh fine. Okay, wait. Just wait. I'm sorry."
"For what?" he says as he continues to walk, but this time his pace slower than before.
"For coming late and making you wait at the park for so long."
Aaron turns around and smiles. "That's all I wanted to hear," he says in a happy tone as he makes his way over to the passenger seat.
He puts on his seat belt and I begin to drive again, this time turning around so that we can go to the local ice cream shop.
When we arrive Aaron and I order our ice creams before sitting down. I watch as he eat his before it melts, no care in the world of the people around him.
When he's done he looks at the ice cream cone in my hand, still full of the ice cream I haven't eaten.
"You're still not done?" he questions.
I don't say anything but instead motion it towards him as if asking him if he wants it. He gladly takes it with no questions asked and I once again wait and watch as he eat it. For some weird reason I felt like I wasn't with Aaron Reeves. Or at least not the bad boy persona of his that he's made for himself. It was weird to comprehend how watching him eat ice cream could create such a feeling, but it just did. It was as if with one look towards him you wouldn't be able to imagine all the trouble that comes with him. He seemed so ordinary.
"Are you gonna drool too or?"
And just like that the thoughts I just had about him were gone.
"What? No!"
"Then stop staring at me like that."
"I'm not staring at you like anything."
"Yeah you are. You're giving me a weird look."
"What weird look."
"The one you make right before you rip off a person's clothes of their body."
I scoff. "Unbelievable."
"I know, I thought you'd at least have some more dignity-ow!" Aaron brings his hand to his head, massaging the place I just hit.
"Why did you want to meet?" I question, cutting to the chase.
"You know, I was going to let you off easy. Give you a week of torture or whatever and then completely leave you alone. But then you made me wait three fucking hours-"
"I just bought you ice cream. And then I gave you mine!"
"So? I didn't ask for that! That was just your way of keeping your conscience clean or whatever. I'm still not letting you off the hook, especially not with the day you made me have."
"Oh my god, are you being serious right now?"
"Yeah, Lux, I am."
"Just tell me what you want already," I say.
"Fine. We're gonna be doing what we've been doing this entire time. Making people like me again-"
"People? Or just girls?"
"I don't discriminate," he responds.
"Okay and then? How are we gonna do that? Because at homecoming you went over the top with kissing me. Oh wait, let me guess, after all you're all about clichés. You want us to fake date or some similar shit. Well my answer is no to that. I don't want people thinking I like you, much less making them think I would willingly date you. Besides I don't want to kiss you again."
"Fine," he says, "we'll cross fake dating from the list. You don't want people thinking you like me? Fine, we won't let them think that. No kisses? That's fine too, but just in case you change your mind-"
"I won't."
"Whatever," he says, "With your conditions you won't have to do much then. Well except one thing."
"What's that?"
"Let me try and pursue you."
"But I just said-"
"I know. And we'll make it clear to everyone that we're not a couple. You can even make it clear that you don't like me. Just let me try and show everyone how romantic I can be. None of the things I will do will be specifically for you, it's for show. So people can see that I'm not a douche. I'm the one doing all the work. You just have to accept my confessions and gifts. Or don't, that's fine too. Just as long as I can get my message across to the people at school."
"Why not try it on another girl? Why me?"
"For one, and please let's not keep going back to this, you're the one who started this. Secondly you made me wait three fucking hours-"
"You're never going to let that go, are you?"
"Never," he replies, "And lastly, let's be real. I do this to some girl that doesn't know I'm only doing this for the public eye then she might end up believing that I like her and I'm not looking for a girlfriend. I just want my reputation to be cleared. Besides you don't like me so it's pretty much a win-win. So, do we have a deal?"
"Fine. We have a deal."
Hey friends! Hopefully you guys really liked this chapter too! Please tell me your thoughts. :)
Also!! Thank you guys so much for reading and voting and commenting on this silly story of mine. I would have never imagined it to have 38k reads! It's honestly incredibly to me & i wouldn't have been able to have such an achievement without you guys! I love you all so much ð
Lastly I just want to thank TeddyTheAwesomeBear for making an amazing cover for this story (picture shown above). When I saw it I literally smiled so hard. So thank you so much. ð