Elle.

“Hey this is McKenzie. Leave me a message.”

I sighed and left my sad, pathetic sorry again. “Hey Kenzie. I’m sorry for what happened at lunch. We really need to talk, I really want to know what happened with Lucy. Please call me.” I looked up at Jude, who was sitting in my passenger seat, and frowned.

“She didn’t answer?” I shook my head no and he grabbed my hand. I looked up quickly from surprise. “I’m sure she’ll be okay Elle. Just give her time.”

My face flushed as I started the car. “We should probably work on our project since we didn’t get much done in class.” Jude nodded as he watched the trees pass by on either side of the road. “Ryan will probably be at home.” I grimaced thinking about how annoying he would be if I brought Jude over. He would most likely not leave the room.

“That’s okay, we could go to my house. My parents will be at work till five.” Jude looked over at me with a sly smirk.

“Very funny mister, all your siblings will be there.” I laughed and pulled down our road.

Jude crossed him arms and sunk down in his seat. With a huff he mumbled, “You’re right.”

My cheeks heated up again when he looked over and winked at me. He had been hinting little things like this for a while now but my mind didn’t let my heart get out of control. I couldn’t get high hopes that he actually liked me and then be let down when he didn’t.

I let out a relieved sigh when I saw Jude’s sisters on the front porch with two littler kids. Jude didn’t seem as thrilled when he saw them. Instead he got out of the car and slung his messenger bag across his shoulders and stalked off towards them. I tried to quickly do the same with my hand bag and ended up right beside Jude as we stood on the porch.

Arabella was rocking back and forth on a porch swing with a toddler aged, blue eyed, blonde curly headed boy and Kimberly was doing the same but the boy in her lap had brown eyes. It was quite strange to see identical twins with different eye colors.

“Elle, this is Myron and Byron.” Jude pointed to the blue eyed boy then the brown. “They’re my foster parent’s real kids. Caroline thought she couldn’t have kids then…there they were.” He rolled his eyes and motion that we go inside.

I looked back at the strange pairs to see all their eyes watching me as I followed Jude inside. When I turned around to see his home’s entryway fainted from surprise. There was a grand staircase taking up most of the space and a crystal table with a large bouquet of red roses on top of it. When I got closer I could read the gift tag that was written in beautiful penmanship “Happy Anniversary, Caroline.” I looked up quickly when I heard stomping footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Oh, good you’re home! I couldn’t find those little devils anywhere. They with your sisters? Guess my job is done. Good day, Jude.” A fast talking plump woman descended while slipping her chubby arms in an over coat. Her next move was to head around the stair case to a door leading outside.

My gaze rested on Jude waiting for an explanation. “The twin’s nanny during the day. She has Attention Defiance Disorder.” He laughed and grabbed my hand leading us up the stairs.

Jude’s room was at the very end of the hallway with a massive door leading in. The 3 walls closing us in were painted a soft light blue color and the one wall that would be looking outside was a large window showing the view of my house.

I laughed when I noticed that that you could clearly see into my bedroom. “So that’s how you stalk me? Guess I should stop dancing around in my bra.” Jude raised an eyebrow before sprawling across his chocolate colored bed spread. I followed his lead and sat crossed legged with his lap top in front of me.

This time we took a different approach to see if Ryan and Jude’s real father had ever worked together. I didn’t know much about the days my dad was in his group The Young Veins, just that he left Panic with their bass player Jon Walker. After my digging, from sources that may not have been reliable, I found out that Ryan had gone to Mr. Carrigan and asked for a record deal which he was declined. I wrote that down in a tattered notebook I used for notes during classes. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask Ryan about it when I got home.

When I looked back up at the laptop I noticed a figure dressed in a stark white dress suit. I was startled to see someone and let out a loud gasp. The woman walked smiled and walked further into the room.

“I’m so sorry dear, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She was wasn’t very tall, maybe an inch or two shorter than my 5’8 height, with striking blonde hair pulled up into a professional looking bun. Her lips were tinted with a blood red lipstick and her eyes were ice blue just like Myron’s. When I studied her eyes I noticed they resembled the two beady eyes that stared back when I would pick Jude up for school. “Will you be staying for dinner? We are about to eat if you would like to.”

I looked at the clock on my cell phone and nodded. “I’ll have to check with my dad first.” I merely sent Ryan a text message saying I’d be home late and that he should find something to eat without me.

“We’re having roasted lamb. I hope that suits you.” With that Elle’s foster mother, Caroline, spun on her heel and walked back down the hallway. My stomach turned as I thought about the main dish. Since living with Gabe I had tried my hardest to stay a vegetarian.

My daze was broken when Jude closed the laptop and stood up waiting for me to come with him. We walked down the stairs side by side and let our hands brush a couple of times causing both our cheeks to blush. Once we made it to the dining room the whole family was sitting in their respectful seats. That was the first time I saw Jude’s foster father. He was a broad man with wide shoulders and a long face, anything but attractive; he had a tired look in his eyes as if the life he led wasn’t one he had chosen for himself.

Jude directed me to empty chairs between Rob and Avery, I was happy to be next to Avery instead of the other option. The rest of the dinner seemed to go on smoothly. When the plates of food were passed around I only took enough of the lamb to be polite and passed it on to Jude. Caroline began to ask me personal questions about my home life half way through eating.

“So Elle, where is your mother?” She asked after taking a sip of her red wine and leaving a lipstick print on the glass.

Jude dropped his fork and put his head in his hand. I exhaled and looked up with a brave face. “She left when I was a baby. I’m not sure where she is, but I’m hoping to find her.”

“Why would you want to find someone that just left you?” Her snarled remark hit a soft spot in my heart. I removed the napkin from my lap and nearly ran to a bathroom I had seen on my way down.

After sitting on the closed lid of the toilet and trying to stop my tears for a few minutes I got up and looked at myself in the mirror above the sink. My cheeks were blotchy and my eyes were red and puffy but I went back to the dining room ready to face Jude’s family.

Just before I rounded the corner I heard Jude’s voice sounding defensive so I peeked around to see that everyone had stopped eating. They seemed to be heavily discussing me.

“I don’t like her.” Arabella said with her nose high in the air. “She isn’t even pretty, Jude. You could do better.”

“Shut up! No one even asked you!” Jude cut his eyes to his sister sitting across from him. “And it’s not like there is a line of girls just waiting for the chance to get with me, Bella.”

“Arabella is right, Jude, Elle isn’t good for you.” Jude and I both had a look of surprise when Caroline spoke up. “Her father is unfit to take care of anyone, including himself, and she doesn’t even know her mother.”

“How do you even know her father?” Jude voice became outraged.

“I ran into him at the supermarket when they first moved here. He was as high as a kite, honey. You shouldn’t be around people like that.” Jude’s eyes displayed a feeling of great pain with his mother’s next statement. “I don’t want you to see her ever again.”

I felt it was time I let my presence known and stood up straight in the dining room entry way. Jude looked up and saw my trembling figure.

“Elle…” He stood up quickly when I began to walk to the front door without a second though. “Elle, wait up!” I picked up my pace when I reached their paved walkway. He caught my shoulder just before I made it to the road. “Hey, don’t listen to them. They don’t know anything about you.” Jude whipped away a stray tear on my cheek with his rough thumb then kissed me softly on the lips. When I opened my eyes I was stunned. Had Jude really just kissed me?

My lips sill tingled from the friction of his warm lips and the contrast of the cool night air when he offered to walk me home. Ryan had turned our porch light on sometime before going to sleep considering none of the other lights in the house were lit. Jude’s faced seemed to glow in the orange colored light when he whispered “See you tomorrow.” Then he headed back across the street with his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

I slowly opened the door the pitch black house and snuck inside letting in slam shut, which woke the sleeping figure on the couch. Ryan’s head popped up with an annoyed look. I mumbled “Sorry.” And ran up to my room with a melancholy smile.