All I Wanted

(Dakota.)

One week and a lot tutoring later and I thought my own thoughts were going to kill me. Too much thinking. So much thinking that I think I kinda gave in to Sky and the Twins.

“OMG! I love you Dakota!” Sky screamed down the halls, waving a piece of paper in the air.

I rolled my eyes.

“What is that?” I asked.

“My Algebra 2 test. Because of your help, I actually passed it.”

“Yay” I’m so f*cking enthusiastic.

Sky punched my arm, sending me into another student. That got me dirty looks.

“Be nice, Dakota.”

“Hey! You’re the one that just punched me!”

He laughed it off.

“Are you going home now?” he asked.

It was the end of the day after all.

“Yup. I’ve got no where else to be”

“Well my brother is picking us up today. You can ride with us.

Deep sigh. “Fine.”

“And I thought maybe you’d want to stay the night.” he batted his soft eyelashes and pouted those plump lips, so ready for me to…

“No!”

What if I make a move? Oh boy.

It was really hard to be around him. Without getting the idea that there would ever be something.

“Grr…then I’ll stay at yours. It’s a plan.” he said.

“No.” I urged.

“Tough shit. You need friends and that’s what I’m for. Hey, maybe the girls will come over too.”

Oh God!

At least I felt more comfortable with the girls.

The walk to the car was filled with silence. Well, on my part anyway. Sky was humming some ridiculous song.

I took the back seat, in between the twins. Sky sat up front with Deano.

“So…how was work?” Sky asked Deano.

He grunted in response.

“That’s caveman for ‘bad’. Deano is very fluent in caveman.” Sky informed me.

In return, Deano punched Sky in the arm. Sky stuck his toung out at Deano and cradled his arm.

So childish.

“Thanks. I know.”

Oops. Must have said that out loud.

***

The trek to the house was noisy to say the least. Three of the four siblings chatted aimlessly, while the other looked like he wanted to drive off a bridge.

We pulled into their driveway and Sky mentioned a sleepover. Damn. He really wasn’t going to give up was he? Fudge.

“So are you gonna come too?” he asked the twins.

“Yea!” they chorused. It’s really weird how they spoke in sync sometimes. Occasionally they finished each other’s sentences too.

Needless to say, they all ended up in their rooms while I was in the kitchen with Mrs. Sweet.

“So how was your day sweetie?” She always used pet names. No matter what. It made me feel better though.

“Ok I guess.”

“That’s good. Are you hungry?” She asked, motioning to the cake on the counter. She just made it the previous night.

I shook my head.

She sighed and clasped her hands together in front of her.

“Sky tells me that you don’t have a lot of friends.”

I shook my head.

“Why is that?”

I sighed. “No one likes me.”

“Oh. I don’t believe that. There’s got to be a reason. Do you know why?”

“B-Because of what happened.” I mumbled.

She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow, “And what is that?”

“I-I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

Oh, but it was.

That’s what I wanted to say but I didn’t.

Instead I just shrugged.

“Well when you feel reading to talk, just come to me.” She gripped my hand and smiled that sweet smile.

Sky came rushing into the room “Hey! Let’s go.”

I stood and followed him out of the house into mine. Nothing special there. No pictures or paintings on the walls. No welcome mat. No hat rack or shoes by the door, besides mine anyway. Never mom’s or dad’s. No siblings…anymore.

Just me and a lonely home.

My parents don’t even have their own room anymore. They just stayed in a guestroom whenever they decided to pop in.

“So this is my house. Kinda boring.”

“It’s nice. Where are you ‘rents?” Sky asked.

“Not home. Never are.”

“Oh…cool.”