Shattering Crystals

"Why isn't anyone talking to me?"

"I am," Cody says.

"Yeah, me too," Connor says.

"Yeah, but that's it," I say in frustration. I lean back onto the couch. "I meant everyone else other than you guys and Kelly."

"I dunno," Cody says. "They haven't been talking to us either."

"Yeah..." I say. "Not since the carnival."

"Why not? I enjoyed it a lot," Cody says, grinning at me.

Connor rolls his eyes. "We know that, Cody."

"I just wanna know," I say. "It was fine until... until we kissed..."

"So?" Cody says. "What does that have to do with anything? Something could've happened with everyone when we were on the Ferris wheel."

"Nothing happened," says Connor. "I was with the rest of them, remember? All that happened was that we just watched you spin around on the Ferris wheel, Lorraine said something to Dean, and then she told me to go get you."

"Yeah, then after that they wouldn't talk to us," I say.

"Something still could have happened," Connor says. "I was gone for like, two minutes."

"I still don't think that's it..." I say hesitantly.

"Then what?"

"Cody, I think Lorraine liked you," I blurt out.

"What?"

"I was going to tell her what happened, but she just walked away..." I twirl my hair between my fingers. "I thought she would be happy for me, either way."

"She - she liked me?"

"Shocker," Connor says.

"Liked being the key word here," I say. "But I'm pretty sure she did."

"I didn't know."

"Do you like her?" I ask, with just a hint of jealousy in my voice. It shouldn’t matter, because he’s with me now. But it does.

"No, I just didn't know. And I guess she's okay. But she isn't... you," Cody explains. "I think she has control issues."

“Maybe,” I say, not really meaning it. Then I lean back into his arms, glad that he prefers me (even if that is a bit selfish).

“Score!” Connor says, grinning. It seems a bit fake to me. He’s probably just tired of being the third wheel.

“Maybe you should just ask someone what’s going on,” Cody suggests, ignoring Connor.

“Well, I can’t ask Lorraine, seeing as she’s out shopping wish Ashlee. It’s not like she’ll take to me anyways. Maybe Dean will tell me, though,” I say thoughtfully.

“Go ask him then. I’m tired of wondering.” He lets go of me and I get up. Dean is most likely in Kelly’s bedroom – where he usually is when Kelly isn’t home. I’m about to knock on the door when I hear Elise’s voice saying my name.

“…whole thing with Dana is stupid. But it makes sense ‘cause…” Her next words are muffled. I press my ear against the door, the guilt already building up at eavesdropping.

“It does… I really don’t have a problem with ignoring them,” Dean’s deeper voice answers.

“Good, not after what she did to Lorraine… And Cody. What a cheating bastard.” I don’t know what to make of this. What have they been hearing? Is Lorraine telling them all this?

“I’d never do that, if you were my girlfriend,” Dean says.

“If I were your girlfriend?” Elise asks, repeating him.

Silence.

“Do you want to be?” Dean says this so quietly that I have to strain to hear it.

“I – yes.”

At that point, I pull away from the door. I had gotten more of an answer than I needed, and it didn’t even involve actual speaking. I go back into the living room to report this to the twins.

“Did you talk to him?” Cody asks, holding out his arms for me.

I settle back into them before answering. “Not exactly, but I have the answer. I know what’s happening… kinda.”

“What?” he asks. “What do you mean? How do you know if you didn’t talk to him?”

“Lorraine’s been telling them stuff, I think… and I don’t know what. I heard them talking through the door. Elise did call you a cheating bastard, though. And Dean said something about ignoring someone. He also said something about a girlfriend…” I wonder if I should tell him about Dean and Elise, if they wanted it to be a secret. But they’re already doing this to us, so why not?

“What did Dean say?”

“He and Elise are dating now.”

“What?” Connor says. “That’s weird.”

“Didn’t really expect that,” Cody says. “She’s not…”

“She’s not what?” I ask.

“Never mind,” he says. “Why am I a cheating bastard? I never cheated at anything. Unless you count that one math test.”

“Are you sure about that one?” Connor says.

“Well, maybe a few other things. But seriously though… why?”

“I think I know,” Connor says.

“What?”

“I think Lorraine did like you,” Connor explains. “And she told them that you were dating her secretly or something, Cody. And you’re cheating on her because you two got horny and decided to get it on.”

“We did not,” I say.

“We all saw you making out on the Ferris wheel…”

“We did not make out,” I say.

“Not yet, anyways,” Cody mutters. I’m about to say something, but he continues talking. “You would figure that out though, Connor. You know, the whole thing with Grant and all.”

“Just… no, Cody,” his brother says. “Maybe you’re just too stupid to figure it out.”

“Yeah, definitely. What are we going to do about this?” Cody asks.

“Well, it started out with Lorraine liking you,” I say. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. Maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore.”

Connor nods. “I think that would be a good idea. We’re going to have to travel with them, and that’s gonna be hard if they’re not talking to us…”

“No, we’ve only been together for a little bit,” Cody says, hugging me tighter. “It’s not going to end this soon. We can find a way to make this work out.”

“Yeah,” I say. “I guess.”