This Is How We Do

Junior Year

I was sitting with Erin and Shannon in our 4th period, Record Production. Track four. Four. Of all tracks, i get thrown into the stupid class. Just kill me now. It doesnt help that Dougie was sitting next to me, which is an obvious distractment. Only, since the first week of school, its 10 times worse. Becuase of the person on his other side. Jordin had taken it upon herself to sit next to him. Their in the same homeroom this year, and im not in there with them. Somehow, they'd managed to become really good friends and all they do in here is giggle and pass notes. Its disturbing, seeing as its my twin sister and my boyfriend.

When the bell rang, well all grabbed our stuff as quickly as possiable and ditched Mr. Laney while he continued to lecture, unaware the bell rang. Deaf as a doorknob until it comes to recording the right sound and editing voices.

"So, Dougie, I'll see you around 8?" Jordin asked, biting her lip as she looked up at him. It took all my strength to not rip her head off her shoulders in that moment.

"Of course, Jord." He smiled back, a little too wide for my liking. Jordin grinned to match his.

"Great! I'll see you later Doug!" She exclaimed and hugged him. He laughed and hugged her back lightly, then she ran off to her next class. Dougie turned to me and smiled. I frowned and he raised his eyebrow.

"Whats wrong, babe?" He asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I rolled my eyes and pushed him off me by his chest, storming towards me locker. "Oh come on! At least tell me what i did!" He yelled, following after me. When I got to my locker, he checked around for teachers and then bolted towards me as fast as he could. He got to me just as I unlocked my locker and he put his hand on it, keeping it shut. "Talk to me. I want to know what I did. Please?" He asked, making a puppydog like face.

"Stop it, Dougie. You know I cant stand her!" I whispered in the harshest voice i could manage to hold at him while he was making that face.

"Shes your sister, Jay. And shes not that bad. You just have to get to her before Angee, Brock, and Erik, thats all." Dougie shrugged it off.

"Whats going on tonight, then?" I asked.

"Im going to your old house. Your mom wants to meet me, and since you refuse to go there, Jord offered to bring me over. I think i diserve to meet your parents, Jay. I just think you should really be there so your dad doesnt kill me." He said.

"In that case, I dont need to go with you." I said, ripping books out of my bag and throwing them into my locker. I pulled out the three copybooks i needed for the last three classes of the day, then I slammed my locked shut and put the lock back on it, heading towards the cafe quickly, trying to get away from him.

Of course, that didnt work. I had forgotten that Dougie has 6th period study, so he doesnt need to pack before lunch.

"Whats that mean, Jay?" Dougie asked, grabbing my wrist as we entered the cafe. He pulled me towards the lunchline and made me stand in line with him.

"It means that my dads not around to kill you, so theres no need for me to go with you." I said, hoping he wouldnt press further. But hes Dougie, of course hes going to push the subject. In that moment, I wished Harry had been left back. He would've quickly containted Dougies poking and gotten him to forget about it. Instead, I got a hand on the back of my neck, pulling me back into the real world. The world where Harry was at home sleeping like the bum he is.

"Wheres your dad?" Dougie asked, curiously. I hate this subject, which is why I've known him for three years and he didnt even know where my dad was.

I sighed. "He was sent to Iraq right before freshman year started. He hasnt been able to come home since, hes always on some kind of mission with a high-ranking officer. All you have to be afraid of at my old house is my sister, but you and her seem to be pretty... close." He avoided my gaze.

"Me and Jordin are just friends, Jay. Nothing is going to happen between her and me. I just want to know your family, the way you know mine." He said quietly. Over the summer, right before the guys went on a small 5 gig tour, I had went to Essex with him to meet his sister and mom. We all got on great, and Dougie was really greatfull for that because, apparently, Jazzie didnt like any of his other girlfriends. "And Logan is irrevelent. Hes been my friend since before I can remember."

"It was not before you can remember, it was 2005." I said, smiling lightly.

"The face of stone cracks!" He exclaimed, earning odd glances from everyone until they realized who it was. Everyone in the entire school knew that Dougie was weird, espically when he was with anyone in our group of friends, so most didnt even pay attention to him anymore. "And i cant remember most of that year. They let me drink too much, so its all a little fuzzy."

"Your such an idiot." I laughed lightly and kissed his cheek, grabbing a wrap and an ice tea, then i walked over to our table, Dougie close behind. I sat down and Dougie took a seat next to me. Another junior named Marisa, who started here just this year, came over and sat across from me. I had alot of periods with her; 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 8th. She was nice, but really quiet. Although, Dougie was slowly breaking that shell, which was good and bad. Another two girls, Brianna and Lauren, walked over and sat next to Marisa, Lauren in the middle. When Dougie saw Brianna, he groaned, so I elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shes a bitch!" He whispered.

"So are you, but we put up with you." Marisa shrugged, straightfaced. Dougie looked up at her, then burst out laughing.

"Whats so funny?" Brianna asked, smiling even though she was clueless.

"Nothing, nothing. Its not important." Dougie slowly stopped laughing, then looked up at Marisa again. As they made eye contact, they both burst out laughing. "Sorry, sorry. First period joke." Dougie said, shaking his head. He had first period with us too, but our rosters didnt include much of the same classes. Tom says its becuase they finally caught on that were dating and that its a bad idea. Tyler says its becuase Dougies alot.. less smart then me, but not in such nice language. Harry and I conculded that both ideas are very probable. Anyway, I only shared 1st, 4th, 5th, and 8th with him. Brianna left to go buy a lunch with one of her friends, Leanna or Lena or Luna or something like that.

"Why doesnt she just sit with her friends? Does she not get that we dont like her?" Dougie asked.

"She wont leave becuase she loves stalking Lauren." Marisa said, straightfaced again. Dougie cracked a smile, but didnt laugh at this. Lauren glared at Marisa and elbowed her in the side. "Im sorry, Lauren." Marisa laughed and Lauren made a face.

"I promise, guys, she wont be sitting her for much longer. I cant wait till she goes away." Lauren said, sincerely. We all nodded, then Bri came back with her food and her friend went back to her table.

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I was sitting on the boys sofa, leaning on Harry, slowly drinking a beer. It was my first beer since the summer, and I wasnt keen to hangovers, so If i drink it slowly, i wont finish it, and I wont be ungodly hungover in the morning. Dougie had left a little after 7:30 with Logan, who'd been sucked into the fiasco by Dougies begging. They offered me to go along with them, but I didnt want to talk to my sister. Or my mother for that matter. I wouldnt know what to say to her. And knowing Dougie, hed make dirty comments the entire time if i went along, leading mom to think hes a jerk. Then shed hate him for life and everything would be messed up and awkward-er than it is already. Once they had left, Harry had offered himself up for a movie night with me, since Tom, Tyler, Danny, and Lexee were going to see a movie and then dinner as a double date kind of thing, and Keighty and Brigid had a band practice. Since my plans for the night were just as sucky as his, i agreed and went over to the boys house. Harry, being the feminine male he is, picked out a crap load of chick flicks. I however, pulled Saw out. He made a face at me, disapprovingly. I sighed and pulled out Pirates, and he sighed and nodded.

We were currently at the part where they realize that Elizabeth isnt a Turner and that their basically all screwed and still dead, when Harry groaned and started reciting lines.

"Stop it." I laughed, elbowing him. He laughed and continued to recite it until I put my beer to his mouth and tilted it a little. He sipped it, swallowed, then laughed. As he pushed my hand away, he shook his head.

"I cant believe you didnt drink all of that yet. Dougie would've already stolen it off you if he saw that you've only drank that much." He mused.

"Why?" I asked. Dougie usually stole everyones drink, as long as Danny wasnt around to do it, but I'd never seen him take one for someone taking too long to drink it.

"You've had it since at the latest 8:30. Its 10:46." Harry answered, pointing at the clock.

"Shit! Dougie and Logan are going to be back soon!" I pointed out just as the door opened.

"There you are, Jay. I was starting to worry." Logan mused as Dougie walked in quietly. We all watched him walk to the stairs and halfway up them, before he realized we were looking at him. Then he looked over at us and sighed.

"Im going to bed." He said. With that, he continued back up the stairs and nothing was said until his door was shut. Harry and I exchanged glances, then we both looked at Logan, who shrugged.

"He was that way the entire ride home." He explained.

"I should go talk to him." I said quietly, getting up off the sofa. "If you hear screaming, come save him. Becuase if he doesnt talk to me, I will get it out of him in some form of torture which is probably illegal."

"Violence isn't your thing, Jay. Whats up?" Harry asked, confused.

"He made me spill earlier, so now he better talk to me." I shrugged and ran upstairs and into Dougies room. His door opened easily and he was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at his hands. He didnt acknowledge me, almost as though he was unaware of my existance, but when I walked towards him he put his hand up.

"Stop right there. I have to tell you something before you come closer." He said quietly, not looking up.

"Im coming closer to you weither you like it or not." I sighed, walking over and sitting next to him. When i did so, he looked over at me and our eyes met for the first time tonight. His eyes were sad and mine probably were confused, at least thats what i was aiming for.

"Jordin... her and Angee were at their house today." I note the use of their house instead of your old house as he had used previously. "When i first got there, everything was normal. It was like I'd known your mom forever. Shes a great woman, Jay. She misses you alot. But thats not what im talking about right now." He shook his head, getting back on topic. "Your mom asked to talk to Jordin and Logan alone, so Angee and I excused ourselves to the back yard. I dont like Angee, but i was polite as I could be to her. I walked around with her for a while and the next thing I know, shes got me locked in a shed. After a few minutes, Jordin came in and she..." He cut himself off and looked at me. "Please dont hate me." He almost pleaded.

"Dougie, what did my sister do?" I asked, frusturated. He sighed and ran his hand though his hair.

"She kissed me. It took a second for it to process to me what she did, but as soon as I realized what had happened, I pushed her away. She told me that She was the best I'd ever have and that you were a whore who had bedded every guy at your old school." He said quietly.

"SHE SAID WHAT?" I asked, jumping off the bed. "You dont believe her, do you? Thats complete bullshit!" I shreeked. He looked paniced and jumped up, covering my mouth.

"Shh! I live with the master evesdropper, you cant be that loud!" He whispered. I nodded and he let go of my mouth. "Of course I dont believe her. Any of what she said. Your the only one for me." He said. "I just thought you'd hate me beucase I called your twin sister a stupid fuck..." He trialed off, then grinned. "Oh wait, i didnt tell you that part did i?" He asked. I smiled and shook my head. "Well, yeah. Please dont hate me."

"Dougie, I could never hate you." I said, looking into his eyes. They changed from sad to relieved in miliseconds, and then his lips were on mine and his arms were around my waist. I smiled into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck, running my fingers though his hair lightly. His right hand made its way under the hem of my shirt, leading me to breaking off and grabbing his hand. "Doug.." I trailed off.

"I know. Sorry." He laughed, putting his hand back on my hip. "Better?" He asked, smiling slightly. I nodded and moved my hand back to his neck as he leaned in and kissed me again.

"Alright, Its been five minutes, big brothers coming in in three seconds so any missing clothes are to be placed back on the body. And if anybodys in bed, they best run." Logan said from outside the door, making Dougie break off and laugh and me to turn bright red. He didnt let go of my waist, so I didnt let go of is neck either. "Three." Logan said and opened the door.

"What happened to two and one?" Dougie asked. Logan looked over at us and smiled. Last years Logan probably would've thrown a fit and got a restraining order on Dougie, but Brigids lightened him emencly on his view of me and Dougie.

"Their irrivelent. Three is the only number that really counts." Logan shrugged. "Brigids and Keighty are back, So im going home and Harrys going over to Keights becuase Tom and Ty are coming back here. Lexee and Danny are going for a walk so God knows what time they'll get home. Are you coming home with me and Brigid, or are you staying here?" He asked.

"You and Brigid." I said. "Can Dougie come with us?" I asked. Logan shrugged.

"I dont care, ask Brigid." was his answer and he left.

"He sounds like a dad. 'i dont know, ask your mother'." I shook my head, then smiled. "I wanna try something... MOM!" I yelled, grabbing Dougies hand and pulling him downstairs behind me. Awesomely, Brigid turned and looked at me.

"Yes honey?" She asked, playing along.

"Can Dougie come sleep over?" I asked. She looked at Logan.

"I told her to ask you.. hence the mom thing." Logan said.

"In that case, yes." Brigid smiled and we walked over to Logan, Brigid, and my house.