I Found Myself Falling...Not For the Right Thing Either

When I woke up the next morning to the front door opening and two sets of footsteps, I knew my dad and Jake were home. After the awkward conversation with my mom and trying to convince her that I’m a virgin (she seems to think that Craig and I have had sex already) we both went to bed. My dad said he was going to try and calm Jake down and bring him home in the morning. True to his words, at nine o’clock, I heard the car door slam shut outside my window telling that they were home.

I contemplated if I should get up and talk to Jake right away or give it some time, but when my bedroom door opened I assumed that t was being made for me.

“How are you?” Surprised to hear my dad’s voice instead of my brother’s, I rolled over and looked at him.

Sighing, I replied, “Better, knowing that he’s home.” My dad smiled softly.

“I guess I’d suggest giving him some space for a while. Maybe you and Craig could lay low for a bit.” I bit my lip. That wasn’t such a bad idea. “But prom is in three weeks. What if he’s not good by then?” I asked, sitting up so I could have more of a proper conversation with my dad.

“Then it looks like you won’t be going to prom.”

My face fell. My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. Miss prom?! Was my dad crazy?!

“But it’s my senior year, I can’t miss my prom!” My voice raised an octave. Probably much louder than it should’ve been for this conversation, but as soon as my dad’s lips pulled back into a smile I knew he was joking. “That was mean.” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest and pouting my lips. He just let out a deep chuckle before coming forward and rustling my hair.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll all be fine before then. Besides, I can’t threaten Craig about you unless you two do go to prom, now can I?” He seemed all too amused by this situation as he kissed the top of my head and walked out of my room, closing the door behind him.

My dad could be a jerk at times. Other times he could be the nicest… I guess this was a time of both.

I waited for a few minutes after my father left my room. Guessing he went back to bed and since I didn’t hear any other movement from my room I guessed Jake did as well. Even though I hadn’t gotten much sleep since it was so late when my mom and I finally went to bed I reached over ad grabbed my phone, pressing into my recent calls and picking the first one.

It only took a few rings for him to answer.

“Rae?” How come God didn’t make girls’ voices as sexy as guys when we first wake up? I mean we look hideous when we wake up and yet guys seem to be absolutely amazing every time with their messy hair and husky voices…

“No, it’s Morgan Freeman.” I could picture him rolling his eyes.

“It’s so early!” He whined. Laughing, I leant back and made sure to be quiet when I told him that Jake was home he sighed in relief. “That’s good. Have you talked to him?” I bit my lip before I answered,

“No. My dad came in and told me to give him some space.” There was silence on the other end of the phone before I heard some shuffling around. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“Looking for my glasses.” I let out a girlish giggle. Craig never wore his glasses. “Oh shut up.”

“What?” I asked innocently. He always tried his hardest to forget to bring them to sleepovers when he was younger. His parents would get so mad. I mean I hadn’t seen him wear them in years!

“Very funny. I wear glasses, ha-ha.” I couldn’t help, but let out another giggle.

“Sorry, it’s just… you always looked so funny in them!” He let out a low grunt, making me smile to myself. “You should wear them next time you come over.” He grunted a ‘no’ which made me frown. “Why not?”

“You said it yourself; I look like an idiot in them!”

“Technically I said funny, nothing about looking like an idiot.”

“Whatever. Besides, I look sexier without them. I can’t have the girls at school thinking I’m not hot.” My face fell and I went to yell at him when he said, “Kidding. Well, about the girl’s part. I mean I’m sexy as hell, but I only need one girl in my life right now.”

“Good answer.” I replied, my voice showing no sign of humor from his joke.

“Aw, did you not think that was funny?” He cooed into the phone. Suddenly there was a slamming noise in the background of Craig’s line.

“Did you fall off the bed?” I asked with a laugh. My question was followed by a yell, a scream and some running around. I think the phone dropped in the process of it all because I heard some shuffling and thuds on my side.

“Rae?!” My face lit up as I recognized the little voice.

“Henry!”

“Hi Rae! Craig told me he wasn’t talking to you, but I knew it was a lie.” In the background I could hear Craig growl, “Give me the phone you little shit.” I let out another laugh as I heard some more shuffling and thuds.

“Get out of my room.” My smile turned into a frown.

“That’s no way of talking to your brother.” I scolded. “He’s too cute.”

He grunted, “He’s a little piece of shit at our house. Around you he’s an angel.”

Smiling again I replied, “I have that effect on people.” I was actually referring to him and how much he changed which made him scoff jokingly into the phone. I heard Henry mumbled something to Craig, which he shrugged off, but I asked, “What did he say?”

“He said that he misses you.” An ‘aw’ rolled off my tongue.

“Tell him I miss him too.”

“Yeah sure.” Craig grumbled. I narrowed my eyes as if he were here.

“Tell him so I can hear you.” He let out another grunt before saying, “She says she misses you too, now go.” With that I heard a door slam and the line was once again silent except for our voices and breaths. Rolling my eyes I replied,

“I called you to tell you that my dad thinks we should lay low for a bit.”

“Okay.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. I mean that’d probably be the best for right now just because of everything” I sighed.

“I know.”

I heard him sigh as well. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… it’s just that we told everyone so that we could be out in the open and now we’ve got to bring it down. I mean it’s the opposite of what we wanted to happen.”

“Don’t worry. In like a month’s time it’ll all be back to normal and Jake won’t even care anymore.”

I let out a loud groan.

“Am I missing something?” He asked.

“What’s in three weeks?” I asked him back. His line was silent making me fall back onto my pillows. Typical boy. “Prom, you idiot! Prom is in three weeks.”

“Oh.” That’s all he had to say about that… again, typical guy. Forgets everything, especially something like that.

“Goodbye Craig.”

I went to hang up, but before I could I heard him yell, “No, wait!” Pressing the phone to my ear, but not replying to him, I listened. “It’s early in the morning. I mean if you gave me some time I would’ve been able to get it.” He paused, probably checking to see if I was there. When I sighed he continued, “No matter what happens, we’re going to prom together, whether Jake likes it or not!”

I thought for a second.

“Are you mad at me?” Craig whined into the phone making me smile slightly.

“No, but don’t be such an idiot next time.” There was a sudden knock on my door. “I’ve got to go.”

“Alright. Bye babe.” My heart fluttered at the word ‘babe’.

“Bye.” I finished, pulling the phone away from my ear just as my door opened to reveal my mom.

“Want some breakfast?” I nodded.

“Sure.”

♥

I honestly didn’t know which one was better. Jake knowing or him not knowing. It in all honesty seemed to be falling over into the not knowing category. He wouldn’t speak to me… He rarely came out of his bedroom and when he did it was only to go to the bathroom which was connected to his room and mine. Let’s just start off with that I was desperate to talk to him, but in the bathroom while he’s doing something… not the best way to start a conversation like this. No matter how desperate I was!

My mom and dad didn’t push him to come out either. He skipped a few days of school which didn’t help the rumors that floated around the place.

“I heard he got so mad that he moved across town!”

“I heard that he and Craig got into a fight and Craig messed him up pretty bad.”

“I’d be embarrassed if I were him. I mean his best friend and his sister!”

Those were just a few that were said with me in the room. I’m sure there were worse when I wasn’t around. Craig and I ignored them. We saw each other a bit more than we did before, but it wasn’t as big of a show as everyone wanted to see, or not see. We just pretended that nobody was talking about us. Jake, well, I’m sure he had heard things from people. But as for the moment, he just sat in his room.

Doing what you may ask? I have no clue, but since I heard nothing from his room for a few days I can tell you right now that whatever it was, it wasn’t good. Or was it?

The doorbell rung suddenly, causing me to look up from my spot on the couch in the living room. Weird since I hadn’t expected anymore. Knowing that Jake wouldn’t be coming down any time soon I got up and walked towards the door. My fingers gripped and twisted the knob, letting whoever was out there in.

Red hair greeted me and I smiled, “Hi, Katie.”

“Hey Rae.” She smiled back. I moved back and to the side so she could make her way into our house. As soon as she was in I closed the door. It wasn’t warm enough to leave it open yet. Spring’s warm weather wasn’t quite as warm as it usual was yet.

“So what’s up? I hadn’t expected you to come over.” I made my way, with Katie following, into the living room.

“Well, I decided to check on things. Where’s Jake? Hasn’t come out yet? Oh and I also got a text to come over.”

My eyebrows scrunched at her explanation. “Jake is in his room, but I never texted you.”

She smiled softly at me as she replied, “I know you didn’t. Jake did.” With that she turned on her heel and headed out of the living room. I heard her footsteps go upstairs and a door open and close, leaving me even more confused than I already was.

Jake would talk to Katie and my parents, but not me?! I was the one who this was about! I was the one who he should be talking to about it! Even Craig for Christ’s sake! How close were they?! Angry, my fists clenched at my sides.

He and Katie were doing the same things that Craig and I were, minus sleeping with one another! So, why should I have to deal with them two and he can’t deal with Craig and I. And just like that, I snapped. It was the last straw. I wasn’t holding back any longer. We were going to talk about this, right here and right now. No matter who was listening or watching. We were going to talk about it, like adults.