A Step to Love
Them...
“Hi, babies! Good to have you home again!” Pat ran instantly to hug Gabriel and me, while Jake, Joe and Alex took the luggage out of the car. I didn’t know where Brit was, though, but I thought she would be looking for an excuse to help Joe or something.
It was almost seven when I reached the sofa and slapped myself with it. “Home…”
“Hope you like tortellini,” I heard someone say. I shifted my head, seeing it was Nana. She was in some green shorts and a white buttoned shirt. She held a bowl of hot tortellini covered in cheese with a double towel.
I got up, took the bowl away from her arms and placed it on a table that was next to the sofa, then, embraced her in a tight hug. “Hi.”
I could feel her smile next to my cheek and her arms wrapping around myself. “Hello,” she sang.
I parted. “Thank you, it’s nice to see you, Nana.” I smiled.
She nodded. “You, too. Now eat.” She lifted her hands to get the bowl and then gave it to me. I sat swiftly on my “bed” and started doing so.
Seconds later, Alex sat next to me with a bowl of tortellini himself. I could see his didn’t have any meat, of course, unlike mine. “Bon appétit,” he said and I only nodded since I had food in my mouth.
I swallowed. “You, too,” I said. I liked how Alex and I were cool again; not that we ever were cool to start with. And not that we had enough chances to show it with everyone busting in, but the vibes I felt weren’t negative anymore. It felt great.
I guess there was really no need to add details to this sentiment.
I thought quickly of a way we could spend some time, but I wasn’t ultimately sure it was going to work. Sure, we said we were friends, but we didn’t exactly try it out.
“Hey, Alex?”
He swallowed, but didn’t look up to me. “Mhm?”
I took my plate and set it to my left side. “Will you help me with something?”
He lifted his gaze from the plate. “Depends.”
I shrugged. “I just need some help shopping.”
He smiled while biting his lip in a very sexy w—He put his plate aside also, but I noticed it was because he had finished eating already.
Well, someone was hungry...
His right hand came toward his face and his elbow rested on his knee. “For?”
I sighed. There was no way he was helping with this. “We’re friends, right?” I tried to wrap him up and reel him in slowly.
But he didn’t let me. “For?” he repeated again.
I smiled. “Brod—”
“No.”
I pushed him. “You didn’t even let me finish!”
“For Brody’s Birthday.”
I frowned. “Please, it will be, like, our test of true friendship,” I said, trying to convince him, but really? “Test of true friendship”? How more unoriginal and cheesy could I be?
He laughed. “Lilly, I told you how I felt about Brody thousands of times. And I thought we were laying off the ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ topics so we could get along.” He paused. “I’m not getting him a stinkin’ present.” Then, he did something I did not expect. He took his lips down to my ears. “Why would I get a present to a guy that’s stealing my girl away, anyway?” he whispered.
I scoffed. “‘Your girl’?” He shrugged, smiling. Then I hmph’ed, turning my back to get my tortellini. I continued trying to eat, playing with the cheese, twisting it in my fork. “I’m not anybody’s possession,” I whispered, telling him.
From the corner of my eye I saw he was still grinning. After a while of me not speaking, he cracked and groaned. “Fine, I’ll—I’ll help you get your stupid boyfriend a present.”
Success. Take him in, let him go, trap him, reel him in. I smiled contently.
~*~*~*~*~
I didn’t want to brag or anything, but the present I had gotten Brody was pretty cool—well, the present Alex and I got him, despise Alex’s constant complaining.
It was a watch. I was sure Brody was going to love it. The wristwatch’s silvery cover was simply breathtaking. Its circle form had several tiny square diamonds adjusted to it, as did the band that was supposed to circle his wrist.
“This is it,” I had told Alex when I saw it, after circling the mall for almost two hours.
He only shrugged.
It was finally Wednesday morning: 11:49am. I stood in front of his house dressed in a shimmery green dress I had also bought yesterday. It was a weird type of dress with long sleeves and tied in the front. And I knew I probably made it look even weirder with my converse on.
Before I thought of even knocking, Mrs. Evans came out looking down and when she took a hold of me, she stopped, surprised. “Lilly. You’re early,” she said.
I laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah, I just wanted to surprise him. I told Brody I was coming home tom—”
“No, I mean, the birthday party doesn’t start until one o’clock,” she interrupted.
I blinked. “Birthday…party? I didn’t know he had a birthday party.”
She held back for a bit. “He didn’t tell you?” I shook my head. He didn’t tell me, did he? “Why? You’re his girlfriend.”
“Eh, so, I shouldn’t have come?”
“Heavens, of course you needed to be here!” Then she smiled as she looked down at the present almost clutched in my hands. “Is that for him?” I only nodded. “Well, he’s upstairs if you want to give it to him now. I think he’s getting dressed up, though.” She paused. “If he is, just come down and wait in the sofa. If you want, that is.”
My lips curved a little. “All right.” Brody had a birthday party? I tried to remember during our last conversation if he had mentioned anything, but…
She stepped away from the door a bit, so I could go in. “I’m going to look for some more balloons in the car. His room is the second door to your right.” She pointed to the stairs.
“Thank you,” I said to her, and made a cheap curtsy which caused her to giggle.
“No problem, sweetie.”
I nearly ran up the stairs, but slowed down at the middle of them, remembering this was not my house and that I was carrying Brody’s present.
Once I got at the beginning of the stairs, I knocked on the door his mom had indicated and waited for a response, without getting it, and I knocked again.
After a few seconds of waiting, I thought it was just a better idea to simply leave it on his bed, to make it even more “mysterious” or “romantic” or…whatever. I smiled. I turned the doorknob gently, and pushed the door open, only to guess he had other plans…
I could only see a bare back from where I stood because the rest was covered by a quilt. It was moving back and forth, while my present went to the ground.
It was him. His head turned, and the expression on his face said it all. His eyes were as widened as possible, and mine were even wider when I saw the other half of the story.
It was her…
She was there…
With him…
“Lilly!” he yelled. “This is not what it looks like.”
She took some part of the quilt herself to cover her overdeveloped boobs. I think it was the perfect sign that told me to get out of there quickly.
“You couldn’t find a line that sounded less cliché?” I asked him, not recognizing my own raspy voice.
She laughed, getting up, still holding on to the quilt. That only caused Brody to wait there naked. After realizing it, he grabbed onto a pillow. “I’m sorry you had to see this—no wait, I’m not,” she sneered.
“Lils, bab—”
“Why? What did I do?” I asked him, trying not to cry. I begged the infinitive skies not to make my eyes explode like a hose right here in front of them. I felt ashamed. No, more than that, I felt betrayed, hurt… I only remembered the thing I told him on Christmas, “And then what? When you’re eighteen, we break up?” I guess I was right to say it. I just didn’t know it was going to be for this reason.
I heard Jenny scoff. “Oh, please, sweetie…Obviously, you weren’t giving him what he wanted.”
“Shut up,” I told her. I knew I had kissed Alex, which can be considered as cheating, but it was not as drastic as Brody having sex with Jenny. It couldn't ever compare.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be play the victim. Technically, he was cheating on me, not you.”
“I—”
… “What?” I whispered, as I turned to Brody again. He didn’t seem to find the words to explain himself. I tried to find the answers in his eyes, but I just couldn’t, which simply caused me to break, leaving his room without another word.
“He was dressing up?” his mom asked me, tying some red balloons together as I walked past her. I didn’t even bother to reply, water running down my eyes.
It was almost seven when I reached the sofa and slapped myself with it. “Home…”
“Hope you like tortellini,” I heard someone say. I shifted my head, seeing it was Nana. She was in some green shorts and a white buttoned shirt. She held a bowl of hot tortellini covered in cheese with a double towel.
I got up, took the bowl away from her arms and placed it on a table that was next to the sofa, then, embraced her in a tight hug. “Hi.”
I could feel her smile next to my cheek and her arms wrapping around myself. “Hello,” she sang.
I parted. “Thank you, it’s nice to see you, Nana.” I smiled.
She nodded. “You, too. Now eat.” She lifted her hands to get the bowl and then gave it to me. I sat swiftly on my “bed” and started doing so.
Seconds later, Alex sat next to me with a bowl of tortellini himself. I could see his didn’t have any meat, of course, unlike mine. “Bon appétit,” he said and I only nodded since I had food in my mouth.
I swallowed. “You, too,” I said. I liked how Alex and I were cool again; not that we ever were cool to start with. And not that we had enough chances to show it with everyone busting in, but the vibes I felt weren’t negative anymore. It felt great.
I guess there was really no need to add details to this sentiment.
I thought quickly of a way we could spend some time, but I wasn’t ultimately sure it was going to work. Sure, we said we were friends, but we didn’t exactly try it out.
“Hey, Alex?”
He swallowed, but didn’t look up to me. “Mhm?”
I took my plate and set it to my left side. “Will you help me with something?”
He lifted his gaze from the plate. “Depends.”
I shrugged. “I just need some help shopping.”
He smiled while biting his lip in a very sexy w—He put his plate aside also, but I noticed it was because he had finished eating already.
Well, someone was hungry...
His right hand came toward his face and his elbow rested on his knee. “For?”
I sighed. There was no way he was helping with this. “We’re friends, right?” I tried to wrap him up and reel him in slowly.
But he didn’t let me. “For?” he repeated again.
I smiled. “Brod—”
“No.”
I pushed him. “You didn’t even let me finish!”
“For Brody’s Birthday.”
I frowned. “Please, it will be, like, our test of true friendship,” I said, trying to convince him, but really? “Test of true friendship”? How more unoriginal and cheesy could I be?
He laughed. “Lilly, I told you how I felt about Brody thousands of times. And I thought we were laying off the ‘boyfriend and girlfriend’ topics so we could get along.” He paused. “I’m not getting him a stinkin’ present.” Then, he did something I did not expect. He took his lips down to my ears. “Why would I get a present to a guy that’s stealing my girl away, anyway?” he whispered.
I scoffed. “‘Your girl’?” He shrugged, smiling. Then I hmph’ed, turning my back to get my tortellini. I continued trying to eat, playing with the cheese, twisting it in my fork. “I’m not anybody’s possession,” I whispered, telling him.
From the corner of my eye I saw he was still grinning. After a while of me not speaking, he cracked and groaned. “Fine, I’ll—I’ll help you get your stupid boyfriend a present.”
Success. Take him in, let him go, trap him, reel him in. I smiled contently.
~*~*~*~*~
I didn’t want to brag or anything, but the present I had gotten Brody was pretty cool—well, the present Alex and I got him, despise Alex’s constant complaining.
It was a watch. I was sure Brody was going to love it. The wristwatch’s silvery cover was simply breathtaking. Its circle form had several tiny square diamonds adjusted to it, as did the band that was supposed to circle his wrist.
“This is it,” I had told Alex when I saw it, after circling the mall for almost two hours.
He only shrugged.
It was finally Wednesday morning: 11:49am. I stood in front of his house dressed in a shimmery green dress I had also bought yesterday. It was a weird type of dress with long sleeves and tied in the front. And I knew I probably made it look even weirder with my converse on.
Before I thought of even knocking, Mrs. Evans came out looking down and when she took a hold of me, she stopped, surprised. “Lilly. You’re early,” she said.
I laughed uncomfortably. “Yeah, I just wanted to surprise him. I told Brody I was coming home tom—”
“No, I mean, the birthday party doesn’t start until one o’clock,” she interrupted.
I blinked. “Birthday…party? I didn’t know he had a birthday party.”
She held back for a bit. “He didn’t tell you?” I shook my head. He didn’t tell me, did he? “Why? You’re his girlfriend.”
“Eh, so, I shouldn’t have come?”
“Heavens, of course you needed to be here!” Then she smiled as she looked down at the present almost clutched in my hands. “Is that for him?” I only nodded. “Well, he’s upstairs if you want to give it to him now. I think he’s getting dressed up, though.” She paused. “If he is, just come down and wait in the sofa. If you want, that is.”
My lips curved a little. “All right.” Brody had a birthday party? I tried to remember during our last conversation if he had mentioned anything, but…
She stepped away from the door a bit, so I could go in. “I’m going to look for some more balloons in the car. His room is the second door to your right.” She pointed to the stairs.
“Thank you,” I said to her, and made a cheap curtsy which caused her to giggle.
“No problem, sweetie.”
I nearly ran up the stairs, but slowed down at the middle of them, remembering this was not my house and that I was carrying Brody’s present.
Once I got at the beginning of the stairs, I knocked on the door his mom had indicated and waited for a response, without getting it, and I knocked again.
After a few seconds of waiting, I thought it was just a better idea to simply leave it on his bed, to make it even more “mysterious” or “romantic” or…whatever. I smiled. I turned the doorknob gently, and pushed the door open, only to guess he had other plans…
I could only see a bare back from where I stood because the rest was covered by a quilt. It was moving back and forth, while my present went to the ground.
It was him. His head turned, and the expression on his face said it all. His eyes were as widened as possible, and mine were even wider when I saw the other half of the story.
It was her…
She was there…
With him…
“Lilly!” he yelled. “This is not what it looks like.”
She took some part of the quilt herself to cover her overdeveloped boobs. I think it was the perfect sign that told me to get out of there quickly.
“You couldn’t find a line that sounded less cliché?” I asked him, not recognizing my own raspy voice.
She laughed, getting up, still holding on to the quilt. That only caused Brody to wait there naked. After realizing it, he grabbed onto a pillow. “I’m sorry you had to see this—no wait, I’m not,” she sneered.
“Lils, bab—”
“Why? What did I do?” I asked him, trying not to cry. I begged the infinitive skies not to make my eyes explode like a hose right here in front of them. I felt ashamed. No, more than that, I felt betrayed, hurt… I only remembered the thing I told him on Christmas, “And then what? When you’re eighteen, we break up?” I guess I was right to say it. I just didn’t know it was going to be for this reason.
I heard Jenny scoff. “Oh, please, sweetie…Obviously, you weren’t giving him what he wanted.”
“Shut up,” I told her. I knew I had kissed Alex, which can be considered as cheating, but it was not as drastic as Brody having sex with Jenny. It couldn't ever compare.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be play the victim. Technically, he was cheating on me, not you.”
“I—”
… “What?” I whispered, as I turned to Brody again. He didn’t seem to find the words to explain himself. I tried to find the answers in his eyes, but I just couldn’t, which simply caused me to break, leaving his room without another word.
“He was dressing up?” his mom asked me, tying some red balloons together as I walked past her. I didn’t even bother to reply, water running down my eyes.