We Can Only Pretend for So Long

Why? Did she, did she do that on purpose?
No, she wouldn’t do that. Why wouldn’t she want Jacob and I to kiss?
Sliding over to my locker, I opened the door in annoyance, grabbing my things.
“Kyle.”
“Huh? Oh, hey Nick, what’s up?”
That’s weird, I don’t have that sudden feeling of nervousness anymore, maybe I’ve lost my feelings toward him. I wonder why….
“Oh you know, the usual.”
“What’s the usual?” I chuckled, closing my locker.
“Well, doing homework, going to class, watching pretty girls get things out of their locker…”
I raised an eyebrow questioningly. “A pretty girl? Are you a pedophile now?”
“Don’t you know how to take a compliment?” He smirked, obviously entertained.
“Nope, not unless it’s from Jacob.”
“So it’s only special if it’s from Jacob?”
“Pretty much.”
Okay, I didn’t need to say that. That was a little, creepy of me. I sound dumb.
“Well, that’s the last time I compliment you.” He laughed lightly, walking with me to class.
“That’s good.”
“Oh? And why’s that?”
If I knew Nick well enough, I think I knew what he was thinking. If I keep complimenting her, she’ll start liking me.
“Because I don’t think my boyfriend will be very pleased.”
“Your boyfriend doesn’t have to know.” He smiled, a certain little twinkle in his eyes, and I’m not going to lie, it unsettled me to no end.
Before I had a chance to reply, he left, leaving me to my class.
Oh dear god, what the hell is going on?
I’m yelling at Ry, trying to kiss Jacob, getting interrupted by Monny, and now, Nick is flirting with me?
My life is getting a little…..weird.
____________
“Ry, I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier.”
“It’s fine.”
My stomach squirmed uneasily, because soon, I’d have to see Jacob.
“You feeling okay?”
“Ye-” Perfect chance! Perfect chance! “No.”
“Ye-no?”
“Well, I was going to lie, but you know how to tell, so I figured it was useless.”
He stood there for a moment, completely blank. “Do you want me to take you home?”
“Yes please, I think I need to take some medicine.”
“Are you gonna come back or stay there?”
“Stay, if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s not my decision, if you’re sick you’re sick. Nothing we can do about it.”
“I love you Ryan.” I smiled lightly while hugging his arm.
If people didn’t know we were siblings, they would probably assume we were going out, the way we were walking to the car.
“I love you too Ky, now let me go and get in the car.”
“Fine.”
Letting his arm fall from my grasp I quickly jumped into the car, barely making it before he sped off.
“Hey Ry, can you slow down a little please? I think I’m getting motion sickness.” And I’m not kidding.
“Is there something going on between you and Jacob?”
“What?”
“Is there something going on between you and Jacob? Are you seriously going out with him, or is this just some stupid little prank you’re playing on everybody? If it is, it needs to stop, now.”
Oh my god. “Why would you think that Ryan? Of course Jacob and I are seriously going out, I really like him.”
“Just because you really like him doesn’t mean you’re actually going out with him. This is just another one of your dumb ideas that you got from reading those stupid stories off of the internet. Two enemies falling in love, yeah, right.”
“One, the stories are not stupid, they are amazing, Two, why does it have to be my dumb idea? Why can’t it be Jacob’s? And Three, I actually am going out with Jacob, why would I waste, what? Three weeks of my life on some stupid prank?” Quickly, to avoid any other interrogation, I ran inside, trying not to trip and fall.
Why the hell does Ryan have to be so smart?
I ran as fast as my little legs would allow, slamming and locking the door behind me.
“Kyle, you know I have a key, that was pointless.”
“You better hurry back to school Ry, wouldn’t want you to be late.”
There was a slight pause before, “Shit.” spilled from my brothers lips.
Without further hesitation, he left.
Great, what am I gonna do now?
……………
I know! Sleep.
Slightly tripping on my own two feet I ran upstairs to my room and jumped in bed, surprisingly finding sleep very easily.
_____________
“Kyle, wake up. You’ve been sleeping since I got home yesterday.”
A deep intake of breath and I was slightly more awake.
“What? What time is it?”
“It’s eleven thirty, now get up, your boyfriend’s here.”
“Why the fuck is he here at eleven thirty in the fucking morning on a Saturday? Has he ever heard of sleeping in until two?
“Kyle, I don’t think anybody’s ever heard of sleeping in until two, now get up.” Ryan chuckled as he pulled the covers away.
“Fine, I’m up I’m up, leave me alone.”
Grumbling I stood from my bed and got ready, taking my sweet time.
Probably, an hour later I waltzed down the stairs, feeling completely rejuvenated.
“What do you want Pelter? I was sleeping very nicely until you showed.”
“We have a date today, do you not remember?”
“Must’ve slipped my mind.”
“Kyle? Are you sure?” Ryan intervened.
“Sure about what Ryan?”
“About what we talked about yesterday.”
“Yes I’m sure, will you get off our case please? Come on Jacob, let’s go.”
“Whoa, Kyle, slow down. What’s the hurry?”
“Don’t talk, just get in your car and drive.”
“Fine,” graciously he slid behind the wheel, “but we’re going to my house.”
His house? Wouldn’t we end up, alone?
“N-”
“Come on, inside, now.”
“What? No.”
“Hey, you rushed me, now I get to rush you, hurry up.”
Jacob’s large hands pushed me into his house, his very empty house.
“So,” he closed the door nonchalantly. “You gonna tell me what’s wrong?”
“Why should I?”
My arms crossed over my chest.
“Because I can tell you’re dying to say it.”
“I am not.”
“Kyle.”
“Okay fine, Ryan’s completely onto us.”
“What? How?” He was actually shocked.
“Probably because he’s my brother and he knows me.”
“Have you told him anything?”
“I’ve tried convincing him that we are, together, but it’s not working very well.”
I swear to Pete if looks could kill, I’d suffer a painful death ten times over.
“Well the way you were talking to me earlier probably didn’t help matters.”
“Yeah, well he’s already onto us, so whatever.”
I’m seriously not in the mood for this.
I plopped down on the couch and stared at the blank tv.
……….
Okay, this is boring.
“I’m going to your room.”
Bolting to his room I managed to find my way to his bed, jumping on top of the covers.
My eyes roamed the ceiling above me, finding nothing in particular.
The door to the room opened and closed, letting in the idiot known as my ‘boyfriend’.
“You know, you never showed me your tattoo.”
I jerked up right when I felt his finger touch my bare stomach.
Apparently my shirt hiked up.
“And I don’t plan on it.”
“Come on, I won’t tell anyone, promise.”
“No.” Quickly I stood, trying to get away from him.
“Why’d you get it?” He asked following.
“Because I like tattoos.”
“Why on your stomach?” Closer.
“Because, I don’t really remember, I was hammered at the time.”
“You don’t drink.”
“I did that night.”
“Let me see it.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“No Jacob.” A yelp escaped my throat as he jumped me. “Jacob! Stop!”
We were flailing around on the ground, and I somehow got on top of him.
I thought I’d won then……I was wrong.
“Ah!” Damn it! I forgot he was a wrestler! “Let me go!”
“Not until you show me your tattoo.”
Jacob had me pinned to the ground, my wrists on either side of my head, his strong body holding mind down.
“Let. Me. Go.”
“Show. Me. Your. Tattoo.”
“Ja-uh, hi Kyle. This is awkward.”
“Jay, I was just, showing her some, wrestling moves.”
“Yeah, looks like it, bye!”
No! God, why does he always think we’re having sex?
“Now, tattoo?”
“Fine, let me up.”
Jacob smiled like a giddy school girl as he helped me stand.
Reluctantly I pulled my shirt up enough for him to see the ink.
His smile instantly vanished, and appeared on my face.
“Wha? I can’t read that.”
“Well, it is in kanji.”
“What does it say?”
My cheeks burned twenty shades of red, but I hid it with my hair.
“Why are you blushing?” I thought. “What does it mean?”
“Nothing, it means nothing.”
“Doubtful, you wouldn’t be blushing if it meant nothing.”
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe I’m blushing because….I have to show you my stomach?”
“Nope, not going to work Kylie, sorry.” His face scrunched up in thought. “Does it have to do with anybody?”
“No.”
“Okay, so it has to do with someone, a guy?”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with anybody.”
“Right, okay, so it’s a guy. Is it about your dad.”
“What? No, I haven’t gotten that one yet.”
“So, some guy you like? Mmkay, does it have anything to do with Nick?”
Wow, I never thought I could see someone’s face scrunch up so much in distaste.
“Yeah, right.”
“It’s not about Nick? Wow, shocker.”
“I swear to Pete if he doesn’t shut his face right now….” I continued to mumble to myself as I made my way towards his door, ready to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m leaving.”
“What? Why?” You know those looks you give people when you think they’re being extremely stupid? Yeah, I gave him that look. “Okay, so, I’ll stop the interrogation…..when you tell me what your tattoo means.”
“Bye.”
“You know I’ll find out one way or another, you might as well just tell me yourself.”
Ever so lady like, I flipped him the bird as I stepped out of the house.
‘Bri, come get me, we need to hang out.’
“So what’s wrong with Mr. Perfect now?”
“Yeah, perfect.” I laughed humorlessly. “He found out about my tattoo.”
“There’s only one way I can think of, that he would find out about that Kyle.”
“Jesus Christ, will people get it through their thick skulls that I am not, nor will I ever, have sex with Jacob Pelter?”
“Calm down Ky. It’s a normal suspicion for anyone, you guys are going out, and you are teenagers.”
“I don’t care what we are, that doesn’t mean we’re gonna jump each other’s bones.”
“God, that is not an image I needed.” She shuddered dramatically. “So how did he find out about your tattoo then?”
“I was laying down, and apparently my shirt rode up, and he caught a glimpse of it.”
“Okay, so he knows about the tattoo. Does he know what it means?”
“No, and I plan to keep it that way.”
“But, he is your boyfriend now, you don’t really need to hide it anymore.”
“No Bri, I will never, tell him what my tattoo means, so you better keep your mouth shut.”
“You act as though this is all my fault.” Bri huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Dude, you were the one that got me drunk, you were the one that told me that I secretly have feelings for him, you were the one that drove me to the tattoo parlor, and you, were the one that told me what I should have done.”
“Okay, so technically, it is my fault, but seriously? Why don’t you want to tell him what it means?”
“Because, if I tell him, it’ll be the end of me.”