Lead You On

I shuddered and held the door handle, not quite ready to go back into my room and find the boys still there, but I opened the door anyway.

Nick was lying on the floor, lips pressed together, blushing, obviously trying not to laugh. His legs were spread apart, one resting up on my bed, the other bent at the knee on the floor. Kevin was sitting on the computer chair, legs up on my desk, laughing openly at Nick's face. And Joe was on my bed, head on my pillow, arms behind his head with his legs both bent.

Wow. A teenage girl's dream.

And in my room. Again, wow.

They all turned to me as I came in, I blushed and said, "Sorry."

"No problem at all." I didn't look over at Joe.

"Rio, where's your dad and Charlotte?" Kevin asked quickly. I frowned over at him, not sure how to answer him, not sure how to answer myself.

"Out," I said, grabbing a CD, and tossing it to Nick, "Do you like these guys, Nick?"

Kevin wasn't set off so easily, he asked again, "It's getting pretty late, you shouldn't be staying here alone if they've gone out on a date."

I internally barfed at the thought of my dad on a date. With Charlotte,

"She should have dinner with us!" Nick offered, looking up from inspecting the lyrics of the CD I had thrown him. The other two brothers nodded and all glanced at me.

"I'll have to call my dad... and tell him..."

"Here!" Kevin chirped, throwing me his phone, "Go ahead and call!"

"I have my own phone you know." I grumbled, setting his down and pulling out mine.

Truthfully, I hadn't seen my dad or Charlotte since last night when they went out, so I didn't know how to answer Kevin. I mean, what do I say, "Oh, it's been around 24 hours since I've seen my dad, no need to worry!". I'm guessing that wouldn't fly to well with the children of a perfect marriage.

"Hi, you've reached Ted De Silva. I cannot pick up this second, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Beep.

"Um, hey, dad. I'm going to eat dinner with the Jonas' tonight, don't wait up for me, if it get's to late I might stay over... um, give me a call. Bye."

I hung up the phone and whispered, "I left a message, we can go."

I looked up and met Joe's gaze, feeling air whip out of my body at the curiosity in his eyes. Like I was the hard to read one. Like he wasn't a puzzle I couldn't figure out.

"Okay!" Kevin stood and grabbed his phone and shoved it in his pocket. Nick followed suit, and Joe was last to get up. I ran out of my room and down the steps, grabbing my keys from the bowl in the hallway and turning off the lights, making sure to stay close to Kevin and far from Nick or Joe.

"This place is creepy in the dark." Nick's voice carried over to me as I locked the front door. I turned and squinted, making out his shape from the light from the street lamp.

I observed my house as I bounced down the front steps, wondering how I'd spent last night here alone.

Maybe I had been ready to be alone before.

Maybe I already knew I wouldn't have anyone when Charlotte was around.

I glanced at the three figures walking down the sidewalk in front of me.

Whoever thought I was alone, forgot about the Jonas family.