A/N: Oh God, okay I know this is a WHOLE week late and I am SO SO SO SORRY! I've been intensely busy and have been having a massive writer's block with this story, but finally after some work, I put together the longest chapter I've ever written. Like EVER. Yep, 9000+ words, right here. Sorry if you don't like long ones! You can take a break or something when reading heh. Okay, I'm sorry again for the delay! It's been crazy writing two stories at once :( alright, that's it, enjoy!
SHOUT OUT TO EVERYONE THAT REVIEWED TO THIS STORY! thank you for the support! I Know I'm A Dreamer , FiammaJoule, animelover614, SeaCatt, SageHope, The Writer's Dilemma, Ilys47, XxWishDreamerXx, elise1999, Gossip Girl, Smartie184 and cookiemonster222! Thank you!
Seven: Luck or Fate?
BEEP
"Bridgey, Bridgey, Bridgey,"
"Hey Ty!"
"Babe! It's so good to hear your voice again!"
"It's so good to hear yours too. How's everything?"
"Oh, you know, nothing's the same without you here."
"Anything new?"
"The crew's touring around the East Coast soon, usual mall performances. What about you, Bri?"
"Nothing much. Mostly just missing you. Stuff like that."
"I miss you too, babe. I'll try and visit when I can. Maybe in a couple of weeks?"
"Sounds great! I just have to let Skye know."
"Alright, well, early morning training starts in a sec. You're probably just sitting there, eating lunch."
"I am actually. Oh you know me so well."
"That I do. Love you, babe. See you soon."
"Bye Ty. Love you too."
BEEP
"Hey Bri!"
"Ty!"
"How are ya?"
"I'm good! Are you still coming to visit any time soon?"
"Oh shucks, I swear I tried, but crazy football and dance schedule's been keeping me day and night."
"Oh…Oh well."
"I'm sorry, Bri. I'll make it up to you soon. I swear. I miss you."
"I miss you too. I really wanted to see you."
"I wanted to see you too. I'm so sorry. I love you. I'll make it over the break, I swear. I'll see you by Halloween."
"I can't wait! I love you too. Anything going on?"
"Same old, same old. You know me. Still busy, all the time. And working twice as hard. Got a concussion in our last game."
"Ouch, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Oh, hey I gotta go! I'll call you. Love you and miss you Bri."
"Bye Ty. Love and miss you too."
BEEP
"Hey Tyler!"
"Bridge, how's it going?"
"It's good! Making new friends, studying hard, training so I can get in the squad again next sem. You?"
"More football. Hopefully this is our season, you know?"
"Yeah I know. Hey, I'm really looking forward to seeing you on Halloween. You haven't been calling much."
"Oh God, crap. I don't think I can make it, Bridge… Maybe Christmas is my best bet to go?"
"I thought…"
"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't realize… Yeah. Well, I really have to go. School time. I'll see you soon?"
"Okay?"
"See you, Bridge."
"Love you, Tyler."
"You too, bye."
BEEP
I clicked the mute button on my cellphone to stop the recordings, and pulled my blanket over my head as a small tear ran down my cheek. It hurt not being able to see Tyler, not knowing what he was up to, or how he was. I wanted nothing more than to just see him, and I couldn't get just that! I was unbelievably depressed after listening, and decided it was best of I just deleted all our phone recordings. I loved Tyler, and I missed him, but now that we were miles away, with completely separate lives, I wasn't sure how to keep everything going. Did he even want to keep it going? No. God, I shouldn't be thinking about that. Tyler loved me. If he didn't anymore, he would've ended it by now. He wouldn't be an ass and beat around the bush. I sighed, my eyes suddenly feeling heavy and my whole body starting to break down with it. Before I knew it, I was falling fast asleep into the comfort of my bed.
"Up and at 'em, Bridgette!" A loud voice broke me from my slumber. I groaned and dug my face into my pillow.
"Get up, loser!" Skye insisted, shaking my numb body out of its sleepy state.
"Get the fuck out of my room!" I shouted, throwing a pillow aimlessly at Skye's blurry figure.
"Get out of the bed!"
"No! Go away!"
"Suit yourself, but I'm taking the shower."
"Whatever!"
Then the door slammed shut. I grumbled and tried to fall right back to sleep, but couldn't. I hated these kinds of mornings. I stretched out and yawned, my blanket sliding right off the mattress. Autumn was cold and chilly, and though I was used to this kind of weather by now, it didn't mean that I didn't prefer the sun. I liked tank tops, bikinis, shorts, light cardigans. Then again, it was an excuse to wear all those pullovers and trench coats Ma had left for me. Outside my window, the leaves had already started to turn red and orange. They were freezing and turning weak, and I just knew that if I looked at our front porch, it would be a mess of red and orange leaves everywhere. I heard the shower in the bathroom Skye and I shared turn on. I took that as my cue to get up, since I knew I was desperate for a shower too. My crying from last night made me feel like a mess and I needed to wash all the negative energy away. I emerged from my room and went straight to the kitchen, pulling out two slices of toast and popping them both in the toaster. I grabbed from the butter and raspberry jam, and tried to clear my head of any Tyler-related burdens that messed with my head. It was a new Saturday morning. I loved Saturdays. What was the point in moping around and feeling down?
Just then, I heard the doorbell rings.
"C-Coming!" I called, suddenly aware that I didn't even have a bra on under the skimpy lace nightgown I had on. I grabbed for a robe that hung over the backrest of a chair and tied it up as I made my way to the door. When I swung it open, it was Mr. Mysterious himself, Lysander. His outfit followed the usual Shakespeare-theme he always went with, but instead of his usually-perfect hair and bright eyes, Lysander looked like he had jumped right out of bed and threw on a coat to rush over here. His hair was a tangled, slightly curled silver mess and his eyes looked like they needed a good scare to wake him up. Sure, he's my sister's best friend now, but he was hella beatiful, leaning on gorgeous. He was kind of like an angel or something: silver hair, magic eyes, mystic voice and all that. Okay yeah, Lysander was gorgeous. Whatever. Compared Lysander, Mason (my sister's best friend back home) was just your average teenager… Okay fine whatever, Mason was pretty hot too. In that authentic, cute way. God dammit, Skye.
"Hello Bridgette. May I come in?"
"No need to ask." I said, shrugging and stepping aside to let him in, getting a whiff of his cinnamon-like scent. "You're always here anyway."
Lysander stepped past me and settled into a bar stool by the countertops, setting down a brown paper bag he had been carrying. The whole room suddenly filled with the sweet smell of butter and bread, and for some reason, I knew it wasn't coming from my toast.
"What are you doing here so early?" I asked, tending back to my own breakfast and peeking over the bread slots until my face heated up. My stomach growled anyway, and I blushed in embarrassment.
"Breakfast for Skye." Lysander replied, leaning over the counter and giving me a hint of a smile. I raised my eyebrows at him.
"You're joking. You woke up and came all the way here, just to bring my sister food. Really."
"Yes."
I snickered. "No way, there's something deeper in this. I feel it."
"And I feel that you're slightly wrong there, Bridgette Whitman. Perhaps you need to wipe your contacts because nothing deeper is going on here."
"You're way too sweet, Lysander," I said, rolling my eyes with a smile. Lysander shrugged, but I noticed him smiling to himself as I leaned over my toast again. "Seriously, I don't even know normal friends who do this. Is there something up?"
"If something was up, I'm not sure if you're the first person I should tell, Ms. Nosy." Lysander replied to me with a mischievous look in his eyes. I blushed, mouthing out a 'sorry'. Hey, I didn't peep through his notebook before and returned it just like that! He had no right accusing me of something that was in the past.
"I mean is there something up between you and her?" I clarified, shooting a wink in Lysander's direction.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied indignantly, resting his chin on his knuckles like he always did.
"I'm talking, do you like S—"
"What's this?" Skye trotted down the stairs, and suddenly I was red in the face and wondering what she had heard. I was definitely going to get it from her.
Suddenly, Lysander seemed to have gotten a bounce in his step and jumped right to his feet, grinning at my sister. God, they were so cute. I already felt the tension in the room drop when he saw her, and I was just waiting for him to run into his arms and jump him.
"Good morning." Lysander said, and held up a paper bag. His fancy talked seemed to be reduced to plain English. "I brought you breakfast."
When I glanced over at Skye, she had on her thinking face, and I was so sure she'd have a clever reply or a question ready.
"You…brought…breakfast?" She said stupidly instead, running a hand through her cropped black and very wet hair. Disappointing. But she was staring at Lysander like he had lit up the whole house, even when the sun was pouring in from every opening possible.
"I wasn't sure what was your favorite since you seem to eat anything up as long as it didn't have any vegetables in it, so I grabbed a bunch from the bakery and made some at home myself." Lysander said brightly. I had no idea Lysander even had this side of him, but then again I didn't spend as much time with him as my sister did.
"I…Wow. Thanks Lys." Skye finally sputtered. I chuckled to myself just listening to them. They were talking to each other like shy teenagers, still trying to figure things out.
"Your room?" Lysander suggested, and in the next second, he was climbing up the stairs towards my sister's bedroom to do God-knows-what. Just kidding. Lysander wasn't the type, even I knew that. Once I heard the door shut, I heard my own stomach growl. I pried my toast out of the toaster and finished it up quickly. Still though, I was starving. When I made my way to the fridge though, I already knew it was empty. I checked it once more, but yup, all the food was gone. Lysander didn't look like it, but he ate a lot. Not all at once, but whenever he'd come over, Skye was always happy to make him a sandwich or a salad or even instant noodles. And he came over a lot after school, either to ask Skye to check out his poems (she told me what an amazing poet he really was), to help her out with any homework, check out the stars on the roof, take a walk together, or either just to read together. It was kind of weird. They both were. But that was my sister. She was a mix of a lot of things, but she was never just a little into something. She had her whole self into it. Until now, I didn't know how she came out of our plain family. Unlike me, I already knew from the start there wasn't anything special about whatever I could do. My mom was the only person that helped me doubt that, and even now when I needed her the most, I didn't have her. I sighed and threw on my denim jacket over my white tank top, and shimmied my floral-printed skirt over my sleeping shorts. I ran my hand threw my hair a couple of times, and grabbed the keys, sending a quick text message to Skye that I was headed for the grocery. I already knew she wasn't going to see it, probably mesmerized in Lysander's gorgeous gold and emerald eyes. The ride wasn't a long one, especially on Skye's Camaro, as I drove into the city. I passed quaint little shops, parks, and buildings. Not many were people were out yet, probably still under sleep's little spell. I parked the car in an empty lot and trudged up to the big store that took up around four lots. The automatic sliding doors accommodated me as I entered, picked out a cart, and started strolling through the aisles. As I filed through the pasta section, my stomach growled again, making my gasp.
"Hungry?" A familiar voice said behind me. I whipped around, almost knocking over a shelf of tomato sauce in the way. Nathaniel's chiseled tan face, a little bit of a fading scar on his cheek, and blond hair was looking right at me with his tired-looking gold eyes. But instead of his usual dress shirt, he wore a white polo under a dark blue apron that had 'Enjoy your day!' sewn in yellow thread across his chest.
"Nate!" I gasped.
Nathaniel grinned at me widely. Through the weeks that have passed, Nathaniel and I only got to know each other better. He permanently started helping me out with subjects, as Skye had Lysander to help her out, and paired with me in a few assignments in the classes we had together. Also, he did take me out for an ice cream at the diner like he promised, and we did nothing but laugh at whatever the other had to say. I told him about how I missed Tyler, and he didn't seem the least bit put off, while he talked a lot about Amber and how much stress he was in. Honestly, it seemed like hanging out with him seemed like the biggest favor anyone could give him. He really needed the time off from all the work.
Nathaniel did avoid me though when I was around Amber. I guess he knew about his sister not wanting her friends to mix with her older brother. I still didn't get the deal with that though, but if that's how things were going to be, and he was fine with avoiding me a bit just like that, then we had an understanding.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Hungry?" He said again, picking up a tiny cup with a few fruit slices in it. "Try our new assorted fruits mix right here, right now!"
"You're way too chipper this morning, Nathaniel." I shrugged.
"Sorry." Nathaniel apologized, "I kind of have to be."
"You work here? At Big Mart?" I asked, waving my arms around.
"Yeah, um, actually, no."
"But—"
"I'm filling in for Amber. Again." Nathaniel sighed, not looking at me in the eye like he was embarrassed.
"But why?" I asked. "It's not your job."
"Because she asked me to, and our father…well, I don't want any fights." Nathaniel said, but then was quick to switch subjects, "Hey, do you want to hang out for a bit? My first shift ends in a minute."
"You mean Amber's…"
Nathaniel just rolled his eyes before nodding silently. I knew I was Amber's friend, but I was Nathaniel's too. Seriously, he had to stand up to his sister. Or something. I don't know. And what was this thing about his father?
"I just have to run to the lockers for a bit." Nathaniel said, setting down the fruit cup and sliding off his apron, disappearing through an open arch at the back of the grocery. After a good ten minutes, I was getting impatient. And hungry, my stomach constantly reminded. So I silently poked my head through the arch and into the employees lockers, and there I saw Nathaniel. He was pacing around with his phone held to his ear with a worried look in his face.
"Yes father, I'll be home soon. Of course. I ranked highest in our grade. I'll get to studying when I get there. Yes." Nathaniel crossed his arms suddenly and peeled his shirt off gingerly, like it pained him to do so. Slowly, he exposed his back to me, making me inhale a sharp gasp and shrink against the wall and stay hidden. There was no mistaking it. The bruises that speckled his whole back were fading slowly, but that didn't mean I didn't see them. I felt my blood boil at just the thought of anyone wanting to hurt Nathaniel, the nicest, self-less and most thoughtful boy alive. I gingerly edged myself nearer the arch in hopes that I'd be able to get another look and clarify if what I saw was really true, bending down and gripping the wall, then poking my head in and expecting to see Nathaniel's back again. Instead, what came to view were a button down dress shirt and the tip of a blue necktie. I gulped.
"Bridgette?"
"Nathaniel." I gasped, only rising from my awkward position when I felt his hand pull my arm up. "Er…"
"What were you doing?"
"Nothing! I mean, um—"
"Were you spying on me?"
"Pfft! Ha! You wish! No. Psh. Ha. Hahaha!"
"You're a terrible liar, Bridgette." Nathaniel said.
I sighed, my cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.
"I just—I saw, I mean, uh, why do you have bruises on your back?"
Nathaniel's eyes widened and his usually tan face suddenly paled. He looked like he was going to be sick.
"Bruises? I don't know what you—"
"Because, I mean, if it's Amber or something I could—"
"I tripped." Nathaniel cut me off.
Tripped. Really.
"You tripped… on your back?"
"Yes." Nathaniel cast his eyes away, scratching his neck.
"Nathaniel, you're a terrible liar too."
Nathaniel looked at me then, and I mean really looked at me with his gold eyes and everything, and I thought he was going to open up. Anything. Tell me something because my whole being was dying to know what was going on with him. Who was hurting him? Why? What had he done? Could I do anything about it?
"You know what, Bridgette? It's really nice that you care and all about me, but sometimes I just wish you'd stick your nose out of people's business. Sorry but, I don't think I can hang out with you right now. I have to go."
Oh my God.
What?
And THERE. There I felt it. Hurt. Like I had just been stabbed right in the heart, dead, frozen on the spot. I didn't move, or blink, or even breath, even when I saw Nathaniel gather his bag and answer another phone call, before brushing me aside and storming off. I couldn't move. I was just stuck there, immobile, and mute. First, I'm completely infatuated with this guy, then when I finally realize that I'm better off just thinking of him as a friend, he can't even give that to me. After what felt like forever, I finally peeled myself from my spot, wheeling my cart away.
My morning went my monotonously, guilt rushing through my whole self. I didn't mean to butt in like that, but what friend wouldn't be concerned if they knew shit like that was going down? I grabbed boxes of pasta and tomato sauce, and some beef and cheese, eggs and milk, orange juice, apple juice, pop tarts, kool-aid, and cereals, the usual. I dragged my feet even as I wheeled the grocery to the car or carried the stuff home and dumping them on the kitchen counter. I suddenly felt extremely lonely, especially when I heard the laughing coming from Skye's room. I just felt unbelievably…bad. And I couldn't shake it off. I didn't know how long I sat at the couch, but I was sure that some time had passed. Soon, Lysander and Skye were emerging from her room, giggling like retards.
"Come here you lazy bum!" Skye called to me. I heard her socked footsteps behind me as they shuffled into the open kitchen.
"What's wrong here, princess?" Lysander said, plopping down beside me on the couch.
"Nothing's wrong," I mumbled. I didn't even look up even as Lysander had started to twirl his long skinny finger around my hair. He was exceptionally giddy today.
"I don't know if you know this," Lysander whispered in my ear, tilting his head to the back, towards the kitchen to look like he was looking there, "but you might be able to lie to your clueless sister, but I am extremely good at perceiving lies."
I sunk lower in my seat, turning pink in the cheeks.
"I just feel like I've been butting into people's business," I confessed. "I feel bad."
"Doesn't it feel better that you've said it out loud?"
"Not really," I shrugged, though a smile was already coming on.
"Do I see a smile? I think I do." Lysander smirked, poking my cheek. I rolled my eyes.
"Go back to making out with Skye!" I yelled, grabbing a pillow and hitting him across the face and messing his hair up even more. He looked dazed and blinked at me.
"Oh you are asking for it—"
"I heard that!" Skye called from the kitchen. "And none of that is going on in this house!"
"Not yet!" I snickered. Lysander gasped and clasped a hand over my mouth.
"You heard the lady." He said softly.
"Your lady!" I squealed, pushing his hand away from me.
"Bite your tongue—" Lysander said, holding back a laugh.
"Have you bit hers?" I teased. Oh I was on a roll.
"Oh God…" Lysander shook his head, "Well look, you're laughing so it's an accomplishment from getting you out of your slump. And now, we need you."
"Need me?" I asked, still laughing.
"Yes, to cook us lunch."
There was a lot of pushing from Lysander, begging from Skye and protesting from me, especially since I didn't want to move an inch just yet. But then again, moping would have gotten me nowhere and my stomach was still empty. So trudging to the kitchen, I finally ripped open the box of noodles, had Lysander boil the water and Skye put the tomato sauce in a bowl. I didn't trust them to do anymore, so I boiled the pasta myself, sautéed the beef and mixed it in with the sauce before serving it all on three plates and sprinkling cheese to top it off. Finally, when we were all done with lunch and the conversations between it, it was around two o'clock when Lysander had to leave.
"I still haven't taken a shower," he admitted, looking over at Skye. "I just rushed over here to see you." Then he looked at me, and earned a wink.
"See you guys." He added.
"Okay, Lys…" I rolled my eyes.
"Thank you for lunch, Bridgette. I hope my water boiling skills were satisfactory."
"So-so." I joked. "Your welcome, by the way."
"Bye Lys." Skye said, "Thanks for swinging by. The breakfast was reaaaally good."
"It was nothing." Lysander said, his eyes suddenly distant again. My sister walked him to the door, where they exchanged hugs (they were both blushing, I just knew it) and said goodbye. Lysander called out something, though it was muffled by the loud ringing of the phone. I grabbed it off the receiver.
"I'm not bringing you breakfast, Lys!" Skye called out.
"Hello?" I said.
"Bridgey-kins!" the voice on the other end was bubbly, high, and unmistakable. Auntie.
"Skye! Auntie's on the phone!"
"Oh, oh, is your sister busy?"
"No she's not—"
"What's she saying?" Skye whispered to me, leaning over the kitchen counter.
"That's great!" Auntie giggled, "Well, I just wanted to see if you two were free tonight?"
"Mhmm," I replied.
"Great! Dinner at my place? I gave you an address when we moved here, it's on a yellow or orange post-it. Anywho, search for that!"
"Yeah, that sounds alright." I replied, "Why not?"
"Oh! I have another thing. Actually, it's more a request. See, I have this thing next week and I need one of you to fill in for me…"
"O-Oh next week?" I asked. I was pretty sure something was going on next week, though I couldn't remember what.
"It's a baby sitting gig."
"Really?"
"You know my job takes up a lot of time, and I shouldn't have bitten off more than I can chew! But you know me, it's just a favor for a friend. I really need either of you. Or both of you! It's just my job, you know?"
"Yeah…I know. Of course." I nodded, even if she couldn't see me. "It's fine!"
"That's great! I miss you both so much! Tell your sister! Dinner tonight! Be there, love you!"
"We totally miss you too! I'll tell Skye."
"Bye cutie pie!"
"Okay, bye Auntie! Love you! We'll be there!"
Finally I heard the beep. Then, I returned the phone back on its cradle.
"What's up?" Skye asked.
"She wants to have dinner with us tonight, see how things are going and all."
Skye nodded.
"That's cool." she said. Which it was. We haven't seen Auntie Agatha in forever. She was the weird, cool aunt that always had gifts for us. And she wore pretty awesome costumes.
"Yeah…" I trailed off.
"You seem bummed to see her." Skye pointed out.
"I'm not, but she also asked for a favor. She has a babysitting gig next week, but she has work to do and she's asking one of us..."
"To cover next week." She finished.
"Yeah, but whatever. We'll think about it later." I shrugged. Skye did too, and disappeared into her room for the rest of the day. I slumped towards the couch again, occasionally checking for any new texts. There were a lot from Amber, saying how her and Charlotte were going to try and sneak into a club tonight. Li sent a few but she was down with a fever, so it was mainly her asking me how to get herself to stop sweating but also get warmer. Iris and Melody reminded me of homework. But none from Nathaniel. And none from Tyler either. I felt like a bum, flipping through channels and checking my phone all day. When it was finally around seven o'clock, I threw my legs off the seat, plugged my phone into its charger and knocked on Skye's door to get her off her bum day too. Then, I showered as fast as I could and made my way to my closet. Once I opened it, I picked the first thing that caught my eye: Mom's baby blue halter dress. It was one she wore to our dad's birthday dinner once, and I remember she reminded me of Marilyn Monroe that night. Skye and I were still little kids back then, but this dress survived the years. When my hair and make up were in place, I waited outside by the car for Skye. The night was chilly and I was in a rush to get inside. Skye threw me the keys.
"You have the address?"
"Orange post-it." I replied, snatching the keys and opening the car. Then, we made off into the city.
"This is the place, right?" I said, glancing at the same tiny post-it. "158 Polamo Street, Bayside Wesgrove."
We stood in front of a simple townhouse that matched the others on the same block. The only difference was that it was crawling with plants everywhere. Vines crawled up the arch above the steps up the porch, rose gardens, carnation beds decorated the walkway. There were even tomato plants, and sunflowers in pots over the ledge.
"Yep, this is definitely Aunties." Skye said, running up to the front door ahead of me. The door was thrown open without much of a knock and standing in front of us was a pink-haired, wide-eyed and caked-with-make-up woman who wore a long, sequined, green and aqua gown that reached the rug.
"Bridgette!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around Skye then did the same to me, "Skye!"
"Other way around Auntie." I giggled, hugging her back. She smelled like pastries and sweet pea.
"Oh, I'm so, so sorry. It's been forever! I'm sorry I haven't been able to check on you two, but obviously you're both fine since you're still in one piece. Or two pieces, since you're twins… Well, you know what I mean!"
Auntie rushed both of us inside and sat us down in a long, mahogany dining table. Salisbury steaks with a cube of butter on top, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and garlic bread on the side lied there waiting for us to devour them all for dinner. My stomach was suddenly empty and again and I found my appetite. Skye didn't waste any time either, jumping into her seat and digging into her food, leaving me to answer all Auntie's questions.
"How's your dog by the way? It had an odd name didn't it? Brad Richard, or something?"
"Boo Radley," I corrected, scooping some mashed potatoes onto my plate with steak. "He's more of Skye's dog since he sleeps with her all the time."
"What about your grades? Good? Both of you?"
"Yes, actually, this year we've both been getting higher marks then ever. It's definitely a good thing if we're thinking about college applications."
"How's school? Make friends? Any parties coming up?"
"Skye and I both hang out with different crowds, but there really isn't much of a problem with that."
I noticed my sister roll her eyes at that as she swallowed down her mashed potatoes.
"Ooh! So boyfriends! Any of you have boyfriends?"
"I'm still seeing someone from home, Tyler!" I gushed before kicking Skye under the table, getting out an oof from her. "You should ask Skye. Her boyfriend came over a while ago to give her breakfast. His name's L—"
"B-Bridgette!" Skye pretty much choked, her hazel eyes widening before grabbing her water and downing half the glass. I burst into laughter just seeing her face, holding my stomach as if it could suppress my fit. See? If she didn't have any feelings for Lysander, then why was she blushing so hard? Or so conscious about me talking about it.
"Honey, there's no shame in having a boyfriend…" Auntie said happily, turning to Skye to pat her arm.
"Auntie, Bridgette's out of her mind." Skye replied just as sweetly, dabbing her lips with a napkin. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"That's right." I said triumphantly. "She has two."
"Two?!" Skye stared in horror. I just broke into another fit of laughter.
"Two!" Auntie exclaimed, slapping her hand to her cheek in shock. "Oh my, Skylar, you really are 'living the life'!"
"L-Living the…what?"
I just exploded. My eyes even teared up.
"BAHAHAHAHHAHAHA—"
"Oh, I've done that before!" Auntie winked mischievously, "Just don't get caught, dearie. Things won't end well if the two men find out. Or are they… women?"
"They're men!" Skye cut in, her whole body suddenly shivering. "I-I mean, they're neither! I don't have boyfriends or girlfriends!"
"You're right, you're much too young. Don't worry, you can experiment all you want in college."
"Auntie." She said, gripping the dining table. "I don't have anyone. At all."
I took a sip of water, "They're both totally in love with you though. Especially—"
"—Don't say Lysander." Skye groaned.
"—Castiel, I mean have you seen the way he looks at you?"
Skye dropped her glass back on the table in confusion. I wasn't lying. I just never wanted to bring it up to her.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah, I see him all the time. Staring at you and shiz." I murmured.
"That's not possible." Skye commented. "Cas barely even goes to class."
"He does when he has classes with you."
She rolled her eyes.
"Not true." Skye said. "Stop it, Bridge. We're friends so there's nothing wrong with that."
"Alright, alright, just letting you in on what I know." I sighed, patting my contented stomach. I was stuffed, and definitely feeling a bit lighter than I did this morning.
"Well!" Auntie clapped her hands, "This has been an eventful dinner! We should have these more often!"
"Agreed." I grinned. Suddenly, I felt a heel hit me under the table, making me shriek. Skye snickered to herself.
BUT the night wasn't over. Auntie had dug around her old VCR collections, and after scavenging through the mess, she found her VCR player and her only copy of Dirty Dancing. Before either Skye or I could make an excuse to leave, she popped in the tape, heated up some popcorn, and brought us a blanket to keep us warm on her plush loveseat in front of the TV. I loved Dirty Dancing and all, but I wasn't thrilled. My sister and I have watched it over a billion times. We knew the dance moves of Johnny and Baby, even. I beat Skye in the dancing part, obviously, but she sang along and made up for her little enthusiasm. But then, our luck changed. Halfway into the movie, Aunt had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly between us. I decided to seize the day and send Amber a quick text message.
"I am so out of here." I said, hopping off the couch and dusting off my dress. I picked up my heels and made my way out onto Auntie's front porch.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Skye chased after me and out to the driveway as I ambled with my unfastened wedges on. I turned around to face her.
"Amber's house is pretty near here. You sure you wanna come?"
Skye leaned against the lightpost, looking disappointed. She rubbed her arms like she was cold, even when she had her cardigan on already.
"No." She finally sighed. "I'll call Lys or Cas or something to hang out."
"I'll be careful with the car!" I called, reaching over to pinch Skye's cheek then jumping into the driver's seat before driving away. I recognized the neighborhood, Amber and I had gone driving one time and it wasn't new to me at all. I skimmed through, checking the signs until I finally found the right one.
"101 Specklum St." I said out loud as I drove the car up the steep rode. Finally, I stopped at the top of the hill where the house I was looking for was. The tall, wide, and white structure stood before me, lit up by porch lights and some on the roof that was made to look wooden but wasn't. I straightened out my dress and rang the doorbell. The door opened, and there was Mrs. Bristol, a tall, slim and blond woman with blue eyes and freckles on her cheekbones. Instead of the usual outfit I saw her in, which was a nice pencil skirt and a cardigan with a blouse under, she wore a sleek plum dress that stopped right above her knees, and her signature pearl necklace with matching earrings.
"Bridgette! It's so nice of you to drop by!" she grinned from ear to ear. "I'm not sure if Amber's up, she didn't tell me she was having guests over… She told me she was coming down with a fever."
"O-Oh," I blushed, suddenly remembering that Amber told me her and Char were sneaking into that club… I really should've thought this through. "I know, um, but I'm actually here to visit!"
"Well that's sweet of you!" she gushed. "Come in! Come in!" I followed and stepped into their foyer. The Bristol house was as perfect as ever. The long carpet that ran down the hallway to the dining room looked newly vacuumed, the chandelier above my head looked pristine, the kitchen looked spotless, and just, everything seemed perfect. It was hard to believe anything bad could be going on in the house…Especially to N—
"My husband and I have a company meeting tonight. You could just call it a business dinner." Mrs. Bristol chatted lightly, smiling at me as she led me towards the stairs.
"Thank you Mrs. Bristol—"
"Call me Anne, please."
"Er…Mrs. B—"
"Annita, is the car ready? I don't need to be late again." A loud, deep voice came from upstairs. When I looked, it sure wasn't Nathaniel. A tall, very built man clad in an expensive-looking suit. He had blond hair too, but more of an icy shade, and the same golden eyes I was familiar with, except his were cold and indifferent. Suddenly, the room temperature dropped. Or maybe it was just me. I felt cold.
"Who's this?" the man asked, sizing me up and down with his gaze.
"This is Amber's friend, Bridgette, honey." Mrs. Bristol said happily, patting me on the shoulder. I smiled shyly at the man. "Bridgette, I don't think you've met Nathaniel and Amber's father."
"Carlisle Bristol." He cut it, still looking at me.
"Pleased to meet you sir. I'm a good friend of your daughter and your son." I said, sticking my hand out for a handshake. His gold eyes flickered to my hand for a moment and stayed there, slowly making me lower my hand in embarrassment. Finally, he raised his and I did again awkwardly, shaking his hand.
"We're going to be late. We have business to attend to." Mr. Bristol said curtly, raising his chin and walking past me and out the front door.
"Er… Thank you for coming by to see Amber." Mrs. Bristol smiled at me sheepishly. "I'll see you around dear."
"Yes ma'am." I smiled back. The pair went off and I waited for the sounds of the engine before I climbed the stairs. First, I knocked on Amber's room, in case her plans with Charlotte hadn't pushed through and she wasn't lying to her mom about being sick. Though the moment I knocked, the door immediately fell open and I stepped into the room before shutting it behind me. Her bed at been made to look like a person was there, but it wasn't fixed so well. I knew it was empty immediately. The window was open too so I guessed that was how Amber had gotten out. Also, I noticed Charlotte's clipboard was here. Right.
Then the door flew open again right behind me and I shut my eyes, dreading the look I would see on Mrs. Bristol's face.
"Amber, do you know where—"
I spun around and the sight I saw sent my cheeks on fire. We both froze in our spot, more me than Nathaniel. I would have described the clothes he was in, which I expected would be his regular dress shirt and khakis, but I couldn't. Because Nathaniel wasn't wearing anything but a towel. His long torso was dripping wet, and the towel hung loosely on his hips, right past the bones. His tanned skin was glistening. Amber's bedside lamp reflected right off him. He had another towel in his left hand which he was busy rubbing against his sopping blond hair. I swallowed.
"Uh…Hi Nate."
"Oh…God." He breathed, turning on his heel.
"Wait, I can explain!" I said, stepping towards him.
"No! Wait, I mean, wait right there—um, uh, let me put a shirt on or something!" He waved his hand away, exiting Amber's room and going into his own, which was diagonal to his. I sunk down on the bed and buried my face in my hands, which really was burning a dark red shade. I really, really shouldn't have come here. As I peeled my eyes open, I glanced over at the full-length mirror Amber had. No wonder. It was the first thing she saw in the morning. Then, I saw something move, and I thought it was something in the room. Until I realized it was in the mirror. Nathaniel had left his door open, and Amber's door was open and oh God, he was just dressing up right there. My jaw fell slightly open and I could barely peel my eyes away. He had on dark blue boxers and was running a hand through his damp hair. He grabbed a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, pulling on the jeans first, for what seemed agonizingly slow. My heart felt stuck in my throat, beating a hundred miles a minute. What the hell was I doing? I finally reverted my gaze to the floor, but not before I noticed the curve of his very toned torso. When I looked in the mirror again, I saw my own face, pink and alert, staring right back at me. This was a mistake and I knew it. I grabbed my cardigan and my purse and made to leave, but Nathaniel was standing there suddenly, blocking my way.
"I should go." I said, making my way towards Nate. But he didn't budge, and soon we were barely inches apart.
"Can we talk?" he said, turning to face me.
"O-Okay…"
"Good." Nathaniel turned around and made his way to his room. I followed him awkwardly after, trying to make my footsteps as silent as possible. I shut the door behind me.
"Um here?"
"Did you want to in Amber's room?" he said. "First…why are you here?"
"I was here to visit Amber," I said pathetically, "I mean—"
"Amber's not here."
"I know that." I groaned. "Look, Nate, I'm sorry-"
"No, it wasn't you." Nathaniel said, sinking down on his bed, "I was the one who freaked out this morning. I'm sorry."
"I was the one being nosy."
"I was the one who was an asshole." He said, shrugging. I sat down on the bed beside him.
"Nate, you know you can tell me anything, right?"
Nathaniel looked at our feet.
"I…" His voice faded out. "I can't. Not this. It's different."
"It's okay. Take your time." I said. "It's not like I'm going anywhere!" I flashed him a toothy grin. Nathaniel chuckled and turned to me.
"Thanks Bridgette." He said. "I'm really glad you're here, by the way. Ever since I stormed out of the store this morning, all I've been thinking about is getting to talk to you."
"Well, I can't say I haven't either." I shrugged. "And I'm here. So let's do something!"
"D-Do something?"
"Yeah! Let's like, go out, or whatever. Grab a bite to eat? Watch a movie at a drive in?"
"Oh um, my parents would kill me if they know I took off…" Nathaniel scratched his neck.
"Um, Nate?" I said.
"Hmm?"
"If you haven't noticed, Amber snuck out. I think you need a little fun."
"I'd get grounded…"
I rolled my eyes.
"A little adventure never hurt anyone, Nate."
Before I knew it, I was standing in the Bristol driveway in one of Nathaniel's winter coats. The cardigan would've done just fine for me but I still wasn't used to the cold air here. Nathaniel finally backed out the white Maxima from the garage and I climbed in, shivering. Once the door was shut, he was driving away.
"If we get caught, I'll just say I dropped you home, okay?"
"Okay." I said, "Where are we going?"
"I-I don't know. Where do you want to go?" Nathaniel was shaky.
"Anything." I said. "Why don't you choose?"
"Er…Um, well, there's still pretty cool drive-in place downt—"
"Perfect." I said, grinning. "It doesn't matter Nate, just go somewhere."
Nathaniel looked at me with worry, but put on a smile anyway. I rolled my eyes at his innocence.
"You Whitman twins are crazy…" He sighed. I couldn't help but laugh. He didn't know how true that was. Right now, I was pretty sure Skye was on an adventure of her own.
We drove around the city. It was more beautiful than I expected it to be, having high expectations since I came from California. As we drove down the road, we passed by the river, and the coastal houses by them. The building lights flickered and almost blurred as we sped right past them. The place was bursting with life. I felt like I finally knew where I was. Being stuck in the tiny town, I felt like I was in my own little bubble. And here was living, breathing proof, how I wasn't. People hustled around to get inside tiny convenience stores, kids held hands as they were being led away by their mothers, big truck drivers were singing along to Bon Jovi with their windows rolled down, teenagers held onto each other for dear life as they rode on they motorcycles… I just finally felt like a part of this town. And then I knew I was ready to just let go of the past and face this. My whole future.
Nathaniel pulled into a flat plane where other cars were parked. He had brought me to a drive-in movie lot, where an old movie was being played on a big screen by a projector and you sat in your cars to watch. I'd always wanted to do this. Always.
"Right on time." Nathaniel breathed. He still looked worried, and his hands were shaking as he lowered them from the wheel.
"Nate, stop worrying. Your parents are out. Amber's not even home. And you've got a good excuse in case. What are you so scared of?"
"It's just—I've never done this. Ever. I'd be in huge trouble."
"Do you want to go home?" I asked.
Nathaniel bit his lip.
"No." He sighed finally, and settled in his seat. Finally, his shoulder's relaxed and he let his eyes focus on the screen. It was Grease showing tonight, and it opened to Danny and Sandy on the beach. I had seen the film a million times, but unlike Dirty Dancing, Grease was a movie I could never get enough of. I was in love with the idea of Sandy going out of the way for Danny, instead of going by tradition and him changing for her. Plus, she looked like a total babe in the end. And so did Danny. Nathaniel was tense at first, checking his wristwatch at least twenty times at the start of the movie, but finally as the story started to unfold, he gave up on being so scared. My anxiety faded when he got less jumpy. Then, it came to the scene when Danny and Sandy were in their own drive-in movie. When I looked around, none of the couples around us were even watching anymore. Everyone was making out, and eventually, Nathaniel realized it too.
"We're not going to just because…"
"No!" I scoffed, swatting him square in the chest. Nathaniel laughed goodheartedly.
"Good, well, I mean I was just checking. I've never been to a drive-in before."
"Me either." I admitted. "Thanks for taking me, Nate."
"Thanks for making me take you." Nathaniel said, smiling at me. My eyes locked with his gaze and we both sat there for what felt like forever. Suddenly, Nathaniel slid an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I leaned on his chest and tried to watch the movie as his heart beat right under my cheek. I've never felt safer in my life.
"Thank you, Bridgette." Nathaniel said.
"For what?" I asked.
"For this," he clarified, "Sure, I'm scared as hell that my parents would find out. But this is fun. And I really mean fun."
"Better than sorting out files at school?" I teased.
"Yes, so much better." Nathaniel chuckled. "I'm sorry again for this morning. I acted like a huge jerk."
"It's fine, really. I've dealt with jerks all my life." I snickered to him.
"You have?"
"Yeah, so I can defend myself if ever I need to!" I stated proudly.
Nathaniel just nodded. "Take care of yourself, Bridgette."
"I do." I said. We both tried to watch the movie again, but we ended up laughing at the jokes and making our own. Soon, we were just talking and forgetting about the movie completely. Still, with the cool breeze and Nathaniel's comforting arm around me, I didn't feel like I was missing out much.
"How's your cheek?" I asked.
"Better. It's fading." Nathaniel cracked a smile, touching his cheek.
"Hey! No touching!"
"It's barely there!" Nathaniel protested.
"Then just wait till it's not there at all!" I countered.
"Alright, alright, dear God… How are things with your boyfriend?"
I raised then dropped my shoulders, sighing. "Okay. We haven't been talking as much as we usually do."
"Is anything up?" Nathaniel asked, shifting position so he was looking at me. I looked up and our gazes met again.
"I don't think so." I answered. "At least, I hope not…"
"Ah, he's probably busy. You told me he has dancing and football, right? So don't worry about it. I totally get the busy schedule thing."
"You're student body president." I rolled my eyes. "Of course you do."
"Yeah…I didn't think it would take over my whole life but it sort of did."
"What about you?" I asked, "I mean I know you're busy and all, but there has to be a girl…"
"Well…" Nathaniel shook his head, smiling, "Sadly, not right now. I used to have a crush on your sister though, but when she started hanging out with Lysander and Castiel, I realized it wasn't going to happen."
I knew it!
"Not going to happen because she's friends with Castiel and you hate each other's guts?"
"Yeah pretty much."
"So you don't like anyone now?" I pressed.
Nathaniel paused for a second then started gnawing on his lip.
"There's this one girl… She's been there with me through everything. She probably doesn't like me like that though, but she's pretty and sweet and smart, and I don't know—I don't know why just now, I realize that I like her. It's just…Nah, it's nothing."
"Tell me!" I squealed, twisting away from his grasp to lean on the car door behind me. Nathaniel shifted too, leaning against the door and facing me, until we had our legs folded and we were parallel to each other.
"This is weird." Nathaniel said, burying his face in his hands. A blush was evident across his cheeks.
"No it's not." I said, "We're already talking about it!"
"About what?"
"Love!"
"I'm not in love with her!" Nathaniel protested. I held my hands up in mock surrender.
"Okay, okay! Who is it?"
Nathaniel breathed out a loud sigh.
"Melody…"
"Aha! I knew this was going to happen someday!" I said, grinning and holding a finger near his face. Melody was so into him too, everyone knew that.
"You did?"
"Mhmm… So why don't you go get her?"
"I would, but if you haven't noticed, I'm not all that experienced with girls… I've only had like, one girlfriend."
"That's better experience than a lot of people, trust me." I said. "And you have me, who already has a boyfriend, to help you!"
"You'll do that?" Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. "For me?"
"Of course I will." I frowned. "What are friends for?"
"Well, for starters…THIS!" Nathaniel launched forward and the next thing I knew, I was doubling over with laughter as he tickled the hell out of me. "NATE!" I screamed, tears forming at my eyes when I laughed. "NATE YOU ASS, STOP! STOP THIS NOW OR I WILL SET YOU ON-FIRE!"
"TRY ME!"
Then I was flailing my arms to get a hold of him and failing, instead smacking his chest repeatedly, and Nathaniel was just laughing and laughing as I attacked him, until he finally had enough and pinned my hands against the window, my whole body heaving and giggling along.
"Funny, the things you say when you're being tickled." He smirked.
"What was that for?" I asked, huffing and trying to pull up my now very much slipping dress.
"I don't know." Nathaniel blushed. "I just—oh God, it's already past midnight!"
"No way!" I sat straight up. When I looked, the movie was over, even the credits, most of the cars had already cleared and there were barely any of us left except for those who were getting a little too romantic. Nathaniel started the engine again and backed out of the drive-in lot, heading home as fast as he could.
"You drive like a maniac!" I yelled as the wind whipped through my hair through the open windows.
"Only when I'm about to get in trouble!" He laughed, stepping on it. Before I knew it, I spotted the familiar Dollar shop, and Leigh's loud, purple store. We were taking a right. We were pulling into my street. We were parked in front of my house. Then, I was climbing out of Nathaniel's car.
"Thank you, Nate." I said, bending down to look at him.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you." Nathaniel replied sheepishly. "I know we didn't do much, but leaving the house tonight and just seeing that movie was the most fun I've had in a while."
I smiled back, my heart fluttering at the comment. It was nice to know I had shown someone a good time, and that we were all good from this morning.
"Good night, Nate."
"Good night, Bridgette."
As I crawled into bed and let my eyes shut, I realized how much I felt better than I did hours ago. How I should stop worrying so much and just let things happen. How I had come across some luck when I thought it was a bad thing (seeing Nathaniel instead of Amber), when really it was fate. And the best thing that could've happened to me.
A/N: Okay, so that was a long one... What did you guys think? Leave a comment down there! Thanks! :-)
Read the parallel story, Tongue Tied for Skye's POV! Let me know what you guys prefer?
