I don't own Home Alone

"Do you know how hard it's for someone to find out about a secret from someone else?"

Were the words that echoed in Linnie's mind as she walked home from school. Why couldn't she just bring herself to tell her parents that she was dating someone and let alone someone that her parents knew very well. As opposed to her other classmates, Lucas was respectful and didn't have any habits that were deemed terrible. The only habit that Linnie could think of were the video games that he liked to play but that wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps Lucas was right about what he had said earlier when they departed from school. She had kept this secret for months and still wasn't brave enough to bring it to her parents when Lucas had went ahead and done so.

I just have to tell them Linnie thought to herself as she raised her eyes from the pavement and found herself nearing to the proximity of her house. One car was already parked out there, indicating that her mother was already home and her father had soon yet to come. As for her siblings, Kevin would already be there along with Megan, Jeff, and Becky. As for Buzz, who had already gotten his license was probably meeting him with his friends at that infamous milkshake joint. She walked up the steps to her home and walked inside.

The moment that she walked in, she was welcomed by the aroma of the food that her mother had been cooking along with her voice. "Linnie, is that you?"

Why am I feeling so nervous? Linnie thought and gently closed the door behind her. She took off her shoes and neatly placed them in the closet. "Yes mom," she called back and took the strap of her backpack off her shoulder before walking to the kitchen. "Hey Kevin," she greeted her brother who was glued to the television. "...and Megan." Wow, her sister was finally out of her room after being in there for days.

"Hey," Megan greeted her sister before looking over at the television show that Kevin was watching. "You got my homework?"

To Linnie, it seemed like Megan was looking cheery then normal though she was not going to complain about it. The situation that her sister went through with soccer had worried her but she wasn't going to bother Megan about it. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out the stack of homework that Megan's teachers had assigned to her. The first reaction that Linnie noticed from her sister's face were those wide eyes and the hanging jaw of all the work that she had tog et through. Linnie gently giggled and placed the stack of homework on the table, "don't worry, they're not due tomorrow."

Megan collapsed onto the sofa and closed her eyes. "This is what I get for missing school!"

"You needed some time off," Kate's voice came from the kitchen as she stirred the pot of dinner that she was making. "But I don't want you falling behind on your coursework. Linnie, could you please come here?"

The moment that her name was called, Linnie's grip tightened onto the strap of her backpack. She gently bit her lips and pulled the backpack along with her, as if she was going to need it for protection on whatever her mother was going to say. When it came to lectures, Linnie didn't like any of it. Then again, no child did and she could suddenly feel her face getting hot from whatever her mother was going to say. When she finally came to the kitchen, she sat on one of the chairs and awaited for what her mother had to say.

After stirring the pot, Kate turned around and beheld a slight smile upon her lips. "Well I am glad that you finally came home," she said to her, "how was French Club?"

It was as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "French Club was...uh great," Linnie said, "we're planning a bake sale to raise money for the school and to support the upcoming football game. All homemade stuff of course. Lisa said that her mother had studied abroad in France and knows some French desserts that she could make for the bake sale."

Kate was glad to hear that her children were partaking in extracurricular activities for the school. Not only did it get them out of the house but it also gave them something productive to do. "But it lasted this long? I thought your club was supposed to be done two hours ago. It's almost five."

Lying was something that Linnie could not come up with on the spot. She fiddled with her fingers as she tried to think up of something, anything that she could say. However, the next words that her mother said shocked her. "I even got a call from Lucas's mother that he was supposed to be home too."

Linnie sighed as she leaned forward on the counter and hid her face behind her hands. It's not like I'm doing anything illegal, yet why do I feel so ashamed to admit it? This was it. The moment of truth that she had to face. "The truth is..." she began before pausing.

Kate raised an eyebrow and looked at her daughter.

"The truth is...after my French Club meeting, I met up with Lucas," she admitted, "at the football field."

"What were you doing in the football field with Lucas?"

Why did this meeting place sound so wrong to Linnie? The averted her eyes from her mother and looked at the empty countertop as if she was going to find the answer to her own questions. "Lucas and I have been going out. We decided to meet after my French Club and his band practice but nothing happened!" the words spilled out of her mouth as if she was running a marathon and she hoped that her mother wouldn't ask her again as to what she said. She already felt her face getting hot as she spoke.

There was silence between mother and daughter as Kate took the words that Linnie had said and interpret them in her own mind. What she understood from that fast explanation that her daughter had said, this was some form of companionship that had been going on for a while that she was not aware of. "And why didn't you tell this to me or your father?"

Why did I? Linnie thought. "I don't know," was the only answer that she could think of. "Maybe because I wanted to see what it was like to have a boyfriend or even...love someone."

A hidden smile appeared on Kate's lips when Linnie said that. What it was like to be young again and in love. However, with the youth these days one had to be careful or their hearts would be broken and knowing her daughters, Kate didn't want that to happen to her. She felt a bit disappointed that this was something that Linnie had kept from her but at least she was with someone that the family knew. Becky was to thank for that when she formed a friendship with Lucas when they were in elementary school. It was amazing how much time had passed and the family friendship with the McCallisters and the Johnsons had lasted. "Thank you for finally telling me," Kate said to Linnie.

"I'm not...I'm not in trouble?" Linnie asked her.

"You're off the hook this time," Kate said to her, "now go wash up. Dinner will be ready in a bit."

Ecstatic with the final outcome, Linnie took a hold of her backpack and skipped upstairs to get ready. She threw the backpack into her bedroom and was about to wash up when she noticed Becky's slightly turning her head to see who it was. "Hey you're here," she said to her.

"We do share this bedroom," Becky coldly pointed out to her.

This sort of attitude had been going on for weeks and Linnie was tired of it. First Megan, whom Linnie was glad that she was finally out of her room, and now Becky who beheld this demeanor and Linnie just didn't know why. She closed the door behind her and looked at her sister. "What's wrong Becky?"

"Nothing," she answered her as she stared at the computer and typed up the newspaper that she was planning on finishing before going to bed, "I just have a lot of work to do."

"You could spare some time to talk to me," Linnie said as she walked over to the desk and hovered over Becky, "you've been acting mean to me and I want to know why. What did I ever do to you?"

"Why don't you walk out of here and think about it?" Becky said to her, "you're smart enough to retrace your steps."

Keep calm Linnie's conscience whispered in her head as she tried to push away that emotional sensation, "why don't you be honest with me?" she told her.

"Like you have with me?" Becky tore her eyes away from the computer screen and looked at her sister.

"I have!" Linnie said, "but how do I know what you're upset about when you won't talk to me about it? You know how much I hate that, that I need to guess what's happening! A lot happened last year where I didn't know if you and Kevin were even okay being home alone or that Megan was going to be okay when mom wouldn't let her play soccer, or whatever I did is hurting you and I can't do anything about it. I feel like I'm losing a sister, so please what did I do?!"

Becky's lips formed in a thin line as those words poured out of Linnie. It never occurred that Becky that giving her sister such a silent treatment was affected her so greatly. A part of Becky wanted her to go through that, but a greater part of her didn't want her to feel that way. There was something that if someone close to you such, as a sibling, was going through a tough ordeal then you would do anything to make it better. As for Becky, she had only made it worse and she could see the unhappiness in her sister's features. You are so immature as to do that...and for what? For a guy!

Sometimes there were things that just weren't meant to be and if Becky were to think about it, she had not put any effort at all into having Lucas all to herself. What was worse was that damaging her relationship with her sister would also be damaging her friendship with Lucas and if she was honest with herself, she didn't want that to happen. Now that Linnie was searching for answers, Becky didn't know if she ought to be honest or just side play it as if nothing ever happened between them.

Taking a deep breath, and knowing that she was not going to be good at this, Becky finally said, "the more I think about it, the more of an idiot I have been."

You're right about that Linnie thought and folded her arms across her chest and continued to look at her sister. "Think about what?"

"It doesn't matter," Becky said, "I forgive you."

"Yes it does matter!" Linnie exclaimed, "it does to me! Now tell me what did I do? What was it that I did that made you-"

"You're dating Lucas!" Becky snapped and stood up from her chair, "that's it! It's you dating him and not telling me about it."

"Since when did you become my mom?" Linnie asked her. Sometimes, her sister's didn't need to know everything that was going on in her life.

"Because I liked Lucas too," Becky said to her, "but I didn't get the chance because the moment you waltzed back from France next thing I know, you're together."

"And how was I supposed to know that you liked him?"

Becky scoffed. "Ever think about asking?"

"I thought that it was okay because Lucas told me that you're only best friends and that's it!" Linnie said and she could see that shocked look that crossed over Becky's face. "I asked beforehand whether he had any feelings for you and he said 'no' only as best friends and I thought that it was the same with you. You never shared anything with me about how you felt. Jeeze Becky, you're not speaking because of this nonsense?"

And yet he never told me that he just saw me as a 'best friend' Becky thought. She could feel her nerves getting the better of her and she knew that she wouldn't be able to continue this conversation with her sister. "I have a lot of work to do," she said as she turned her back to Linnie and looked at the computer screen, not even attempting to write on the keyboard.

Behind her Linnie let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Sometimes you're difficult to deal with Becky." She turned around and walked to the door.

"Was that something that he said too?" Becky asked her.

Linnie stopped and turned her head. "Since we're being honest with each other, yes he did."

With those words, she gently closed the door behind her and all Becky could see was the cursor that blinked after the word lost.