Brad made an excuse to run up stairs quickly, which of course Jo
didn't buy, but nodded anyway. Randy came bounding up the stairs and Jo
turned and stared at him with deep sadness in her eyes that she couldn't
explain. Automatically he ran over to her and pulled her into a comforting
hug. They both sat there for just a moment until they jumped at the loud
knocking at the front door.
Lauren stood impatiently outside on the Taylor's front porch bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"Um, coming!" She heard Randy call from inside. The door swung open and Randy stood before her but the first thing she noticed was Jocelyn only five or six steps behind him looking very unusually sullen. Immediately she ran past Randy and gave Jo her third big, sympathetic hug in the last twelve hours.
"How are you feeling sweetie? Are you okay?" Lauren asked hurriedly.
"Yea, much better." She smiled at Randy for a second. "But can I talk to you downstairs?" She asked Lauren seriously.
"Sure." Lauren answered looking over her shoulder at Randy confused as he was as she followed her friend to the basement. Randy stood silently where he was for a few seconds after the door closed. Brad began to slowly creep down the stairs, scaring Randy when he got to the stair right behind him that creaked loudly.
"Don't do that!" Randy scolded.
"Where's Jo?" Brad asked either unaware or just unconcerned with frightening his brother.
"Downstairs talking to Lauren. Why, what's wrong?"
"I, uh, I did something really stupid." Brad admitted.
"Yea so, what's wrong? Randy restated the question.
"I almost kissed Jo." Brad said after he gave Randy his 'shut up' look.
"What?!" Randy asked totally shocked and a tiny bit jealous.
"Yea, but at the last second I pulled away."
"Oh man. That is stupid."
"Shut up man, I feel horrible enough. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I gotta think, tell mom and dad I went out." Brad grabbed his jacket and left through the front door.
Lauren stood impatiently outside on the Taylor's front porch bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.
"Um, coming!" She heard Randy call from inside. The door swung open and Randy stood before her but the first thing she noticed was Jocelyn only five or six steps behind him looking very unusually sullen. Immediately she ran past Randy and gave Jo her third big, sympathetic hug in the last twelve hours.
"How are you feeling sweetie? Are you okay?" Lauren asked hurriedly.
"Yea, much better." She smiled at Randy for a second. "But can I talk to you downstairs?" She asked Lauren seriously.
"Sure." Lauren answered looking over her shoulder at Randy confused as he was as she followed her friend to the basement. Randy stood silently where he was for a few seconds after the door closed. Brad began to slowly creep down the stairs, scaring Randy when he got to the stair right behind him that creaked loudly.
"Don't do that!" Randy scolded.
"Where's Jo?" Brad asked either unaware or just unconcerned with frightening his brother.
"Downstairs talking to Lauren. Why, what's wrong?"
"I, uh, I did something really stupid." Brad admitted.
"Yea so, what's wrong? Randy restated the question.
"I almost kissed Jo." Brad said after he gave Randy his 'shut up' look.
"What?!" Randy asked totally shocked and a tiny bit jealous.
"Yea, but at the last second I pulled away."
"Oh man. That is stupid."
"Shut up man, I feel horrible enough. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I gotta think, tell mom and dad I went out." Brad grabbed his jacket and left through the front door.