When I was about to knock on the door, I stopped, and leaned my ear against
it, instead. There were still stupid things hanging on it with some more
recent additions. I couldn't hear anything. I at least knew that they
weren't having sex. Tawny wouldn't have sex with him anyway. I don't know
what I was thinking.
I felt the door, which my head was resting on, moving away from me. I latched onto the doorframe with my hands to prevent myself from falling into his room, and looked down at my feet. Then I composed myself and looked up as if I had been doing nothing.
"Uh...hi, Ren."
Quickly, I backed up, out into the middle of the hall. Louis was sitting on his bed, and Tawny was standing in the doorway, "Hello..."
"Um...hi." She said again.
"Hi." I stuffed my hands into my pockets, not knowing what to do, and I looked at me feet again, shyly.
"Ren..." I looked up at her a little. Her eyes moved back and forth, like she was looking for someone, "Come in here." She grabbed my wrist, and jerked me into Louis' room, then shut the door. Then she pushed me down in front of my brother onto his bed.
"I told mom and dad that me and Tawny were going back out, so she'll have a reason to be over here, and they won't suspect anything with you two." He grabbed a cookie from his bed stand, "Cookie?"
"Ah...no." I said after looking at it for about two seconds, "Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you're my sister, and there are plenty of girls in the world that are better that Tawny."
Tawny hit him in the back of the head, and glared.
"Ow...anyway..." He bit the cookie, "Sorry about being so grumpy lately, I just don't know what's going on with anyone, that's all, and like, after a while I suppose you and Tawny could become friends and then she could spend the night and stuff without our parents worrying about me and her having sex."
"Or you could always stay with me because it's a lot safer at the moment." She said. "My dad's ok with it."
I still didn't quite get why Louis had done this. They'd obviously worked it out together in secret or something. He probably had ulterior motives of some sort. "Thank you, Louis."
"No problem, sis."
"Please, don't do that. It's scary." Tawny groaned.
"So...hi..." I looked at her unsurely.
"Hi."
"Get out of my room, both of you!" He looked at Tawny, "At least me and you got beyond greetings and managed to talk about French fries and stuff."
"Oh yeah...uh...Tawny, my mom said you can stay for dinner if you want."
"Um...I should call my dad and tell him..."
"I'm...uh...gonna tell mom that you're staying..." I pointed to the door, then got up quickly and went out. That was awkward. Perhaps I'd screwed everything up, or maybe it was just because Louis was in there. Maybe it was something else. I scurried down the stairs and popped back into the kitchen, "Tawny's staying."
"Ok, honey." I started to leave, but she said, "Ren, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Um...sure, mom." I walked over to her.
She was at the stove stirring something, "Tawny and Louis are at that stage, where...they...uh...might want to...uh...and...they've known each other...a...uh...long time...and...they..."
"I understand." This had nothing to do with me. I smiled inside, knowing she was oblivious you maybe keep your eye on them...if over when your father and I aren't home because you're responsible and all?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Thanks, now get them to come down here and set the table."
"Alright." I exited the kitchen quickly. I was sure she was going to ask me about me and Tawny, but no, it was the opposite of that. "Hey, you two, mom wants us to set the table."
Louis came out followed by Tawny, who eyed me strangely, as if looking me over to see if I'd physically changed, "So...Ren, hi."
"Hi..." I laughed a little, "My mom seems to be well-convinced that you and Louis are together. She even told me to watch you two and not let you have sex."
"Um...yeah..." She snickered slightly, "We should talk...I think...later."
"Later would be good." I put my hand on her shoulder, and stopped her from walking.
"Now's good too."
I shook my head, "No, not now. I was just wondering if you forced Louis to help us out."
"Nope. It was his idea."
"That's weird..."
"You're just paranoid."
I shrugged, "Well...let's set the table then."
We went down to the dining room and set the table in an awkward silence. Louis distanced himself from Tawny, and I distanced myself from Tawny. Basically we were all distanced from each other. My mom looked at us funny as she brought in the salad. When she left I whispered, "Maybe you two should touch each other or something because you're supposed to be together and all."
"No." They said at the same time.
"Shhh! Not so loud. It was just an idea." I mumbled, and straightened a napkin.
"Dinner won't be for a few more minutes, so you all can go upstairs and do whatever it is you do...as long as it's nothing...funky..." My mom said as she brought in some dinner rolls, and put them in the middle of the table. "I'll call you when everything's ready."
We filed out of the room and went back upstairs. My mom was a hippie, but not when it came to her own children, it seemed. I snatched Tawny into my room and shoved her onto my bed. She winced and covered herself with her arms, "No, Ren! Don't rape me! The last time you tried to it confused you."
I sneered, "I'm not confused anymore and I'm not going to rape you."
"Oh. Ok." She sat up, and put her hair behind her ears.
I sat down next to her, "I'm really sorry about...uh...pushing you."
"Pushing me? Ha. You threw me, and all I was trying to do was comfort you in the midst of a stressful situation."
"I know. You're ok aren't you?"
She laughed a little, and rolled up one of her sleeves then showed me her elbow. It was a big scab.
"Ew...I...uh..." I bent down and kissed it, then looked at her. She looked abnormally surprised, "I'm sorry."
She pulled her sleeve back down, "Sorry for?"
"Hurting you..."
"Oh. That works."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, but...um..."
I put my hand on top of hers and squeezed it a little. "Tawny...I'm ready."
"For what?"
"You."
She swallowed hard, "You sure?"
I nodded, "But...uh...I'm not ready to tell my parents, or to tell people at school, if that's ok..."
"Ren..."
"I'm sorry. I'm not ready for this to be public, but I will be...just...just give me some time."
"I'll give you anything you want."
"Thank you so much!" I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.
She remained limp, with her arms at her sides, "Ren...you're hurting me again."
"Omigosh, I'm sorry!" I let go, and rubbed her shoulders.
She smiled, and put one of her hands on the side of my face. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is claiming to be back with Louis..."
"Why?"
"I don't like lying."
"Well, I don't either, but hopefully we won't have to for very long." I held her hand with both of mine, and kissed her fingers. As I moved her hand down, she put her other hand on my neck, and leaned in closer to me, very slowly. Just when I started to close my eyes I saw movement from the direction of my door. I grabbed Tawny's shoulders and pushed her away from me.
She fell off the edge of the bed and onto the floor because I seemed to have a habit of pushing her too hard when I panic, "I'm ok!"
My mom came in, and raised an eyebrow, "Dinner's ready. What were you two doing in here?"
"Ah...ha ha..." I reached back and grabbed my pillow, "Pillow fight."
"Tawny doesn't have a pillow."
"It was an unfair fight." Tawny said, and sat up. "She was just wailing on me, and I had no weapon."
She nodded, "Ok. Well, tell Louis that dinner's ready."
"Yes mom."
She walked out and shut the door again.
I looked at Tawny, who was grinning. I laughed, "Lying is bad. I gotta stop."
"Yep." She stood up, and grabbed my hands to pull me up from my sitting position on the bed, "I thought you said she had no clue about us..."
"She has no clue whatsoever. I don't know how she could."
"Well..." She pulled me closer to her and put her arms around my waist, then looked up at me. "We should be a little more careful since you're not ready to tell anyone."
I nodded, slightly, then I leaned in so I could kiss her. The moment my lips touched hers, I forgot all about dinner, and Louis, and my mom, and everything. Her tongue playfully poked at my lower lip, and I gently pushed her away from me. "You're gonna sit by Louis at the table, right?"
"Yeah...I guess...since I'm going out with him."
"Ok...well...we should go."
She nodded, and we went and got Louis, then went down for dinner. It was awkward to say the least, everything was awkward today, and I couldn't help but think that my mom was being really weird. She kept watching Tawny. Maybe I was just being paranoid again, and she was doing it because she was next to Louis. There was no way that she could know anything about me and her.
"So...uh...Tawny, how're you?" My dad asked her cheerfully to relieve some of the tension.
"Fine. Thank you. Um...Mr. Steve."
He chuckled, and my mom smiled.
I ate quietly, and shot everyone a glance once in a while
My mom forked at her green beans then looked at Tawny, who was the target of all conversation, "I'm glad to see you and Louis back together."
"Thanks." She said, and stuffed food into her mouth, in hopes that it would discourage them from talking to her.
I kicked Louis, noticing her distress, hoping he would come up with some distraction to make them leave the poor girl alone.
"These beans are really good." He mumbled, and shoveled more into his mouth, "That reminds...me..." He swallowed, and our parents both glared at him, "Where's Beans? He's always over here when we're eating."
"I don't know, but it's very rude of you to talk with food in your mouth." My mom shook her fork at him. She was always shaking utensils at people.
"Oh sorry. The beans were so good though."
"Thank you, Louis." She looked back at Tawny, "Is there anything new going on with you?"
She shook her head.
"I always knew you and Louis would be together. I wouldn't be surprised if you got married."
Her eyes grew wide, and she wiped her hands on her napkin, then put them in her lap, "Well...now...Mrs. Stevens...I'm fifteen, and don't quite think that I should be thinking of that sort of thing right now."
"Oh, you're going to hurt Louis' feelings. He's right next to you, you know."
"I'm fine." He said, shrugging.
Our mom ignored his comment, "Tawny, is there someone else or something that you would rather be with?"
She swallowed hard, then pulled up her sleeve quickly, glanced at her wrist, and said, "Oh...I should be home. Sorry to be in a hurry, but bye."
I knew she wasn't wearing a watch, but she had on some bracelets that could pass for a watch as quick as she had done that. I quietly said, "Bye." as she walked passed me to get out of the dining room in a hurry.
"Tawny, do you need a ride?" My mom asked, just before she reached the door, "Ren could take you."
"No, I'm fine. I'll walk. I like walking. Walking's dandy." She winced at saying 'dandy', then ran out before anyone could say another word.
If her behavior wasn't suspicious, then I don't know what was. I'm not sure if it would've been more suspicious for her to take me home, or for her to run out and say the word 'dandy' in a sentence. My mom asking her all those weird questions had to be just a coincidence. I did the dishes when everyone was through, and I wasn't bothered for the rest of the night. School tomorrow. That was dandy. Yep. What would I do at school? Nothing would be good. Acting as normal as possible would be nice.
I felt the door, which my head was resting on, moving away from me. I latched onto the doorframe with my hands to prevent myself from falling into his room, and looked down at my feet. Then I composed myself and looked up as if I had been doing nothing.
"Uh...hi, Ren."
Quickly, I backed up, out into the middle of the hall. Louis was sitting on his bed, and Tawny was standing in the doorway, "Hello..."
"Um...hi." She said again.
"Hi." I stuffed my hands into my pockets, not knowing what to do, and I looked at me feet again, shyly.
"Ren..." I looked up at her a little. Her eyes moved back and forth, like she was looking for someone, "Come in here." She grabbed my wrist, and jerked me into Louis' room, then shut the door. Then she pushed me down in front of my brother onto his bed.
"I told mom and dad that me and Tawny were going back out, so she'll have a reason to be over here, and they won't suspect anything with you two." He grabbed a cookie from his bed stand, "Cookie?"
"Ah...no." I said after looking at it for about two seconds, "Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you're my sister, and there are plenty of girls in the world that are better that Tawny."
Tawny hit him in the back of the head, and glared.
"Ow...anyway..." He bit the cookie, "Sorry about being so grumpy lately, I just don't know what's going on with anyone, that's all, and like, after a while I suppose you and Tawny could become friends and then she could spend the night and stuff without our parents worrying about me and her having sex."
"Or you could always stay with me because it's a lot safer at the moment." She said. "My dad's ok with it."
I still didn't quite get why Louis had done this. They'd obviously worked it out together in secret or something. He probably had ulterior motives of some sort. "Thank you, Louis."
"No problem, sis."
"Please, don't do that. It's scary." Tawny groaned.
"So...hi..." I looked at her unsurely.
"Hi."
"Get out of my room, both of you!" He looked at Tawny, "At least me and you got beyond greetings and managed to talk about French fries and stuff."
"Oh yeah...uh...Tawny, my mom said you can stay for dinner if you want."
"Um...I should call my dad and tell him..."
"I'm...uh...gonna tell mom that you're staying..." I pointed to the door, then got up quickly and went out. That was awkward. Perhaps I'd screwed everything up, or maybe it was just because Louis was in there. Maybe it was something else. I scurried down the stairs and popped back into the kitchen, "Tawny's staying."
"Ok, honey." I started to leave, but she said, "Ren, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Um...sure, mom." I walked over to her.
She was at the stove stirring something, "Tawny and Louis are at that stage, where...they...uh...might want to...uh...and...they've known each other...a...uh...long time...and...they..."
"I understand." This had nothing to do with me. I smiled inside, knowing she was oblivious you maybe keep your eye on them...if over when your father and I aren't home because you're responsible and all?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Thanks, now get them to come down here and set the table."
"Alright." I exited the kitchen quickly. I was sure she was going to ask me about me and Tawny, but no, it was the opposite of that. "Hey, you two, mom wants us to set the table."
Louis came out followed by Tawny, who eyed me strangely, as if looking me over to see if I'd physically changed, "So...Ren, hi."
"Hi..." I laughed a little, "My mom seems to be well-convinced that you and Louis are together. She even told me to watch you two and not let you have sex."
"Um...yeah..." She snickered slightly, "We should talk...I think...later."
"Later would be good." I put my hand on her shoulder, and stopped her from walking.
"Now's good too."
I shook my head, "No, not now. I was just wondering if you forced Louis to help us out."
"Nope. It was his idea."
"That's weird..."
"You're just paranoid."
I shrugged, "Well...let's set the table then."
We went down to the dining room and set the table in an awkward silence. Louis distanced himself from Tawny, and I distanced myself from Tawny. Basically we were all distanced from each other. My mom looked at us funny as she brought in the salad. When she left I whispered, "Maybe you two should touch each other or something because you're supposed to be together and all."
"No." They said at the same time.
"Shhh! Not so loud. It was just an idea." I mumbled, and straightened a napkin.
"Dinner won't be for a few more minutes, so you all can go upstairs and do whatever it is you do...as long as it's nothing...funky..." My mom said as she brought in some dinner rolls, and put them in the middle of the table. "I'll call you when everything's ready."
We filed out of the room and went back upstairs. My mom was a hippie, but not when it came to her own children, it seemed. I snatched Tawny into my room and shoved her onto my bed. She winced and covered herself with her arms, "No, Ren! Don't rape me! The last time you tried to it confused you."
I sneered, "I'm not confused anymore and I'm not going to rape you."
"Oh. Ok." She sat up, and put her hair behind her ears.
I sat down next to her, "I'm really sorry about...uh...pushing you."
"Pushing me? Ha. You threw me, and all I was trying to do was comfort you in the midst of a stressful situation."
"I know. You're ok aren't you?"
She laughed a little, and rolled up one of her sleeves then showed me her elbow. It was a big scab.
"Ew...I...uh..." I bent down and kissed it, then looked at her. She looked abnormally surprised, "I'm sorry."
She pulled her sleeve back down, "Sorry for?"
"Hurting you..."
"Oh. That works."
"Huh?"
"Nothing, but...um..."
I put my hand on top of hers and squeezed it a little. "Tawny...I'm ready."
"For what?"
"You."
She swallowed hard, "You sure?"
I nodded, "But...uh...I'm not ready to tell my parents, or to tell people at school, if that's ok..."
"Ren..."
"I'm sorry. I'm not ready for this to be public, but I will be...just...just give me some time."
"I'll give you anything you want."
"Thank you so much!" I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.
She remained limp, with her arms at her sides, "Ren...you're hurting me again."
"Omigosh, I'm sorry!" I let go, and rubbed her shoulders.
She smiled, and put one of her hands on the side of my face. "The only thing I'm worried about right now is claiming to be back with Louis..."
"Why?"
"I don't like lying."
"Well, I don't either, but hopefully we won't have to for very long." I held her hand with both of mine, and kissed her fingers. As I moved her hand down, she put her other hand on my neck, and leaned in closer to me, very slowly. Just when I started to close my eyes I saw movement from the direction of my door. I grabbed Tawny's shoulders and pushed her away from me.
She fell off the edge of the bed and onto the floor because I seemed to have a habit of pushing her too hard when I panic, "I'm ok!"
My mom came in, and raised an eyebrow, "Dinner's ready. What were you two doing in here?"
"Ah...ha ha..." I reached back and grabbed my pillow, "Pillow fight."
"Tawny doesn't have a pillow."
"It was an unfair fight." Tawny said, and sat up. "She was just wailing on me, and I had no weapon."
She nodded, "Ok. Well, tell Louis that dinner's ready."
"Yes mom."
She walked out and shut the door again.
I looked at Tawny, who was grinning. I laughed, "Lying is bad. I gotta stop."
"Yep." She stood up, and grabbed my hands to pull me up from my sitting position on the bed, "I thought you said she had no clue about us..."
"She has no clue whatsoever. I don't know how she could."
"Well..." She pulled me closer to her and put her arms around my waist, then looked up at me. "We should be a little more careful since you're not ready to tell anyone."
I nodded, slightly, then I leaned in so I could kiss her. The moment my lips touched hers, I forgot all about dinner, and Louis, and my mom, and everything. Her tongue playfully poked at my lower lip, and I gently pushed her away from me. "You're gonna sit by Louis at the table, right?"
"Yeah...I guess...since I'm going out with him."
"Ok...well...we should go."
She nodded, and we went and got Louis, then went down for dinner. It was awkward to say the least, everything was awkward today, and I couldn't help but think that my mom was being really weird. She kept watching Tawny. Maybe I was just being paranoid again, and she was doing it because she was next to Louis. There was no way that she could know anything about me and her.
"So...uh...Tawny, how're you?" My dad asked her cheerfully to relieve some of the tension.
"Fine. Thank you. Um...Mr. Steve."
He chuckled, and my mom smiled.
I ate quietly, and shot everyone a glance once in a while
My mom forked at her green beans then looked at Tawny, who was the target of all conversation, "I'm glad to see you and Louis back together."
"Thanks." She said, and stuffed food into her mouth, in hopes that it would discourage them from talking to her.
I kicked Louis, noticing her distress, hoping he would come up with some distraction to make them leave the poor girl alone.
"These beans are really good." He mumbled, and shoveled more into his mouth, "That reminds...me..." He swallowed, and our parents both glared at him, "Where's Beans? He's always over here when we're eating."
"I don't know, but it's very rude of you to talk with food in your mouth." My mom shook her fork at him. She was always shaking utensils at people.
"Oh sorry. The beans were so good though."
"Thank you, Louis." She looked back at Tawny, "Is there anything new going on with you?"
She shook her head.
"I always knew you and Louis would be together. I wouldn't be surprised if you got married."
Her eyes grew wide, and she wiped her hands on her napkin, then put them in her lap, "Well...now...Mrs. Stevens...I'm fifteen, and don't quite think that I should be thinking of that sort of thing right now."
"Oh, you're going to hurt Louis' feelings. He's right next to you, you know."
"I'm fine." He said, shrugging.
Our mom ignored his comment, "Tawny, is there someone else or something that you would rather be with?"
She swallowed hard, then pulled up her sleeve quickly, glanced at her wrist, and said, "Oh...I should be home. Sorry to be in a hurry, but bye."
I knew she wasn't wearing a watch, but she had on some bracelets that could pass for a watch as quick as she had done that. I quietly said, "Bye." as she walked passed me to get out of the dining room in a hurry.
"Tawny, do you need a ride?" My mom asked, just before she reached the door, "Ren could take you."
"No, I'm fine. I'll walk. I like walking. Walking's dandy." She winced at saying 'dandy', then ran out before anyone could say another word.
If her behavior wasn't suspicious, then I don't know what was. I'm not sure if it would've been more suspicious for her to take me home, or for her to run out and say the word 'dandy' in a sentence. My mom asking her all those weird questions had to be just a coincidence. I did the dishes when everyone was through, and I wasn't bothered for the rest of the night. School tomorrow. That was dandy. Yep. What would I do at school? Nothing would be good. Acting as normal as possible would be nice.