chapter forty-eight

"What the hell is going on here?"

My father asked as he stares at Freddie and me unintended to know what's going on, following with my mom, Freddie's mom, and my sister Melanie. They have shocked expressions on their faces as they saw what Freddie and I did.

This is awkward...

The reason why this is awkward is that they don't know... that Freddie and I are dating.

We've been dating for a week and we had no idea how we could tell our family the unexpected news. We were afraid they might be inconvenient to the situation or might be angry. We don't know. However, we were planning to tell our family about our relationship eventually, but now that we just revealed us kissing and them staring at us with deer-light eyes...

We're going to have to tell them now.

Freddie and I pulled away from each other, and I set my new necklace in the box it came in and closed it, setting it aside. We took a glance at each other and discussed the situation without talking and used our eyes to make communication. We're trying to know how to start the conversation with our parents and let it down easy for them to understand.

We looked away and stared at our family as they're waiting for an explanation for our PDA.

Here goes nothing.

"Mom, dad... we, uh..." I started as I fidgeted my fingers trying to find the right words to say. "...Apparently from what you just saw... Freddie and I are not friends anymore? I mean, we are still friends, but more than friends with the h-holding hands and k-kissing, and..." I stammered. I feel a strong hand grasping my small one next to me, and I knew it was Freddie's hand. He softly squeezed my hand comforting me as he recognizes how nervous I am explaining this to everyone. "What I'm trying to say is; we're dating. We've been dating for a week." I said restlessly. I saw Freddie nodding his head from my peripheral vision as he looks anxious with his face flushed.

I can feel my heart pounding so fast I can hear it throbbing in my ear drums. This whole situation is even more awkward. We're telling our parents that we're dating after they've known us for being best friends for years. I'm not sure if they would be confused to why we're an item andwhy we're not friends still.

Whatever is about to happen is going to be weird for all of us.

Neither mom, dad, Mrs. Benson, or Melanie had said a word to the news I just shared and kept staring at us, surprised. What could they possibly be thinking about? It's killing me that they're not saying anything. I know Freddie and I came out like this unexpectedly, but it would be great if they could say something.

After a few moments of silence, my mom was the first person to open her mouth.

"It's about fucking time!"

Everyone gasped including me as I stared at my mother, appalled as she said a valid word out loud and confused from her reaction to what I said. What does she mean 'it's about time'? She knew Freddie and I have been together for years but did she had an intention of us being together in a relationship? If she thought of this how come she didn't say anything?

"Mother!" Melanie said indignantly.

"What? I've been waiting for this moment to come. Oh, come on, no one knew the signs? They're always together and have been together since they were babies. It was bound to happen someday." Mom defended as she stood up from the couch and stared at us with a wicked smile on her face.

"How did this happen?" Mrs. Benson was the next person to speak.

I turned my head at Freddie and made a silent connection for him to talk next since I couldn't feel my voice vocals working.

"Uh..." Freddie paused as he turns his head to the family. "Well, like Sam said before we started dating last week... we were going through some stuff and then we just... happened." He chuckled nervously as I could see his cheeks turning red from being self-conscious. I can't blame him because I'm in the same position right now.

"Well, why didn't you tell us about this earlier?" His mother asked once again sounding disappointed.

"I... we didn't want you guys to think that it's awkward for us to date since we were friends before–"

Freddie was interrupted by my mom walking over to the couch and wrapped her arms around Freddie as he had a worried look approach on his face from the action. Why is she hugging him?

"It's not awkward, it's a miracle! I wanted you guys to be together; I hated that Jonah kid and I'm glad he's out of the picture." Mom said as she kept hugging him. Freddie looked surprised but had a smile on his face as he accepts the reaction my mother had announced.

I couldn't help but smile at this moment, I turned my head to my dad and still see him with a surprised expression since I told them the news.

"Dad? Are you okay?" I asked nervously.

Everyone turned their heads to my dad including Freddie and my mom, waiting for him to say something. After an eternity, my father cleared his throat and aimed his eyes at Freddie with a stern look on his face.

"Sam, can I talk to your... boyfriend for a minute?"

Oh god...

I'm waiting outside the living room, looking at my dad and Freddie talking on the couch together having a deep conversation with my mom and Mrs. Benson in the room. I could tell it's a deep conversation by the serious looks on their faces. I wonder what they're talking about; It's been half-an-hour since they started talking. My dad better not make this awkward.

I remember when dad had talked to Jonah for the first time when we were in high school about our relationship, and it was awkward then. However, maybe this time it will be different because this is Freddie he's talking to; the boy he's known since he was born and he knows that he would never do anything to me like Jonah did.

I just hope I'm right.

"Sam, I want to talk to you."

I turn to the voice that interrupted my thoughts and saw the girl who looks just like me with a concerned look on her face.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"Just come on." She replied taking my hand, walking us away from the living room where everyone was out of sight. She brings us to my bedroom and walks inside letting go of my hand. She turns back to the door and closes it to have privacy then turns quickly in my direction as I'm still standing, staring at her. This better be important.

"When were you going to tell me you were dating Freddie!" She hissed as she crossed her arms.

I raised my eyebrow at her trying to see if I heard her right. Is she really mad because I didn't tell her I'm dating my best friend? She must be crazy. "Because I didn't want to Melanie. It's not like you were going to listen to me anyway because you always talk about yourself." I shrugged as I walked to my bed and sat on the edge of the comfortable mattress.

"Are you at this again?" She asked with her eyebrows knitted. "I never bragged or whatever you said when we were talking about that on the phone."

"You're kidding, right?" I chuckled. "Every time you come to visit it's always 'oh my school is awesome', 'oh my friends are amazing', 'oh I'm in the best school in the country'." I mimicked to match Melanie's previous conversations from her visits. "It's always something about your school or your friends or whatever to make us feel like our lives don't matter."

Melanie was skeptical as her face softened, looking heartbroken from hearing the truth. She was quiet for a few minutes as I looked down at my feet not wanting to meet her gaze. "I... I didn't mean to make you guys feel that way..." she murmured.

"Oh really?" I scoffed.

"Sam, I'm serious." She said firmly. "I-I'm sorry I made mom and dad feel like they didn't matter or you didn't matter. That wasn't my intention. I'm just happy that I got to be in a school where I belonged," she walks over to the bed and sits next to me with our arms touching. "It's hard being somewhere you don't belong or being somewhere with people not treating you the way you want to be treated."

Now it was my turn to be skeptical as I turned to look at her with my eyebrows raised from her statement. What did she mean by that? Doesn't she realize how perfect she is?

"What does that mean?"

Melanie doesn't meet my gaze as she continued, "When we were little I was always the... nerd. The nerd who was the first one to answer a question in class with kids picking on her for it. All elementary school, I was the freak who only focused on school, and I was tired of feeling like I was alone. I was tired of the bullying and everything..." she mumbled looking down on her lap.

I don't know if I heard it or not, but I know I felt my heart break into pieces just hearing her talk about how she was bullied for being smart in school. How come she didn't tell me about this when we were little? I could've helped her so she wouldn't be hurt and feel insecure about herself, but here I was, being furious at her for being happy that she was in a place other than public school.

"Is that why you went to England for school?" I asked gently.

"Yes," She nodded slowly. "I wanted to be somewhere I belonged; so I searched for schools online and found Woodcreek Conservatory Institute. I thought it was perfect for me to attend to, it had the classes I wanted and... the school was very friendly."

I listened to every word that was coming out of her mouth and never expected to why she suddenly changed schools when we were little. But now I know why. I remember when she told us she wanted to change schools and my parents were happy about the idea because they thought she deserved to be in a real school. Melanie never told them why she wanted to go there - just saying how she thought the classes were better than public school.

That day when Melanie went to England for the first time and we had to say goodbye to each other at the airport; I remember crying for hours before and after Melanie's departure. Melanie and I were hugging each other for more than ten minutes crying in each other's arms not wanting to let go. We fought sometimes, but she was still my sister who I was going to miss talking to every day and tell secrets to.

Then years later she started to brag about her school and whatever and that was when I began to get annoyed because I felt like my life was a joke. Now I'm looking at my sister as a vulnerable girl who had an excuse for her decision. I can picture now how she must've felt when the kids were picking on her and I wasn't there to help her.

I feel like such a bad sister.

For the first time in years, I raised my arm and wrapped it around her shoulders to comfort her. This is the first time in forever when I comforted my baby sister. "Melanie, why didn't you tell me about this years ago? I could've helped you with that problem." I asked concerned.

She hesitated for a second before answering the question. "Because I was afraid that you wouldn't care about it."

Her words felt like they slapped me in the face.

I wouldn't care? Why would she think something like that? Of course I would care. She's annoying and weird, but she's my sister and I love her to death. "Melanie... I know I messed with you when we were little, but that wouldn't stop me from caring. You know I hate when someone gets picked on for no reason and I would defend them no matter what. And the fact that you're my sister is a different scenario because I would do anything for you in a heartbeat." I replied as I stared at her.

She looked at me from her lap and stared at me in the eyes with uncertainty in her eyes as if she didn't expect me to say them aloud. Her face yelled at me asking are you serious and I nodded with a small smile on my face telling her the truth. "No matter how different we are, I still love you. Nothing is going to change that."

Her lips started to arise as she showed a small smile. "You haven't said that in years."

"Well... I was a bitch for that. But seriously, Melanie, when you have a problem you want to discuss, you can always come to me or mom or dad. Because I didn't know you've kept this secret for so long about what happened."

She sighed as she nodded her head. "Okay... I'm sorry for not telling you. Like I said I thought you wouldn't care. But now I know you do care." She smirked.

"I care when you don't brag about your school all the time," I muttered while playfully nudging her shoulder with mine.

"Yeah, I guess I was kinda braggy, huh?" She giggles.

I shook my head with a small smirk on my face. "Kinda? More than that, baby sis."

The room went silent as we endure the comfortable silence between us. It feels nice to talk to Melanie again without having an argument about her school or whatnot, it's like we're flashing back to many years ago when we were little, and we would spend time together all the time talking and laughing about anything. Now, I'm happy we have our conflict and misunderstanding behind us now that she's told me everything.

"Well, now that we got that drama out of the way. Tell me about you and Freddie dating!" Melanie interrupted my thoughts again as she slapped my arm giving me a stern look.

"Whoa, what's with the slapping?" I exclaimed rubbing my arm.

"Don't change the subject, missy. What was that when you opened your Christmas present and you kissed him like it was the last time you were ever going to see him again? I thought you guys were just friends, so what happened to that?" She finished with one breath and stared at me trying to get an answer out from my eyes.

"Mel, chill. It's complicated from how we started dating." I mumbled feeling my face heat up.

"Well, come on, tell me! It wouldn't be fair if I told you something intense from my heart and you wouldn't do the same." She argued as she gave me the puppy dog face with her big eyes staring at me, her eyebrows scrunched sadly, and her lips pouted.

Man... I hate when she does that. No! Not this time. It may have worked when we were kids, but it's not going to work today. She kept staring at me with her shiny blue eyes staring at me with hope and sadness as if she was Puss in Boots from Shrek, and I tried so hard not to resist giving in.

But... she looks so adorable...

Ugh!

"Okay, fine I'll tell you!" I gave in feeling defeated.

She goes back to her natural face as she smirks at her victory. Oh, brother... "Yay!"

I sighed and stared at her thoughtfully. "'Melanie, what I'm about to tell you is so serious, that you cannot tell mom or dad about it, okay?" I said sternly.

"Okay," she nodded staring at me concerned. "I won't tell them, what is it?"

I regain my thoughts trying to find words to say to my sister, my blood, someone who I used to tell everything to about how Freddie and I got together in the first place. It's hard trying not to run away because I'm telling a family member about this besides Uncle Carmine. We used to tell secrets before so I will go back to that and tell her about my life now.

"Um... so... Jonah and I broke up a long time ago one night, right? I believe mom told you about that?" I asked her and she confirmed while nodding her head. "And Freddie was there to comfort me. One night he suggested me to have sex with him for me to forget... about Jonah. But after a while, we continued the routine by having sex with each other." I said slowly leaving every single word to come out of my mouth for her to take in.

Staring at her expression is making me regret saying this to her because she's looking at me like she's furious and disgusted at me. It's the look I've never seen from my sister before and to be honest, I'm kind of afraid of it.

What shocked me was what she did next.

I felt my face turn to the side when her hand slapped me across the face with a powerful sting behind it. I gasped from the motion and was completely dumbfounded at what she did. I turn my head back around looking at my sister from shock as I covered my cheek with my hand. I can't believe she slapped me...

She looks at me as I see her eyes brim with tears. "I can't believe you, Sam..."

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