Chapter 3

How Do I Tell A Girl I Want To Kiss Her?

She smiles, bites her lips and turns away

From that point on she's not just another face

She turns back to him with those hazel eyes,

There is no point of return she's all that's on his mind

But he doesn't know what she's been through before

Puts herself on the front lines with no reward

And takes care of everyone else before herself

She's on his mind day and night

Thinks he takes her for granted but to her surprise

He needs her more than she needs him

Won't fight, no, just walks away

Won't tell his secrets, just keeps them safe.

That's why she's not just another face.

Why the hell did I flee from Paul like some overdramatic heroine in a cheesy drama slash romance movie?

I hate it when people do, that, and I freaking did it.

Max and I had gotten back from the beach yesterday, and I'm still recovering from my embarrassing little runaway.

Funny how I'm totally fine with dumping a slushie on a strangers head, but fleeing a normal conversation because of accidental physical contact is what has me cringing in shame.

I'm sitting in my new room, trying to work up the energy to put up my posters and all the decorations I had up at our other house. I've mostly unpacked at this point, all that's left is decorating. Of course Owen and Max won't bother to unpack anything else but their rooms, so that leaves me to unpack everything else.

I feel the vibration of my phone go off for the third time in the last hour, and finally check it. Two are from Luke, my best friend and Max's from back home, and one is from Owen, who is somewhere in the house.

I read Luke's first and can't help but snort.

Luke: My life is so much easier now that you guys are gone. So I'm finally at peace and my life is great.

Luke: Just kidding. I'm kind of crying in my room in the fetal position thinking about how much I miss you guys. Skype later?

I quickly type out a response, grinning like a maniac.

Dakota: All you need is some Ben & Jerry's and you're the quintessential teenage girl going through a breakup. Buttface #2 has requested my presence. See your ugly face on Skype tonight.

I scroll through my messages, landing on Buttface #2's message.

Owen: Can you come in the living room? And don't dwaddle.

The message was sent to the group chat between Max, Owen, and I. I stare at my phone, rereading the words. "Don't dwaddle?"

Owen is so smart that sometimes I can't tell if he uses such weird, old, stuffy words for humorous effect or if it's just the way his way-above-average-IQ brain works. The price for being a genius is his lack of social skills.

Owen is taking a semester off from Harvard to get settled in with us, and since my dad's going to be working in Seattle for a long time, Owen is our primary caregiver at the moment. He's been talking about doing online classes so he can stay with Max and I here in Forks for a bit if dad stays in Seattle.

I heave a sigh and decide not to 'dwaddle', and head into the living room to find Max already sitting across from Owen.

I take a seat beside him and wait.

Owen signs while talking to accommodate both Max and I. "Kota, you're coming with me to the store to get paint. Max, you're putting sheets down while we're gone. You guys start school tomorrow, so get all your stuff ready. I talked to Forks High, and they were unable to get an interpreter on such short notice, so I talked to the high school on the reservation, and they have a girl who graduated a few years ago coming in who knows ASL, her name is Leah. I actually would've preferred you guys go there anyways, because the academic programs seem better since it's a smaller school. We would've had to go through a lot to get permission, since we aren't apart of the tribe, but because of the interpreter thing, they're letting you both enroll there."

"I don't see why I couldn't have gone to that school in Seattle for the deaf."

I know I have a pissy look on my face, but I can't help it!

"You know Dad's rules. You pay for your own gas, and we don't live in Seattle, we live here, in Forks."

"We don't live on the reservation, yet we're going to the school there," I can't help but point out that double standard, and I see Max hide a laugh behind his hand while Owen rolls his eyes.

I feel a slight twinge of pain and rub at my chest. Owen is helping us immensely, hell, he's done more parenting than my father has, and here I am making it more difficult for him.

I quickly sign out a 'sorry'.

He just grins and shakes his head a bit, letting me know he was never really upset.

Owen and Max just sit there, before Owen throws his hands in the air in exasperation. "C'mon, let's go!"

I flip through the bizarrely named paint colors, landing on a nice duck egg blue for my room. I decided to go with a light, warm yellow for the kitchen, and light grey for the other rooms in the house.

I feel a tap on my shoulder and spin around, finding two huge guys and a little girl standing behind me. The guys are huge, and could actually be Paul's clones. Not even joking OR exaggerating.

I raise my eyebrows, waiting for them to say something.

They look kind of clueless, and lost, and my eyes are darting rapidly between the three of them to make sure I didn't miss anyone saying anything.

"We recognize you," the one on the right says, earning an elbow to the ribs from the one holding the little girls hand.

I take a step back, freaked out. What do they recognize me from? Did I read wrong or was that really what he said?

"Way to freak her out, idiot," the guy looks angry at his... friend?

While they're arguing, I quickly pull out my phone and send a text to Owen, since it's not like I can shout for him.

Dakota: SEND HELP! Aisle 9

The guys still seem to be arguing, and have angled their face towards each other, so I can't read their lips anymore.

I look to the little girl who's just staring at me, seeming oblivious to her babysitter's or brother's or whatever the fuck they are arguing.

She slowly raises her hand and does a little finger wave, and I can't help but grin at her and return the gesture.

She smiles back, revealing a missing bottom tooth.

Adorable.

Absolutely adorable.

The guy holding the girl's hand looks to me. "I'm Quil, this is Seth, and this little princess is Claire."

I can kind of tell what they said, but still I motion to my ear and shake my head, trying to relay I can't hear for the sole purpose of discontinuing this conversation.

The other guy, who looks young and way too bubbly just nods his head, "Yeah, we know."

I scrunch my face up, and the kid laughs. "Paul told us."

I narrow my eyes. Hm. I can guess what else he told them.

And... these clones actually know Paul?

And Paul actually talked about me? Our two brief encounters?

This really is a small town. And it's a really pathetic small town if I'm a topic of conversation. Me.

I can feel my hackles rise in distrust. What could he have told these guys about me? I can only imagine the horrors.

I pull out the little pocketbook that Owen insists I carry around for communicating.

How is it that you recognize me? I scribble down, and the both lean in to read it.

Quil looks at Seth quickly. "Oh, um...we probably saw you on the beach," he says.

Probably?

"Your name is Kota, right?" Seth asks nervously, obviously as a diversion from my question. I had a hard time reading him since he was talking too fast.

I nod slowly.

You two brothers or something?

They let out loud laughs and look at each other then back at me. "Something like that."

I furrow my eyebrows. "Something like that?"

"Except I'm more mature, better looking, you know, stuff like that," Seth quips, winking at me.

Quil huffs at the younger boy, nudging him hard in the ribs. "He's a pathological liar," Quil says to me.

"I am not," Seth defends himself.

Quil throws his hands up exasperatedly, "See?"

"You guys need something?" I write down. I'm sure these guys are nice, but the way they approached me was creepy as hell, and they know Paul.

Immediate distrust.

"Oh, um, just wanted to say hi and introduce ourselves. We're building Claire here a 'fairytale treehouse', whatever that is," Seth rolls his eyes.

I give them a finger wave, mouthing 'hi', and they both grin widely at me. Claire, having not been following the conversation at all, grins too.

"Great, well, I'm sure we'll see you around sometime," Quil says.

I nod in response and give and awkward wave as they leave. I watch as Quil swings Claire into his arms and gives her a raspberry.

I see movement in my peripheral vision, and turn to watch Owen come down the aisle, not seeming worried about his baby sister at all.

Now he decides to answer my SOS text? And late, too?

Brother of the year...

A/N: Hey guys! I can't believe the response to this story. I can repeat it over and over bc I am in shock.

I love you all.

And because of that, here's a short and sweet chapter for you guys. (more like a filler chapter to set up relationships)

Love you guys and love hearing what you have to say! It feeds my empty, deprived soul.

-M