I'm in Love with my Worst Nightmare

Chapter 8

"So are we... Dating?" Cesar asked as he walked me to my car.
"I... Yeah. I think we are." I smiled.
"Good." He winked before giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Avia."
I waved at my side. I did it. I confessed my feelings and I felt... Amazing. Except for the fact that I still haven't spoken to my mom on two days.

"Avia, you know I love you, but... Don't... Overstay your visit." Brailee politely smiled as she threw popcorn in the microwave.
"I know. I promise I'll be out by tomorrow."
"You know your welcome anytime, I just don't want to keep you from your family, especially with your mom. Make it right. She'll come around." Brailee always knew what to say.
I hadn't told Brailee that Cesar and I are a couple, but she knows mom and I's argument was about him. It worried me that mom hasn't even texted me asking where I was. Was she that mad? If she was so pissed about me hanging out with Cesar, I can only imagine the fury when she finds out he is my boyfriend.

"Alright, I can't take it. This movie officially sucks." Brailee laughed as she shut off the TV and picked up the popcorn bowl. "Like, I don't get cars become robots. It's stupid. Gage was always obsessed with Transformers, and I have no clue why after seeing that."
"It wasn't horrible." I interjected.
"Come on, Avia! It was so unrealistic!"
"So is Hunger Games, yet you love it."
"That's different. Hunger Games is actually good." She chuckled. "Alright, I'm hitting the hay. Night." She tossed my the remote.
"Nah, I'm going to bed, too. Help me pull out the bed?" I asked as I lifted the cushions off the couch. I'd spent the last two nights sleeping on Brailee's couch. Not the most comfortable thing in the world, but better that being bombarded with lectures and glares from my angry mother.

I woke up at the opposite end of the couch bed, about to fall off.
"Sleep well?" Brailee sipped her coffee as she laughed at my odd position.
"No." I said, half asleep. "I'm so ready to go back to my own apartment."
"Then why are you staying at your parent's house for like, the entire summer?"
"Because I love them and miss them. I'm just mad at my mom at the moment. I love spending time with Emmi and the kids." I smiled at the thought of my family.
"I guess. To be honest sometimes I go a few weeks without talking to my parents or Gage or Winston." She sighed. "It's horrible, I know. But ever since everything happened... It's just... Not something I make a priority." She stared out the window.
The story with Casey and Kayli is a long, twisted family drama. Brailee found out that Aunt Kayli was having an affair with one of Casey's good friends. She didn't want to tell him, but the guilt of keeping it in for to her. Basically Casey flipped out on Brailee for "lying" about such a major issue. He didn't believe anything Brai said was true, while Kayli continued to see this other guy. Eventually Kayli confessed to Casey, but Casey didn't flip out on Kayli. They stayed together and tried to "work things out." Which, apparently has worked so far, but Casey some gown thinks Brai sabotaged their relationship. He really became a jerk to Brailee because of this, so Brailee doesn't want to speak with Casey. And she doesn't want to speak with Kayli, because she is so mad that Kayli would cheat on Casey. This all happened about three months ago, and it kind of put a stain on our family, it was way out of line, especially for our religion, for Kayli to cheat. It was even worse that Casey defended her. It was a huge screwy situation, and everyone pointed the finger at Brai, except my family. Logan, Grandma, Grandpa, Carlie, they all blame Brailee. It's sad, because Kayli and Casey are not bad people. They just made pretty messed up mistakes. Like Cesar.

"Gage and Winston still love you, and you know your parents do, too." I comforted.
"No, they really don't. My parents think I destroyed our family, and Gage is starting to side with them. Winston is just-"
"A fourth grader who is too young and dumb to care about family crap like this. Like Daxton, he doesn't care about what I do with Cesar." I smiled. "Winston has your back."
"Yay." She sarcastically celebrated.
"Come on, it could be worse. At least they stayed together. Affairs are almost always a ticket to divorce." That didn't sound as comforting as I'd hoped.
"Whatever. I don't need this in my life, not now. I need to focus on college,
And you need to focus on... I don't know. What is your priority now?" She asked.
"Not sure. Getting ready for college in a few months, finishing my apartment." I lied. I knew very well what my priority was: Cesar.