It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 29

Taking my silence as a no, Kyla slapped my arm lightly.  “You didn’t tell them?” she demanded, her eyes lit up with disbelief.  “Lady!  They have a right to know that the robot has finally found someone.”

I sat up, fixing my hair and cocking an eyebrow at her.  “A robot?  Really?”

Kyla’s eyebrows rose as well.  “Does the love conversation back on the day when we first talked to Dannon not ring a bell?”

Ah.  The days when I loathed the childish lug that I’d grown to love.  Yes, I did recall that conversation.  “Oh yeah,” I mumbled, standing up and fixing my shirt.  I started toward the door, turning to face Kyla when I realized that she wasn’t following me.  “Are you coming?” I asked, my eyebrows rising again.  I mean, she was the one forcing me to go downstairs and announce that I had a boyfriend.

Kyla grinned, hopping up and following me out of my room.  “Yoooohoooo!” she cooed excitedly.  “Family meeting!”

I let out a small shriek and she pushed me impatiently toward the chairs.  Apparently I was moving too slow for her.  “If I had been any closer,” I drawled as I regained my composure, “I would have fallen down the stairs and to my death.”

Kyla gasped in mock horror.  “Oh dear, Dannon wouldn’t appreciate that would he?”

I snorted, deciding not to answer that.  Great.  This was going to turn into her apple proclamations—except worse.

We tromped down the stairs and entered the living room.  Kyla skipped across the room and plopped onto the couch, kicking her legs back and forth.  I crossed my arms across my chest, sauntering into the room with what I hoped was a blank expression.  It probably wasn’t.  I could all but feel the giddy smile on my face. 

I glanced at my family members.  My dad had a newspaper held out in front of him from his spot in the recliner, while Garrett and my mom were seated on the couch.  They all looked up at my, confusion evident in their expressions.  Ah.  So my stupid smile hadn’t given them a hint.  I sighed internally, leaning on the wall opposite them—just a few inches away from the TV. 

It was silent—but not for long. 

“Brianne, would you please enlighten us as to why Kyla is kicking her legs like a maniac?” Garrett asked slowly with his eyebrows raised. 

I shot him a disbelieving look.  I’d expected him of all people to get what was going on here.  But no.  Garrett was just as clueless as the rest of my family.  “If you haven’t a clue, you’re an idiot.”

Garrett was silent for a moment, and then his eyes widened.  His mouth dropped, and I knew instantly that he realized what was going on.  “Did you guys—?”

I nodded, biting my lip.  “Mhm.”

My mom looked utterly confused as her head twisted between Garrett and me, begging us with her eyes to explain.  “What—?”

“Dannon and her—”

“Dannon and I kissed, Ma,” I mumbled finally, not able to take their confusion anymore as I shook my head.  “It’s like we have to stick a sign in your face.”

All at once everyone jumped up from the couch—well, everyone except my dad—shrieking in joy.  I was amused to say the least.  Kyla acted like this was the first time I told her, even though it was, in fact, the third time she’d heard the news.  I wondered if Dannon was talking to Tom about it.  If so, what was Tom’s reaction?  Happy?  Excited?  Upset?  Angry?

Everyone began asking questions at once.  How the kiss was, if we were dating or not, if it was a romantic moment, if I enjoyed it, if I was going to remember it for the rest of my life.  My dad even piped in, asking me questions that a normal dad wouldn’t ask (meaning he didn’t act scarily protective of me at all).  I just stared, too overwhelmed to answer any of their questions.  It wasn’t like they were really expecting me to answer, anyway.  Otherwise they would have paused between questions.