illusion , brady noon.

vii. he's not my boyfriend

"i know." brady mumbled. "it's not that i'm not over her. i am, i swear. but i just don't want to get attached to somebody like that again."

"that is valid." cameron said. connor glared at him. 

"cam, don't encourage it."

"what!" cameron shrugged. "do you not remember how torn he was after her? i don't want to see any of my friends like that ever again. he didn't come out of his room for two weeks!"

"let's not bring that up!" brady pleaded. "it was a bad time."

"okay, let's switch the topic. "we have a home hockey game tomorrow." cameron said. "anything you need us to do, captain brady?"

"shut up, cam." brady rolled his eyes. "you guys actually look really good. we have a good team this year."

"thinking of inviting anyone?" connor asked, giving brady a look as to say "are you inviting her."

"not really." brady replied, shortly. "you?"

"i'm gonna ask jess to come, obviously. and she might bring cj and maryah."

"nah, maryah won't go." cameron said. "she's not really a hockey sort of person."

"maybe if you ask, she'll go?" brady asked cameron, hopefully. cameron looked at brady weirdly. 

"why do you care if goes or not?" cameron asked. 

"i don't care." 

"okay..." cameron trailed off. "anyway, i think she's dating that kai dude now."

"they're not dating." brady said, defensively. connor covered his face with his hand. 

"shut up, brady." he whispered. cameron gave brady another skeptical look. 

"you don't like her, do you?" cameron asked. brady's eyes widened. 

"it's like your only rule to not date your sister."

"that's not what i asked, brady. i don't want you dating her, but that doesn't mean you don't like her."

"i don't like her." brady lied. he could feel his cheeks burning. cameron didn't look convinced, but he dropped the subject altogether. the three spent the rest of lunch talking, but brady could feel the tension and awkwardness between him and cameron. when lunch was over, connor and brady head toward their next class together: english. 

"cameron's onto you." connor told him. brady let out a sigh. 

"i know. but he can't know. how do you think he's gonna react when he finds out that his sister is the first girl i've had a major crush on in three years?"

"he'll appreciate you for being honest." connor said, matter-of-factly. brady gave him a look.

"he can't know. and besides, it's not like i'm ever gonna get with ryah anytime soon, anyway. she's in love with kai."

"she's not in love with him." connor said. "and soon enough she'll realize that you're not all that bad."

"i hope so." brady mumbled as the two entered english. brady immediately sat at his desk in the back corner and pulled out his phone. this was his easiest class, so he barely ever payed attention. he thought back to the conversation they had during lunch and then with connor afterward. he had to make maryah trust him. 

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