Running Towards the Light

Chapter 33 - Permission

"Hit me with it."

Commence part two — set up the question.

"So... you know how West's big game is tomorrow?" I started.

"Yes..." He answered skeptically.

"And it's a big game for the entire school too."

"I know that."

Step two — ask the question.

"Well, seeing as it's a big deal to everyone. I wanted to hang out with my friends. So I was wondering if I could hang out with my friends after and then stay at Zeke's house?" I set it all out.

Chris looked up from his smoothie, eyeing me for a second before grabbing a cup and starting to pour his drink. "What're you guys going to do?"

"I dunno." I shrugged. "Probably go get food or something and then go watch movies."

"And Mrs. Warren is okay with that?" Chris asked, referring to Zeke's mother.

"Yes!" I droned. "You know that she loves having me over!" I told him with a knowing smirk.

My friends and I have been very close for a long time. Even though it's a pretty big town that I live in, there aren't that many schools. That makes the school very overcrowded, which is a downside, but on the other side of things that also means that you go to school with the same people almost your entire life — if you stay in the public school system — and therefore can get to know people.

Due to this, my friends and I have more-or-less known each other since kindergarten. So we're very comfortable around each other and I have seen their families many times to get to know them as they have done with mine.

It's kinda funny because no one at school knows who my brothers are or really anything about my home life. Even if we're friends I don't mention any of my brothers — per their request, not my opinion — and I don't really have casual friends around my house. My house is so crazy I really only want to deal with that with friends if the friends are worth it. I'm not going to go to the trouble of taming my brothers for friends that aren't going to stick around. And if you come to my house, you kinda need an explanation about my life and my past which I don't just randomly hand out to people.

Even though I am close with all of my friends' families — close ish. Zeke's and Bryce's probably the most. Zeke's just because his mother is amazing and the sweetest woman alive and just randomly really likes me for no reason. And Bryce's because I think his younger brothers are very funny and his sister is super cute so we hang out with them most of the time when we're at his house.

They have a trampoline and we can't play two person games all the time!

Chris shook his head. "I know that, beetle, and I'm sure you're a very good house guest" — he pointed his eyebrow at me here as if to say, you better be — "but I just don't want to impose on her that much. You guys can always come here if you want." He offered.

Nice Chris, but that doesn't follow the plan. Sorry, buddy.

"Thanks." I pretended to sound relieved that he'd let us be at our house. "But I'm gonna pass — I bet West and maybe even the twins will have friends over and I don't feel like being around with all of those man hormones!"

It was true, every single one of my brothers were social butterflies — munis Dylan, a little bit of Chris and sometimes Ben and Cam — but the rest of them ... big time. They can hang out with fifty people twenty-four seven and never be bothered. This is why they just randomly hang out with friends or randomly have people over — I don't want to be around people all the time so I always make plans, not spur of the moment decisions.

That, and Chris requires me to ask and doesn't for them. I would call that, double standards but it'll really not. Chris also requires Ben to ask and plan things out ahead of time — this annoys Ben to no end! But it's just because we don't drive and so Chris needs to set up rides and such which he doesn't have to for the rest of the boys.

Chris threw his head back, letting out a gruff laugh. "So that's why you wanna hang out with your friends, isn't it? The real reason?"

I laughed, forcefully, pretending as if he had caught me. He would never guess my real reason. "Yeah... so is that a yes?"

"I'm alright with it." My brother responded slowly, nodding his head in acceptance. "And what time do I pick you up on Saturday?"

"Well, I dunno!" I started again, he always thinks we have everything planned out. "I'll text you, we might meet up like Penny on Saturday cause she can't sleep over."

... Well, realistically, NO ONE can sleep over.

"Okay, just text me, alright?" He negotiated.

"Yes, of course!" I agreed. "... so yes?"

"Yes." Chris said, I jumped up, taking him before he called to me again."Beatrice?"

"Yeah?"

"You just have to stay the entire game. Your brother will be devastated if he finds out you left early." Chris raised his eyebrow at me. "You get me?"

Ever since West freaked out that Dylan wasn't coming to the same, Chris has been very paranoid about that and making sure that the rest of us siblings show up. He also tells us that we can't tease West about the same or make fun of him or anything like that because it does mean so much to him. And it seems to be a very sensitive subject for my fourth eldest brother.

"Yes, yes, I get it."

"Alright, good. Now go get ready for school."

"Thank you, Chris!" I called, running up the stairs and away from him.

MISSION: get Chris to agree to sleep over at Zeke's house. 

STATUS: completed!

A/N : hello everyone! i wanted to ask for suggestions down here — we are nearing the end of the book (sort of) and I realize I have some chapters either unplanned or that have open space for more scenes. Please let me know if there's anything you would like to see happen before the end of the book that I could think about! 

no promises everything you say will be added as I've got to stay true to my story and characters and can't create a whole new thing (like someone being kidnapped, lol), but I would love to hear your ideas!