We're Not Related Anymore...

You're My Dad's Girlfriend's Son?

This chapter is dedicated to kutoriaa. I was inspired by her book 'Musical Sketches' to do the flashback scenes. You should check out her work (it's amazing!).

Maddie: Three Years Ago

I find out through Josh that the boy I met after my escapades on the first day of school is Jacob Isaacs. I ask him how well he knows him and all my brother says to me is this:

"Don't."

Don't what? At first, I thought my brother had used his twin senses to detect my burgeoning crush. Maybe he didn't like the fact that he could tell I liked a friend of his. But, it turns out to not be an issue. Despite thinking about him for a few days, Jacob falls off my radar as I get into my new routine at school.

We don't share any classes. I never see him in the halls, at lunch, or even in the parking lot. He almost seems like a figment of my imagination until I do meet him again, a month later.

In the short amount of time we've been in the Cotton State, my dad has wasted no time carving out the life 'he's always wanted'. He lets Josh and I know on a Saturday that he's reconnected with an old college girlfriend.

"We've been seeing each other again," He says. "It's gotten serious and I want you two to meet her."

And so we do. I spend the morning getting ready to meet my dad's new-old girlfriend and video call my mom.

"Did you know Dad's been seeing someone?" I ask her as I use the phone camera to watch myself apply my makeup.

My mom laughs. "I did. Josh does too. I'm surprised you didn't know," She tells me, totally non-plussed that her ex-husband is already moving on.

"How am I always the last person to know these things?" I ask my mom, screwing the lid back on my lipgloss.

She adjusts her phone, her face in its 'thinking' expression. "Honestly, Maddie? We don't tell you things because you make a big deal out of stuff."

We? Does my whole family collectively agree to hide things from me? Am I that dramatic? "Well, if he's hidden this from me it must be because he's done something wrong," I tell my mother, sniffing self-righteously.

My mom sighs. "I won't say he didn't do anything wrong. But I can't judge your father for any of the decisions he's made, as much as I want to. I wasn't exactly the perfect wife," She says trailing off.

"You know what," I say, as scenarios pop into my head, each one worse than the last. "I think I don't want to know."

"Good. Listen, Mads, they're calling for me. I'll talk to you later baby," She says, hanging up.

-

We get to the restaurant early. It's half past twelve and only a few tables are occupied. To my immense surprise, my father goes up to the hostess and tells her he's booked a table here under Keegan for seven.

"Seven?" I exclaim as the woman shows us to the table. I take a seat across from my brother. "I thought we were just meeting your girlfriend?"

"And her kids," My dad says, taking the seat at the top of the table. A waiter comes by to hand out menus while we wait for the other four. I'm so curious to meet my dad's girlfriend and family that I can barely concentrate on the menu.

"Can you choose something for me?" I ask Josh and he grunts. I always make Josh choose my order. If I don't, I'll order something healthy and force him to share his meal with me when I get order envy.