4Ever & a Day : The Next Generation of R5

Our Best Behavior Is Not An Option

Hailey

I paced the living room as everyone sat there watching me. I was so anxious about Austin coming for dinner. He was my first boyfriend. The way my family acted sometimes scared me. They were such losers and the reason I never brought friends around. I had just finished my punishment for the whole marijuana incident yesterday and had been planning to have Austin over for dinner since we made it official two weeks ago.

"Now a few things before Austin gets here. Dad no name jokes! Don't ask him how Ally is or any other lame things you can think of. Best behavior from everyone," I said. My voice was shaky and foreign to me. Where was the normal confident girl I was in any situation?

"He hadn't thought of that," Romeo said. "You just gave him an idea. I can see the wheels turning in his head. That was a bad idea to mention it."

"I mean it dad! Don't embarrass me," I said sternly.

"I guess naked baby pictures are out too then," my mom said.

"Yes definitely."

Then I looked at Romeo and Embry. I knew they had both brought a boyfriend into this house. I gave them a questioning look asking if she would really do that.

"She would and has," Romeo said as if he understood my look.

"Yeah even back then he had a cute little tushy," Bentley said.

"Dude," Romeo said.

"What?" Bentley asked.

"That was a really gay thing to say," Cameron commented.

"Actually I'm not the one...."

"Shut up! My parents are in the room!" Romeo said through clenched teeth as he grabbed Bentley's knee.

"I never pictured you for the bottom," Embry said.

I looked at my dad and laughed. He was as white as a sheet and looked like he was about to pass out. He was just staring at them as they carried on this conversation. I actually found his reaction amusing and it helped me to calm down a little.

"So what are you?" Bentley asked Embry.

"Bottom," Embry answered.

"Okay enough!" my dad said. "I can't handle this conversation. I don't want to know about your sex lives."

"I agree with dad. Please no sex talk in front of Austin. The fact I have two gay brothers is going to shock him enough," I agreed.

My heart quickened in my chest as the doorbell rang and my dad went to get the door. I stood behind him as he let Austin in. Austin sat down on the couch beside Embry and I sat on the arm of the couch. I introduced everyone and he did look a little surprised when I introduced Cameron and Bentley as my brothers' boyfriends.

My mom came into the living room and told us dinner was ready and I introduced her to Austin. We sat down in the formal dining room for dinner. My mom had made lasagna. It was one of my favorites and I knew it was Grams' recipe which made it even better.

"So how did you meet Hailey?" my mom asked.

"Officially at a party, but we are in STEM together," Austin said.

"Oh lord," Romeo said rolling his eyes.

"Cameron's in STEM too," Embry announced proudly.

"Yeah I've seen him in a few meetings," Austin said. "You're a senior right?"

"Yeah," Cameron answered.

"And don't forget to brag about being Valedictorian," Romeo teased.

"So what are you? Let me guess a C student?" Cameron asked.

"For your information I am graduating with honors in the top ten percentile of the class thanks to house arrest," Romeo shot back.

"Now who's bragging?" Embry questioned.

"Jealous?"

"Not at all. I have skills you can't even imagine," Embry said quickly.

"Really?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about singing and playing the guitar," Embry's face turned red as he blushed.

I chanted breathe, breathe, breathe, over and over in my mind. This dinner wasn't going as planned. I don't know how I expected it to go but this wasn't it. I should have known no one could behave. It surprised me how good Montague was being. He seemed so subdued after all that stuff that went down with the book. To be honest his behavior right now scared me more than the Montague who used to spy on us only a few weeks ago.

"So Austin do you play any sports?" my dad changed the subject.

"Yeah I play ice hockey with my brothers and my dad. My Deepaw used to play soccer but it's never been my thing," Austin said.

Romeo, Bentley, Embry and Cameron busted out laughing. I gave them a shut up or I'll kill you in your sleep look. They tried hard to hold it after that.

"Your what?" Montague asked.

"My Deepaw," Austin said again.

"What's a Deepaw?"

"My grandfather," Austin answered.

"Why the fuck didn't you just say that?" Montague asked.

"Montague Capulet Lynch! Do I need to wash your mouth out with soap?" my mom disciplined him.

"You expect me to answer that?" Montague challenged mom.

And there he was, the creepy little boy we all knew and loved. He was slowly coming back to us. The boys were now giggling like a bunch of girls at a slumber party. As Austin and my dad talked hockey I looked at Juliet and she just smiled at me shaking her head. She had been so quiet tonight. I thought being the only single one of us had to be hard. She needed a boyfriend.

"So is it okay if Hailey and I go to a movie after dinner?" Austin asked.

"You drive?" my dad inquired.

"Yeah I just got my license last week. I drove myself here in my mom's car," he said.

"As long as you take a chaperone I don't see a problem with it," my dad said.

"Why do I have to have a chaperone? You don't make the gay quartet have chaperone," I argued.

"True but they are not fifteen anymore. It wasn't too long ago Embry had to be chaperoned," my dad reminded me.

"One, two, three not it!" Embry yelled and all the boys touched their noses.

"Fuck," Juliet said. "I hate third wheeling it."

"Looks like I'm not the only one getting my mouth washed out with soap," Montague said.

After dinner my dad walked us to the door. Poor Juliet. I felt bad for her. She looked like she was going to a funeral and not to a movie. I gave her a side hug and she hugged me back.

"Have her home by eleven," my dad called as we got in the car.