What It Seems | Wattys 2023

Chapter 23

I decided to go to bed early when I got home due to how tired I was during school. I wasn't feeling the greatest, either. What didn't make sense was still being awake at 10:30 at night. Part of it was my killer headache, and the other was the hollering that was coming from the living room. Yet there was more than one voice, indicating there was another person in the living room besides my brother. By now, I knew the other voice by heart, but the hollering was making my headache pound.

"Are you killing each other?" I asked. I had one eye opened and the other closed due to the sensitivity of the lighting in the living room. The two were sitting on the couch with controllers in their hands.

"You look like -"

"Save it," I said. I headed to the kitchen to find some Tylenol to get rid of the headache. It felt worse like it was a migraine instead. I pulled each bottle from the cabinet, rearranged some of the medications, and finally found the Tylenol. I twisted the cap and poured four in my hand. My head was throbbing as I swallowed each pill with water.

"Whatcha popping pills for?" Baylor asked with a smirk.

"My head is killing me." I palmed my forehead, hoping to relieve the pain.

"Well, you're not dead yet, so hang in there," Aiden glanced at me. "Are you running a fever?" he questioned, earning a shake of my head as I gestured no.

"I'm just gonna go to bed," I mumbled. I was afraid if I talked anymore, my head would break in two. I walked back down the hallway back to my room. This is the way I liked it: no lights on. Silence was what I needed, and I hoped I could fall asleep before they began hollering again.

I settled in a spot where Baylor laid just two nights ago. My pillow lingered with his familiar shampoo and a light scent of cologne. I've never had someone comfort me in the way Baylor has before. Though Aiden is always around when I awake from that terrible nightmare, something clicked with Baylor.

***

"My brother did what?!" I exclaimed, shock spreading over my face, amusement as well.

Jo laughed, "While I was sleeping, he drew a mustache, a beard, and bushy eyebrows with cream just to have a reason to lick me. He's such a weirdo, but I love him for it." Once she told me, and the last five words that escaped her mouth, her hand flew up to cover her lips, her eyes wide as saucers.

"What did you say?!" I yelled. She laughed.

"You cannot tell Aiden!" she commanded, her hand squeezing a firm grip around my arm, fingers mashing into my skin.

"You don't have to worry about that because it's not my place to tell. Now, spill woman!"

Jo bit her lip and smiled. "He's just the sweetest person and he treats me with respect and never -" she paused, "I don't know, it's stupid," she waved it off with a slight smile. I frowned; my eyebrows knitted together.

"No, it's not, Jo. You never know, he could feel the same about you," I acknowledged.

"Thank you, Adalynne. I just don't know when to tell him. I just feel like it's too early to say anything, so he might not feel the same way I do," she admitted.

"He'll come around; I promise. You're actually the first time that a girl has actually meant something to him." Jo smiled, her cheeks turning a light pink. By the time the bell rang to transfer to break, I ran into Baylor. Jo said she had to return Aiden's call.

I believe she just used that excuse to leave Baylor and me alone.

"Do you wanna hang out tonight?" He shoved his hands in the pockets of his denim jacket.