Undateable

Thirty-Two

"For what?"

I pull back to look at her. "You were probably the only person who saw what was going to happen and tried to get me out of the relationship. I guess I was a little stubborn at first but I'm actually happy that I have someone looking out for me," she smiles.

I smile back. "I guess that's what family is for," I say.

Vivian's smile only widens. Suddenly, she hugs me again and says thank you. This is so weird. I didn't think Vivian and I would connect like this. We never did and we were always those cousins who hate each other. I guess you learn a lot about them when you live with them for so long. I see Vivian as more human than the robot I always described her to be. I still have issues with her, I guess... but that's family, isn't it?

"Uh, wait a minute, are you two friends now?" I hear.

Vivian and I pull away and see Kieran frowning with confusion. I roll my eyes. "What are you saying?" Vivian asks.

"Uh, the fact you two being friends is not good news," he answers. "This whole hugging session is making me very worried that you two are friends now."

"What's wrong with us being friends?" I ask, arching an eyebrow.

"The problem is that the two will gang up on me and make my life more miserable. Girl power is a scary thing," Kieran says. Suddenly, he walks into the lounge room and sits directly between us. "You guys can't be friends. It's worse than Godzilla for me."

I roll my eyes, remembering when I told Kieran he can't be friends with Cade because it'd be worse than Godzilla attacking the city. Abruptly, Vivian starts laughing. Kieran and I both look at her as though she just lost it. She is laughing hysterically, not the cute laugh she does to make her look elegant and classy. It's the laugh that makes her look like she lost it and it's a new sight.

She's holding her stomach as she laughs and wipes a tear from under her eye. "Was I that funny?" Kieran asks.

"Nah, I think she is momentarily insane. Your joke was pathetically sad," I whisper to him.

He scowls at me. I shrug, it's true. He copied from me – that shows no originality and it is disappointing that it came from my own twin. We came out of the same womb and I'm stuck with the lame one. "Your jokes are worse," he says.

"Uh, that's a lie. I guess I got all the humorous genes and you got all the boring ones – you're like a sloth, always sleeping and always moving slowly. And when you're awake, you can be just rude," I say in a matter of fact tone.

Vivian's laughter only increases, "Oh, I didn't realise you two were this funny," she breathes.

"Um, excuse me. Kieran is not funny – he has his moments and it's only those moments. Otherwise, he's more boring than watching a person who's watching paint dry," I say.

"Your jokes are more boring than watching a person who's watching a person who's watching paint dry," Kieran retorts.

I roll my eyes, pushing his head away. "Wow, you're such a loser. How are we even siblings? You have to be adopted, it's the only explanation," I say.

Suddenly, Kieran gives me the face I have seen a hundred times before. Uh oh. I jump up suddenly and run out of the room, calling out for mum. Kieran runs behind me, chasing me to tickle me relentlessly. Kieran is so pathetic, when he loses a fight, he resorts to tickling. I hear mum groan the moment I call her for the third time near her bedroom, and mutters, "Not again."

Kieran eventually did capture me and tickled me for what felt like hours. But it was probably twenty seconds. I lay on the ground as though the air is sucked out of me while Kieran sits on the floor, leaning his back on the wall to calm his breathing as well. I glare at him and sit up. "You're so rude," I pout.

"And yet, you love me," he says.

"Out of pity," I say with my nose held high.

"What's happening between you and Cade?" Kieran suddenly asks.

"What are you implying?"

"He's very weird lately. Always quiet, not getting into trouble and I see him looking at you from a distance as though he can't have you. But aren't you guys dating?" he asks. I uncomfortably look at him. Cade looks at me from a distance.

I shrug. I don't know what's happening, I wish I knew what was going through his head. Is it because of the disciplinary matter? He's acting so distant lately and I can't seem to figure out what it's about. He'd barely talk to me about it and sometimes, I just don't see him. I always wondered if he wanted to break up with me but I don't get at times. Maybe he doesn't like me like that but only sees me as a friend and now he's struggling to find a way to break up with me. I don't know how I feel about that.

I think I like Cade. I like spending time with him but we're barely intimate and I don't think I like much intimacy in general. Maybe we should just stay as friends? I don't know. I don't want to. I like him. He's funny, caring and our personality just works. After school the following day, I see Cade standing at his locker. He's staring intently at a piece of paper in his hand and he doesn't look happy.

I approach him, "Hey, what's up?" I ask, leaning against the locker beside him to have a full view of his face. He doesn't look up from the piece of paper. Curious, I lean towards him to have a glance at the paper and notice it's his grades.

"Oh, you didn't get any A's?" I joke.

He looks at me and sighs. "I did," he mutters.

I pause. I take the piece of paper from his hand and look at his grades. There's one A, one A minus and the remaining at B plus or B average. I begin to stutter, unable to find the right words to say. How did a guy from barely passing suddenly get A's and B's?

"Wow, you weren't joking," I manage to say. He takes the piece of paper back and shoves it in his locker. "I'm confused, why are you upset? Do you not like getting good grades?"

"They're not all A's."

I remember the deal we made and I begin to laugh. He scowls at me. "Oh, well, I guess I don't have to fire Mitch after all," I joke. He rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, look, I have to go. Dad wants me home straight after school from now on," he says.

My smile disappears. He really has changed. Why is he so distant? I don't think this is just about the Mitch thing, but could it be? I think he overheard what Mitch said to me and he's upset about it. I nod. "Alright," I say. We say goodbye momentarily and he leaves.

What's happening to Cade?