Life in Color ✔️

19~ Disappointment

I stick my tongue out at Sage before relaxing back in my seat. He returns the favor.

Stella laughs, "It's a wonder how you two raise children."

Can I get a retweet? Half the time I'm convinced our house is two seconds from imploding.

"What does that mean?" Ashton asks, letting go of my hand.

Oh, shit. I send Stella a glare, she gulps and hides herself in James side.

I glance up at his expectant gray eyes, briefly distracting me from my excuse. "Nothing, just that we're the oldest kids. We do pretty much everything."

He seems to buy it but Ella jumps in before he can say anything to inform me otherwise. "What are we doing for the twins birthday?"

Thank God, this was a safe subject.

"Dinner at your house probably and then a party, I think."

Their birthday is a week away and for once they can't agree on what to do. One wanted a sleepover, the other wanted to go bowling. Then it changed to laser tag. Then the movies.

I feel like they're changing it just to piss the other off, as if I don't have enough to worry about already. The last couple months things have been difficult between them but every time one of us points it out they assure us nothing is wrong.

I bought it. At first.

We chat more about the upcoming holidays before the bell rings for fifth period. As always, Ashton walks me to class.

"Are you guys going anywhere for Christmas this year?"

I shrug, "What's the point? All my moms family is here and my dads side has all passed away." Just like my parents. "What about you?" I nudge him.

He wrinkles his nose, "Just staying here, we usually visit my Abuela, Dads mom, but she wants to see the new house."

The thought of a grandmother actually wanting to spend time with her grandchild is foreign to my brain. I haven't had that since I was 15, my Abuela died just three months before my parents. "That must be nice." I offer quietly.

A real smile breaks out on his face. "It is. She can be a handful but I miss her a lot. She'd love to meet you."

I doubt it, I'm sure she'll find something wrong with me but if he's excited then so am I.

"I can't wait either."

*****

Stella
Dinner at my house tonight. Mom said no isn't an option.

I groan for the twentieth time in the last hour as I walk into the locker room, "Do I have to?"

"Yup, I held her off long enough, she wanted you guys to come over like a week ago." Stella confirms, lacing up her sneakers.

I start to slowly bang my head against the lockers. I. Am. So. Dead.

The girls offer me a pitying look, knowing the exact reason she wants us over so bad. I'm sure I can handle Kim alone.

Turns out, two hours later, I'm dead wrong. I am no match for the disappointment of Kim Hollens.

From the moment I walked in the door I get the look, her eyes narrowing in on me. I say a quick prayer while I put my shoes up. Dinner goes by smoothly. I try to stay silent while the boys chat about their upcoming birthday, Ella went home so it's only the five of us and Sam and Stella.

"Scarlett, are you still friends with that boy?" Jacob asks, completely oblivious to the look his wife is giving me, it just screams please answer.