There's a thin line between curiosity and familiarity.
-THEO
Caleb Parks' POV
I try to focus on the two dancing figures before me, but my mind keeps drifting to last night.
After Gail left me in the kitchen with Peyton, I tried talking to her, but she avoided looking at me.
And when I tried to take a look at the book she was reading, she nearly chopped my fingers off as she closed the book shut quickly. She stared me down with a cold gaze and walked away.
I don't get it. She became caring when she saw me reading a story to Gail. She got jealous when she thought I slept with someone while we were in Mexico, and let's not forget how she almost stopped me from playing the guitar or any other instrument as a whole.
"Caleb!" Marci waved her hands into my face frantically.
"Yes?" I answer.
"We've been waiting for you to start teaching us the new routine." She crossed her hand across her chest as she gestured to herself and Nathan.
"Wouldn't it be cheating that a musician your teacher?" I ask with a grin.
"Wouldn't you want to win the best brother in the world?" Marci says.
I raise a brow at her, "I'm your only brother."
"Says who?" She sasses.
"Um... guys, I have to be home soon. So can we wrap this up?" Nathan says as he regards us with an unsure gaze.
Marci glares at me as if it's my fault that her friend has better things to do than practice with her.
I roll my eyes and allow Marci to drag me onto the stage in the music room.
I get into a standing position, arms crossed behind my back and feet apart. Nathan and Marci are watching me with keen interest.
"As a dancer, you need to know how to do three things, muscle memory, vibed up, and balance," I instruct.
"I get the first and last thing you said, but how does being vibed up help us here?" Nathan cocked his head to the side while looking at me.
"Easy, observe."
I begin humming a tune as I do some light footwork, breaking into a simple tut and then a black flip. I finish up by doing a reverse, and then I hit the folks.
I walk up to the duo and close their open mouths.
"Dancing is a way of expressing yourself, but you must feel the beat move you as you do it. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just remember to have fun up there and enjoy yourselves," I say as I place my hands on their shoulder, and my gaze turns harder as I focus on Nathan, "Not too much fun though,"
Again Marci narrows her eyes at me but I wave her off, "Go freshen up; Gail's show is in a bit."
I can hear her teeth grinding as she picks up her phone and pulls Nathan into a tight hug before leaving.
I narrow my eyes at the boy and walk closer, making him gulp and take a few steps back.
"I'm going to ask you this question once," I say.
"What are your intentions with Marci?" Jack leans on the wall with a cocked brow while looking at Nathan.
"Because if you hurt her," Jacob says as he comes to stand in the middle of the room.
"We might be inclined to allow your body to be found when we're done with you," Shawn says as he leans by the door.
Abigail comes into the room and looks around; she's the only person moving because the silence in the room is as thick as thieves.
"Oo, Nathan is here." She smiles and skips up to Nathan and me, who are still on the stage having a staredown.
"If you guys don't leave him alone, I'm telling Peyton and Taryn when she gets back." Marci walks back in, still in her dance outfit from before.
I chuckled, and the rest of the guys followed my lead.
"Relax, Marci. We were just teasing the guy," To prove my point, I sling my arm around Nathan's shoulder and bring him closer, "See?"
"I'm fine, Marci. You can go." Nathan takes the hint when I squeeze his shoulders a bit more.
Marci rolls her eyes and allows Jack and Jacob to lead her out of the room while Shawn picks Abigail up.
"I know that you guys don't trust me," Shawn narrowed his eyes while I cocked my head, "But I like Marci a lot, and if you guys plan on keeping us apart. I'll respect your wishes, don't forget we attend the same school." He says the last part with a sly grin.
I chuckle at his attempt to humour me, "Your one lucky kid. I wouldn't mind spoiling my reputation to make things clear. Remember, Nate, if you make her cry, you'll be eating with a straw when next I see you."
Looks like I scared him good because he gulped again.
"Am I crystal?" I question with a cold glare
"Clear."
"Good. Shawn, please make sure that he leaves while I ensure we are on time for the show."
I feel my protective façade drop when I carry Gail to her room.
Marci had already handled Abigail's outfit for the night. I left her there and went to my room to get ready.
I walked into the living room in a blue tee, black jeans and Nike sneakers. "Where's Peyton?" I state the last person who is yet to be here.
"She has been cooped up in her room all day, all thanks to you." Jacob accuses me.
"He's just sulky because there is no one to practice his lines on. Seems like you don't like your arm, brother." Shawn taunted him.
"Do us a favour and get her?" Jack asks me with a look in his eyes that spells trouble.
I raise a brow at him, "Why am I the one that has to get her?"
Marci answers from the kitchen, "Just go. We're almost late."
"Fine," I roll my eyes at them as I make it up the stairs again, "You're all so bossy."
I receive laughs and jabs thrown in my direction as I continue climbing up. The smell of popcorn follows me up the stairs.
I get to her room, and of course, it is quiet. I knocked and walked in.
I inhale a sharp breath as she cocks her head with her reflection to give me a double-take. She turned around to allow me to have a full drink of her outfit. She looked amazing.
"I thought they would send someone who could speak to get me, not one of Shrek's brothers." She also does a double-take on my outfit.
With the moment broken, I glower at her while she chuckles, "Lighten up, I'm joking. You clean up well." She offers a wink.
I run my hand through my hair, disheveling it, "You are the most confusing woman I have ever met, do you know that?"
She taps her chin, "I know that I make heads turn but hey, no play, no foul." She grins.
After a moment, she says, "Let's make a deal."
"What are you proposing?" I ask suspiciously.
"I promise to act nicely from now on for the sake of Gail while you stop acting like a dimwit."
I roll my eyes, "And also infuriating, that's not a fair deal for me."
"I will start pretending you are a good employer while I am a good employee. I will take better care of Abigail and the orphanage. You and I will be like acquaintances."
"I have a better one. You listen to me sing, and I'll pretend you are a good employee." I bargain.
I don't know why but her saying that she just wants to be an acquaintance didn't sit well with me.
"You see, I have these things called ears, and I would like them not to be bleeding when I leave here." She rolls her eyes like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Fine, you tell me what's so special about that book that almost made me handicapped," I flick my head to the brown book that was inconspicuously under her pillow.
"That's off the table." Her silver-blue eyes grow cold as she surveys me, "You know what, never mind, I'll be a good employee and let me make it easier for your peanut-sized brain. I'll do my job, and you stay out of my god-dammed way."
When I thought her rant was over, she continued, "Get out." She points at her door.
Looks like I struck a nerve there.
When I don't move a muscle, her glare hones in on my head, "You asked for it." She shrugs before taking off one of her heels.
Yup, she is very similar to Taryn. I sped out of the room before my brain did become peanut-sized.
Soon she comes down, and Jacob throws pickup lines at her while he meets her at the bottom of the stairs, but her attention is focused on burning me to the ground.
What did I do now?
I'm guessing the book really is a touchy subject for her, but all she needed to have said was that. No death threats were necessary.
My curiosity about her has been piped up a bit. I wonder what she's hiding? Why makes that book special?
We all leave. Thankfully the press in the lobby is few, so we make it into the uber with little hassle.
"So what's the plan if we run into Whore-a the explorer?" Marci asks.
"Who's that?" Peyton asks, clearly out of the loop.
"Abigail's teacher," Jack offers her, "But because her favourite pupil is here, I'll familiarize you with her other names later."
Peyton laughs, "And I thought my friends and I were mean."
"You have friends; I thought you were a snobby pitstop girl." Shawn taunts her.
"Even if I were, I could make anybody's pitstop worthwhile." She offers a wink to Shawn.
"Why is it, when I'm the one that throws the lines, I end up with a broken arm while they get you to agree to their demands?" Jacob's questions obviously offended.
"That's because they are not dense." She informs him.
We pull up into the parking lot of Abigail and Marci's school. We pile out,t and Jack pays the driver. He and Shawn escort Peyton in with their arms crossed with hers. Jacob and Gail follow after them while Marci hangs back to walk with me.
"Why so glum, brother?" She nudges me.
"I am clueless, that's what," I say.
"You once said that you can't have her because she's your employee. But I think if you really want a happy ending, I suggest you go for it. If you end up with a broken heart, then so be it."
"You know you are very horrible with pep talks, right?"
"Yes, but I'd be wiser to not anger me more. I can't believe that you guys really threatened Nate." She stops walking to glare at me.
"That's why we are family; we protect each other. Unlike you who are preparing me for a heartbreak." I grab her shoulder with one hand, and we enter the building. People were already taking their seats. Thankfully, the lights weren't too bright, so the contacts I wore with the beanie should be enough to disguise me.
"Seriously though, if you are interested in her, make your move." Marci says, "I see the ostrich heading our way. Good luck, brother." She taps my hand and moves away.
Before I can retort, Miss Beatrice is in front of me wearing a top that is way too small for her.
I tune out her nagging voice while shooting daggers at Jack and Marci, who were watching us while eating popcorn; it's like Jack came prepared tonight.
I turn my attention to see Shawn and Jacob talking to Peyton. The brown and gold waves that cradled her face became dishevelled as she tipped her head backwards and laughed at whatever Jacob told her.
When she sobers up, her gaze lands on Miss Beatrice and me. Her gaze hardens as she makes her way over to us.
I don't know whether to be relieved or scared of the murderous look on her face as she makes her way to us.
"There you are." She locks hands with me and swings them around her shoulders.
She takes her sweet time doing this, and then she notices the death glare from the teacher beside me. If we were cartoons, I could see the red lasers coming out of her eyes.
She scoffs and leaves us, we both start laughing, and time slows down as I sober up and put her hair behind her ear.
"This is new." I gesture to our interlocked hands.
"I'm just saving Gail and Marci from getting an evil stepsister. No need to get all touchy." She shrugs off my hand. She walked into the hall, where everyone else had taken their seats.
Shawn saved us some seats, so we all sat down and watched what was fascinating to six-year-olds. When I thought I had aged a bit, judging from how boring this is. Abigail got on stage with a sheet of paper in her hand.
"Hi, everyone. My name is Abigail Parks. For my show and tell, I wanted to play the guitar like my brother put it weighs more than me," She pouts while a few snickers wafted in the air. "So instead, I'll read you something I wrote.'
I sit up in my seat and give her my undivided attention.
She looks down at the paper in her hands and starts reading from them.
"I give you morals, and I give you love, I give you warmth, and I give you kindness. I give you smiles, and I give you tears. But most of all, I give you the truth." She folds the paper and looks at the crowd with narrowed eyes.
"Like Mulan, I want to make my parents proud, like every other kid in my grade. The smile our parents give us is the one thing I want. But I don't have it. I have something more.
I have my older sister Marcella who I often annoy, but she gives me tips to be a better person. I have Jacob and Shawn, my older brother's friends, but I know they're my friends too because Shawn reads me stories while Jacob makes me laugh at some jokes he tells me.
I have Jack, my brother's best friend, but I see him more as a brother because he always makes me feel happy when I feel left out. I have Taryn, who is gone for now, but she once told me 'that no matter how many dresses you wear, if you're ugly on the inside, you're ugly on the outside.'.
I have Peyton, who I just met, but she is very kind. Finally, I have my big brother Caleb, I love him a lot, and I'm happy that he is with me no matter what.
I'm trying to say that you don't need a mother or a father to know you have a family. I have none of those, but my family is pretty awesome."
I heard sniffing from beside me. I look around to see that everyone around me is shedding a few tears, I touch my cheek, and I am also shedding quite a few.
Gail bows to the audience and leaves the stage. Everyone stands up and gives her applause.
"That was nice." Peyton sniffs from beside me.
Abigail has finally grasped what I have been trying to teach her all these years. I am so surprised how she composed that.
Turns out she was the last act of the night because when she left the stage, the principal thanked us for coming and said the closing prayer.
We all leave the hall and wait in the hallway for Abigail. She comes, and we all engulf her in a group hug.
"Can't breathe," She coughs from the middle. We let go of her, and she lands on her feet, "Does that mean you liked it?" She looks at us with a cheeky smile.
"No, Gail. We loved it, and we love you even more," Marci says and picks Gail up and hugs her.
"Not to be a downer, but all these emotions made me hungry." Jack pats his stomach.
"Sitting around makes you hungry," I retort drily.
Jack scoffs, "Are we eating out? Or we're going back to the penthouse to eat?"
"May I remind you that the groceries finished because someone was hungry." Peyton glares at Jack, who raises his hand in mock surrender.
"Out, I say we get some pizza," Shawn suggests.
"Cool, I'll order the uber." Jack offers, most likely his way of saying that the faster the car gets here, the faster he gets to eat.
Dinner in Dominos was entertaining. Peyton and Jacob kept taking cheap shots at each other, but it was more of Jacob trying to get her into his bed, and she compared his IQ to that of another Disney character.
I've noticed that most of her insults are either from Walt Disney's creations or Pixar.
Marci and Gail were having a sister chat while eating breadsticks. Shawn read a book as he ate.
When we entered the Penthouse, I gripped Peyton's hand and dragged her to the corridor of amusement.
"If you plan on continuing your music career, I suggest you let go of my hand right now."
I didn't allow her not-too-subtle death threats to stop me; it's now or ever. I needed answers that only she could provide.