I stooped down to fish around under the hanging flower pots. For a few minutes I groped at the dirty cement ground before my fingers finally landed on the familiar cold metal of the key. “Aha!” I exclaimed happily as I pulled it out and straightened back up. It’d been a while since I’d last had to search for it.
With a little smile I unlocked and opened the door, creeping into the house as quietly as possible. I wasn’t sure exactly what time it was, my phone had died, so I tried to be as quiet as I could. I didn’t make it past the first doorway before I was spotted.
“Kara!” he yelped out when he saw me, quickly striding towards me.
He wrapped his arms around me without hesitation and pulled me into a hug. “Hey dad,” I greeted him bashfully. It’d been quite a while since I’d been to Maver’s house. Maver may have had an excuse not to visit them, but I sure didn’t. They’d never been anything but amazing to me.
I hugged him back and waited for his routine three pats on my back before releasing me from the embrace. Maver’s father smiled down at me with his bright blue eyes, the corners wrinkling as he did so. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t called,” I admitted, still looking bashful, “I just got caught up in school and basketball.”
Maver’s father nodded knowingly. He’d played sports in school as well. In fact, he was the one who’d taught me basketball to begin with. “Are you hungry? Diana should just be finishing with breakfast.”
“A little,” I admitted with a nod and he stepped aside so I could enter the kitchen first.
The moment I stepped onto the white linoleum floor he set his hands on my shoulders and pushed me forward a few steps. “Look what the mailman dropped off this morning Diana!”
She turned from the eggs she’d been making and the moment her brown eyes landed on me her entire face lit up. “You!” she chimed out, waving her spatula at me. “You never visit, you never call, you never even write!” she scolded, though her mouth was still turned up in a smile.
“Sorry mom,” I apologized. She spread her arms and I obeyed the unspoken command, coming up so she could hug me.
Her spatula now sat abandoned on the counter as she hugged me tightly. “How have you been? Are you eating right?” she started to gush as her hair fell over my lips the second I tried to respond. “You’re not forgetting your jacket are you? It’s getting cold out and I know how you are with those things.”
Maver’s father gave me an amused smile as he scooted around us to tend to the forgotten eggs. I finally managed to pull my head away from her so I could respond with, “I’m fine mom, really.”
She pulled away a little, holding me at arm’s length as she examined me at great length. I waited patiently until she released me. “Are you hungry?”
I nodded, which pleased her greatly, and she finally lifted her hands from me and turned to her husband. “Get her a plate ready Jared, I need to get dressed. I’m not fit for company right now.”
We both laughed as she rushed from the room, her cheeks red with excitement. With Maver having moved out she hadn’t been able to play the mom role in months. Diana was the type of woman who lived to be a housewife and mother. She did a great job of it in my opinion. Maver thought she was over bearing but that was only because he didn’t know how good he had it.
“How much would you like Kare Bear?”
“Not too much. I really only stopped by for my bike,” I admitted.
He looked over at me as I took a spot t the table. “It’s a little cold for a joy ride,” he commented. I nodded in response and he finished pushing some of the eggs onto the plate for me and brought it over to me. “What do you need your bike for?”
I sighed and picked up the fork, poking at the yellow scrambled eggs. “I left my key at Maver’s.”
Maver’s father sat kitty corner to me at the table and peered across it at me. “Your aunt isn’t home?” he asked already knowing the answer. I shook my head and he sighed. “Kara I wish you’d just move in with us.”
“I’ll be eighteen soon enough. By the time you got custody of me I’d already be old enough to have my own place.”
“She wouldn’t even notice if you lived here,” he pointed out of my aunt.
I knew it was true and busied myself with shoveling eggs into my mouth. The whole reason I’d stayed away from the house once Maver had moved out was for this reason. I loved Maver’s parents but I wasn’t going to free load off of them. My aunt got an allotted amount of money for me per month so with her it was different. Besides, I barely saw the woman so had no qualms about living at her house. I was left well enough alone.
Maver’s mom’s voice rang out as she entered the kitchen no longer dressed in her pajamas. “I always told you she’d visit before Maver would, didn’t I Jared?”
He nodded, his eyes losing their impatient sheen they’d taken on. I’d spent most of my years growing up in this house. He was more of a father to me than my own. I’d been calling Diana and Jared ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ for years now. I knew that he wanted nothing more than me to move in with them. It was more than the fact that I’d become their surrogate daughter; it was because they genuinely cared about my wellbeing. As nice of a feeling as it was it still made me feel out of place some times.
“I can’t stay too long,” I informed them as I pushed around the last few eggs with my fork. “I can visit on Wednesday though.”
“I’ll be gone Tuesday to Friday,” Maver’s mother informed me with a sigh, “I have to cater for a wedding in Ohio.”
Jared took my plate the second I finished the eggs as he stood up. “I can take you out to eat then Kare Bear.”
“You never take me out to eat anymore,” Diana pointed out as her husband stopped before her with my empty plate.
He smiled, his smile lines growing around his cheeks and the corner of his eyes wrinkling as he kissed her forehead. “That’s because you cook better than any restaurant could.”
She patted his chest with her spatula saying, “You’re a terrible liar.” Yet she still smiled a little.
For a few minutes I watched as the pair teased each other, Maver’s father gently kissing her forehead in between teasing comments. As usual the pair were all soft smiles. I’d never seen a happier couple than the pair of them. Just watching made me feel happy as well.
Slowly I got to my feet so I could creep from the room and go get my bike, seeing as with both of them occupied with each other was the perfect opportunity. Unfortunately I wasn’t as stealthy as I’d hoped and Jared called out, “Forget your bike. I’m giving you a ride.”
“You’re in your pajamas,” I pointed out as I turned to look over my shoulder at him.
“The only two ladies I need to impress are here in the kitchen,” he replied with a wink and both I and his wife rolled our eyes but still smiled. “Go wait in the car,” he instructed searching for his keys. Diana handed him them and he gave her another soft kiss on her forehead. “I’ll just be…”
I walked out leaving the pair to talk. It’d be for the best I got a ride anyways. It was a bit cold out and I didn’t have room in my aunt’s garage to keep my bike. I climbed into the familiar grey car and buckled the seatbelt without a second thought. It felt so natural to be back around Maver’s parents again. I’d spent most of my childhood in this house.
Maver’s father soon climbed into the driver’s seat beside me and started the engine, turning to look at me. “I know it would have been a disaster if I asked in front of Diana, so I’m asking you now; why didn’t you just call Maver for your key?”
“He’s at some girl’s house,” I replied with a shrug, leaning my head against the back of the seat as I watched the garage door open in the rearview mirror. “Wouldn’t want to wake him up.”
“A girl’s?” he asked in a disapproving tone. I nodded. “Is she nice?” As nice as someone who you had never actually met could be, I guessed so I nodded again. “Why aren’t you there with him?”
I shifted my eyes to his and smiled. “Maver and I don’t share everything you know. We do have separate friends.”
Jared just shrugged and backed the car out of the garage. “How is Maver doing?”
“He’s been all right. It’s taking a little time to adjust obviously but you know how he is.”
His father nodded and made a few turns driving in silence. That was one thing I’d always appreciated his father for. He knew when to just accept quiet air and not push things. It didn’t always get him the answers he wanted but it helped keep me from feeling like I was being interrogated. Maver unfortunately didn’t get that from his father. When he wanted to know something he’d ask until your ears fell off, then pick them up and ask some more.
“Do you stay over there often?”
“Not too often,” I said knowing that it was a lie. I was over there a majority of my time these days.
He gave a nod and both of our eyes turned up to the big apartment complex. Though the white peeling paint that covered the rundown apartment had once been a greeting of freedom I now disliked it. Inside was most likely Logan; someone I didn’t exactly want to see. Last night I thought I’d cleared the air but now it felt like I’d made things worse, much worse.
Maver’s dad must have realized my tension for when he pulled the car up to the side he looked over towards me. “Everything all right Kara?”
I gave a small nod and a false smile. “Yeah, I won’t take long. They’re just in Maver’s room.”
I climbed from the car and started into the complex, repeating in my head that nothing was going to happen. Logan had just said he wanted to avoid me as well, not that he wanted to kill me. Yet still with every step I took towards door 17. Unlike the first time I’d seen the penis that’d been made of the 1 I didn’t smile. Instead I grimaced and knocked on the door. As I’d dreaded would happen the door was pulled open and I found myself face to face with Logan.
Silence hung in the air as his blue eyes met mine, deep bags around them. It looked as though he’d been up all night. There was no doubt in my mind that he had been. More than likely he’d been on some sort of drug. That was Logan for you. A drinking, druggie, asshole who sexually assaulted me just to upset me. Yet the way his black hair framed his pale face, the bags more prominent then ever when he turned his eyes to look behind me to see if anyone was with me, I felt a little bad for him.
“Hey,” he finally muttered, stepping aside and holding open the door as he did so.
I furrowed my brow, a little confused at his lack of insults. No way am I going to start something though. So instead I walked past him, keeping my eyes on the floor to avoid his. I felt like if I looked at him again he may suddenly remember how much he enjoyed hating on me. “Hi,” I mumbled and ran a hand through my hair as I paused and eyed the hallway. “Is Maver here?”
“No,” he responded slowly, pausing a few steps behind me as well.
I nodded, about to just walk off to Maver’s room. But my feet wouldn’t move. It was still Logan’s house. Least I could do was be polite. “Can I step in and get my keys?” I asked and turned to look over at Logan who had taken a step towards the livingroom couch.
He nodded, not making eye contact and I didn’t waste a second. I scuttled off to Maver’s room, pulling the door closed behind me. I wasn’t sure what scared me more; a Logan who was constantly trying to harass me or this new creature in the livingroom? Quiet, non threatening and just there. It was so unlike what I knew of Logan that I started to wonder just exactly what drug he was on. Maybe it was something as innocent as weed and he was just baked and relaxed?
Either way I had Maver’s dad waiting in the car for me so it would be better I not take too long. Slowly I made my way around the room gathering all of my things. It would be for the best I stay out of Logan’s house for at least a week or two. I needed a break from Maver as it were. I mean, sure we were best friends but I didn’t have to cling to him or anything. Time by himself may be a good thing.
Though I knew that was just my way of hiding the fact I was afraid of Logan. It wasn’t that I was afraid he’d do something really. I was more perturbed by his silence. What was he thinking? Did he hate me? Or maybe he decided I just don’t exist anymore? I know I said I wanted to avoid him but still, we did have some all right moments together. Like when he stuck up for me that day at the store. Or . . . no, that was pretty much it. So why did it seem to matter so much?
It wasn’t until the door opened behind me that I realized I’d just been standing there staring blankly at my bag of clothes I’d just shoved back together. I turned to look over my shoulder and sure enough there was Logan standing in the doorway. “Sorry, I haven’t found them yet,” I apologized feeling like an idiot. Maver must have come home sometime and then left again because my things hadn’t been so scattered when I’d left, I was sure of that much.
Logan extended his arm forward and I watched this action feeling as though every movement from him was a potential threat. He must have realized this because he felt the need to say, “Your keys are right here,” in a somewhat soft voice.
I turned my eyes to his face as I stepped up, putting my hand out for them. “Where’d you find them?”
He looked a little guilty for a second before shrugging. “In your coat pocket on the bed.”
“Why did you go through my things?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. I wasn’t sure whether to be upset or not. I had left them at his house so I suppose they were fair game. And we had had a little bit of a clash so maybe he was upset and started throwing my things around? It would explain my things being such a mess.
“To find your keys.”
“Oh,” I grumbled not sure if I understood. It was better not to ask though so I wound my fingers around them as he set them into my awaiting hand. “Thanks.”
He gave a little shrug and a nod, jamming his hands into his pockets. “Yeah,” Logan said lightly then turned and walked from the room. I watched his tank top covered back as he walked down the hall and turned the corner out of sight.
There had been no fighting. He hadn’t insulted me. He’d barely even looked at me. Yet I felt like I’d just been pushed to the ground. What had I been expecting? Had I thought that telling him I wanted to avoid him would make us become friends or something? Obviously he didn’t care enough to take it as me trying to make peace. He’d taken it literally. That I just wanted him out of my way.
But didn’t I want that?
I shook my head slowly, no idea what it was I wanted. I tucked the key into my pocket and was about to leave the room when my eyes were drawn back to my bag of clothes. It would be better if I brought them with me. Logan obviously agreed that he didn’t want to see me and that was why he’d gotten my key for me. He was showing me he just wanted to get me out of his sight. I snagged the bag from the ground and closed the door behind me as I left the room. Things would be awkward a few days but maybe I could start over with Logan again in a week or two? This time around I’d treat him like what he was; my best friend’s older brother.
“Did you walk here?”
Logan’s voice caught me by surprise and I jumped a little before freezing in place, looking to the side where he stood leaning against the wall. I’d expected him to be in the livingroom; not just around the corner in the hall. “N-“ I started, my heart calming down a little, “no.”
“How did you get here?”
My hand shot up to my hair, pushing it back out of my eyes. “I got a-“
A loud knock sounded on the door and we both turned to look at it. “I’ll get it,” he said, smoothly pulling himself from the wall and walking past me. I watched as he unlocked and pulled open the door, coming face to face with his dad.
Oh shoot! That’s right he’d been waiting for me! “Sorry dad!” I apologized quickly with a guilty smile as I approached the doorway, my eyes on Maver’s dad. “I had to round up some things,” I held up my bag, coming to a stop a step behind Logan.
What I didn’t notice was Logan’s wide eyed gaze at me as his dad gave me a smile. “It’s fine Kara, I was just making sure you didn’t need any help.”
“More like checking on me?” Logan hissed, turning his eyes back towards his dad.
The suddenly tense atmosphere confused me and I looked at Logan, wondering why he had to be an ass to everyone in the world. “Relax, I just got a ride from him.” I said, trying to calm down Logan. I wasn’t sure what exactly was with the venom in his voice but last thing I needed was more of his drama.
“Fuck that, I’m driving you,” Logan shot, looking over his shoulder at me with a pointed glare.
“Logan-“ I said, my brow furrowed in confusion at his weird attitude.
“Logan,” his dad interrupted in a terse voice, “don’t talk like that to Kara.”
He scoffed, looking back at Jared in the doorway. “Don’t you tell me what to do. This is my house.”
“Look I-“
Again his dad cut me off. “Enough with that tone of voice Logan.”
In a split second Logan’s tense stance turned defensive and my hand snapped to his shoulder on pure instinct, pulling him back a step. He stumbled in surprise, caught off guard by my sudden touch as I pulled him so he was standing beside me instead of in front of me. His eyes snapped to mine, looking accusing and full of rage. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d been about to punch his father and so instead of quivering away like I usually would I gave him a stern look. “Calm down,” I ordered him my eyes staying locked on his.
His blue eyes searched mine angrily for a second before relaxing slightly. “Whatever,” he finely grumbled and pulled sharply out of my grasp, stalking off into the living room.
I watched his back as he stormed off. I’d never seen him act like this before. Not to mention he’d never listened to me before. “I’m sorry about him Kare Bear,” Logan’s dad said from the entrance which caused me to look back at him, “he’s always been ill tempered.”
Behind me I could hear Logan scoff angrily. His dad had said it loud enough for him to hear on purpose and we both knew it. This annoyed me and I bit my tongue, trying to fight back all the questions that were coming to mind. Obviously there had to be a reason for all of the hostility and anger. People don’t just react to their parents like that. But what annoyed me more than anything was the way that Logan’s dad was handling it. “Are you ready to go?” he asked, sensing my discomfort.
“Actually,” I said, not sure what was compelling me to say it, “I told Logan that he could drive me home.”
The look on his dad’s face instantly made me feel guilty for my lie. It was the perfect father disapproving look. “You know I can give you a ride.”
“It’s out of your way and I have to wait for Maver anyways,” I responded slowly. There was no way I could leave Logan here alone as angry as he was. It’d only worsen things between us the next time he saw us. That and I wanted to ask him what the hell was going on. He must have some strong dislike for his own dad if he offered to ride me home over having his dad in his house a few moments longer. Well, more ordered me to ride with him then offered. But still, Logan knowingly opting to spend time with me meant it must be something big.
He eyed me slowly, judging what to say next. “Diana and I miss you.”
Oh, the guilt card. “I know,” I nodded not wanting to fold, “tell mom I’ll stop by Saturday, and I’ll see you on Wednesday right?”
“You don’t need to schedule visits you know.”
I smiled, “I know dad, but this way you can be sure to have food ready for me.”
He gave a small chuckle and nodded. “All right, I know when I’m being ushered out. I’ll see you on Wednesday Kare Bear.”
As he stepped back into the hall the door slammed shut and I looked up startled to see Logan, peering at me a few inches away, his hand on the wood of the door. The air between us was still and tense as I stared up at him, torn between telling him how rude that was and asking him what was going on. I opted for the second choice and cleared my throat nervously, stepping away from him and into the lvingroom. “What was that about?”
“I should ask you the same fucking thing!” he growled angrily, shooting glares at me as I turned to face him.
“There was no reason to be so rude to him you know.”
“He shouldn’t have been here in the first place,” he snapped back.
“He was just picking me up.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed on me. “I don’t want him anywhere near here. Next time you need a ride ask me not him.”
“I don’t have your number,” I responded, my voice growing annoyed. Why did I feel like this was my fault when I didn’t even know what was going on. “He was the only ride I had.”
In a second Logan was toe to toe with me. I inhaled, half expecting him to hit me at the sudden lurching approach. But he didn’t. Instead his hand he dug his hand into the back right pocket of my jeans. “Hey!” I growled, trying to tear away from his sudden advance. He set free hand on my chest, giving me a shove as he pulled my phone out of my pocket. I fell backwards, landing in a stunned sitting position on the couch, looking up at him with angry eyes.
“Now you do,” he snapped at me as he finished jamming some buttons and tossed the phone back at me. It hit my chest with a thud and fell onto my lap.
“Why are you acting like this?” I asked, wanting to get to my feet but he was standing just in front of me, leering down at me.
He stared down at me for a moment before taking a step back. “Why’d you call him dad? What the fuck was that?”
“I told you, I grew up with Maver! He’s more like a dad than my own father.”
“The man just loves replacing fathers,” Logan scoffed and started walking from the room.
I watched him for a few seconds before jumping to my feet. “What is going on?” I demanded, grabbing onto his shoulder and pulling him to a stop. I wasn’t letting this one go.
Logan stopped and turned to look down at my hand on his shoulder. “Didn’t you ever wonder why you never saw me if you grew up at Maver’s house and we’re brothers?”
“Well yeah, I di-“
“It’s because of that asshole,” he cut me off with a growl turning to face me. I took a small step back, looking up at him.
“He’s not an asshole, you are.” I was surprised at how sorry I suddenly felt for Logan. He looked so tired, so worn out and now, even though he looked pissed off, he had an odd look of dejection hidden deep in his eyes.
“He knocks my mom up and then just leaves. Bet you didn’t know that huh?”
I blinked, looking surprised. “But-“
He sneered at me, stepping closer. “So she gets married and has me. Things are fine. Everything’s fine. Then he waltzes back in and ruins everything. Gets her pregnant again and she runs off with him to have Maver.”
I watched stunned and I backed up against the wall as he stepped closer yet. I’d never asked Maver about how things had happened with him having a brother I never knew about. I thought it’d just been me being as oblivious as always. “I didn’t know-“
“No one did,” he scoffed. “I saw Maver maybe twenty times before his eighteenth birthday.
“Where were you?” I asked.
“I lived with my real dad, the man who raised me.”
“But he’s still your dad-“
Logan’s hand rested on the wall, on either side of my head. “Knocking someone up and leaving doesn’t make you a father.”
How close his face had come to mine made me take in a deep breath. I hadn’t expected this. I thought that it would be something immature. Like Logan was mad because he got in trouble in drinking or something. Not that he felt like he’d been abandoned twice. “I would have just walked here if I knew that it had happened like that. I’m sorry, I really didn’t know.”
His black hair swayed as he drew his face a little further away from mine. Though his eyes still looked angry I knew that for once it wasn’t directed towards me. “I don’t want your pity.”
It was my turn to scoff. “I don’t pity you,” I responded, straightening myself up and peeling my back away from the wall. I stepped forward daringly, wondering as I took the step if I was digging myself a new hole. But it worked as I’d hoped it would and this time it was Logan who took a step back as he pulled his hands off of the wall. “Don’t always jump to conclusions.”
“Why not? They’re usually right.”
“When have you ever assumed right with me?” I retorted, tucking my phone into my jeans as I realized I was still clutching onto it.
[[ Hey you!~ Sorry it's been a while! I'm, working on it I promise. OOOH and I entered the Watty Awards! Please check it out! It's called "Being Seen" Check it out, it's up on my page. Much love ~ Jade ]]