Thursday.
"Thomas, why don't you come over for dinner tonight?"
Since my parents were barely around because of their crazy shifts at the hospital, I often mistook Lee for my father. He really did act like dad when he wasn't around.
I glared at Lee. "No one should have to suffer through your cooking."
Okay, total lie. Lee was the best cook I knew.
Thomas ignored my comment and grinned.
"I would love to."
"Why can't anyone hurry up in this house?"
Lee sighed and switched the channel on the kitchen television to a stupid, inappropriate show.
Thomas has been coming over my house early in the mornings if he was not already sleeping the night. My brothers seemed fine by this which was shocking. Maybe it was the fact that he used to always sleep over when we were younger or that they liked his older brother. Either way, Thomas brought me self-assurance, knowing that someone besides my brothers cared for me.
My parents weren't around to worry about them seeing Thomas sleeping with me and even if they were, they knew him since he was four and knows I don't like him that way. My parents were home more during the days rather than the nights. They'd often come home by 3 in the morning and leave by 5 in the morning. I could hear dad's loud stomping and hollering compliments towards my mother while they got ready. Mom and dad were surgeons in the best hospital in Savannah so they were called in for work a lot, not that they minded though. They loved their job and they even met each other in the hospital.
Dad was two years older than mom and by the time she was accepted as an intern at the hospital, he was already working their as a doctor. Mom told me that she was assigned his intern. At first, they despised each other apparently and argued with one another about who was right about what medical thing. But one day, as mom recalled, dad grabbed her by the face and kissed her while she was blowing up about some argument they had.
I grinned at Lee.
"Not everyone is blessed with our natural beauty."
"You speak wise words, Nellie." Lee tossed a chocolate covered Oreo my way and Thomas's as he ate his own. These chocolate covered cookies were my weakness.
We both thanked him before eating our goodness.
"You shitfaces hurry up," Lee yelled and then sipped his coffee.
"I thought we weren't allowed to swear." I turned my head to see Wes stomp down the stairs.
He ran his fingers through his already messy, blonde hair. He was wearing his usual black Adidas soccer sweat pants. My older brother paired the sweat pants with a soccer, championship shirt.
"I'm the exception because I'm awesome."
Lee was the opposite as Wesley with dark brown hair and his attire for today. He was wearing dark jeans with a black, long sleeve shirt. Lee also had black vans on, too.
Wes glared with a grin teasing at the corners of his lips. "I think you mean me."
"No, I didn't." Lee looked serious.
"Will these girls ever hurry up?" My oldest brother changed his seriousness to a whining voice.
"That's so sexist."
I rolled my eyes and took another Oreo from the bag in Lee's hand.
"It's not if its true."
Thomas leaned his head on my shoulder and yawned. He whispered so only I could hear, "I could really go for your secret Starbucks coffee."
"Okay, just don't tell."
This was quite shocking that I agreed because no one knew where my Starbucks was located beside Thomas nor did I give it to them.
"You're my favorite."
He plopped down at the island as I sneakily got the coffee like the evil ninja I secretly was.
"Let's go."
"Invite Lance to our dinner party tonight."
I reached down to grab the coffee and out some in a cup before locking it back up. "It's not a party, you idiot."
"I'm sure he'll come. It's not like we have anything better to do," Thomas said.
I gave him his coffee and started to walk away, but he stopped me. He sat me down on his lap and snuggled against my neck. "Thank you, love. I think I forgot to mention you smell quite divine."
"You're so proper," I said with a smile.
Wesley made a groaning noise.
"You two disgust me."
"You disgust me," Lee said.
Drew and then Anthony seconds later came rolling down the steps, figuratively not literally, of course.
Lee opened the front door.
"Finally the two beauty queens show up."
"Hold the tuna sandwich up, Lee." Drew began to make his coffee.
"Why tuna sandwich?" I asked.
"Because they're awesome," Drew said in a 'duh' tone.
"Not as awesome as me, though."
Lee smirked.
"You're as awesome as an elephant's butt."
"So, you like an elephant's behind?"
"That's gross, Wes. Even for you," I grinned, despite Wesley's demise.
Wesley faked a frown.
"You two need to quit ganging up on me."
"Anthony, you're being quite. What happened?" Lee asked.
"Nothing," he snapped.
"Someone got their time of the month," Wes pestered with a chuckle.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Quit being sexist."
"That wasn't event really sexist," Lee mentioned.
"Oh shut up, Lee. You sexist guy."
"Let's go, already. Drew, you're so damn slow. It doesn't take -"
"If someone would've put the coffee where it was, maybe I wouldn't take so long."
Lee smiled in an innocent fashion.
"What are you talking about? Are you accusing me? Oh, dear. You know what I do to accusers, I -"
"Lee, stop talking."
He groaned in response to me.
"Nellie, that was not nice."
Drew was finally done with his coffee as he secured the lid on. Lee stepped outside of the front door and we followed suit. Thomas took my hand in his. The physical contact we had been was is making me melt like a Popsicle on a summer's day. Why must that boy be that hot and cause me to feel like that?
Oh, right. Silly me. Because the universe hated me.
"Am I distracting you, Kitten?" Thomas murmured as he felt me slowing down.
"Uh - No, just looking for my pet cat."
I don't even have a cat.
"You don't have a cat," He said, confused.
"We just got one," I blurted yet once again.
"What's it's name?"
"Um, Kitten?" I blabbered.
"I find you distracting, if you were wondering," he said, his husky voice making fireworks explode within me. Why must that boy drive me insane?
Thomas opened the car for me and got in first so I could sit on his lap like we normally do. He shut it after I got in and I thanked him.
He squeezed my hand in response and moved his thumb in circular motions to soothe me.
"I can't believe I'm letting those to do baboons that in my car," Lee mumbled.
I laughed with Thomas at Lee's description of us.
Usually, or actually anytime I wasn't around him, Lee would say a nastier name. But since Lee treated me like a baby, he didn't say those nasty things at me. He didn't even swear around me either and forbade others, too. Lee acted like I was so naive when in actuality, I wasn't because I had him and the others for older brothers.
"You mean this shit dump?"
"That doesn't even make sense," I said.
"You don't make sense," Wes replied.
I rolled my eyes as Thomas unlocked his phone and we went on his social media. I always liked the car rides to school with Thomas. We would either play a game on his phone or go on his social media which I thought meant we were progressing. What guy let's a girl see his social media?
He took a picture of us and said, "Smile beautiful."
I blushed.
After he snapped the picture, we looked at it and he grinned.
"Definitely posting this."
I turned my face away from his and hurried it in my hands.
"I look horrible."
He frowned and peeled the hands from my face.
"No, you don't."
"You're just saying that." I looked away out at the window. What pretty sights. Oh, look. A stop sign.
Thomas cupped my face, so I would be looking at him. His grey eyes stared intently into mine. He took one hand off my jaw to stroke my hair behind my ear in a soothing manner. He whispered, "I would never lie to you, Annabelle."
He was probably the only person to ever call me by my full name, and somehow, I kind of liked it.
I didn't know how to respond, for I was too awed to say anything. Thomas's face was a few centimeters away from mine, his breath and mine intermixing. It smelled like peppermint.
He did not need me answer because instead of waiting for me to reply, he clicked the button on top of his phone to lock the screen. After that, he leaned me against his chest with my back pressing against the side of the car. We did not say anything for the rest of the car ride, but cuddled there, smushed in the back of Lee's beat up car, sitting next to Anthony and Drew. They did not seem to care since they had their earbuds in and were too absorbed in their phones.
---
Jake said something incoherent and Mason grumbled, "Fine, I'll go with you."
Jake's frown immediately disappeared and he grinned. "This will be fucking awesome."
Mason rolled his eyes and said to me, because he could tell I was confused, "Jake likes to annoy Wal-Mart because they wouldn't let him buy their store."
I laughed because he could actually buy the store if he wanted to, that's how much money his parents had. "You asked to buy Wal-Mart?
"Belles, it would've been a good investment. My dad even agreed," Jake told, smugly.
"But, his mom said no. Jake is like a mini-version of his dad, it's quite sickening sometimes," Mason whispered in my ear which earned a hit on the back of the head from Jake.
"My dad is awesome but not as awesome as me and my mom was just jealous she didn't think of it first," Jake retorted.
"What do you like to do at Wal-Mart to annoy them?" I questioned and suddenly regret it.
"We do a whole bunch of stuff like play soccer in Wal-Mart and it's our entire field and sometimes if the customers are lucky, we incorporate them. Then we also, do indoor shopping cart races, re-dress mannequins, tell employees random shit that's happening in the store and see their reactions, and this one is hilarious. We dress like robbers then stuff our arms in our jackets as we are leaving and when the alarms don't go off, we act like we're relieved that they'd didn't catch us. After that, we sprint as fast as we can ."
I chuckled. "I can't believe they haven't called the police on you guys."
"Belles, you should come and help us. We could really use the help of a girl. Maybe sweet talk the cops to get us out of trouble," Jake said.
I looked at Mason and he gave me a smile not his false smile to get what he wants. "I guess if I won't be intruding or anything."
"You might be intruding in my pants if you keep looking at me like that," Mason whispered in my ear.
"You shut up," I said, trying to sound mad, but my cheeks were already heating up.
"Just stating the obvious," he mumbled.
"I can't take all this sexuality," Jake whined.
"Who's all going to be at the annoy Wal-Mart thing tonight?" I asked.
"Our code name for it is Jake is a sexy beast and I want to have sex with him," Jake said with a serious expression.
"No, it's Mason is a sexy beast and I want to have sex with him and Jake is a girl," Mason informed.
"You two are so full of yourselves."
"I'm full of you," Mason said.
"I was going to say that," Jake frowned.
"Well, I beat your slow -"
"You never answered my question," I said, interrupting their bickering.
"Oh, Mason and you will be there. Probably Walter, Anthony, River, and Lucas. I don't know if you know him or not. He's on the soccer team with us."
"Doesn't he sit at your lunch table?" I asked.
Jake nodded and whispered really loudly, "That's him. He's a tool and if you thought Mason was bad. Whew, Lucas is the tooliest of them all. He's like the biggest tool in your dad's tool box."
"I don't think that's a word," Mason murmured.
"It's in the national dictionary, dumbass."
"Jake, there's no such thing as a national dictionary. Other countries speak different languages," Mason said.
"I'm talking about the national dictionary with all the words not the language dictionary," Jake answered.
I heard Mason sigh.
"Why am I the only girl?" I asked since I was curious. Normally girls are all over these two and their famous reputation, yet no one actually dares to strike a conversation with them for fear of them.
Jake shrugged. "I don't really like the other girls." Mason glared at him and Jake added, "Like they either are so obsessed with my reputation, how I look, or my money. You're not like that. You treat me like everyone else."
"That's because she knows that you're secretly a girl," Mason remarked.
Jake pouted, "What did I tell you about that? You aren't supposed to tell anyone about my surgery. I should unfriend you right now. I'll unfriendly you on every social media thing. I'll even create a new profile just to unfriend you."
"What?" Jake asked to Mason who was giving him a weird look.
"I'm your only friend."
"I have other friends."
"Fine, I'm your only real friend," Mason said, smugly.
"Fine. But, I'll still unfriend you. I don't care of you're blue, black, white. I'll unfriend your sorry ass for spilling my secret."
I furrowed my eyebrows and asked, "Are you serious?"
They both started to laugh hysterically as I stood there confused.
When their laughter died down, Mason noticed my angry expression and so he asked, "We were just joking but hey, wasn't that funny?"
"It was so funny that I forgot to laugh," I replied nonchalantly.
"You should really get that checked out. You might have Niemann-Pick Disease type C or something," Mason said with a shrug.
I stared at him, perplexed. And to think I thought I knew random stuff. Jake simply rolled his eyes and explained, "Mason is secretly a robot."
"I'm just smarter than you Jake and you're just jealous. It's like Alzheimer's disease for children because it primarily affects children. But, its really rare but if a child has it then their chances of living long are slim, well close to none, actually."
I stood there shocked.
Who knew Mason actually knew stuff? Like, seriously.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
"I said he's a robot. Mason equals robot. Robot equals -" Jake answered for him.
"We learned it last year," Mason interrupted.
"No one actually pays attention in class," Jake mumbled.
"No one actually pays attention to you," Mason mocked.
"That was so funny that I forgot to laugh," Jake said and smirked.
I hit his arm. "Don't make fun of me"
"Babe, I wouldn't," Jake replied smoothly with a smile that could probably win the hearts of America and what I didn't notice was the death glare Mason was sending him.
No wonder why girls believed anything he said.
One reason like Mason was that he had the looks. He reminded me of someone from Abercrombie and Fitch, just how Mason did. He had black hair and dark blue eyes. His jawline was strong and defined.
It was the smile that made you feel like you were the only girl - or guy- in the world to him. It makes you feel like you were all he cares about and that's how so many fall victim to those two. Both of them share the same award-winning smile.
His white teeth and pink lips that warmed every part of your body. The smile always seemed genuine and lighted to his eyes unlike Mason's which I could see right through albeit others could not. Maybe it was because I knew Mason longer and I had only recently met Jake or it was his sad eyes. Either way, I could see right through it unlike with Jake.
Mason and Jake probably taught each other how to do that smile though. That infectious smile that made you believe that he cared more for you than himself. They probably taught each other so that they could be the evil duet and trick everyone into doing things for them.
Once Jake had told someone and quote that he has a dick the size of your mother's ego and your father's dead brain cells and that girl believed him. She told everyone in school that she saw it too.
But, they also have the charm. The personality that also makes you believe that they care more about your life than you do. Pet names that you think are special to you when he uses them on everyone else; that was Jake's specialty. Mason doesn't call anyone else pet names but me.
That light-hearted laugh after something you say when others do not think its funny. They make you think you're the cream of the crop and all this is a rouse without you even knowing. Before realizing, they're gone and so are your secrets. With a smile or a laugh, they can have you begging on your knees and that was what I was afraid of: what these two boys could do to me if I got close to them.
He continued, "I'm forgetting to laugh with you not without you. I'm not making of you. I can't believe you would think that way. Why would you say something like that? I thought we were friends. Was Mason right? Do you hate me?"
"You can't fool me with that, Lawson. Don't try and turn this around to me," I told.
"I'm glad someone agrees with me," Mason cheered.
"You do the same thing as he does and even that smile," I remarked.
"Sweetheart, that's my natural smile. I'm sorry it makes you feel so attracted to me -"
"No, Parker. I'm not falling for that either," I said smugly.
The two boys crossed their arms and pouted.
"Fine," Jake huffed. "I can tell you're jealous of our smiles s-"
"I never said that I was," I interjected.
He rolled his eyes. "As I was saying, since you're jealous of our smiles, we can teach you the trade. And the three of us can -"
"Jake, we are not dominating the world," Mason mentioned.
"Quit interrupting me, you two."
"Fine," they agreed, huffing and puffing like the big, bad wolf.
"We can have this school around our fingertip. What do you say, Belles?" Jake asked with that stupid, smug smile of his.
"How do I know you're not tricking me or something?"
"I'm not," Jake said, "but, if you don't believe me-"
"No sexual comments," I cried.
"I wasn't going to say anything like that. That's gross. Is that all you think of?" Jake smirked.
"Fine, I'll do it." I sighed.
"Now, Jake needs a girlfriend and he has to quit stealing mine," Mason announced.
"What?" I asked.
"Jake is trying to make love to you even though you're mine."
"We are not dating," I shrieked.
"That's not what the look you're giving me says," Mason replied.
"No-" I started to say.
Jake frowned. "But-"
"We are finding you a girl," Mason stated.
"Don't you even talk to Natalie. She can't seem to realize that I broke up with her." Jake sighed.
"Isn't the world cruel enough to you?" I asked.
"Very funny," Jake muttered and rolled his eyes. "She's annoying like every other girl."
"You're calling me annoying?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that. Every other girl but you. Everyone else is so consumed with the idea of being with me; they don't care to get to know me like truly. They either want my money, show my off to their friends saying that I'm their boyfriend, or to have sex."
"We'll find you a different girl beside Belles as you call her," Mason informed.
"I always thought that you liked it just from the way you act with girls."
"That's me acting, Belles. I guess I'm pretty fucking good, then?" Jake answered with a smug smile at the end, which as I looked closer, could see how it didn't seem to look genuine.
I said, kinder, "Jake, you don't have to act like that. You can tell them no."
"I kind of like the attention, you know? I know it's stupid but it feels nice that people notice me even if they're using me. But, I'm using them too for my reputation. Can't be the hottest boy or popular if you don't have sex or girlfriends."
"You're surprising me today," I mumbled.
"What's surprising is what's in my -"
"Mason, you're banned from sexual comments," I remarked. Then, I turned to Jake and asked, "Can I make that a law?"
He shrugged. "Dunno. I'm not the dictator but I am the greatest person ever."
"Come on, love. I know you are pleased by my sexual comments," Mason mentioned.
"I'm as pleased by your sexual comments as I am with school which is not at all," I replied.
"Please, Kitten. You enjoy school as much as Jake enjoys sucking -"
"No more dirtiness," I shrieked.
"I was just going to say-"
"No," I said, slapping my hand over his mouth.
He kissed my hand and I immediately took my hand off his lips. I wiped my hand on my jeans. "You're gross."
"That's not what you'll be -"
"No," I cried.
"Will you two old hags shut the fuck up already?" Jake murmured.
"Who are you calling an old hag, old hag?" Mason retorted.
"Clever. How long did it take you to think of that one?" Jake smirked.
"Not as long as it did for you if you tried to get your head out of your ass," Mason said with a smirk, too.
I commented before Jake could utter another stupid insult, "Stop it, both of you."
"Fine, mother," Jake replied.
"So, I guess I'm the dad?" Mason grinned.
"You're more like my gay friend," I told.
"Gay friend as in the dad?" He asked.
"No. Gay friend as in gay friend," I said.
Mason mumbled, "I'm the dad who has a gay friend."
"You're not the dad," I shrieked.
Mason just smirked at me, which meant he was still thinking he was the dad.
---
"Mom."
"I'm not your mom."
"Mom."
"I'm not your mom."
"Wife."
"I'm not your -"
"Mom."
"Wife."
I slammed my pencil down. "Shut up."
"Ms. Fischer, is something wrong?" Mr. Maddison asked, grinning slyly.
I slunk down further into my chair. "No, Mr. Maddison."
"Back to what I was saying..." Mr. Madison lectured.
"Aw, wife. It's okay. Should I go tell the mean teacher not to talk to you?"
"Shut up, Mason," I hissed.
"Fine. But, that doesn't mean we can't pass notes." Mason grinned.
"He'll see us," I whispered.
"No. He doesn't look back here if you don't talk."
"Okay."
"I'll go first," Mason told.
"Can I join?"
"Jake, you're the child."
"I hate you, Mason."
"That's dad, to you," Mason replied, handing me a note.
"To: Annabelle From: Yours truly
This class sucks. Let's play 21 questions...
I'll go first....again. That's why I'm amazing.
Do you think I'm amazing?
Sorry, that was a trick question. Everyone thinks I'm amazing.
Truth time: Jake sucks, yes or no?"
I wrote:
"That's a trick question too. Everyone knows that Jake sucks. *smirking face
My turn. I'm not really good at thinking of questions, so don't laugh or anything.
Why do you come over my house late at night?"
Mason wrote:
"I wouldn't laugh at anything you say if you didn't want me to. If it was a horrible joke, I would laugh for your benefit so you would think you're funny.
I come over your house because my presence helps you sleep better at night?
My turn.
Did you ever imagine me naked?"
I wrote:
"That's not a real answer and...
Thomas!!! What makes you think I would answer that?
My turn. Do you think Mr. Maddison has a million cats?"
He replied:
"It was so a real answer.
You never answered my question, love. Oh, and you already asked me a question.
What makes me think that you would answer that? Well, you're kind of all over me, so...
I'll answer the second question, I guess.
Yes. He seems like the type of guy to be a crazy, old cat man."