Okay I'm very much aware that most of you will skip this a/n because that's what I normally do (guilty as charged)
but this is super quick. I'm sorry, I'm blabbering.
This chapter is dedicated to PinkChiffon
I never forget the first voter. Thank you so much.
ON WITH THE STORY!
••••••••••*••••••••••*•••••••••*•••••••••
Jason was sound asleep on the couch after watching the movie Up and I was cleaning around the house. Logan, Janie and Maria were bringing dinner over at five and it was four, so I was waiting for Ryan to be walking through the door. I had finished most of my homework and was doing the extra credit assignment when Ryan's voice quietly came from the mudroom,
"I'm home." I put my pencil down and greeted him, taking his coat and helping him pull off his back pack.
"Hey buddy, how was school?" He smiled.
"Ms.Raikin said I got an 100 on the math test. The only one in the class!" I grinned and chuckled, giving him a well deserved fist bump.
"I'm so so so so proud of you kid!!" His face fell slightly.
"Do you think mom will be?" I licked my lips, the mood dampened.
"Yes, for sure." He looked relieved.
"Awesome." I ruffled his hair, still deep in thought and watched as he tip toed into our living room to check up on Jason. I sighed and followed him, making sure to keep my footsteps as quiet as possible so I didn't wake the three-year-old up.
My phone rang and I answered it, knowing it was Janie on the other line.
"Hey girl, we're outside." I smiled even though she couldn't see me.
"Great. Be quiet because Jase is still sleeping."
"Roger that." They let themselves in (Logan had a key) and I motioned them to come into the kitchen, which was separated from the couch where Jason was. Ryan grabbed some of the packages of pizza and soda, Logan bearing the rest of within both of his arms. Janie gave a concerned glance towards me, one which I had been getting a lot the past few days.
"Is Jason okay?" I nodded.
"He's been better but he's a trooper. The doc said he'd make a full recovery." She smiled then handed me a slice of cheese pizza on a paper plate.
"Thank god." I bit into the piece and almost moaned. I hadn't had unhealthy food in a while because I was trying to get Ryan and Jason to eat healthier but to say I missed the calories was an understatement. Ryan reacted the same way, closing his eyes and savoring the first bite. With a full mouth of food I said quietly,
"Thank you guys so much." They all grinned and helped themselves.
We sat outside on the back porch, talking and laughing. Ryan and Maria were engaged in a Spanish conversation, Janie and Logan were arguing about schoolwork and I pitched in every now and then, glancing inside to make sure Jason was still asleep. I felt a tapping on my arm and turned to see Logan sitting next to me looking worried.
"What's wrong?" I was so tired of that question it wasn't even funny.
"Everything. Nothing." He chuckled.
"That doesn't make sense Charlie." I stuck my tongue out at him before turning my eyes inside to look at Jason for a split second.
"You don't make sense Logan." He scooted closer to me and put his arm around my shoulders. He may have thought it was a friendly, simple gesture but my heart started racing. I
knew it shouldn't have affected me, he did have a girlfriend after all, so I tried to ignore it. However it got harder when the doofus had to lean closer and whisper into my ear,
"You changed the subject Char." I wanted to lean into his arm, I wanted to hug him and tell him how he made me want to kiss him but I didn't. Self control people, I do have it you know. Leaning away from him, I saw a slight flash of disappointment in his eyes...it was probably just me. I tended to imagine a lot of things. He kind of back away, moving his arm off my shoulders, but stayed in the same seated position next to me, putting his hand on my knee. That was when it crossed the line: I hadn't shaved and I was wearing pj shorts.
"Logan," I said jokingly, removing his hand from my prickly and unattractive knee, "Are you seducing me?" He smirked.
"Only if you want to be." Maria decided (thank god I couldn't handle the sexual tension that I was probably creating in my head) to sit down in between us.
"Okay so Charlie I know you're probably gonna hate me with a big capitol H A T E but..." I felt my heart drop and I glanced over at Janie
who was wearing a shocked expression.
"Mar what did you do?" She scratched her ear, a habit she had when she was nervous.
"I know you don't like him but I invited Will over." I exhaled before giving her a glare.
"Maria you can't just invite people over to my house! Especially Will!"
"You talking about me beauty queen?" I mentally cringed when Will walked from the front yard, the same path my mother had taken me on the day before.
Logan did that handshake thing that all guys do to prove their masculinity with Will who gave me a grin that help triumph. He then nodded at my brother who politely nodded back.
"Ryan, good to see you."
"Thanks." Ryan knew about my history with the kid so he glared at him before rolling his eyes at me. Maria gave him a kiss and a hug, while he all the while was smiling like the idiot he was.
"What the hell Will. Get off my property." He laughed childishly.
"It's not your property, it's your mommy's." I know he didn't mean to, but those words struck a nerve. Yes it was my mom's property, under her name, but I kept it going. I tutored on weekends, babysat, had a job at a car workshop just to pay her bills. She was a bar tender, most of her salary going towards paying her alcohol addiction.
"I said get off of the property Will." With that I turned to the rest of my friends who obviously noticed the turn in my mood.
"Party's over. Thanks for dinner but Ryan and I need to take care of Jason right now." I stacked the pizza boxes with my brother's help and my friends looked at me in surprise and concern, except for Will.
"Was it something I said?" He grinned cheekily. Before anyone knew what was happening, I grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the same spot my mother slapped me.
"Look dude. I'm grateful you stepped in today. It helped me a lot. But that doesn't mean you can suddenly turn into an obnoxious jerk. I've got a lot on my plate: I don't need you adding to the stress." He gave me a long look.
"Charlotte why are you wearing so much makeup?" I swallowed and kept my head held high.
"Because I felt like it. Since when do you care?" Will glanced up at the porch, checking to see if they were watching him, which they were, no question. He licked his lips and turned me so my back was facing them. He then cupped my cheek in his hand, which definitely looked like a romantic gesture from where everyone else was but I knew what he was doing. Rubbing the padded part of his thumb over the sensitive part of my cheek, I saw his jaw clench. When he pulled away, his finger had concealer all over it and he was staring at the bruised area.
"Charlotte, do you want to tell me why," Will paused and I could see a storm of anger whirling around in his eyes, "you have a fucking bruise on your cheek bone?"
Shit.