Quick A/N: If you haven't heard Heavydirtysoual by Twenty One Pilots then I don't know what you're doing. Anyway, when I was editing this chapter this song immediately came to mind. So I thought I'd just name the chapter after the song. Lol now back to the story.
***
On the ride home Charlie is blasting Twenty One Pilots, and tapping on the steering wheel as he sang along. This time he doesn't sound like a dying manatee, which was a relief because I liked Twenty One Pilots and I would be mad if Charlie ruined it for me.
When he pulls into the driveway and parks behind Miranda's car I'm wishing that the night wasn't over. I hadn't had this much fun since...well I can't even really remember.
I climb out of the car and Charlie walks me to the doorstep. I'm reaching into my pocket for my keys when Charlie clears his throat.
"So..."
I look up, and see that Charlie is looking down at his shoes. "So...?"
"I hope you had a good time. I know I did." He admits.
"Yeah, this was actually really fun. Who knew I'd like hanging out with such a pervy jerk?" A small smile is on my face, and I feel my cheeks heat a bit.
Charlie chuckles and shakes his head. "And who knew I'd like hanging out with a feisty pint-sized, smart-mouthed, know-it-all?"
I smack his arm and tuck a strand of stray hair behind my ear and away from my face. "I'm glad you had a good time. Maybe we can do this again sometime."
"Yeah, that sounds cool to me."
Charlie smiles, but this time he's looking at something over my shoulder. I turn and see Maya and Serena in the window. Maya's flashes us a cheesy smile and starts waving at us rapidly.
I groan and turn back around. "What are they doing still up?"
Charlie shrugs and waves back at Maya. "They're probably waiting for you."
"Yeah, I guess..." Charlie turns back to me and I'm momentarily lost for words. "Well I umm...I know you have to go so I won't keep you any longer. Text me when you get back to your dorm?"
Charlie's smile widens. "Look at you all concerned for my safety."
I roll my eyes and shrug off his jacket. "Goodnight Charlie."
I hand back his jacket and find that the door was already cracked open.
"Goodnight Alana." All traces of humor is gone, replaced with a more sincere look. I nod and I walk into the house. Once the door is closed, I look through the peephole and watch as Charlie walks back to his car.
When his car is out of sight I turn back to see that Miranda, Oliver, Serena, and Maya were all settled comfortably around the electric fireplace. Smooth jazz played on the stereo as Maya and Serena scooted closer to the coffee table full of board games.
"Soooooo how was it?" Miranda sings. She uncurled from Oliver's arms and sits up excitedly, like an overstimulated teen craving fresh and juicy gossip.
"It was fun. I had a good time." I smile, and find myself slightly embarrassed. I feel like my evening with Charlie should be kept between me and him. But why? It was just two friends playing mini golf and riding a few carnival rides.
At least that's what I want to believe.
Deep down I feel like it turned into a lot more than just that. Maybe it was me just being naive. This was all still new to me.
"Who won?" Maya asks.
"Technically, I did. I was doing okay most of the game and Charlie was playing horrible until the last shot. It turns out he was faking the whole time. So I basically won by forfeit." I shrug and sigh as I think of how I call myself teaching him how to play when he knew how the whole time.
That's the kind of move girls pulled on hot guys in a movie and he for some reason had pulled it on me. I doubted it was for the same reason as the people in the movies did, but hey, I really don't know how boys tick.
Miranda smiles mischievously and takes a sip from the pink mug in her hand. Oliver's face is free of any emotion that I would have been able to recognize and Serena has a smirk on her face.
I take a seat next to my sisters and they talk about how they spent the evening. It was funny when listening to Maya reenact how Oliver and Miranda acted out certain things in Heads Up. Then I join them for one last round of Heads Up before heading upstairs to take my shower and retire to my room.
Before I lay my head down to rest I respond to the text Charlie sent to let me know that he had gotten back to school two minutes before curfew. And I responded to Grant's last text that told me about how his friend Lenny almost got kicked out of the game for taking off his shirt and screaming a profanity filled protest. Apparently, he had got away before security could catch him, which was good because he'd be getting a one way ticket to some military school out in the middle of nowhere if he had gotten caught.
I lay on my back and stare up at the ceiling thinking about the day. I was making progress after all, and just that simple thought makes me feel better.
There really was hope for me yet.
***
Saturday afternoon, I'm sitting down and reading my newest find, Red Queen, when Maya comes up to me and joins me on the couch.
"Hey Maya, shouldn't you be getting ready for dance practice?" I ask.
She shakes her head and lifts my arm, so she could cuddle up against my side.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
She sighs and shrugs.
I frowned and put my book down after making a mental note of my page number. I look down at my baby sister, and brush the thick curly locks out of her face.
"Seriously Baby Bop, what's up?"
She sighs again and looks up at me. It nearly broke my heart to see her brown eyes water and her lip quiver. I pull her closer and rub her back.
"Why don't you, me and Serena spend any time together anymore? We used to do things all the time and now we don't."
My eyes close, and I take a deep breath. It's not like I hadn't noticed that my relationship with my sisters have been sort of strained. But how could I explain to Maya why I've been so distant lately when I really didn't know why.
Okay, maybe I did. I had spent so much time alone in the dark, that I wasn't around to watch my sisters grow, mature, and heal from the things we went through. I felt bad that I had been so selfish, I hadn't spent much time checking in on them and seeing how they've been doing.
But I didn't feel I needed to. I mean, they both seemed to be getting along just fine without me. Serena and Sarah had been spending a lot of time together these past couple of weeks, getting closer and closer with every moment. And Maya was always up underneath Miranda, and spending time with her new friends from school and her ballet class.
They were different now, and I didn't know how to deal with that. And I was different too...and they knew it.
"We just played games and stuff yesterday," I remind her.
"That was one time! And you didn't even play with us long!" She cries.
My frown deepens, a cramp forming between my brows. Why was she so worked up over this all of a sudden?
"Maya, if you want us to do something then just tell me. I don't understand why you're crying."
"Because I miss you LaLa, and Serena says that you don't care about us anymore." She says.
Serena really told her that? How could she even say something like that?
"Maya, you know that's not true. I love you and Serena. You're my sisters." I kiss her on her forehead and rub her arm.
She sniffles and shakes her head. "You never want to be around us anymore."
"Come on Baby Bop, that's not true!"
"Yes, it is!" She yells back.
"Hey! What's going on down there?" Oliver asks as he approaches the stairs. He had taken the day off from work to spend with me and my sisters while Miranda was working and Sarah was sulking in her room.
"Nothing," Maya and I answer in unison. She wipes her face and sniffles again.
Oliver steps halfway down the stairs and looks over the railing. His blue eyes narrow slightly as he sees Maya sniffling.
"It doesn't sound like nothing." He says. He continues to stare at Maya, until she caves in. She could never really keep her mouth shut about anything, especially something that bothered her.
"Serena says that Alana doesn't care about us anymore. She says it's like Alana isn't even our sister anymore. And Alana won't tell me why she doesn't like to talk or spend time with us anymore." She cries, more tears spilling from her big eyes.
"Alana..." Oliver says with his eyebrows raised.
"Mr.Queen! I told Maya that none of that was true! I mean, I know we don't hang out like we used to but I still love my sisters. This whole conversation is just ridiculous."
Oliver finally walks down the rest of the stairs and takes a seat in the black leather armchair.
"Maya, seriously. I work and I'm busy with school. And you and Serena are always doing something these days."
"You weren't busy yesterday! You went out with Charlie instead of staying for family game night." She says with an angry pout. She pulls away from me, her face turning more and more red.
"I played with you guys when I came back!"
"For like ten minutes!" she yells.
"Alright girls, enough. Maya, what is it that you want to do with your sister?" He asks.
She sniffles again and swipes the back of her hand across her eyes. "I don't know...some of the things we used to do back at our old home."
"Like what?" Oliver asks, he leans forward with his elbows on his thighs and his fingers clasped together.
"We used to go to the park and play tag and have picnics. We used to have sing-offs and help Mrs. Lincoln bake cakes and pies and watch movies and color and read funny books and...and..." She sniffles again and continues to cry.
"We can still do some of that stuff Maya, you just have to ask." Maya wipes at her face again.
"Every time I do, you say you're busy or you're sleepy or that you have a headache."
I sigh and rub my temples. "Maya if it means that much to you then I'll do it okay. I don't want you to cry or feel like I don't care about you and Serena anymore."
I hear a key turning the lock to the front door just before it swings open. Miranda is carrying bags of veggies and stuff from the farmers market.
"Girls can you-" she falls short when she sees Maya's red face and eyes.
"What's going on?" As Serena came up behind her. Serena's staring at Maya hard, I'm sure she already knew what was going on.
I look back over my shoulder and see Oliver mouth, I'll tell you later.
"Honey, do you and the girls need help bring the groceries?" Oliver asks.
"Uh, yeah, there's a couple more bags in the trunk. I'd really appreciate it." She says, prying her eyes away from Maya to look at her husband.
I turn back to Maya and take her hand. "I'm serious Maya. Just ask."
"Okay," she sniffles before giving me a tight hug. "I love you LaLa."
"I love you too Baby Bop. Now would you quit crying, you look nasty when you cry."
She smacks my arm, a small smile forming on her face.
We stand up and help Serena, Sarah, and Miranda unpack the groceries. Maya returns to her usual chatty self, telling Miranda about how she was nearly done with her last coloring book and all the things that her best friend was going to have for her birthday.
"Speaking of birthday's. Have you decided what you wanted to do for yours? It's in two weeks isn't it?" Miranda asks.
I blink, suddenly remembering that my birthday was in fact coming up in two weeks. I'd be sixteen, even though I feel like I was already thirty.
"Yeah it is in two weeks, on the 21st of May. And no, I don't think I want to do anything." I shrug.
Serena rolls her eyes, and pulls her brown hair into a high ponytail and Maya frowns.
"Why not?" Miranda asks.
"I don't know. I just don't think it's a big deal." I answer. I wasn't really interested in celebrating my birthday.
Miranda sighs and nods. When she looks over her shoulder, she exchanges looks with Oliver, who had walked into the kitchen just in time to hear the tail end of our conversation.
Serena goes back upstairs and I turn to Maya. I had finished my homework already, and had no real plans, so I should probably take the opportunity to spend time with her.
"I kind of want to watch Princess and the Frog, you want to watch it with me Maya? I'll let you paint my nails?" I offer.
She smiles. "Really?"
"Yes, really." I nod.
"Okay, I'll be back," she hugs me then run towards the stairs yelling, "Serena! Can I use your nail polish?"
She runs up the steps and disappears, in pursuit of the movie Miranda just bought her and Serena's large container full of nail polish.
Miranda smiles and walks over to me, rubbing my shoulders. "I'm glad you're making an effort to spend more time with your sister. She really misses you."
I sigh, feeling sad that my sister missed me even though I had been living with her this whole time. How could I have let things get this far?
"It's the least I can do," I answer.
Miranda frowns and wrinkles form on Oliver's forehead as his eyebrows point down towards the bridge of his nose.
"Oh umm, I almost forgot. Grant wanted me to go with him to some art exhibit tomorrow. Do you mind if I go?"
Oliver shakes his head. "No, I don't mind. What do you think Miranda?"
Miranda nods in agreement. "I think it's fine. Just give us the details later so we know what's going on."
Well that was easy...I had gotten a little more resistance from the both of them when I was asking about hanging out with Charlie and going to his party. I guess it's because they've known Grant for so long.
Maya runs back downstairs with a big black case full of nail polish and the movie. "I got the movie and the nail polish."
"Alright, I'll be there in a minute. I'm gonna make some popcorn."
"Okay," she skips into the living room and starts pulling out Serena's manicure kit.
"I should also get some towels. That girl always makes a mess." I sigh.
Miranda nods and I smile at her. "Do you want to join us?"
"I'd love to, but I have some work to get done. Maybe we can watch something else after I make dinner?" She says.
"Okay." She gives me a quick hug before walking upstairs leaving me and my sister to bond again on our own.
I guess it would be better that way.
As I looked at my baby sister, watching her eagerly line up her favorite nail polishes, I knew I really had to try harder to be there for her. I also knew that Serena were going to have to have a serious talk soon.
But for now, I'm just going to let go and spend time with Maya.
A/N:
Hey you all!
Thanks for reading. As always I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you did don't be afraid to comment and tell me what you think. And if you thought this chapter was good then don't forget to click that lovely star and help get this story higher on the What's Hot list!
Yours Truly,
Nani