The Friday came quickly and I was excited about meeting Leo’s sisters. The school day seemed to take forever to end.
“Hey, guys.” Jason greeted us as we sat in cafeteria for lunch.
“Hey.” We answered back.
“So, Christmas is two weeks and so we’re throwing a party on the day before Christmas Eve.” Jason told us.
“So it’s at yours?” Macy asked.
Jason nodded.
“Sounds great!” I grinned at him.
“But there’ll be drinks, right?” Mike asked.
I rolled my eyes; of course there’d be alcohol. You’d be an idiot to throw a party without alcohol.
“Duh…” Jason muttered. “Jayden’s bringing it all.”
I rested my head on Mike’s shoulder who started to stroke my hair.
“So, who’re you going with, Lily?” Jason asked.
“We have to take dates?” I asked.
He nodded as though it was obvious. “Now, answer my question.”
I sighed. “I don’t know… No-one, I guess.”
“Oh come on, you have to take some-one!” Jason whined.
I rolled my eyes again. “Why? So I can make you jealous?”
“I wouldn’t get jealous if you asked me.” He teased.
I stuck my tongue out. “Nice try.”
He laughed. “But I’m serious; you have to take some-one. We’re not letting loners in.”
“What?! Why?!” I whined.
“Because this way loads of people hook up. Look, we’re just being nice, I mean, wouldn’t it be awesome if loads of people said that they fell in love at your party?”
I laughed. “Are you serious? It’s more likely that people would say. ‘I’m pregnant and the kid is from a one-night-stand all because I was drunk’.”
He scowled. “There’ll be no baby-making at my house.”
“And anyway, I can’t take some-one.” I muttered.
“Yeah, because she’s taken.” Macy blurted out.
My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. I turned to Macy and gave her a desperate shake.
“What?” Jason asked.
“Nothing.” I told him hastily.
“Oh come on, you can tell us!” Mike whined. “Now, who is it?”
“No-one!”
They were about to ask again but the bell rang. I jumped up and hurried to my class, grateful that they weren’t in my next two lessons.
The day flew by and I managed to hide in Leo’s classroom in order to hide from the boys. But I was also waiting for Leo. I hadn’t forgotten his offer on meeting his sisters. I sat down in one of the chairs while I waited for him.
He walked into the room and at first he was pretty surprised to see me.
“Hey.” He smiled at me. “Now, I’m sure I didn’t give you detention today…”
I laughed. “No. Weird, right?”
He chuckled. “Definitely.”
He looked over his shoulders and before leaning over the table and pecking my lips.
“But I like this surprise.” he sat on his desk. “So, what are you doing here?”
“You forgot? I want to meet your sisters!” I told him as though it was obvious.
“Oh yeah!” He grinned.
I stood up. “So, are you ready to go?”
“Yep.” He grabbed his things and we walked out of the door.
“You don’t know how nervous I am!” I told him as we got past the school gates.
“Why would you be nervous?” He asked, frowning slightly.
“What if they don’t like me?” I whispered.
He laughed. “What do you mean? You’ve met Lyn already.”
“Yeah but that was seven years ago and I wasn’t your girlfriend! Sure, she liked me when I was ten!” I exclaimed.
He chuckled. “I love it when you say you’re my girlfriend… And she’ll love you and I’m sure Liz will too.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’d say that but you’re biased.”
He pulled the door open to the passenger seat. I scowled at him.
“We’re seriously doing this again? Let go of the door, Hudson.” I scolded.
“Just trying to be nice, Worthington.” He muttered, mocking my tone.
He walked to the drivers’ side as I climbed in.
“Will you be able to stop at my house so I can pick up some clothes?” I asked.
He frowned. “Why? You look fine...”
“Shut up. I don’t want her to know that I’m your student. It’ll be kind of obvious if I’m wearing uniform.” I told him.
“Why are you telling me shut up? Don’t you like the compliments?” He asked. “Should I go back to jerk I was?”
“There’s a limit to the compliments and you stepped over it.” I told him. “But I’ll to get even with you: you’re pretty hot too.”
He chuckled and parked outside the gates of our house.
I kissed his cheek and hurried out of the car.
We got to his place twenty minutes later. Once we got inside I went straight for the kitchen to make myself some coffee, hoping some warm drink would calm me down. I set the kettle and almost immediately the doorbell rang. I turned to see Leo a few feet away from me. He smiled.
“Get ready.” His soft smile turned into a smirk.
I hurriedly straightened my clothes as he went to open the door.
“Hey, Lyn!” I heard him greet.
“Hey, Leo. How you doing?”
She had a kind voice and she sounded quite happy and bubbly.
I took a deep breath and started to walk toward them.
“Uncle Leo!” I heard Lizette scream.
Her voice was high and she sounded adorable. She also had a lisp.
“Would you like some coffee, Lyn? Lily’s in the kitchen making us some…” Leo offered.
I froze before running into the kitchen.
“Sure… but who’s Lily?” she asked.
“Why don’t you come to the kitchen and meet her?” Leo asked.
They walked into the kitchen. Lynette was prettier in real life than she was in her pictures. She looked about twenty five and was slightly shorter than Leo; she came up to his ears.
“Hi.” I greeted nervously. “I’m Lily. Um, Lily Worthington.”
I threw her smile. I was half-scared that she’d recognize me.
“Hello. I’m Lyn, Leo’s big sister.” She smiled and held her hand out for me to shake.
I shook it. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“That’s funny, Leo never mentioned you.” She muttered.
She didn’t say it in a mean way, she seemed more curious.
From that I could tell that she hadn’t recognized me.
“I’m… Um… I’m Leo’s…” I stopped and glanced up at Leo.
He sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Lily’s my girlfriend.” He said impatiently before putting an arm around my waist.
I smiled up at him. I felt better now that he was touching me.
“Oh… That’s…” She paused and glanced down at my uniform.
She frowned and looked up at Leo. I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
“Tell me you didn’t.” She said quietly.
She sounded as though she didn’t believe it.
“Oh come on, Lyn, it’s not that bad…”
“She’s still in school?! She’s your student?” She didn’t sound angry, she sounded as though she wished that she got it wrong.
She paused and looked at me. “How old are you?”
“I’m turning eighteen this year.” I told her.
She looked thoughtful for a minute. “I don’t know what to think…”
“Don’t think anything, Lyn. I swear if you tell Mom, I’ll tell her about Fred.” Leo warned.
I frowned. I knew he had mentioned some-one I didn’t know.
Lyn sighed. “I guess it’s not that bad… I mean it’s only four years.”
I stayed silent.
Suddenly Lizette ran into the room.
“Mommy!” She tugged on Lyn’s sleeve. “Can I play with in the garden?”
“Of course, sweetie, but be careful, okay?” Lyn swiftly zipped her jacket up before turning to Leo.
“Does she know abou-?”
“I told her all about it.” He answered smoothly.
She frowned again. “How long have you been going out?”
“About a month or two…” I replied.
“Lyn, why don’t we go to the living room while Lily makes some coffee and gets changed?” Leo suggested, tugging on her arm.
Lyn nodded and followed him out of the kitchen.
I let out a deep breath and took my bag upstairs to Leo’s room. I quickly changed into my skinny jeans, a turquoise sweater and blue converses. I looked in the mirror and put on some more mascara before dumping my bag in the corner of his room and went downstairs. I went into the kitchen and made tea for Leo and I before going into the living room.
I turned to Lyn. “How do you take your coffee?”
“Milk and two sugars.” She told me, smiling politely.
I smiled back and went to make her coffee. I put the mugs on a tray and looked around Leo’s cupboards for cookies. I finally found some oatmeal cookies and placed them on the tray before carrying it all to the living room. I heard them talking about me as I got closer to the living room door.
“Yes, she seems nice but she’s still, Leo. What if she finds a hot young guy?” Lyn asked Leo.
Leo chuckled. “She’s found the hot young guy. I’ll totally understand if she decides she wants some-one a few years younger but come on, it’s only four years…”
“I see the way you look at each other. You’d both be heartbroken if you either of you decided to end it.” Lyn told him.
“Look, Lyn this is the first time that I’ve actually loved some-one so please just let me love her before she ends up finding some-one she’s actually allowed to be with.” Leo retorted.
I smiled. It was felt great to hear him say that he loved me but I knew that it was only a matter of time before he got bored. I didn’t understand why he fixed on the fact that I’d find some-one younger; to be honest all the boys who were my age were pretty immature.
I decided to step in and pretend I hadn’t heard anything. I set the tray onto the table.
“Thanks, Lily.” Lyn smiled at me again.
I smiled in reply and sat curled up next to Leo, holding my coffee. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my hair.
“So, Lyn, what do you do for a living?” I asked, sipping on my tea.
“Oh, well, I-.”
“Uncle Leo, let’s play!” shouted Lizette as she ran over to the couch Leo and I were sitting on.
She stopped before frowning at me.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Hi, my name is Lily, what’s yours?”
I could tell both Leo and Lyn were watching me.
“My name’s Lizette!” She told me, giving a toothy grin.
“Wow, that’s pretty name!” I smiled back at her.
“Thanks, Lily!”
“Your Uncle Leo is my boyfriend.” I told her.
“Really? Do you like him?” she asked.
I laughed. “Yes, I like him a lot.”
“Will you play with me?” she asked.
“Sure, sweetie, let me finish my coffee.” I told her.
I sat back as she sat on the floor and watched TV.
“You don’t have to.” Leo told me.
I frowned. “I don’t have to… what?”
Leo rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to play with her.”
“I don’t mind, she’s adorable.” I smiled at her fondly.
We talked as I drank my coffee. I found out that Lyn worked at a bank, she lived about an hour away, she also plays guitar, her husband Jason works with her at the bank, and they met at a Christmas party. Of course, I remembered the nerdy teenager I used to know but her hair was darker and she wore glasses and had tonnes of freckles, which were all gone now.
I told her all about myself, about my siblings, about how we moved up to L.A, how I went to Leo’s school…
It was a mystery that she didn’t recognize me. I didn’t really want her to because I like all the changes that I had gone through.
“So you… fell in love in his lessons?” she asked, laughing.
“Not exactly. It wasn’t until we first kissed that I realized that I liked him…” I told her. “I met him before the lesson and he was being nice and sweet but when we got to the actual lesson, he was a jerk who kept giving me detention.”
Lyn and Leo laughed. I rolled my eyes at him and swallowed the last of my coffee.
“Liz, do you still want to play?” I asked Lizette.
Liz nodded and took my hand. She led me to the corner of the living room which I hadn’t noticed. It was full of girly toys; dolls, kitchen sets, doll houses and toy prams.
We spent hours playing. She was cute and she loved to play pretend games.
“You’re the baby and I’m the Mommy.” She told me at one point.
I loved playing with her. She was incredibly imaginative and clever for a five year old.
“Lizzie, darling, we have to go.” Lyn told her three hours later.
“Do we have to go?” She whined. “Me and Lily are playing!”
“You say Lily and I, darling, not me and Lily. Anyway, we need to get going if you want to see Granna.” Lyn told her.
“But Me and- I mean, Lily and I are playing now. Can Lily come to Granma’s?” Liz asked.
“Lily doesn’t know, Granna, sorry darling.” Lyn told her.
“Actually, Mom does know Lily.” Leo said, walking towards us.
“But you told me not to tell Mom. How can Mom know her and not know that you’re going out?” Lyn frowned at us.
Leo put his arm around my waist and laughed. “You still haven’t recognized her?”
Lyn’s frowned deepened. “What are you on about?”
“Lily, Lily Worthington? Remember Aunt Marissa? Mom’s friend from college… They moved to LA a few years back? Lily was about ten…”
Lyn gasped and slapped a hand to her mouth. “No way!”
I laughed. “Yeah, it’s me.”
“Wow, you’ve grown so much!” She told me.
“So’ve you, I barely recognized you.” I told.
“Well, it was nice seeing you, Lily but really should get going; Mom’s expecting us for dinner.” Lyn told me.
“Speaking of dinner, I have to get home before it.” I told her.
“But Lily, I’m going to miss you!” Lizette told me.
“Tell you what, Liz, every time you come to visit your Uncle Leo, and I’ll be here, okay? You can even meet my brother George. He’s the same age as you.” I told her. “But that’s next week, okay? Make sure you come.”
“Yeah, we’ll come next week, baby. We need to go now.” Lyn said.
“Okay, but Lily, do you promise that I’ll see you next week?” she asked.
“Of course, I promise.” I told her.
We did a pinkie swear before they pulled on their jackets and shoes. We waved them goodbye.
I turned to Leo. “I have to go.”
“Why? Can’t you stay a little longer, Lils?” he wrapped his arms around me.
I sighed and pulled up to kiss him. We eventually pulled away for breath.
“I’ve been waiting to do that all day.” He muttered. “Can’t you stay for dinner?”
I shook my head. “I wish I could.”
“Okay well, I’ll drive you home.” He told me.
“You’re cars fixed?” I asked.
Will you be my girlfriend?
…Yes.
I hurried downstairs.
“Come on.” He told me.
I followed him out of the house and into his car.
“You didn’t open the door for me!” I exclaimed once we were both in the car.
He chuckled. “I know how much it bothers you…”
We got to the gates of my house within ten minutes.
“Well, I’ll see you soon.” I told him.
He smiled and nodded. “See you soon.”
He leaned across the seat and kissed my forehead.
I got out of the car and went home with a happy heart.