[Chapter eighteen]
-Winnie-
"I am broken when my name is spoken. What am I?" Kamri riddles as I drive us back to my house after grabbing her overnight bag from her house.
"The McDonald's ice cream machine!" I growl in annoyance.
"Okay, you're still upset about the ice cream machine being broken, I get it!" She shouts back.
"What's the point of having a fucking ice cream machine if it's always fucking broken?!" I question rhetorically as I park in the driveway.
"Oh my God." She mumbles as we get out of the Jeep, Flynn pulling into the driveway as I lock it.
"What're you two fools doing here?" I ask as he and Adonis get out of the car.
"To see what's going on with the happy couple." Adonis grins innocently, running up to the front door.
Kamri and I turn to Flynn with raised eyebrows.
"What? It wasn't my idea!" He exclaims before looking at our blank faces. "Yeah, okay, it was my idea. I wanna see if they're actually together or not."
"Fucking idiot." Kamri mumbles while I roll my eyes. We walk up to the front door and I unlock it before we all walk inside.
It's silent.
Too silent...
We all share a look.
"Guess they sorted their shit out." Kamri shrugs as I look at Flynn from the corner of my eye. No sadness, or anger.
"I'm hungry." Adonis announces.
"Me too." Flynn agrees. He doesn't look hurt in the slightest. No clenched fists or sad eyes. He seems...fine? For the first time in my life, I can't tell what he's thinking or feeling and it's scaring the shit out of me.
"There are leftovers in the fridge." I tell them and they take off into the kitchen.
I turn to Kamri.
"No, he doesn't seem as hurt as earlier to me either." She states, already knowing what I was thinking.
"He obviously went home and had a long, hard—"
"Jack off?" She suggests, cutting me off.
I stare at her in disgust. "Think. Long, hard think."
She deflates. "Or that."
I open my mouth to say something but I'm cut off by my sister's unmistakable voice.
"YOU'RE GAY?!"
Adonis and Flynn poke their heads out of the kitchen door.
"Park?" Adonis suggests immediately and we nod.
"Yep." Kamri nods and we start running to the front door but turn around and run back to the kitchen -tripping over each other and slipping in the process- letting the door swing shut behind us when we see Octavia stomping down the stairs with Lucas hopping behind her, pulling his pants up and slipping his t-shirt on. Tavi's visibly outraged and Lucas is clearly guilty about something, but also relieved.
Kamri and I look at each other.
"We were right!" We whisper yell in unison before I turn to Flynn and shove a finger in his face. He doesn't look very relieved. Actually, he seems pretty worked up, but about something else.
"I told you so!"
He slaps my hand away, rolling his eyes when I pout at him. We all then press our ears to the door, eavesdropping on their fight. Not that we really need to. I'm pretty sure China can hear them loud and clear.
"Tavi, I'm sorry!" Luke pleads desperately.
"You're sorry?" She repeats in disbelief. "You were about to stick it in and decided to drop the bomb on me! What the fuck, Lucas?!"
Oh. My. Lord.
What the actual fuck?
Adonis, Flynn, Kamri and I all grimace.
"What the fuck, Lucas?" We all whisper in unison.
"Just when I thought that boy couldn't get any stupider." I mumble, facepalming. Guess I don't have to knock any sense into my sister after all, though.
"I can't believe you were leading me on like that!" Octavia screams at Lucas.
"I'm so—woah, woah woah!" Lucas backtracks. "Leading you on? You're the one that forced me to go on a date with you after I said no!"
"What the hell, Tavi?" Kamri shakes her head. "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'no means no'?"
"I didn't force, I insisted." Octavia defends herself.
"Insisted my ass." I mumble.
"And you kissed me!" Lucas shouts at her.
"You kissed me back!" Octavia shouts back.
"I was having an inner turmoil!" He defends himself. "Look, when I was fifteen, I slept with a guy at a party. Ever since then, I've been questioning my sexuality and trying to convince myself I was straight...so I convinced myself I had feelings for you. How can you be mad at me for being gay?"
I fucking knew it!
Hold the fuck up. What was that last sentence?
"Lucas, I'm not mad at you for being gay. You can't control how you feel about people." She starts, obviously hurt. "I'm mad because you used me, of all people, to try to convince yourself that you're straight when you obviously aren't."
"I...Tavi, I-I'm sorry..."
"Luke, I forgive you, but I really don't want to talk to you right now." We hear her mumble. "You should go."
"...okay." We hear footsteps, then the front door open. "You know I love you, right? Just not...like that."
"Yeah. Bye, Luke." The door shuts. "You guys can come out now!"
Adonis, Flynn, Kamri and I share another look. Busted.
We slowly walk into the living room and find Octavia standing there with watery eyes.
"I'm gonna kill him." I instantly say, cracking my knuckles.
"Leave it." She tells me. "It's not his fault."
"I mean, it kinda is..." Flynn mumbles and grunts in pain when Adonis elbows him in the ribs.
I ignore him, holding my arms out to her. She quickly stumbles forward and falls into them, crying into my shoulder. I stroke her hair, hugging her tightly. I know that we fight a lot but this is my sister and I'm always going to be there to beat some ass for her. Or give her a bear hug. Either way, I'm always going to be there for her. Even in the grave. Ghost bothering her? I'll kick some ectoplasmic ass.
I keep holding Octavia as she cries, Kamri and the boys looking at her sympathetically.
"I'll kill him." Adonis mouths and I shake my head.
"No." I mouth back. "I will."
"I'll do it." Flynn mouths, jumping in.
"No, I will." I mouth.
"Are you guys discussing who's going to kill him behind my back?" Octavia sniffles.
We all look like deer caught in headlights. "Nooo...?"
*~*
"She's asleep." Kamri announces as she and I walk downstairs, finding the boys sitting on the couch watching T.V.
"Flynn, can I talk to you?" I ask.
He glances at me before looking back at the T.V screen. "No."
What the hell? He's been acting weird with me for the last few days and I have no idea what I did.
"Flynn." I give him a warning glare.
"Yes, ma'am." He quickly gets up and follows me outside to the back porch, shutting the door behind him. I sit down on the porch swing, crossing my legs and he sits down next to me. "What's up?"
"You don't seem as thrilled as I thought you would." I start as we stare out into the empty backyard.
"Why would I be thrilled?" He questions me.
"You know, Octavia and Lucas aren't a thing and never will be." I explain awkwardly. "You can take your chance now."
"About that..." He trails off, still not looking at me. "I don't think I will."
"What?!" I explode, turning in my spot so my body's facing him. "Just three hours ago you were sulking about it, and now you finally get your chance and you're not going to take it?!"
He nods. "Pretty much."
"Look at me when you're speaking to me!" I shout, sick of his attitude and half-assed explanations. He quickly turns his head and makes eye contact with me. "Explain. Now."
"Fine." He groans, also turning in his spot so his body's facing me. "After you dropped me off, I went to the lake and had a think."
There's a bush behind his house with a lake on the other side, which you can't get to without taking certain turns off the trail. We found it when he first moved here. No one goes there and we all go during Summer all the time, or whenever any of us needs to think, because it's peaceful and quiet.
"And?" I urge him to continue.
"I don't actually like her."
"Wha—"
"Anymore." He emphasises. "I realised the only reason I had a crush on her, was because he reminded me of someone and helped me ignore my feelings for that person, which isn't really working anymore."
"So you like someone else?" I ask slowly and he shrugs.
"Kinda."
I immediately jump on him. "WHO?!"
He laughs slightly. "I can't tell you."
"Why not?!" I pout before feeling myself falling back. "Shit—"
Flynn wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me back into his chest before I tumble off the swing.
"Because," he whispers, arm tightening around me. "I'm not completely sure how I feel about her yet and I'm pretty sure one of my friends like her, too."
*~*
SURPRISEEE!
I'm procrastinating instead of studying and decided to update. I don't know when the next time I update will be, seeing as exams are coming up.
Who do you think Flynn likes??
And don't forget to check out my new book 'Ridiculously Oblivious'!
Here's the cover;
I'm sure you'll like it.
Thank youuu
-Lee🦄