Chapter Twenty Five: Dump Her Ass
Brooke pulls into Stephanie's driveway. She's on the driver's seat watching Stephanie who is on the passenger's seat carefully.
After Steph dropped the most shocking news of the year, she walked ahead and got to Brooke's car. It took a few seconds for Brooke to get herself and her stuff together before following her. She met Steph leaning on the passenger's side with a distant look on her face. She had unlocked her car and they both got in.
There was this awkward kind silence and Brooke watched Steph who was looking out the window. Brooke took a deep breath and started the car. Throughout the ride, Brooke kept giving Steph quick glances waiting patiently for Steph to speak, but she didn't say even a word.
Now, she's parked in Steph's driveway, watching her carefully.
After a few agonizing seconds, Steph steps out with her backpack, heading into the house- her movements almost robotic.
Brooke watches her in confusion, her eyes following her movements until she enters the house.
Brooke shakes her head slightly and gets out of the car, following Steph's trail.
"So she expects me to go without getting the juicy details?" Brooke huffs to herself as she lets herself into the house. She walks down the little hallway and goes into living room. She doesn't see Steph in the room but finds her backpack on a couch.
Steph walks into the living room with a tub of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. She halts her steps and stares at Brooke.
"What are you doing here?" Steph questions, making her way to the couch.
"You didn't really expect me to leave without getting the juicy details. You should know me way better than that," Brooke huffs.
Stephanie sighs, finding it hard to believe that she does like Luke. She had all the time to ponder on it at school and she solved the mystery. That explains all the weird things she has been feeling since Saturday. Maybe she knew but didn't just want to admit it to herself.
"So?"
"What?"
"Did I really hear you say you like LUKE?" Brooke inquires.
"Yeah," Steph nods. "I think I did."
"Wait. Give me a minute," Brooke days and runs into the kitchen. She comes back with a spoon in hand.
"What's that for?" Steph raises an eyebrow.
"For the ice cream dummy," Brooke rolls her eyes and sits beside her. Brooke scoops ice cream from the tub in Steph's hand and earns a glare from her.
"So the details," Brooke ignores her glare without missing a beat. "I'd love to know how you-" she points her spoon at her, "- Stephanie like Luke. Luke - poison Ivy's BOYFRIEND."
"I know who he is, you don't have to point it out," Steph scoffs.
"Why do I feel like you're trying to avoid this topic?" Brooke narrows her eyes and purses her lips.
"Maybe because I'm still processing the information in my head so I'm not ready to talk about it."
"Start talking," Brooke demands in a gruff voice.
"I like Luke," Steph deadpans.
"Are you sure?"
"I've liked boys before. I think I know what it feels like," Steph snaps.
"Easy there, baby girl. So when did the butterflies start disturbing your belly?"
Steph looks at her weirdly but answers anyway.
"Today. When he walked into class and smiled at me this morning- I felt the butterflies, B. On Saturday, at the amusement park, when you and Cole went wherever, we talked and I found myself noticing some things about him. I got fascinated by the way he talks, his smile, his beautiful laugh and......" Steph trails off, realising she sounds like a love sick idiot.
"Oh how I love this version of you," Brooke babbles, wiggling her eyebrows.
"I do not," Steph snorts. She sounds like Brody.
"Luke is nice, cool and you know- good looking. And the best part is that he's Cole's best friend. I would ship you guys and say it's a match made in heaven but there's a big problem..."
"He is Ivy's boyfriend," Brooke completes her statement softly.
"I know that and I'm not looking for a boyfriend. The fact that I like him doesn't mean I want to date him," Steph scoffs and then shoves a spoon of ice cream into her mouth.
"So you're gonna keep talking to him and acting normal? Can you pull that off? I doubt that."
"I'll try," Steph replies.
"And you said Ivy threatened you?" Brooke asks about the second important thing. The crush part was just more eminent than this so it needed to be discussed first.
"Yeah, she did. It was crazy. Someone must have seen us at the park on Saturday and told her. Or she saw us herself," Steph muses.
"That bitch!" Brooke seethes. "I don't know what Luke sees in her. Ugh!"
Steph shrugs.
"So what are you gonna do?"
"Try my best to stay away from Luke," Steph replies.
"No, you won't. She's insecure. Ivy's insecure. She knows Luke would dump her ass for you that's why she wants you to stay away from him. And you won't. You'd do exactly the opposite so that it will happen," Brooke says with determination.
"That's quite a theory you have there," Steph clicks her tongue. "But Brooke, I'm not you and you are not me. You love drama- I know you do but I don't. I do not want anymore drama in my life. I already have enough on my plate."
"So what would you tell Luke when he asks you?" Brooke raises a brow.
"He wouldn't notice," Steph retorts.
Brooke raises her free hand. "Whatever you say."
Steph's phone vibrates as she gets a text. She checks it and find that it's from Luke.
"Speak of the devil," she mutters to herself and Brooke hears.
"Luke?"
"Yeah."
"What does it say?"
"He's asking about the homework we were given in class," Steph answers.
Brooke picks the remote and switches on the TV.
"I've been waiting for you to like Chris but you just had to mess things up by liking Luke," Brooke mutters to herself.
***
Chris parks in the driveway and kills the engine. He and Jason get out of the car together and head into the house.
"Is your mum home?" Jason asks.
"She should be. She picked up Emily today," Chris answers.
"Emily," Jason smiles. He really likes her but doesn't that come naturally? Emily makes him yearn for a little sister of his own.
As soon as they step into the house, Chris calls out, "Hello family."
They find no one in the living room so Chris assumes they're probably upstairs.
"Chris," Emily yells happily as she takes almost hasty steps carefully down the stairs.
She hugs Chris and after notices Jason.
"Jason," she says and gives him a hug too.
He chuckles. "Hey munchkin. How are you?" He ruffles her hair and she swats his hand away.
"I'm okay. Why haven't you been coming to visit?" She asks.
"I'm sorry. I've been busy," Jason smiles as they move to sit on a couch.
Chris who has been watching them with a smile drops his backpack and decides to find his mum. He sees his mum descending the stairs as he turns to go up.
"Hey mum," he smiles and gives her a peck on her cheek.
"Welcome honey. How was school?" His mum asks.
Chris shrugs. "Normal. Jason's here."
"Oh, that's a surprise," she exclaims.
"Jason," she calls and he turns in the direction of her voice.
"Hello Kate," Jason smiles as he stands to his feet.
She smiles at him. "It's been a while since you last visited."
"Blame it all on senior year- it's keeping me busy," Jason chuckles.
"I know. It's nice to see you again though," Kate chuckles too.
"It's nice to be here."
"Let's go to my room," Chris tells Jason as he picks up his backpack. Jason ruffles Emily's hair again before following Chris.
"You boys should come down soon, okay? I'm ordering pizza," Kate calls after them.
"With extra cheese, Kate." Jason says.
"Sure," Kate chuckles.
Jason shuts the door to Chris' room after entering.
"So what's up?" Chris asks as he sits at his study desk, dropping the backpack on the desk.
"Well....." Jason sits on his bed. "Hayley broke up with me."
"What? When? Why?!" Chris exclaims with wide eyes.
"On Friday after school," Jason replies.
"And you're just telling me?" Chris gapes.
Jason shrugs.
"She broke up with me because she likes someone else."
"How are you so calm about this?" Chris inquires raising his eyebrows.
"I've had three days to come to terms with it. I really liked her and it still hurts but what can I do?" Jason asks rhetorically with a shrug.
"I'm sorry dude," Chris mumbles.
"It's not your fault," Jason lays on the bed and stares at the ceiling.
"So she said she likes someone else?"
"Yeah."
"Did she tell you who?"
"Nope."
"It's better that way and I think she did the right thing," Chris states.
Jason has no response to that.
After about a minute of silence, Chris' phone begins to ring.
He pulls it out of his pocket and a frown appears on his face when he sees the caller ID.
Piper.
"Fuck you man," he bellows. "Why did you have to give her my number?"
Jason catches on to who he is referring to. "She's the one calling?"
Chris doesn't answer because the answer is pretty obvious.
Maybe she's really after Chris and she's being nice to him to use him get to Chris, Jason thinks.
And he feels somehow about that.
"Just answer it," Jason urges him.
Chris does.
"Hello Piper," he says with fake enthusiasm.
"Chris, hi. How are you?" Piper asks.
"I'm alright. You?" He glares at Jason who is sitting up now.
"I'm great," she answers
"So what's up?" Chris couldn't stop himself from asking.
"Well, I was wondering....." She trails off and Chris pinches the bridge of his nose, having the feeling that she wants to ask him out on a date. He would strangle Jason if that happens. He got him into this mess.
"Can I get Jason's number?" She finally requests.
"What?!"
Piper sighs.
"Can. I. Get. Jason's. Number?" She voices each word slowly as if talking to a toddler.
"Um....sure. I'll text it to you," he smiles in amusement and Jason notices.
Chris sure wasn't expecting that.
"Thank you so much. I'll be waiting," Piper replies.
"You're welcome."
"Bye," she ends the call.
Chris stares at his phone before facing Jason.
"What did she say?" Jason questions.
Chris grins. "She needs your phone number."
Jason smiles, having no idea why that information gives him a little joy.
Chris gives him a suspicious look.
"Is there something you're not telling me?"