"KIDS, YOU'RE GOING to be late," Mom's voice boomed through the entire house. My eyes snapped open and I shook James, who was already awake. Recalling our conversation from last night I felt pretty stupid trying to wake him up.
"You have to leave," I whispered.
He grinned lazily. "But I'm so comfy."
"Out," I hissed.
I dragged James to the window and watched him as he climbed back into his room. I didn't release the breath I had been holding in until his feet made contact with his bedroom floor. I then ran to the bathroom before any of my brothers could infiltrate it and I got ready for school. I was dreading the conversation I was bound to have with my mom as I walked down the stairs, but she was nowhere in sight. I checked the kitchen, living room, dining room, den, and study, but I couldn't find her. It wasn't until I peered outside did I see her car missing from the driveway.
"Mom went to work," Brenton said from behind me. "She left these for you." He handed me my phone and the keys to my car.
I furrowed my eyebrows, confused why she gave these back. If anything I assumed she would have just held onto them longer after the way I went off on her.
"Niko took Alex to school and then he's back to Penbrooke," Brenton continued.
"Aren't you the messenger today?" I mused.
He ruffled my hair before slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder. "I'm leaving for practice, I'll see you later."
I watched Brenton's retreating figure walk out the door to meet one of his stupid friends with a car no doubt. I went to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar before making my way outside. As much as I would have loved to skip homeroom, the nerd I was dating wouldn't be caught dead skipping class unnecessarily.
~*~
As soon as we got to school James ditched me to go print an essay before classes started so I was alone at my locker fishing for my textbooks. Amber texted me that she'd be at school soon which I was glad about because I had a lot to fill her in on. I wasn't really up for telling her everything via phone call or text so I waited until today to dish out the horrendous weekend I had. I didn't turn around when I felt a hand clamp on my shoulder.
"Grab the granola bar from my back pocket," I told Amber. "I'm starving." When she didn't respond I turned around, my breath getting caught in my throat at the person who was definitely not Amber.
"Dani."
"What do you want, Cade?"
"We need to talk," he said.
My eyes peered at his hand which was wrapped around my wrist. Of course, the one time he was gutsy enough to approach me at school I was all alone. "Let go of my arm," I said slowly. He actually did as he was told though he probably feared me screaming and getting everyone's attention in the hallway. Students were at their lockers and walking to their classes but no one paid any attention to us which Cade was using to his advantage.
"How many times do I have to ask you to talk to me?" he demanded. "I'm not going to do anything, Dani. It's just, you broke up with me so unexpectedly and I never got closure."
Ugh, those stupid caramel eyes. Seeing the sadness on his face made me consider — emphasis on consider — taking him up on his offer but when I remembered why I broke up with him, any sympathy I had disappeared. "Leave me alone."
"Why won't you talk to me?" he hissed, growing impatient with my stubbornness. "None of your boyfriends are here so why can't we talk like adults?"
I knew he was referring to Holden as one of my alleged boyfriends but I wasn't going to get annoyed and give him the satisfaction he wanted. "Nothing about you is adult-like, Cade. Why can't you get it through your goddamn thick skull that I want nothing to do with you? You're dead to me." He flinched at my words and I knew they stung, but I didn't care. He needed to know that I was done with him. For good.
"Dani..."
"I'm pretty sure she wants you to leave her alone." My gratitude was cut immensely short when I saw my supposed saviour was none other than Mr. Holden Rollins.
Cade glared at him. "I'm not talking to you, Rollins."
Holden scowled. "Get the hell out of my face before I kick your ass again, Thompson."
"Nice nose," Cade sneered, referring to the bang-up number I did on Holden. Although still tinged with purple, the bruising had faded a lot and his nose was almost completely healed.
I stepped in between them before another fight could brew. "You dumb asses are already benched, do you want to get suspended too?" When none of them responded I continued talking. "Cade, just go. We're done, okay? Go before I call Coach and get your ass suspended."
The small — absolutely minuscule — rationale part of Cade obliged and stormed off in the other direction. Now that one crisis was averted I had another to deal with.
"Hey," Holden greeted awkwardly, making me fight the urge to facepalm myself right now.
"What do you want?" I didn't mean for my tone to be icy but when Holden winced I knew I was a bit too harsh.
"I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry, Dani, I don't know what the hell came over me. I was an absolute dick and you didn't deserve any of that," he rambled.
I wasn't the most forgiving person out there but considering I did practically give him a new nose I decided to open my heart just a tad. "Promise you won't kiss me ever again?" When he nodded I smiled. "Apology accepted. I'm sorry for breaking your nose, Rudolph."
Holden chuckled, shaking his head. "I deserved it. Besides, I got the nose job I never knew I needed." I rolled my eyes though, in all honesty, I was happy we were on good terms now. The kissing incident aside, Holden was like a fourth brother to me and it felt weird not talking to him so I was glad we were able to sort this out and put it behind us. "Can I ask you a question?" His serious tone prompted me to arch an eyebrow. "Why'd you break up with Cade?"
I couldn't say I was necessarily surprised by this question. Since I broke up with him at the beginning of the school year this had been a pressing question everyone had been wondering. No one, not my brothers or Amber, knew why we broke up, but considering Holden did come to my rescue again and got benched because of Cade I figured he deserved to know. I leaned my back against my locker as I faced him.
"You can't tell this to a single soul, not even Brent."
Holden shoved his hands inside his pockets. "It's not like he's even talking to me."
I knew he meant it as a joke but I couldn't help and frown. It was because of me Brenton wasn't on speaking terms with Holden. Classes were going to start in a few minutes so I began my sob story before the warning bell could ring.
"Remember how you throw that huge party the last day of summer every year?"
Holden nodded slowly. "What about it?"
"I went with Cade." Any appetite I had for the granola bar in my back pocket was long gone as I remembered what happened that night. "We got into a fight before the party because he decided he was going to take a year off after we graduated." The fight felt so fresh in my head, I could see everything so vividly. I was upset that he didn't ask me for my opinion or suggestion before making his decision. I knew it wasn't my final call whether he went to college or not, but we made plans to go to the same school and live together, so I felt hurt and devalued that Cade suddenly decided he was no longer interested in that.
"What happened next?" Holden asked.
I blinked, momentarily forgetting he was here. "He was pissed that I was pissed but we still went to the party anyway. I planned on getting hammered to show him how upset I was but when I didn't see him, I went all around your house looking for him. I found him with another girl."
His jaw dropped. "Were they drunk?"
I stared at the ground as I remembered the moment I walked in on them. "She was, he wasn't."
"Who was she?" Holden asked the burning question.
"Amber."
As if painfully on cue a gasp emitted from my right. I turned my head to see the back of Amber's dyed auburn hair as she ran out the doors. I cursed under my breath and sprinted after her, not caring that the warning bell rang.
"Amber, wait!" I called after her, out of breath. Damn, this girl had a next-level set of lungs. I chased her all the way to the lacrosse field which was completely empty.
She turned around, mascara running down her face. In any other situation, I would have snapped a picture and threatened to send it to Brenton, but I knew this wasn't the time or place.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she yelled.
"I didn't want you to blame yourself." I meant what I said too. Amber was so drunk she blacked out after and didn't remember anything that happened between her and Cade. Granted none of them knew I knew since I bolted out of Holden's house before anyone could see me. Cade was a piece of shit for what he did but Amber didn't know any better. She was my goddamn best friend for crying out loud, I knew she'd never intentionally do anything to hurt me. Had she found out she was the reason I dumped Cade she would've never forgiven herself.
I took a step toward Amber and wrapped my arms around her. She trembled in my arms as she continued to cry. I patted her back reassuringly, trying not to think of the makeup that had now stained my sweater. "I'm so sorry," she choked. "I hate myself for what I did to you."
"Amber, shut up," I snapped. "The only person to blame here is Cade, not you. Besides, if it weren't for us breaking up I would've never met James."
"You mean that?"
I patted her head sympathetically, not really sure how to comfort her. "Yes, so stop crying and get your snotty face off my clothes."
Amber giggled as she pulled away, but not before giving me another hug. "I love you, Dani."
"You know I love you too."
Amber was the closest I had to a sister. There was no way I was ever going to let Cade or any other stupid boy get in between us.
~*~
After school, I invited Amber for a sleepover and filled her in on all the details from my weekend. She listened attentively, asking questions here and there, her excitement at its peak when I mentioned the part where James and I slept in my bed last night.
"I'm really sorry about Peter," she said when I finished.
"Whatever, I'm over it already."
She frowned. "Dani, you can talk to me."
"It's fine, he's a dick anyway."
No matter how much I said it I couldn't find it in me to believe a word. I was sure there was a perfectly good explanation as to why he abandoned me, I just didn't know what it was yet.
"How's James?" Amber asked as she changed the topic to something more lighthearted.
I exhaled loudly as I fell back on the couch. "I like him so much it's driving me crazy." When Amber laughed I continued. "He's just so perfect in every single way, and I hate how mushy he makes me."
She was grinning from ear to ear. "Have you told him any of this?"
I sat up glumly. "He's like a brick wall when it comes to talking about feelings or anything remotely human."
"Sounds like a match made in heaven," she teased.
The front door suddenly unlocked and swung open. "Someone better be cooking something because I'm starving," Brenton announced before letting out a hefty burp.
I scrunched my nose. "Charming as always."
"How about you kiss my hairy... Oh, hey." Brenton's face flushed in embarrassment when he saw Amber lounging in our living room. She giggled while I tried my hardest not to projectile vomit on either of them.
"I need to talk to you," I said to my twin, suddenly remembering my conversation with Holden.
He dropped his filthy gym bag on the floor, worry evident on his face. "Did something happen?"
"I talked to Holden today." I grabbed his forearm before he could burst out of the house and do something dumb. "Don't go all macho man until you hear the whole thing. He apologized."
Brenton tore his arm out of my grasp. "I don't give a shit. What he did isn't okay."
"I forgave him."
"Are you out of your mind? What's the matter with you?" he screeched.
"I could tell he was really upset and regretted it all." I paused. "He's your best friend, Brent, and he misses you."
"Friends come and go," he said with a simple shrug of his shoulders as he picked up an orange from the fruit bowl on the living room table. "Rollins is no friend of mine."
I rolled my eyes. Don't get me wrong, I loved Brenton to death for choosing me over anyone else but he was being a little extra. "Brent, you're the poster child of stupid choices. I agree Holden is a complete dumb ass but he's also your best friend and he made a mistake. I know you miss him and I hate it that I'm the reason you two aren't friends anymore."
"Don't flatter yourself," he sneered.
I folded my arms across my chest. "If I'm not the reason then enlighten me as to why you two aren't friends anymore."
Instead of answering my question, my mature twin chucked his orange at me. The stupid fruit hit me square in the forehead before falling to the ground. Rubbing the reddened spot on my head, I glared at him while he gave me an apologetic look. "Okay, so maybe you were the reason."
"You idiots miss each other," I stated. "Go call him and tell him you forgive him so all balance can be restored in the world."
"I hate it when you're right."
I pinched his cheek, earning a punch from him. "Maybe someday you'll attain my wisdom, little bro."
"Seventeen minutes, you fu—"
"Save your energy and call Holden," I interjected. I returned back to Amber who watched us amusedly.
"You two are something else."
"Tell me something I don't know."