Chapter 21- Brave But Not Stupid, There’s a Difference.

Saturday was…Saturday. A day I could do whatever I felt like. Right now it was cleaning my room, listening to Pandora radio on my laptop, and thinking about my date with Thomas last night. Dinner was good, but the pool hall was great. I surprised myself by how much I actually enjoyed myself.

I mean, sure it wasn’t the typical fist date, with dinner and a movie, but it was different in a good way. Not what I expected.

I currently had no plans to go out with him again, but that didn’t mean he’d stop trying to get me to. The best was the only reason I’d agreed to go out with him in the first place. No other reason…that I could think of.

My phone beeped from my bed in front of me. I leaned over and picked it up and read a text message from Jonah.

Meeting the parents tonight! Any advice for me?

I smile down at my phone and texted him back.

She told her parents about you? What happened to no boyfriends…and the church party?

It was only a few seconds before he texted me back.

Parents went through her phone and saw our texts. X-(

My eyes widened.

Uh oh. Reaction?

Jonah: Flipped out and demanded to meet me. Thus why me and my parents are going over to hers tonight.

Me: Your parents are going to? Wow. This is…big. Are they mad too? I mean, do they know she’s…

Jonah: They know. Not happy but willing to meet her.

Me: You think her parents will make you stop seeing each other? :(

Jonah: Maybe. Hope not though. At least we weren’t serious yet.

I frowned at my phone. This was so not fair to him. He really liked this girl and he deserved a chance with her.

Me: Just be yourself. If they don’t love you they’re crazy!

Jonah: I know that’s meant to comfort me but it doesn’t. Glad to know you’re in my corner though.

Me: Always. :)

Jonah: Thanks. Gotta go. Parents are calling for me. WHAT NOW???

I tossed my phone back on the bed in front of me and sighed. Poor Jonah. Will he ever catch a break? First me then he finds a girl who can’t date. Talk about bad luck.

A knock on my door drew my attention to my mom standing in my half open door way looking in. She took a short look around my room and frowned.

“Olivia you’ve been up here for an hour cleaning. So why does it look worse than it did before?”

I followed her eyes over my ransacked room to my now empty closet.

“I’m getting rid of some stuff,” I said looking back at her.

It’s not like I had a lot to do today anyway. I could do a number of things, but it just wasn’t the same without my friends. Farrah was off at some remote cabin for the weekend with her parents and Grace was…well I don’t know exactly where Grace was. But she wasn’t answering my calls or texts so she must be busy. The same went for Deacon. No contact. I hadn't heard from him since I rechedualed our date. He didn't seem mad. Maybe I was wrong though.

If he didn't call me in an hour I was just going to assume the date was off.

Mom watched me for a moment before pushing my door open all the way.

“Well, I made some lunch. Want to come down and eat before it gets cold?”

I shook my head. “No thanks. I’m not hungry.” I took another look around my room. “Besides, if I stop now I’ll never finish cleaning this mess.”

She gave me a half smile and nodded. “Alright.” Turning on her heal she started out my door then half stopped and faced me again. “Oh, and I meant to tell you. Your aunt Anita is coming to stay with us tomorrow. Her plane gets in tonight and she’ll be here until Wednesday. Don’t make any plans. We all need to be here to welcome her.”

Well my boring days suddenly got a lot brighter. “Really? That’s great! What time is she getting in?”

“Six A.M. She’s catching the red eye out late tonight. Or early morning depending on your perception of time.”

“Wow, that is early,” I said.

She reached over and placed her hand on my door knob indicating that the conversation was not over yet and I waited for her to continue.

“I’m giving her your sister’s room to stay in while she’s here so Cynthia will have to stay with you for a few days.” The look on her face told me there was no room for the argument I was about to give her.

I don’t know why she needed my room when we had a perfectly good basement she could stay in. It only had ten or twelve cobwebs and a musty cement smell. Not bad at all. I’d never survive having her in my room for three days.

I groaned. “Of course she will.”

“Olivia,” Mom warned. “Be nice to your sister or I’ll make it a permanent arrangement. Anita will tell me if you’ve been well behaved.”

I crossed my arms rolled my eyes at her. Mom and her threats. She loved them. It made us her puppets when she needed us to be. I’d die if she ever made me share my room. And she’d do it to if I ever embarrassed her in front of Aunt Anita.

They’ve always had the eternal sibling rivalry. Always trying to one up each other. Mom liked to remind her younger sister she was married with three kids and a mortgage while Anita flaunted her wealth and single lifestyle. It was a never ending battle with them.

I know one day they will be friends, but I just don’t see that day coming anytime soon.

I was the exact opposite of mom though. Even though Anita was a few years older than me she was definitely not more adult. She liked to have fun. A lot of fun. Sometimes I’m the one that feels like the adult. I love her though. She lets me do things mom never would.

“She’ll tell you? Where are you going?” I inquired. If mom was leaving us this was the first I was hearing about it.

Looking down at her hands she spoke. “Your dad and I are going on a little trip, nothing big. We’ll be back before you know it.”

Oh. I blinked. This must another one of their attempts to fix their marriage; going away together. I wonder if it would end like all the other times; them getting in a fight and returning home early only for them not to speak for a whole week. Or maybe it would be like the other time when they returned and everything was great…for a day. By that night they were back to fighting again.

“Oh,” I said. “Well I hope you have a good time.”

And I honestly did. Maybe this time their patch up efforts will not be in vain. I picture it being something like that movie Couples Retreat except maybe worse.

She plastered on her fake smile I picked out effortlessly and turned away. “I’m sure we will.”

When Mom disappeared from my room I felt bad. She and dad really were in a rut. I just wish there was something I could do to help them. Make them happy again. I remember a time when they really were happy.

Right after the twins were born they were they happiest I’d ever seen them. Then Dad got the accounting job and everything changed. He was more stressed and distant and mom became depressed.

It got better over the years. Though things never truly returned to how they were. They probably never would.

“…The scars of your love remind me of us

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all

The scars of your love, they leave me breathless

I can't help feeling

We could have had it all…”

I sang as I finished cleaning up my room. I slowly cleaned up my floor first, then under my bed, and lastly my closet. By the time I was completely finished there was a place for everything and everything in its place. Except of the stuff I was getting rid of. Most of it was t-shirts and sneakers and a couple of pocket books.

I’d probably donate most of it to Goodwill except the sweater Grace always had her eye on. I promised her last year that if I ever got rid of it, it would go to her, so I’m keeping my promise. It’s pretty to get rid of completely anyway. I just wished it looked right on me. I kept it all year hoping to someway alter my body in order to make it look right, but no such luck. It was hopeless. At least now someone else can get some use out of it.

I glanced at my newly organized closet and smiled. Well, at least now I have more room for new stuff. I think a trip to the mall is in order very soon.

When night settled in I decided to call it an early night and climbed into bed at fifteen till nine. My Facebook was in need of some serious organization, almost as much as my room was, and I missed my Facebook games. I hadn’t played them in three day and I was going through withdraw.

I went through my picture albums and deleted some old pictures and added some new ones. A couple was of Grace, Farrah and I at the beach over the summer. Megan was in there too, but I had to crop her out. No way was I adding that one. She stabbed us all in the back when she betrayed Farrah.

Mess with one of us; you mess with all of us.

After a few minutes I already had several likes and comments on them. One was Julia asking where I got my swimsuit another was from Tracey my old friend from Food 1 until she convinced her dad to let transfer out and give her a free period.

Lucky.

I was just about to click off the page when suddenly I got another like from someone I hadn’t expected to hear from at all. Thomas.

My hand froze over the mouse pad. He saw my pictures. And liked them? Well, I mean of course he saw them; he’s on my friends list. But I never expected him openly like them. He has never liked any of my photos before. Maybe I’ve never given him a reason too.

Doing something I never thought I would either, I opened the chat box on my Facebook messenger and sent him an IM.

Hey. You bored too?

He messaged me back.

Bored???

I grinned and replied.

Yeah. Why else would you be online, on a Saturday night? Couldn’t find a date tonight?

I laughed at myself, but secretly hoped he hadn’t. I don’t know, after last night it would kind of hurt he found another date so soon. I don’t know why I felt that way, but I did. And I didn’t like it.

A new message from him popped up.

Could have. Didn’t want to.

My heartbeat stalled for a second. He didn’t want to? Thomas Cavanaugh didn’t want to go on a meaningless date with a random girl with guaranteed sex. Wow. Olivia…shocked.

Sounds serious, I replied and waited.

My dad’s not doing too well tonight. I wanted to stay home with him in case he needed anything.

Oh. My heart broke a little. Of course. I’d forgotten all about his Dad’s illness. It was stupid of me to think he’d be home for any other reason. And he should be there. When it came to his family he always put them first. At least he had that admirable trait.

Should I let you go???

I asked and he didn’t answer. Maybe he already had gone. A few more long seconds later and he finally replied.

He’s asleep in the living room. I can talk.

He must have gone to check on him. I didn’t want Thomas to feel like he had to talk to me, like owed it me after taking e out of something, but it almost seemed to me that he wanted to talk. Thomas alone on a Saturday night was a serious thing.

Okay. :)

Like the new pictures. You should put the one of you in your yellow bikini as your profile pic. ;)

I laughed to myself. I knew the real Thomas couldn’t have gone far.

I’m sure you think so. :p

What??? You look good in it. Shouldn’t hide what God gave you.

You sound like the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Trying to lead me into temptation?

Trust me, if I were trying to lead you into temptation it would be for more than a picture. ;)

Don’t ;) at me. I know exactly what you mean. And excuse me…you couldn’t tempt me even if you wanted to. I have a little something called willpower. Maybe you should get some. ;)

While I waited for his reply I switched to my music page and changed the radio station to something a little slower for this time of night when an upbeat song came on. I decided on some Christina Perri. She was always a good way to go.

I sang along to the first song that played.

“I can hold my breath

I can bite my tongue

I can stay awake for days

If that's what you want

Be your number one…”

When I returned back to my Facebook page he still hadn’t replied so I began surfing my newsfeed for funny posts to share like, My bed likes me so much that it won’t let me go in the morning.

“…But I'm only human

And I bleed when I fall down

I'm only human

And I crash and I break down…”

Before I could find anymore posts Thomas messaged me back drawing my attention back to the message box.

My dad’s up. I gotta go.

Oh. I understood. My hands went to the keyboard and just as I began to reply back I got another message from him.

Oh, and Liv, I beg to differ. I look forward to proving you wrong. What are doing tomorrow? I’ll be at the mall around three if you wanna meet.

Yeah, like I’m about to run off to the mall to see if he can tempt me. I’m brave, but not stupid. There’s a difference. Sometimes my words are bigger than my mouth. I had no doubt he’d try something and I was not dumb enough to enter into another make out session with him. Right now we were semi friends, and that was good. Not looking to complicate that right now.

It’s a big mall. I’d never find you.

There. That didn’t make me sound scared.

Best Buy. Three o’clock.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Rain check? Aunt is flying in from out of town. Have to be here to help her settle in.

Anytime, sweetheart. Anytime.

I rolled my eyes. Of course he’d say that.

Okay then, bye!!!

I quickly closed out of the chat box and sighed went to sign out of Facebook until a comment popped up on my newest shared post. It was from Thomas.

I wouldn’t either.

My stomach did all sort of funny things then.

Oh holy cheese and crackers! What was I supposed to do with that?

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A/N

Again, I didn’t edit. Go ahead and politely point out any mistakes. I’m off the fix chapter 20’s now.

Hope you enjoyed the update. Please- Comment, vote and follow!!!!!

-One of the songs featured in the chapter is Human by Christina Perri. Music Video to the side. --->