Sitting

struggling to stay calm

as I listen to this genius

translate a foreign language - for me

chemistry will be treated like the plague

but for now it would be a blessing

for this lesson to end

so I can jump for joy

and maybe get to know this boy.

"What? Right now?" I ask Austin, who is standing at my front door, dressed in basketball shorts and a blue sweater, holding his chemistry book. He's grinning from ear to ear.

"Umhm. So are you going to let me in or what?" Austin asks, leaning on the casing of the door, waiting for me to welcome him in. I sigh and let him pass. Austin flops down on the sofa in the living room and pats the seat next to him.

"So, where is everyone?" Austin asks, flipping to a page in the book. I sit down beside Austin, offering him some M&M's that I just grabbed from the kitchen counter.

"Everyone is out. I think Aidan is at Henry's studying. Why aren't you with them?"

"I like you better," Austin says, grinning. I narrow my eyes at him but I can't help but feel my heart flutter at his words.

After explaining almost everything that Ms. Kinney has already taught, such as the metals, which there seemed to be hundreds to remember, I start to daze and stare off into space. Austin is so passionate that he doesn't even notice I'm not paying attention until he asks a question and I don't answer.

"Emma! Are you even listening?" Austin asks, snapping his fingers in my face then giving me a playful push.

"No, not really." I say, and Austin gives me an exasperated look. "We've been at this for almost an hour. Can't we take a break?"

"A break from what?"

Startled by the voice, I turn and see Quinn standing behind us, his arms crossed over his chest. He looks from Austin to me, his eyes suspicious.

"Chemistry. Nothing you would understand," I say, smirking. Austin snorts and I turn to look at him.

"Like you do." Austin laughs. I punch him in the arm hard, making him shut up and pout. Quinn groans and walk away, heading upstairs. My mom comes in next, her arms full of bags. She notices us and smiles.

"Here, Mrs. Taylor, let me help," Austin says, jumping up from his spot on the floor and rushes to my Mom. He takes some bags from her hands.

"Thank you Austin. Do you mind going and getting the last bag from the car, and helping Joey out from his car seat? He said he didn't want any help but I bet he's still out there."

Austin happily obliges, waving to me as he leaves the house to get my little brother.

"Hey honey. How was school?" My Mom asks as she starts to unpack the groceries from the bags. I walk over beside her and lean on the counter.

"Good, I guess. Chemistry sucks but Austin is helping me," I say, shrugging my shoulder. Mom smiles, and wiggles her eyebrows. I know what she is insinuating. "Ew, Mom. I don't like him like that!"

"Like who like what?" Aidan asks, coming in behind is with Joey tucked under his arm, wiggling to get loose. Ben and Austin come in behind them and they are shoving each other around. Boys.

"No one," I say too quickly, and Mom chuckles behind me.

Aidan narrows his eyes but leaves it and finally lets Joey down. God forbid my brothers go into over-protective mode. Believe me, it never turns out good.

"Emma, you want to study some more?" Austin asks, and Ben and Aidan looks between us. They are about to say something but Mom cuts them off.

"Why don't you stay for supper Austin? You haven't in a while."

Mom smiles and Austin agrees hesitantly. Aidan and Ben settle down on the black beanie bags in front of the television and start to play GTA5, the sounds of guns and tires squealing as Ben goes on a killing spree.

"How are we supposed to study?" I turn to my mom.

"Boys, either turn that down, or go in your rooms!" she shouts, and Aidan grumbles but does as she says and turns the volume down. Austin tugs me by the arm back to the couch and begins to talk about the one subject I despise.

Eventually, the game my brothers are playing grows louder each minute and Austin puts down the book and turns to me.

"Why are helium, curium, and barium the three main medical elements?" Austin asks, a small grin on his face. I groan mentally. "If you can't curium or helium, you barium!"

I try to bite my tongue from laughing at the stupid joke but end up failing and join Austin.

"OK, I have one...alright I was going to tell a joke about sodium and hydrogen, but NaH." I wave my hand, pretending to wave it off as Austin laughs. Ben turns around, laughs at the joke.

"What do you say when: oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, sodium and phosphorous walk into a bar? OH SNaP!" Ben asks, smirking.

Aidan pauses the game and looks at us with a serious face.

"Stop it with the chemistry jokes please! We've all sulfured enough!" I burst into laughter, along with everyone else. Once I sober up, I wait for silence.

"Aw, but they are just sodium funny!"

When my Dad gets home, along with my two brothers Owen and Logan, we eat supper. Austin sits across from me beside Aidan. Mom cooked lasagna, which is one of my favourite dishes.

Joey sits between Logan and Austin, who talks up a storm. It's cute to see Austin engaging with my little brother, nodding along at what he is saying and laughing at some stories.

Austin catches me staring at him and smirks when I look away.

I feel my cheeks warm.

"So, Austin how is school? Getting those grades you need for Toronto University?" Dad asks Austin. I perk up at the mention of Austin going to Toronto. He seems to be happy that Dad brought that up.

"Yeah. I want to go and earn a Chemistry Degree, and a minor in Biology. Mom is helping with the application now." Austin smiles, and I admit I'm a little shocked to hear he is going for a major in chemistry.

I guess I'm being very stereotypical, a hot jock not having enough brains to make it to University.

Did I just call Austin hot?

"Emma, are you even listening?" Mom snaps and I whips my head toward her. She points to Austin who was smirking down into his plate. "Austin is talking to you." All of my brothers eyes are on me, except who Joey is still talking, in his own world.

"I'm sorry, what would were you saying?"

"I was asking where you planned going to University," Austin says, smiling. University is still a year for me and a summer away but that doesn't mean I don't have plans.

"I want to go to...uh, Queens University in Ontario. A language arts major," I say, looking down at my plate and picking at piece of pasta with my fork.

"Really? Why haven't you mentioned it before?" my mom asks, at the same time my brothers mutter things like 'that's too far'. "It's a great school. Your Aunt Rebecca went there to get her English degree and then got into teaching school."

"I want to get an English major and do a fine arts minor," I say, glancing up. I crack a smile and her face glows.

"Why would you do that? Your writing sucks," Quinn says, laughing from a few seats down. "Even Tyler said that." My heart sinks at the Quinn's words, even though I know they aren't true. The whole room is silent for a minute, then I see mom's face turn bright red.

"Quinn David Taylor! Go to your room. Now! I don't ever want to hear you speak to your sister like that again!" Quinn silently goes up to his room, and I feel my tears well up in my eyes but I shut them tightly, willing myself not to cry. I can't be a cry baby in front of Austin or my brothers.

Believe me, I am tougher because I live with all boys except for my Mom but at the mention of Tyler, all walls are brought down.

"You are amazing at poetry Em, don't let anyone, especially that knuckle head tell you other wise," Owen says from beside me, and I thank him quietly. My dad says that someday I will be famous for my writing.

I highly doubt it.

After an eventful supper, my parents say they'll do the dishes and I walk Austin out after he decides he should go home. We walk out to the lawn, where his jeep is parked.

"So, you write poetry huh?" Austin smiles, "When are you going to write a poem for me?" I feel my cheeks turn a dark shade of pink and I'm thankful that it's really dark out.

"I don't know. Maybe when you actually teach me something in Chemistry," I say, smiling. He shakes his head, knowing that is next to impossible and gets in his jeep, rolling down the window. "So, what do you need help with in English?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to buy you lunch at the Diner," Austin says. "I gotta go, or my mom will start to wonder where I am. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Before I can say anything, he starts to back out and drive down the street, leaving me speechless. A grin forms on my face, and I duck my head to hide it as I walk back into the house. Walking in, my parents are in the kitchen and Jude and Owen wait by the stairs, staring at me as I walk by them.

They follow me up the stairs.

"You're getting close to Austin, huh?" Jude says, more of a statement than a question.

"No, he is just helping me in chemistry is all," I say, turning on them.

Owen laughs. "Sure, do you really think we are that stupid, Emma?" He shakes his head. "Just tell us, do you have feelings for him?"

I scoff. "Would you just leave me alone?"

Jude rolls his eyes. "No. So, do you?"

I throw my hands in the air, turning and continuing up the stairs to my room.

Owen chuckles. "I'll take that as a yes," he says, but doesn't egg me on any farther.

Just great. Now they think I like Austin and will never hear the end of it.

"I can't believe this, he has to like you!" Andrea exclaims happily, clapping her hands as she jumped up and down, her book bag thumping against her back. "Why else would he come to your house to study with you...when you were all alone," She says, gasping, her eyes widening.

"Will you shut up! Your starting to attract attention!" I say in a half whisper-yell to my idiot best friend as we walk down the hallway to our last period class. I just got out of gym with her and I'm exhausted. Before that, we had sneaked off school grounds again and went to the Diner with my brothers and Austin.

"So, are you going to the carnival this weekend? I'm going with Cassie, so you better come." There is a carnival that comes every year in September, and every year the entire family goes.

"Yup. I'll be there with my brothers, Mom and Dad have a meeting so they can't make it. Logan agreed to take Joey too...hey you think that's why he's going? To see Cassie?" Logan still hasn't mentioned he was seeing anyone, let alone my best friends sister. Maybe they are really just friends.

"Well. We are just going to have to put our ninja skills to work," Andrea says mischievously. The bell rings and we separate ways, our classes just across the hall. When I walk into chemistry, Austin is already sitting at our desk, grinning.

"Are you made of copper and tellurium? Because you're pretty CuTe!" My mind did a complete 360 and I smile, blushing at his comment.

Austin is flirting with me I'm beginning to like it.

The bell rings and I walk out of class with a smile on my face. Austin walks out with me into the hallway, our arms brushing against one another.

"I have to go to basketball practice, but maybe I'll see you later?" He asks, stopping in front of me.

I smile. "Yeah, I'll see you later," I say and Austin begins to walk in the opposite direction. I continue on my way down the hall, clutching the chemistry book to my chest. Since its Thursday, my brothers have basketball practice and can't drive me home. Jude has the honours of picking Quinn and I up.

I head around the corner, near the main office and make my way to the parking lot. Just as I'm passing by the office, the door opens and out steps Carla Dean. She stops when she sees me, her eyes sparkle in amusement.

"Emma, I haven't seen you in quite a while," she says, standing in front of me. "But I hear you've had traumatic summer so I guess that would explain things." She smiles, and its not a nice smile. I shudder internally, afraid at what she has up her sleeve.

I'm ticked she brought it up but put on a fake smile.

"Well, since we aren't friends, I don't know why I would see you in the first place," I say, trailing off. "But thanks for your concern."

"So, I hear you've spending some time with Austin Moore," Carla says, raising her eye brows.

"Where did you hear that?" I ask, a bit clueless as to what she wants from this conversation.

"Oh, I have my sources but its not hard to see you two flirting with each other," she says, and takes a step toward me.

"We don't flirt," I deny, but even I know I'm lying through my teeth. "Why do you even care? Aren't you dating some guy from another town?"

She smirks. "I am, but I'm just trying to look out for him," she says, shrugging.

My stomach begins to sink.

I mean, he's too good for someone like you. Everyone knows how you went off the deep end, and I'm just trying to protect him from you. In my opinion, he's just wasting his time."

I feel like I'm being twisted with words until I can hardly breath. I look Carla straight in the eyes, fighting off the urge to break into tears.

No one cares about your opinion, especially me," I say.

Carla shrugs a shoulder. "Bye Emma, have a good day!" She passes me, walking down the hall. I turn and watch her go, seeing a few teachers walk up the hall. No wonder she left so suddenly.

I turn back around, closing my eyes and try to collect myself. I don't understand why she said those things. My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I open my eyes. Its Jude, seeing where I'm at and that he's waiting outside.

I head outside, feelings of sadness overrunning me.

Jude is parked in the front of the school, and Quinn is already in the passengers seat no doubt waiting with a sarcastic comment. I head over to his car, ignoring Quinn's glare.

"What took you so long? You weren't kissing a boy, were you?" Jude asks, his tone light, as I get into the back seat. I shake my head, avoiding his gaze in the mirror.

Quinn snorts. "Like a boy would ever want to kiss Emma," he says, his words like a knife to the abdomen.

"Shut up," I snap and stare out the window. Jude tries to make small talk but I refuse to interact, my mind elsewhere, mostly about Carla and what she said about Austin.