"bri can i come in?" my brother knocks on my door. i honestly don't have the energy to move or talk. "i'm coming in anyways." he says and i roll my eyes. "what's wrong? you've been in here for hours." noah sits on my bed. i turn towards him with a straight face.

"sheesh what happened to you?" his tone offends me. "go away." i groan. "well get up and like...wash your face or something. mason's downstairs."

i jump straight up. "oh my god! i totally forgot!" i jump out of bed and i start panicking. "go tell him i'll be a minute and actually tell him!" i walk to my bathroom. "okay." noahs voice trails off. "i swear to god if i see him in my room i'll shank you."

"yeah yeah." my door closes. i look in the mirror and i almost jump. get your life together, you look like you haven't slept in days. i might need way more than a few minutes.

after brushing my hair and putting mascara on, i spray perfume on then i rush down the stairs. "mason hi! i'm so sorry. things came up and-" i rush. "don't worry about it. you look nice." he says and i know for a fact he's lying.

"right." i laugh pointing at my outfit. i had on a red hoodie that was probably my brothers and black pants. "you look pretty." mason says making me feel girly. "thanks." why am i suddenly getting guys attention? "so what do you say? ice cream and mall parking lot?"

i smile remembering the other day. "what about coffee and mall parking lot?" i suggest. ice cream reminded me of parker. "sounds good." mason smiles. "hey mason, remember tryouts are tomorrow." my brother reminds him walking down the stairs. "hey i wanna come." i smile at mason. "please do, it would be nice to have someone cheering me on."

"i'd love to cheer you on." i open the door. "where are you guys going?" noah asks. i'm quick to flip him off. mason starts to talk but i interrupt. "nowhere. mind your business." i grab masons hand. "mason keep your hands off. you know the rules." noah goes back upstairs. "shut up noah!" i pull mason out of the house.

❀

"so what are the rules?" i ask curiously. "what rules?" mason sips his caramel macchiato. "the rules my brother was talking about." we sit on the hood of his car. he laughs and it scares me. "what?" i ask wanting to know. "i can't tell you... it's a soccer thing... a guy thing."

what? "whatever." i'll figure it out tonight when i ask noah. "how's life been so far?" mason asks. it's been real shitty.

"i'm hanging in there i guess," i think about my dad. "what about you?" i ask. he looks at me and smiles randomly. "i'm okay."

i nod. we drink our coffee, occasionally looking at each other then looking around us. this silence isn't awkward, it's nice. "hey how are you liking it out here?" i put my cup down then lay down on his car. "i'm liking it now." he copies me. "you didn't like it before?" i question. he frowns. "well it was shitty until i met you."

that makes me smile. "i'm glad it's less shitty for you." we both laugh.

i wait for mason to look away to stare at him. he is very attractive. "can i ask what's going on with you and...parker? is that his name?" he says and i scoff. "what do you mean?" i sit back up. ugh parker. i did not want to think of him right now. "i don't know, you guys are always together."

i didn't think people noticed.

"we just study a lot. we both have anatomy together," i sort of lie. his face lightens up. "why are you jealous?" i tease. "a little bit." i freeze not expecting that response. "oh..." why on earth would he be feeling jealous? "well there's nothing to be jealous of. parker's an asshole." i roll my eyes already getting irritated by parker as if i wasn't infatuated with him yesterday.

stupid boys. all they do is lead you on like assholes. "do you want to... never mind." he says. "do i want to what?" i squint at him. "do you want to see nova?" he asks and i light up. "oh my god yes! let's go! right now!" i jump off his hood then get in the car.

when he gets in he just laughs and starts the car. "okay then."

❀

"i think this was a bad idea." mason throws his keys on the table. i'm playing with nova and i let her jump on me. "why?" i lay on the floor. nova attacks me and i laugh. i wanted a dog so bad. "because now you're going to like my dog more than me." he whines. i laugh. "not possible..." i sort of lie. i mess around with nova for a while and i hear the door open.

"mason!" i hear a little girl voice. i see a little girl run up to mason. he picks her up and spins her around. well that was the cutest thing ever. i sit there in awe. "hey sophia." he puts her down. "sorry i'm a little late." i see a woman walk in the door. she's out of breath, carrying groceries. "mason you didn't tell me you had two sisters." i get up. "because i don't." he says helping with the groceries.

sophia runs up to me and hugs me. my heart!!! i bend down so i can hug her back. "you're the girl from the park." she says and i sigh finally accepting the fact that i will forever be the park girl. "mason who's this?" masons other sister asks looking me up and down. i feel self conscious as i look her up and down. she's so pretty. "mom this is bri, bri this is my mom."

"mom?" i say shocked. there's no way. "don't make her feel special." mason rolls his eyes as his mom messes up his hair. "shut up! hi bri!" his mom gives me a hug. i hug back immediately. "hi," i become shy all of a sudden. "you're like so pretty... and...young." i'm still slightly shocked.

she looks just like mason, but really young. she has to be in her late twenties. "oh stop it," she waves her hand. "well then... i didn't know mason had a girlfriend." she says and sophia gasps. "mason has a girlfriend?" she screams.

"okay we're going." mason grabs my hand and takes me somewhere. i laugh. "where are you taking me?" i say very amused. "i should take you home," he says pulling me into a room. "but for now i'm taking you into my room."

he lets go and i look around. "wow this is all so sudden." i smirk then reach for the bottom of my shirt. "shut up." mason laughs making me laugh.

i honestly feel weird. i'm not sure what to do now. being with his on the roof was one thing, being with him in his room is another. he made me nervous, in a good way. boys in general make me nervous, i never know what they're thinking. "what?" he says and i stop looking around. "what?"

"why are you just standing there?" i watch him get comfortable. "i don't really know what to do now."

"i have a few things in mind."