Dedicating this chapter to THEVALIANT07 for the AWESOME banner on the side. Thank you so much! :)

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CHAPTER - 13

LITTLE GUILT TRIP

The moment I went downstairs, the next morning, I spotted Dad, Mom, Hailey, Brian and Kim, all of them sitting together at the dining table and laughing over something.

"Good morning," I greeted, yawning in the process.

They stopped laughing the moment they heard my voice and looked at me. "Morning," was their answer in unison and then, they again started laughing.

"What are you guys laughing at?" I asked.

"Just something Kim told us," Hailey replied between her laughter. My head snapped towards Kim and I raised my eyebrows, questioning her about what she had told them that made them laugh so much. In response, she shrugged her shoulders, fluttered her eyelashes while looking at me with a mischievous look in her eyes. My eyes bulged out in horror as my mind wandered to all the possible things that Kim could have told my family. Most of the things, well, all of the things that I could think of involved me.

"What is that 'something'?" I asked from no one in particular as I sat in the empty chair beside Brian and opposite Kim.

"Man, she was telling us about some guy who peed at her professor's door in the middle of the night," Brian answered and laughed when he finished the sentence. My eyes bulged out in utter horror as I heard this and looked at the brunette sitting opposite me, who was apparently, smirking at me.

In reflex, I narrowed my eyes at her and ran my fingers through my messed up morning hair. I asked Brian, "Who... um... who was that guy?"

"We don't know, man. She is not telling his name," he replied, sounding disappointed.

"Kim, tell us his name. Which boy would be so disgusting to pee at someone's door in the middle of the night? Don't you agree, Keith?" This question was directed towards me from my own Dad, who was unintentionally calling his own son 'disgusting'.

Before I could answer, Kim piped in, "Very disgusting. Right, Keith?" She looked at me with that fake, sweet smile of hers with which I had become very acquainted to.

"Um... maybe that guy had a very strong reason to do such an act." I tried to reason my own actions in front of my family as I avoided looking at any of them. To look at ease with the situation, I shrugged my shoulders and served a bacon in my plate.

"The only valid reason is that if his bladder was about to burst," Brian said and everybody started laughing, obviously except me. I let out a forced laugh as I looked at Kim with narrowed eyes.

I used my thumb to act like slicing my own throat while mouthing to her, 'You're so dead.'

She raised her eyebrows at my action and said, "Oh! I think I'm kind of remembering his name now."

"Ahh! Tell tell who that was?" Hailey asked excitedly, clapping her hands in the process.

"Yes, tell me his name, Kim. I would never let Hailey name her kids that. Well, Keith as well," Mom said, taking a sip of her tea.

While my family was busy asking the name of the 'disgusting boy' from Kim, I was trying my best at telepathy and even trying to tell Kim, through my eyes, not to say my name to my family.

"Keith," she said and I looked at her in disbelief. Did she just tell my family that it was me on whom they were laughing since last past ten minutes?

"What?" I asked, shouting a bit.

"What are your views about that guy?" she asked innocently.

I felt relieved that she had yet not told my family my name, but that relief was short lived when her question registered in my head. She wanted my own views about my 'disgusting' act. Scratching the back of my neck, I racked my brain for what I could say. Just as I opened my mouth, we heard a cheerful voice, "Good morning, everyone."

Our heads snapped towards the voice and our eyes landed on my best friend who was coming towards the dining table with a huge grin on his face, where we were seated. I resisted the urge to get up and hug the life out of my best buddy as I was way too proud of his timing of entering our home. I had never been happier on seeing him.

"Good morning Adam." I grinned.

"This is indeed a very good morning," Kim chirped and I looked at her again with narrowed eyes. "Isn't it, Keith?" She tilted her head to the side, looking at me with a sweet smile. She was enjoying every moment of my possible humiliation.

Ignoring her question, I asked Adam, "What are the plans for today?"

His grin grew even wider. "That's what I'm here to talk to you about."

"Then talk," I said, taking a bite of my bacon. He nudged me on the side a bit, making me look at him. With his eyes, he motioned me to 'follow him'. It was obvious that it was something he wanted to talk in private. Nodding my head, I stood up from the chair and picked up my plate. We went and sat on the couch in the living room and I couldn't help but notice that Adam's face was dancing with excitement. His grin grew bigger with each passing moment. "Spit it out!" I ordered, looking in his eyes.

"This is going to be the hottest news in this cold season, Keith," he said, his huge grin never leaving his face.

"Okay!" I replied, taking a bite of the delicious bacon. I was acting like I was not at all excited to hear what he had to say. But of course, I was. He punched me on the shoulder, diverting my attention from the bacon in my plate to him. "What?"

"I'm here to tell you 'the hottest news' and you're busy having this stupid bacon. Are you out of your mind?" he asked, snatching the plate from my hand.

"Hey! Not my bacons!" I tried to take my plate back as he hid it behind him. He shook his head in multiple 'No' continuously, making me roll my eyes at him. "You are acting like a kid, McCarty." I threw my arms on the back of my head, supporting it and looking at the white ceiling.

"Yeah, like I care!" was his reply.

"Will you just tell me 'the hottest news' now?" I asked, succeeding in keeping the curiosity out of my voice.

"Guess who's back in town?" he asked, with extreme happiness in his voice.

"Me, duh!" was my reply, which again earned me punch, but this time in my stomach. I started laughing and looked at his pissed off face. "Okay, I'm serious now. Tell me?"

His pissed off face again became a very happy one and he said, "Precious."

"And you've got that huge grin on your face because of that?" I asked him incredulously. "I knew that already, Adam." All my excitement of knowing the news died the moment I heard her name.

Precious, my mother's friend's daughter who was an aspiring actress and was one of my summer flings, a few years back, was back in town. Adam had always had the hots for her, but it was me, who had a little fling with her. Much to Adam's disappointment, there is something called 'Bro Code' that exists between us. This bro code clearly states that you can't date your bro's ex-girlfriend, well, in our case, fling.

"You knew that?" he asked with disbelief etched on his face. I nodded my head in response. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think that it was important." I shrugged my shoulders as I again tried to get my plate of bacon from Adam, who was still successfully hiding it from me.

"Not important?" He stood up instantly. I took this opportunity to grab my plate that was now kept on the same couch where I was seated. Smiling in achievement, I took a huge bite of bacon, again. "Well then, maybe you don't want to know who has come to town with her. It's not important."

"Who?" I asked, once I finished the bite in my mouth.

"Not important." He smirked and sat down on the couch opposite me.

A chuckle escaped my lips and I said, "If you'll tell me, then I'll let go the Bro-code for you in case of Precious."

His eyes widened in surprise and he confirmed, "You'll let me have a fling with Precious, if I'll tell you who has come with her?" I nodded my head, grinning at his expected response. I sure did know him too well. He clapped his hands once in victory and let out a "Wooh!"

"You need to fulfill your part of the condition first, Adam," I reminded him, breaking his little moment of victory.

"Hannah," he answered, and soon, I was living a moment of victory as well.

"That's f*cking hot, dude." I laughed as I thought about Hannah. Precious' cousin from England, who had once, came here to Hendersonville. She was hot!

After celebrating for a while, the arrival of two very hot girls in town, I grinned as I said to Adam, "This is going to be the best vacation, ever."

Adam let out a hoot, which made everyone sitting at the dining table look at us. Adam and I chose to ignore their questioning glances and get back to the 'very hot' topic at hand. "So, what's the plan?" I asked him, shaking my right leg in anticipation as I sat back on the couch.

"They are going to hang out at the mall today," he paused and glanced at his watch. "In three hours to be more precise and we are going to bump into them there, accidentally," he told me his plan and I stared at him in confusion.

"How do you know that they are going to the mall in three hours?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

"I-uh-I used my detective skills," he said, looking all smug.

Snickering, I patted his back and said, "You mean you stalked them."

"What?" he shouted a bit, again gaining attention of everyone sitting at the dining table.

"Change the apartment, Keith. Change the apartment," Mom said, looking at Adam disapprovingly. My eyes widened in disbelief at my parents' misconception, but I chose to ignore it, again.

"Why the hell your parents want you to change your apartment?" Adam hissed, looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"It's nothing." I sighed and brought him back to the topic. "You stalked Precious?"

"No, I just took my mother's help by making her talk to Precious' mother and gaining information about her plans for today. Plain detective skills, no stalking," he argued the best he could.

"Yeah, right!" I snorted, which gained me a narrowed eyes look.

"Whatever! We'll go in my car." I nodded and we bumped our fists together. He started walking towards the main door and said over his shoulder, "See you at two, Keith."

"Yup!" I said as I took the last bite of my bacon and grinned happily waiting for the hot and happening evening.

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It was already two in the afternoon when I stepped out of my room after a peaceful slumber and finally, got ready to go to the mall. I reached downstairs and saw Hailey, mom and Kim watching the ever sappy and crappy movie 'The Notebook'.

Rolling my eyes at their back, I asked, "You all are planning to get teary eyed so early in the day?" When the ladies turned to look at me, I was faced with two tear-filled eyes and tear-stained cheeks and one pair of eyes looking bored. "Okay." I dragged the word as I took in my mother's and sister's tear stained faces.

"Where are you going?" Hailey asked, wiping her tears a bit and looking at me dressed up in my blue denims and black jacket.

"Mall with Adam," I answered as I mentally snorted at the scene in front of me. It was damn funny to watch two ladies crying their hearts out and one girl looking extremely bored, both the reactions because of the same movie.

"Alone?" Mom asked in surprise.

"No, mom. I'm going with Adam," I repeated, thinking that maybe she didn't hear me in between all the Allie and Noah dialogues that were running on the screen behind.

She shook her head in disbelief and stood up from the couch. Holding my wrist, she dragged me towards the kitchen and looked at me like I was the craziest person in the world. "I heard that. Why are you not taking Kim with you?" she asked and I looked at her startled at the unexpected question.

"I... uh," I tried to find a valid reason for her question, but I couldn't come up with anything. There was no way that I could take Kim with Adam and me. Adam would be pissed if she would tag along and not to forget, Hannah and Precious with whom we were going to accidentally bump into. She would get just plain bored. I couldn't take her with us.

"I never thought you would behave so unkindly with a girl, Keith," she said. I mentally snorted as I remembered all the unkind things I had done with various girls as she said this. "When your father was your age, he was so kind and charming, while you're behaving the complete opposite. This is just not acceptable. You've brought her here and it is your responsibility to make sure that she has a nice time here. You've not even spent a minute with her since morning. She is such a nice girl. Truthfully, I was shocked to see a girl with you yesterday and I thought that you've finally come to your senses and made a girlfriend, but no, I was wrong. I love her already. She is so nice and funny. And, why are you going with Adam alone? What are you two planning to do? No! I'm not letting you go without Kim, and that's final," she said as I midway picked up a milk carton, poured it in a glass for myself and started drinking it, all during her little rant.

"Mom, I'm not taking her with me," I told her, even though her reasoning was completely valid. I brought Kim here and it was selfish of me to not take her with me. Just as I said this, Mom again started a new train of her words, which I chose to not hear and look towards the couch where Kim and Hailey were seated. Hailey was still busy watching the movie, while Kim's eyes were wandering all over the living room. She was clearly bored and her least interest was to watch the movie. For a moment, her eyes met mine and she smiled at me, and again, started looking at the television screen blankly.

Guilt

Guilt was what rushed through my veins. How could I be so selfish and not bother thinking about Kim, who came here just because of me. She had selflessly accompanied me; covered up my lies in front of my family and here I was, more concerned about banging Hannah and hanging out with Adam.

Not bothering to further listen to anything that Mom was saying, I went out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing? Where are you going, Keith? You should listen to me properly," mom was saying from behind. "Keith Warren?" I ignored her.

I went and stood in front of the television screen, which made Hailey cry in desperation of watching the movie for which every woman on this planet has been crazy since its release, well surprisingly, except one.

"Move, you idiot," Hailey cried as she moved herself to the side in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the scene.

"Let's go," I said, looking at Kim.

"Huh?" was what she could say.

"Go and get ready. We're going to the mall."

"We are?" she said and her face lighted up in happiness. A little smile made its way on my face and I nodded in reply.

I watched as Kim jumped up in excitement and made her way towards her bedroom. Just a little thought invaded my mind as I waited for her to get ready, 'What would be Adam's reaction?', and 'What would be Kim's reaction when she would meet Hannah and Precious?'. All I could do was hope that everything would be alright.

'Hope' being the key word here.

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A/N 

Please VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW & spread a word about this story if you like the story. :)

Sorry for the extreme delay, but it was all coz of some very important work & my job. I'll update the next chapter asap and it's be exciting. You all will meet Hannah & Precious (new characters) & most importantly, Kim will meet them. :D 

Next upload won't take so long. :) 

Please VOTE & COMMENT! 

Thanks! :) <3

9th January 2016 - Edited! :)