Chapter 38

When I fell asleep in Tyler's bed, I hadn't thought about the fact that I wouldn't have an alarm to wake me up the next morning.

So, as usual, Dad was the one waking us up.

Frankly, he didn't look very happy to have gotten out of bed either, and I wouldn't have expected otherwise.

"Come on kids, chop, chop! You have school," he announced and then walked away. I could hear him going down the stairs.

I turned around to face Ty and gave him a hopeful smile.

"Don't make that face Lex, I'm alright you know," Ty trailed and got out of his bed.

"Ty..."

"Please, can we just not talk about it right now? Or ever for that matter," he answered me and then closed his bathroom door behind him.

I sighed heavily and got up too making my way downstairs to fix myself some breakfast and then get ready to go to school.

"So, you're going to go to work looking like that?" I asked my dad teasingly, stopping beside him, in front of the coffee pot.

"I'm taking the day off. Going to go hit the green with Anthony actually. He's not working today," he trailed, scratching his head and yawned.

"That's a good thing," I smiled.

Dad needed a friend right now. I knew he needed us too, but he needed carefree moments also.

"Less talking more breakfast cooking," Ty yawned behind me and then I rolled my eyes and got the eggs.

And just like that our morning ritual fell back into step, like yesterday hadn't happened.

Denial?

Moving on?

I couldn't tell, but for some reason I wanted to settle on the latter.

As usual, I found myself running in the end, and shouting at Ty to get in the car already because we would be late and then drove to school, breaking the speed limit law.

Ty wasn't saying one word and didn't even try to change my CD playing.

That didn't sound good.

I had to do something about it. I would have to call Vanessa. If she could take a couple of days off from school to come here, I was sure it would cheer my brother up. Maybe she could come for something to do with the music group at school. Anything to have her around, so my brother might feel a little happier, and like some things could still be the same.

Vanessa would probably be okay with it. She'd enjoyed it. I knew she missed her friends.

I'd have to find a way to make that work. Maybe Blake could help me convince the principal or something.

It was weird to think about the fact that Blake could actually help me now, that I was close enough with him that it wouldn't feel weird to ask.

For some reason it made me smile.

We finally made it to the school parking lot and Ty got out of the car, still as silent as ever and walked towards the school, his hands in his jeans pocket, his shoulder hunched a little.

Yes, I definitely needed to convince Vanessa to come back here even for just a few days.

"Kitty! Don't you think you can get away from me now," Alex yelled, and then I turned and smiled at him, while he ran towards me.

"What's wrong? I'm not getting away from you," I told him, as we walked side by side towards the building.

"You know what I'm talking about," he said his voice dropping, lowering his head towards mine.

Oh.

The boyfriend deal.

Oops, I had kind of forgotten about that.

"Still a little crowded to talk about it. Anyway, Daphnee wanted to go shopping on Saturday, just the three of us, so we'll have plenty of time to share info on that subject," I answered him.

"So how was Blake's house?" Alex suddenly asked when we had reached my locker.

"Oh, it's a real nice trailer tent, super classy, really neat." I smirked a little.

"Come on Kitty, practically no one's been on the other side of the gates," Alex whined.

"Oh Papa Bear, I'm sorry I don't think you have a chance to jump that gate," I smirked and Alex scowled. "And the house is gigantic and out of this freaking world," I added.

I could hear Daphnee humming Lucy in the Sky her ponytail swinging from one side to another, heading in our direction.

"What I wouldn't give to be in 1969, dancing naked in the mud in Woodstock," she sighed and then she leaned against the locker beside mine. "So, you and hot running back got all hot and steamy last night?"

"What?"

"You know. You, him, butt naked, exchange of—" she started to say, but I cut her.

"Yeah, yeah, I got that part, I was whatting you because what you just said was ridiculous."

"Please, everyone wants to hit that hot piece of meat. Every girl that wants guys want to, I know I want to, Alex wants to, you're no exception my whore," she smirked.

"I'm not talking with you anymore you freaky hippie," I scowled and walked to my first class.

Stupid Daphnee, saying stupid, stupid untrue stuff.

"Want to share the nice dream you had about me Pumpkin?" Blake asked behind me startling me.

"Oh yeah, it went something like you tried to make a move on me, I kicked you in the balls and you wept in pain for the rest of the night while I laughed at you," I smirked at him.

"Please, no need to hide it Pumpkin, you're obsessed with me."

"That comes from Mister twenty-three-text-messages."

"Twenty-three hilarious text messages," Blake corrected, smiling a little.

"Stalker."

"Thanks," Blake smirked. "How are you doing Pumpkin?" he then asked more seriously.

"I'm alright, I've been better but... hey could you help me out with something?"

"Depends?"

"Well, I'm trying to find a way to get Vanessa to come back in town, for just a couple of days, and I don't know, like some school activity could be a good enough reason for her to not go to her school, you know something to do with singing, and since you always seem to be so resourceful, I thought maybe—"

"No worry, I'll see what I can do," Blake stopped me, half smiling.

"Really?" I asked, hopeful.

He didn't have to do anything I asked him. Technically he wasn't under contract like me.

"Yeah, of course."

"Thanks," I beamed

"No problem," he smiled and then we walked into our first class together.

The morning went by pretty fast and then it was already lunch time and everyone was together eating and chatting. Daphnee sat beside me and kept giving me smirks and wiggle of eyebrows and I kept elbowing her.

When would she stop already?

It was kinda nice to not work at the library anymore. I had more time to eat, which was good, and I was the one smirking when Daph had to leave to take my shift.

Ha ha.

The next class after lunch was English Literature, and when the teacher started to say we needed to team up in pairs for a reading presentation we'd have to do in front of the class, a scene of a play actually, Blake turned around and smirked at me, making it really clear that I was going to have to be his teammate.

I didn't mind so much.

I wouldn't feel self conscious doing the reading with Blake beside me. Everyone would be looking at him, not me. 

We had Chemistry as our last class and we had to do the first part of a lab. We had to heat copper until it turned black, stirring it so it wouldn't get stuck at the bottom of the ceramic bowl.

It was pretty long and boring and Blake kept trying to touch the ceramic bowl and squealed like a child when he did because, of course, it was hot.

Dumbass.

I wanted to start working on the lab report after school, but Blake had football practice so we settle on working on it Friday night.

That was odd.

Didn't Blake Eaton have better things to do on a Friday night?

When I got home I wrote on my computer some of the notes I had taken that we'd use for the report and tried to call Vanessa multiple times but she gave singing classes that night so I just couldn't get a hold on her. In the end I was getting too tired, because of the multiple late night calls with Blake and just went to bed early.

The next morning, Tyler still looked kinda gloomy, but Dad didn't seem that bad. He told us that Preston funeral was next weekend and that we'd have to go. It was in a town close from New York, so we'd spent the whole weekend there. Annabelle would be there too.

Let's just say Tyler sulked more.

That meant I wouldn't be in town next weekend. I'd have to tell Blake. If he was planning on making me work on something, we'd have to do it before I left.

I didn't particularly like the idea of going to the funeral, of course because who liked to go to a funeral, but also because I didn't want to be away for a weekend.

And that also meant that whatever we'd plan, for Vanessa to come, it wouldn't work for next weekend.

It kind of disappointed me. I wanted her to cheer up my brother, but I also missed my friends, and I'd been hoping we could reunite soon. 

The day at school went by pretty fast, everyone was happy because it was Friday, and the weekend was coming. I didn't really know what I had planned except for shopping with Daphnee and Alex on Saturday, but I think Alex wanted me to come over and watch a football game on Sunday. It sounded fun, since I hadn't done it in a little while.

And it would be nice to see his mom Nathalie. She was so funny. I missed her a bit.

When the final bell rang, I drove Ty home and then headed for Blake's house, still a little unsure of where exactly he lived but of course I stopped worrying the second I saw the big gates.

They were kinda hard to miss.

When I rang, it was Blake who opened the door this time.

"Aw, Blake! Where's your maid?"

"Cooking awesome food in the kitchen and if you want to ask me, yes I will be ignoring every joke you make about the fact I have a maid, I simply do not care, you'll have to suck it up Pumpkin," he smirked and then jogged up the Titanic stairs.

"You're no fun Blake," I told him rolling my eyes, but followed behind.

"Oh please I'm delightful," Blake smirked wider and waited for me before walking up the stairs towards his room.

I was still shocked by everything in this freaking huge house, but tried to ignore it. It wouldn't look too good for my ego if I stared like a mesmerize kid. Blake would have another thing to tease me about.

"So, lab report. It sucks. I say I pay you with sexual favours and you always do all the job. Deal?" Blake trailed, turning around to look at me, smirking as always.

"Oh Blake, it's so cute you still have illusions like that," I snorted and patted his cheek.

"Doesn't hurt to try," Blake shrugged and then walked towards his couch, sat on it, and picked up his bag beside. "Do you have any idea which play we'll get for our presentation?"

"I don't know," I sighed going to sit on the recliner. "But I'm sure it's going to be something like Shakespeare as always."

"Don't make that face Pumpkin. I know you'd enjoy having to declare your love for me in front of the entire class," Blake smirked and I punched his shoulder.

"Smirk all you want Blake, don't forget I could go off lines or something and make you look like a fool. Two can play that game," I said with a grin.

"I'd like to see that," Blake smiled evilly but then frowned. "You smell that?"

"Smell what?" I asked confused.

"Smells like smoke. Oh god, don't tell me Anita's burning the food," Blake freaked and then got up. "You know what? Just go on the computer and start typing the report, I'll come back in a sec," Blake trailed walking towards his stairs.

"But don't you use that thing to hack into super secret government programs and such?" I asked, looking at the three screens computer with worried eyes.

I wasn't really a genius with technology and the computer sort of freaked me a little.

"No, just the usual, you know, email, research, homework, porn." Blake smirked.

"Aw, did you have to mention that? Now no way I can touch that mouse or that keyboard."

"Don't worry Pumpkin, it's all clean, and if you crash it I can always sent it to the tech guy," Blake smirked.

"Well, thanks I feel all better now," I answered him rolling my eyes and then Blake left, his laugh echoing behind him.

Alright.

It was just a fancy computer  What could go wrong?

After a few minutes of desperate attempts I managed to get on my email account and get the notes I had typed yesterday, and was about to keep working on them when I heard footsteps in the stairs and then a voice getting a little louder with each words.

But not the one I was expecting.

A stranger's voice.

"Alright Blake, so you know that big sign on the main road with the happy family eating Kentucky fried chicken? I thought about it and I think we should make their face like chickens and change the chicken parts with you know like human parts all bloody and shit. Now that would scare some kids and... you have company... damn it to hell. What the fuck Blake? Why didn't you shut me up?" a complete stranger said, his eyes bulging, looking at me, and then all around, trying to find Blake obviously.

For one second my mind went KABOWWW. Like total blank. That dude was hot!

"He's in the kitchen," I said, and I was pretty impressed with myself for not swooning out loud.

"And he left you here? In his room? Are you sure you're not like a stalker or something? Or an assassin or a thief? Because Blake would never leave a chick alone in his room or let a chick in his room for that matter," the guy went on.

Wow, wow, wow.

"Well, I'm none of the above, but thanks for believing I could pull off the assassin deal. I would really enjoy a job in the ninja business."

Damn it, Lexi shut up.

I sounded stupid.

And then my mind slowly started to process all the information this really hot stranger in front of me had provided me with.

First, what he had talked about when he had walked in, that oddly sounded like graffiti to me. And second, well he was hot.

"Eeh? What the hell are you doing here, man?" Blake who just walked into the room said.

"I messed up dude, I messed up bad. I blurted in front of your ladyfriend here. Hey! Is she your hooker? You finally got some sense into that thick head of yours and followed my advice?" the guy said to Blake, and I could see these two looked pretty close.

I wanted to make a snotty reply to the hooker comment but my mind was processing something else. Blake and that guy looked alike. They looked like brothers. The stranger had darker hair than Blake but they had sort of the same haircut and his eyes were green while Blake's were grey. They had kinda like the some face bone structure, and same body built, both tall and obviously muscular, but not like buck muscular, like slender really hot muscular.

There was something obviously similar about their faces.

Two questions hit me then.

One, was he Blake's brother?

Two, if I was swooning like a maniac over that guy, what about Blake if they were so much alike?

Oh and a third question. Hooker? Really?

"Wow Josh, that's just so refreshing. Seriously drop the hooker deal. It just makes you sound bad and we have Lady Company," Blake said.

Josh?

That was Josh?

Josh, Catherine's step-brother?

"Yeah, I saw that, and what the hell dude?" the guy, Josh, asked Blake, his eyes bulging.

"What? What's wrong?" Blake frowned.

"Chick. Your room. A chick in your room. That's the problem here!"

"You know, it's rude to talk like that about someone when they're right there," I said to him.

He did imply that I was a hooker. I didn't particularly like him for now, even though he was hot, real hot.

"I'm sorry Candy I didn't mean to be rude or anything."

"Candy?" I scowled.

"What? Is it Natasha, or Joséphine? Édith? Blake does have a thing for French maids."

"Josh, please just shut up, please," Blake whined, brushing his hands in his face, completely discouraged.

"Hey I'm just trying to be welcoming with your lady friend," he said to Blake looking at him and then turned to me and suddenly asked, "You charge a lot?"

"Alright that's it. Josh get the fuck out," Blake sighed and tried to grab him by the shoulders to get him out.

"Hey, I'm staying. Mom asked for me. She likes me better than you," he smirked.

Okay, I was definitely confused now. "Mom?" I asked.

"Yeah, Sophia kind of took the motherly figure when mine died," Josh told me like he was telling me he had a dog named Rex.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, shocked.

What did you say to that? I couldn't really find him rude or anything anymore. He had lost his mom. I kinda knew how it felt to lose your mom on a very smaller scale.

"Don't sweat it. I don't even remember my first mom that much. I was like two years old. She was walking in a park taking pictures, she was a photograph, and a burglar came out of nowhere and stole her camera and then shot her," Josh explain quickly

"Way to go Josh, why don't you show the coroner pictures too while you're at it," Blake said rolling his eyes.

"What? We're not all cryptic like you Blake. I like pity. Pity is one of the most important reasons why pick-up lines work and the pick up line, my mom died I need comfort because I never had a female figure in my life always works," Josh smirked.

Oh god those two together really didn't sound good.

They were trouble, no doubt about that.

"Well, it won't work with her," Blake snorted pointing his chin towards me.

"What? She doesn't like guys? Beause I could always work something out."

"No, I'm just not easy, douche bag," I told him, scowling.

"Ouch. Why does she hang around if she's mean to me?" Josh pouted.

"Because Lexi here is helping me with my homework and well schoolwork pretty much," Blake explained.

"Lexi?" Josh said, looking at me frowning and then at Blake and then back at me.

There was something weird about the way he looked at us.

"Yope, that's my name. Not Candy or Natasha or Josewhatever. Oh and I'm not a hooker," I informed him.

I think it was something important to state here. The guy did make it hard to stay coherent, with his hotness and all.

Blake and him in a room, both of them in a room, me alone with both of them in a room. I think I freaking deserved a medal for not swooning out loud.

That was like, wow, again, just wow.

"Damn it. Oh well," Josh shrugged and then walked up the stairs towards the library. "Hey you finished Notre Dame de Paris yet? I want to read it already," Josh asked his back to us.

"No, Victor Hugo talks a lot! And I started to read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde again."

"Are you serious?" I asked Blake.

Blake just smirked.

"What's wrong?" Josh asked, turning to look at us.

"Sorry, I'm still trying to grasp the concept that Blake can read," I trailed.

"Come on Pumpkin, don't," Blake started to say but Josh interrupted.

"Pumpkin?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, he calls me Pumpkin," I frowned.

"I call her Pooky too," Blake smirked.

I elbowed him. "No, you don't call me Pooky!"

"Yes, I do, oh and it's her screen saver by the way. How lame?" Blake chuckled.

"Shut up! Pooky rocks alright," I scowled.

"Then why can't I call you Pooky?"

"Cute but mute! That's why you can't call me Pooky, you dumbass," I hissed and slapped his arm.

"Play nicely kids," Josh said, his voice kinda distant, and he was looking at me, well us, strangely.

It was weird to talk about me and Blake as an us.

I kinda liked it.

_____________

Hello my little Pumpkins! Sorry this came a little late! I hadn't realized how long the chapter was. XD Also, I've been kind of out of it since making the announcement that I Sold will be published by Wattpad Books! (cue everyone jumping and screaming)

This is the introduction of our dear Josh. I hope you liked seeing him again.

If you have any questions about this chapter you can leave it here. 

The live reading will be at 11AM EST on Sunday July 4th on my instagram at instagram.com/kaygiard.

See you all next week! :D