"Jared!" I hollered as I tried to run after Jared. The front doors of the pharmacy were heavier than I anticipated so I had to momentarily pause as I pushed them open and sprinted down the parking lot to catch him. 

But unfortunately, he wasn't in the parking lot. I scanned the road to see if I could see him. On the sidewalk, I saw Jared running towards his house, which had been visible in the distance.

Damn him, I uttered to myself as I began to run across the street and towards Jared. I hated running.

"Jared!" I screamed, breathlessly.

"Jared, please stop!" I shouted, still trying to keep up with him. What was this kid in the cross country? Why was he so fast? 

He halted at my plead and turned around, waiting for me to catch up to him. I ran up to him and stopped. I was completely out of breath.

"What?" He gritted through his teeth. I placed my hand in the air for him to hold on and give me a few minutes. Jared wasn't even out of breath and here I was, with my hands on my knees, hunched over, in pain. 

"Wow, I'm out of shape," I whispered to myself. 

"Damn, what are you in the Olympics? Why'd you run away so fast?" I asked, still trying to recover my breath.

"How could she be so fucking stupid?" Jared asked me, completely ignoring my questions. He looked at me so intensely, as though I might know the answer to his question. His gaze was so  fierce that it was beginning to make me nervous. 

"I never even said she was pregnant, Jared." I defended. Maybe I could misdirect him. Technically, I didn't say Cleo was pregnant. I didn't say anything. 

"But it is her, isn't it?" He questioned, looking into my eyes in hopes of another truth, but he found none. I couldn't lie to him. He could read me like damn book.

"Look, I don't know anything and she doesn't either." I explained. "Jared, you cannot say anything, okay? Please. This may not even be what we think it is." I defended Cleo. I hated betraying her like this; this was such private information, but Jared literally sucked it out of me.

I could see that Jared was slowly calming down as he gazed on into the distance. His face was...practically impeccable in the daylight shin, and his hazel eyes were so prominent they were practically glimmering. How is he not even sweating? I was probably looking like a dead cow right now, after having ran. 

"I'm going with you." Jared started walking back in the direction of the store.

"No!" I demanded. "I need to go back and get those tests for her. But you stay here and stay out of it."

"I can't stay out of it. She's my-"

"Jared, please. This is hard enough for her. Don't give her any more stress."

"Ugh, fine," Jared concluded, turning around and walking away from me towards his house. I looked at him for a while to make sure he would actually go home, which he did. Good. One problem down, many others to go. 

I turned my attention away from Jared and began to, once again, run towards the store; I was really getting my exercise in today. Once I entered the store, I hurried towards aisle 13 again, and, avoiding the spill Jared made, I took the tests and rushed to the register. Unfortunately, however, I was greeted by a long line at the check out section, so I had to wait thirty minutes for my purchase. Great.

To add to that, when I finally got into my car and was on my way home, I was stuck in traffic for thirty more minutes. I literally lived eight minutes away, but I managed to waste even more time. Fantastic.

As I pulled up the driveway, I saw a bundle of brown curly hair popping over one of the bushes that surrounded our house. Was I hallucinating or something? I rubbed my eyes before looking again. And there I saw Jared. Seriously? He appeared to be adjusting his body in a way that would make him be closer to the kitchen window; he was desperately trying to duck under the window but his height failed him. Jared was acting like some sort of spy; a terrible spy, I might add. The whole neighborhood could see him at this point as he's fiddling around in the bush. Does he ever take a break from his nonsense?

I opened the door and shouted, "Jared!"

He turned around unexpectantly and saw me. His heart looked like it had leaped out at his chest, almost as though he got caught doing a crime. His eyes widened at my presence, and he quickly sunk himself into the bush. Are you kidding me, Jared?

I walked over the bush and placed my hand on my hips while tilting my head, waiting for an explanation.

"Oh, hello there, Val. I didn't see you there. How's your day?" He answered, amusingly. It was ridiculous to see the things Jared would do just to get his way. 

"Jared, I told you to go home. What part of that did you not understand?" I scolded.

"Any of it." Jared disclosed. "I need to know if Cleo's... if Cleo's," he looked around both ways making sure no one would hear him -- as though he was a private detective about to reveal a damning secret -- and whispered, "pregnant."

Well, it was nice to see that he wasn't angry about this anymore, like he had been in the store. But he was still being an arrogant pain in my ass. Cleo didn't need the additional stress of Jared; he was suppose to be her friend, not a pain in her ass as well!

"Go home," I uttered.

"I can't do that, Valerie. She's my-"

"Go home!" I asserted.

"No," Jared stated, firmly. He folded his hands in  front of me and refused to move. It was almost as though he was saying, "checkmate, try to get rid of me now." He was still squatted down in the bushes, though, so I couldn't take him seriously. 

"Jared, please." I pleaded.

"I can't do that." He answered, simply, as he stood up. "You don't have to understand this, but I need to know, okay?" His eyes were practically begging me to agree. How could I say no? Well, even if I said no, he wouldn't listen to me anyway.

"Fineeee." I conceded.

"Great," he smiled. "When you go inside though, could you open the kitchen window? It'll be easier to hear."

"No," I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him. 

"Please," he begged, bringing both his hands together in pray and giving me a frown. 

"Ugh, fine. But you owe me." I demanded.

"Oh, hot damn. I owe Valerie? My my, I can think of a thousand ways to satisfy that debt," Jared smirked as he winked at me. He had dropped himself behind the bush, so only his head was visible now. How am I suppose to take this kid seriously if he goes around doing stuff like this?

"Not the time, Jared!" I warned. But the moment I turned around, my face broke out in a smile. Jared owed me a debt...hmm...

I went back to my car to get the tests and lock the doors. Once I walked into the house, I found Cleo sitting in the same spot she was when I left earlier today.

"I got the tests," I told her, placing the bag on the table. "Did you call the doctors?" 

"Yeah, I made an appointment on Tuesday, which isn't too bad." She added as she stood up and took the grocery bag in her hand. "I'll be right back," she said, giving me a small smile as she left down the hall and into the bathroom.

I briskly went into the kitchen and opened the window; I hated myself for helping Jared, but I couldn't help myself. The moment I did opened the window, Jared's head popped up and startled me, making me jump.

"Thank you," he mouthed silently.

"You owe me, man," I mouthed back to him. He winked at me and blow me an air kiss. I rolled my eyes and gestured him to lower his head. Then, I went back to the dining table, sat down, and awaited Cleo's results.

Moments felt like hours as I waited for Cleo.

She, eventually, walked out of the bathroom and looked at me. She wasn't sad, which led me to believe that maybe she wasn't pregnant, but worry was evident in her eyes.

"Well?" I asked, hopefully.

"They're all positive." She confided.

Shortly after she said those words, Jared grandly flung open the kitchen door, making Cleo and I jerk, as he rushed into the house. "I knew it!" Jared yelled, pointing a finger at Cleo. This kid had a flare for the theatrics, I swear. 

"What the hell?" Cleo questioned, shocked.

"Cleo, how could you do this? How could you get pregnant?" Jared demanded. 

"I didn't do it on purpose. What are you even doing here? Were you eavesdropping?" Cleo questioned as she walked towards the kitchen, closed the door, and noticed the opened kitchen window  -- oh no.

"He-" I started.

"Yes, I was. And thank God I was. Pregnant, Cleo? Pregnant?!" Jared roared.

Cleo looked at me, almost threateningly, for an answer, an explanation, anything to clear up why Jared was suddenly involved in this.

"He found me at the pharmacy, and he kind of put together the clues when I was holding the...pregnancy tests."

"Yeah, you bet I did." Jared informed.

Cleo gazed at me, traumatized. This was probably too much for her to handle right now. I needed to get Jared out of here.

"Jared, please." I stood up and took hold of his sweater, but he quickly shook me off.

"Cleo, how could you be so...so...irresponsible? Have you not heard of birth control? Plan B? Or ANY CONTROCEPTIVES for that matter?" He hissed.

"You're one to talk. You've slept with half the fucking country, for all I know! Got any unwedded children out there I don't know about!?" Cleo questioned, knowing exactly how to push Jared's buttons.

"Hey, I know how to handle my business, okay? It's Theodore who doesn't!" Jared spat.

"You know, I really don't feel like discussing the imitate details of my life with my brother!" Cleo snarked.

Hold the phon-

"Yeah, well, you better! Because what the hell do you plan on telling mom and dad?!"

Excuse me?

Brother?!

Mom and Dad?!

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OVER HERE?!

"I'm sorry, are you guys related?" I asked, shaking my head in disbelief. There's no way. No way.

They both stopped arguing and looked directly at me. Their silence was reassuring enough for me to know the truth.

"Oh my god..." I whispered to myself. Oh my God. Cleo was... and Jared was... They continued to argue as I contemplated the severity of this. 

Oh my God.

All the events of the past month flew back to me in a rush. I've flashed Jared. I've slept in the same bed with Jared. I've kissed Jared, more than once! I've done so many things you're not suppose to do with your best friend's brother!

"Cleo! Why didn't you tell me Jared was your bother?!" I yelled towards her.

"It wasn't my secret to tell," Cleo answered.

What is that suppose to mean? Why is this family so full of freaking secrets?

"What does that mean?!" I pleaded but Cleo refused to look me in the eyes. I turned to Jared, instead. 

"Jared, what does that mean?!"

"Valerie, this is not the time. Cleo's pregnant!"

"No, I'm possibly pregnant. I have a doctors appointment Tuesday to check." 

"If all four tests are positive, Cleo, there's a good chance you're pregnant!"

Cleo shook her head. "Valerie said it might be something else. Look, whatever, Jared! I can't do anything until I go to the doctor's, okay? So just get off my back." Cleo bellowed.

The anger in Jared's eyes was unimaginable; I had never seen him so enraged. Jared swerved, walking towards the front door and slamming it shut as he left.

"Idiot!" Cleo huffed as she walked into her room and slammed the door shut.

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Hi Y'all! What did you think of his chapter?!

What do you guys think of Jared's persistence? He's always gotta do things his way xD

What'd you guys think of Jared and Cleo's fight? 

Do you think Jared had a right to get himself involved in Cleo's business?

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