THE SPAWNS

All Kinds of Mixed Up

Chapter XV—Lilibeth

© DarknessAndLight

“Then you are mistaken, and you know nothing about me, and nothing about the sort of love of which I am capable. Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own: in pain and sickness it would still be dear. Your mind is my treasure, and if it were broken, it would be my treasure still if you raved, my arms should confine you, and not a strait waistcoat—your grasp, even in fury, would have a charm for me: if you flew at me as wildly as that woman did this morning, I should receive you in an embrace, at least as fond as it would be restrictive. I should not shrink form you with disgust as I did from her: in your quiet moments you should have no watcher and no nurse but me; and I could hang over you with untiring tenderness, though you gave me no smile in return; and never weary of gazing into your eyes, though they are no longer a ray of recognition for me.”

            “You can stop reading now,” I interrupted Cole. I should have stopped him sooner, I shouldn’t have allowed him to read those lines because now they echoed in my head and it was hard not to believe he had actually been the one telling me—Cole telling Beth, not Rochester telling Jane. 

            When he had first climbed into our tree, I hadn’t known what I was supposed to do. Part of me wanted to talk about what had almost happened, another part of me dreaded it.

But, he hadn’t talked about the hand holding or almost kissing and for that I was grateful. Even when I had passed him the book, his fingers hadn’t brushed against mine like they usually would have. I wasn’t so sure I was grateful about that, though.

            I had no idea what I was feeling, how I was feeling, what I was supposed to be feeling. My head was all kinds of mixed up.

            “So, are you planning on hiding out here all day long, or you’re actually going to come down at one point,” Cole asked me, teasingly.

            I shrugged. “I like it here.”

Cole pursed his lips slightly and I averted my eyes quickly. Looking at his lips was the last thing I should be doing.

“How are things with the cousin?”

Cole sighed heavily, like it could answer the question. It kind of did. I chuckled as he handed me back my book—his fingertips not touching mine again. “That bad?” I teased.

I didn’t want to judge Cole’s cousin too quickly, after all she could be a really nice girl deep down. But for now, to me she just seemed slightly obnoxious. And obviously, Cole was thinking the same thing.

“She ate my Fruit Loops,” Cole stated.

I tried to keep from laughing. “And what a crime that is.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you making fun of me, Miss Eaton?”

This time I couldn’t help the grin to spread on my face. “What if I am?”

Cole was still trying to act offended but he was slightly smiling too. “There will be dreadful consequences.”

That’s all it took me, to grab the branch I was sitting on, and letting myself fall down out of the tree. I looked up at Cole, with a face-splitting grin on my face. “Well, you’re going to have to catch me first.” And then I ran.

It took him about half a second to be out of the tree too, and chasing after me. I laughed when he easily caught up with me and squealed when he grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder. It felt like we were in this position a little too often. I pounded on his back, trying to get him to put me back down, squealing and laughing.

“What am I going to do with you, Beth?” Cole asked, clicking his tongue.

“Put me down and forget all about this?” I offered, sheepishly.

“But where would be the lesson in there?”

Cole was still walking and then I realise where we were heading. My eyes widened and I started to trash more on his shoulder. “I swear if you throw me in that pool, I will go to your house and steal Fluffy. He likes me better than you anyway.”

“Thanks, I hadn’t thought about throwing you in the pool,” Cole chuckled like a fake villain in a cartoon. “And Fluffy only likes you because you’re a girl, but he loves me because I’m awesome.”

I poke him on the waist, when Cole stopped walking. “We should test that theory.”

The crazy boy finally set me down back on my feet. “We should.” I gazed up at him as he answered me, and couldn’t tear my eyes away from his hypnotic green ones. There were gold speck in them—it was always something that fascinated me about his eyes.

Finally, Cole cleared his throat slightly, and looked away. I took a deep breath, realizing I had been holding it. I looked around too. My brother and Maika were floating in the middle of the pool on air mattresses, the former’s attention completely fixed on the slightly scowling redhead pacing around our pool.

“Nice to see you in a better mood,” my brother suddenly remarked, tearing his gaze away from Dakota.

I smoothed down my hair. “I wasn’t aware that reading in my tree meant I was in a bad mood.”

Jay made a face. “You know what I mean”

“Yeah,” I answered trying to look apologetic,

“You guys coming in or are you going to be standing by the side of the pool all day long like morons?” Maika asked, not looking our way.

“Didn’t bring a swimsuit,” Cole quickly replied.

“I’m sure you left one in your room,” Jay interjected. We called it his room, but it was in fact the guest room, but since he was so often at out house, he pretty much claimed all the drawers space. “And Dakota, I’m sure Lily can lend you one.”

I looked at her and smiled slightly when my brother said that, while she seemed to analyze me from head to toe. “I’m not twelve anymore though, I doubt I’ll fit in hers,” Dakota answered, smiling sweetly.

Ouch.

I heard Cole take a sharp intake of breath and when I looked at him sideways his jaw was clenched.

“Well, I do have a spare bikini in Jay’s room, but your boobs will definitely get lost in it,” Maika countered, not looking at Dakota. She had that way of telling you things without looking that make it just that much more dramatic.

I kept myself from chuckling. I loved Maika, she was the big sister I never had. A big brother couldn’t beat up girls that were man with you, but big sisters could tell them off.

“I’m sure it would fit fine,” Dakota replied.

Maika sighed. “Whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better at night.” Cole and I both sort of snorted when she said that.

“Mai, stop being a bitch,” Jay hissed at her while Cole just smiled smugly, proud of his ‘Asian-double-jointed-best-friend’ as he loved to call her.

“Obi-Wan-Cole-Booby seems to find my bitchiness appropriate!”

“Maika” he hissed again, and then turned to Dakota, “Sorry about this, Belly, you wouldn’t mind showing Dakota where she can get a bathing suit?”

“You know, I don’t mind just jumping in, in my underwear… or you know, nothing.” She smirked. I kind of had a chill of disgust running up my spine.

“Yeah, no thanks, come inside, we’ll find you something that fits,” Cole groaned, running his hands through his hair. He’d need a haircut soon. It was getting long.

“You guys are all so touchy,” Dakota laughed, and I wanted to narrow my eyes at her but instead just turned around and headed for the house, not waiting for either her or her cousin.

Of course, Cole caught up with me quickly and as we walked side by side, the palm of his hand brushed against mine. I looked up at him when it did, and he smile softly at me, before turning his gaze away.

My mother was out and dad was probably working in his study, so the house was pretty much empty, which was a good thing because no one was there to ask me if I was alright, because I certainly wasn’t feeling all happy at the moment.

Cole walked to his room when we got to the second floor and I headed to mine, Dakota following. She hadn’t said a word since we had gotten in and a part of me was slightly worried she might be analysing the things in our house to sell it later.

I took out of my drawers a bathing suit that was Maika’s that she didn’t like all that much and that she had given me. I didn’t like it all that much either and there was no way I was lending one of mine to Dakota.

I handed it to her. “Here, this should fit.”

Dakota took it, nodding. “By the way, I didn’t mean to offend you, sorry, but it’s just true, I wouldn’t fit in your clothes.”

I shrugged. “It’s okay,” I answered in a small voice. Any kind of feeling of comfort and security were all gone around Dakota. I scavenged around my drawer, founding my own bathing suit.

“You know what’s funny?” Dakota smiled widely and I frowned, confused. “I never figured you as a law breaker, but obviously, I was wrong.”

My eyes widened automatically. “What are you talking about?” Did she know about our whole graffiti business? And even if she did, wasn’t she a grand theft auto felon? Why would it matter to her where we liked to put our art?

            “Oh you know, that whole statutory rape thing you got going with my cousin,” she said casually with a wave of her hand.

            I stopped moving and breathing all together. “Excuse me?”

            “Law’s sixteen in this state isn’t it? And aren’t you fifteen?” she asked with a smug smile. I couldn’t answer, couldn’t even form a coherent thought in my head. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

            “Nothing’s going on between me and Cole,” I finally managed to say quietly.

            She snorted. “If you say so.”

            “I’m not kidding, nothing is going on,” I pressed this time. This was bad. Bad, bad, bad.

            “Whatever you say, I’ll just remember to keep my eyes open. Wouldn’t want you two to get in trouble, right?” She winked and left the room.

            And I just stood there, sill holding my bathing suit, stunned. And then I laughed, laughed almost hysterically because what else was I suppose to do?

A/N: Hey guys! So here it is, a new chapter, So far, the next's chapter possible title is "A Love Story Worth Writing About" If you want something else, or have better offers, just go ahead and comment on it! :)

Also, this chapter is dedicated to MilkyWenkert.  Thanks for the lovely banner that is on the side! =D

Now, the uploading schedule is, I'll be uploading The Family Curse next, then another The Spawns chapter, and then The Eighth Time. And on Monday there will be a new "Why You Should Read That Book" recommendation and on Wednesday a new My Wish Upon a Star chapter. You should check out that story if you want a god laugh. I'm not censuring myself while writing it and Danika, the main character and narrator is slightly crazy.. okay really crazy! haha

So, I think that covers it all. Thanks for being patient and sticking up with this story! =D