by CJ Adler
“How long were you standing there watching us?” Jay questions Troy with a glare, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Long enough to feel sick to my stomach and long enough to know that Aqueela is a master in the art of seduction,” Troy answers bluntly, disgusted.
“Art of seduction?” I frown, repeating his words. “Must you put it like that?”
A stern expression crosses Troy's features as he nods fervently. “I'm not Willy Wonka, I don't sugarcoat shiznit!”
***
“Troy outsmarted all of us?” Bells repeats after me, shocked. She's still not convinced. “I can't believe this,” she murmurs, at a loss for words. “Team Devolved—”
“Team Troy,” Troy corrects Bells with a glare.
“Team Troy…” Bells emphasizes, implementing her brother's correction before continuing, “actually beat both the realists and the dreamers,” she concludes in dismay, unable to fathom it.
“Does that make us more devolved than Troy?” Nancy questions, afraid. “'Cause the thought in itself really petrifies me.”
“He cheated,” Grey reminds us all of the facts. “Plus, he's a coward for staying in hiding for so long.”
Troy scoffs at Grey. “Jealous much, losertard?”
Nancy gestures to Troy in disbelief. “I refuse to believe that he's more intelligent than me.”
Troy flashes Nancy a charming grin before winking at her. “I get that a lot, dollface,” he flirts.
Laiken sports an amused look as he watches the exchange of words between the two.
I don't miss Grey's subtle glare directed at Troy. “Jelly,” I cough, catching Grey's attention as he now turns his lethal glare onto me instead.
“I want to go home,” Benley groans in an undertone as he places his head in his hands, feeling like a failure, as he should.
“Oh, hush, BoyBand,” Bells shushes him. “You're just upset that you never actually got to play.”
Bell's words only cause Benley to groan all the more. “I really want to go home.”
I grin at him. “Don't be such a sissy, B-dawg. It's not our fault you were lagging so badly during the game.” I wink at him, just teasing. “Your connection must have been really terrible.”
The others all laugh at Benley's expense.
“He was so frozen in place in the beginning that his reactions and reflexes were ridiculously slow—so slow that he did look like he was lagging,” Max agrees with me. “It was like he was glitching. We should just call him 'Glitch'.”
Bells mocks him next. “BoyBand, the glitchy lagger. You ain't gonna live this one down, Ben.”
“Don't I know it? Aqueela's already giving me a hard time about it,” Benley huffs, a frown playing at his lips.
“That's 'cause Aqueela enjoys giving everyone a hard time,” Grey adds salt to the wound, not helping.
“True,” they all agree with ease.
As a result, I glower at each and every one of them. Bunch of babies!
“What did I just walk into?” Jay asks upon stepping back into the room and noticing my glare. He shrugs it off as if not wanting to know. “Anyway, here.” He hands me a blue birthday cake that has many colorful candles on top. “Bella and Max helped me make this. It's bubblegum ice cream cake.”
“My favorite!” I rejoice as all the others sigh in distaste. I narrow my eyes at them in warning. “You all shut up and sing to me already!” I command with a frown as I motion to them to begin.
“How can we sing to you if we must be quiet?” Benley asks like the annoying person he is.
Jay places a hand on Ben's shoulder. “Let her have this, man.”
The rest of them do as told, except Grey, and sing 'Happy Birthday' to me while I watch them intently. A smile creeps over my lips when taking in all of their faces. I don't need my father because this right here, this right here is worth keeping. These faces will forever be my true family.
Chapter 56
Catching a Break?
I snap my head up at the sound of knocking on my door. I smile to myself, already knowing that it's Jay. He's the only one 'round here that doesn't just barge into rooms. He could, seeing as he owns the entire house, but he doesn't.
“Who is it?” I call out dramatically, aware that it's not Oog either because he's one of 'those' who don't bother to knock.
Jay ignores my question, aware that I'm messing with him, and asks me a question of his own, “Can I come in?”
How dare he answer my question with another question!
“I don't know, can you?” I question back from my crossed-legged position on my bed.
“You tell me,” he replies from the other side of the door, slowly growing impatient.
“Why do you bother knocking anyway?” I ask as I place Slobber aside, moving him off of my lap.
“It's called manners, Aqueela. I wouldn't expect you to understand,” he answers jokingly. “I'm coming in,” he states before hesitating. “Are you decent?” he asks warily as if uncomfortable.
I stifle my laughter. “Why don't you come in and find out?” I tease, prolonging his torture. I can't help it. I have a knack, a special gift, in pushing people's buttons.
“Aqueela,” he groans from the other side, exasperated, before repeating his question, “are you dressed?”
I roll my eyes and get up off the bed before swinging the door open. I purposely lean against the door frame just as his eyes meet mine. “You'd love it if I weren't, right?”
“Why must you insist on being so incredibly difficult all the time?” he asks with a sigh.
“Aha!” I point an accusing finger at him. “You didn't deny it,” I point out, taunting him.
He rolls his eyes before shoving past me into my room.
I spin around to face him as I follow him in, shutting the door after him. “So, what brings you out of your man cave and to my room? Have you missed my presence already?” I joke, genuinely curious. It's not often that he bugs me if I'm in my room.
“Yeah right,” he teases before jumping onto my bed, lazily leaning against my headboard, his arms crossed behind his head and his legs stretched out in front of him. “So, listen, I know your birthday is pretty much over but I still have one last thing for you.”
My birthday was two days ago.
“Oh?” I raise both my eyebrows, humoring him, as I take a seat on the edge of the bed.
“I've been wanting to give it to you for a while but I always end up doubting myself. To be honest, I don't know if I'm doing the right thing,” he explains before letting out an anxious breath.
“Jay…” I drawl out in concern, “tell me what's up.”
He lifts Sobber off of my pillow and sets him down on his lap, gently scratching my puppy behind his ears. Slobber lets out a yawn before resting his fluffy chin atop Jay's hand. “Here,” he says as he reaches into his pocket before handing me a small slip of paper.
I glance down at the paper to see that it's a flight ticket to New York. “What's this for?” I question before remembering that my father, supposedly, lives in New York now. “Jay…” I falter, confused, “I don't know how to react to this,” I confess. “Why would you give me this?”
He gives a one-shoulder shrug. “Family means the world to you,” he states, well aware of the fact. “I know you said that you're closing the book on your father but I don't know…” he trails off hesitantly, cautiously, “maybe you shouldn't.”
“I thought you hated my father,” I remind him. “I just don't get what the purpose of the ticket is.”
“Your father is an idiot for missing out on you,” he answers, genuine. “But, in the end, he's still your father.”
“It's dated for a month,” I point out.
“I figured that after we graduate you can go to New York and get some closure. You can find your dad and finally speak to him. You can come back to Minnesota whenever you want. I just put a month down as a maximum so that you have some time to spend with him, if necessary. You can come b
ack earlier if you want,” he elaborates.
I finally understand where his heart is in all of this.
“The entire trip is paid for, including hotel expenses,” he adds under his breath as if anxious to see my reaction.
He did this for me. I know that I should be grateful but, instead, I just feel pressured. “Do you want me to go?” I ask him as I actually consider the idea.
“This isn't about what I want,” he answers, averting his gaze to the ceiling.
“I mean, it would only be for a month at maximum,” I say, trying to justify going. I dwell on the thought for a little longer. A part of me wants to see my father but the other part of me is telling me to keep the door closed and not go, especially right now.
I watch as Slobber leaves Jay's arms to curl up on his bed on the floor of my room.
“I know,” he assures me, finally speaking up. “It's just…” he stops mid- sentence, releasing a resigned breath, before being honest with me, “to be blunt with you, I'd rather you not go at all.”
I nod in understanding.
“I don't want you to go but I'm not going to be the guy that stands in your way, the guy that keeps you from going after the only parent you have left. I gave you the ticket so that you can make the choice for yourself. That way, you won't look back on life and blame me for not getting the chance in going after your father. I'm giving you the choice because that's what you deserve. You deserve to choose what you want for yourself.”
I place the ticket down before glancing at him in admiration. “You're too good for this world, Jay Taylor,” I say with a smile, the frown having long since left my lips. There's not a day that goes by where I'm not thankful in having met him. He's changed everything.
He merely smiles. I move over to his side and lean down over him, pressing my lips against his, my hair cascading down around us like a golden blanket. “Thank you,” I whisper against his lips before kissing him again, truly grateful.
He's quick to pull away.
“What's up?” I breathe against him, leaning my forehead against his, confused.
“Your hair,” he murmurs, pulling himself upright before moving my hair to one side. “Beautiful but tickling my jaw.” He grins, tucking some loose tendrils behind my ear.
“Sorry,” I apologize as I stare down at him, memorizing all the little features that make him him.
“Don't be sorry,” he replies, his hand finding the back of my neck as he brings my lips back to his.
“I should probably close my eyes but this is just too intense,” a voice rings through my room, a voice that Jay and I, unfortunately, know all too well.
Jay sighs in frustration. I bury my face in his chest, feeling the hard contour lines of his abdominal muscles go rigid. “Make him go away,” I plead into his shirt, my words coming out muffled.
“What are you doing here?” Jay asks him, sitting up and unintentionally taking me with him.
“Better yet, go away,” I reply with a yawn, tired. We don't ever get a moment of peace.
Jay's hands come to rest on my hips as he effortlessly lifts me up off of him and sets me aside.
“The real question, Cool Guy Jay, is what are you guys doing? Do I have to have the 'birds and worms' talk with you two? Aren't you both too young to be parents?” Blubber interrogates us, jumping to his own assumptions. “My goodness, teens these days.” he shakes his head, lecturing us as if we're little kids.
“That's not…we weren't…” Jay stops talking. “Forget it.”
“They grow up so fast,” Blubber mumbles to himself as if knowing just how difficult it is to be a parent.
“Like I'd let Aqueela fall pregnant.” Jay scoffs. “I don't even want kids,” he adds, bursting my bubble of happiness.
“What do you mean you don't want kids?” I ask, taking over from Blubber.
I've never been good with children. After having first met Blubber, I was adamant in never having kids. However, after having met Susie, I've been rethinking it. Nonetheless, this is my fault for never wanting to discuss the future with him. The future is my greatest fear, it's why I go out of my way to avoid it and just live in the 'now'.
“Oooh snap!” Blubber clicks his fingers at Jay's misfortune, his eyes moving back and forth from Jay to me as if waiting for one of us to kill the other.
Jay shifts, uncomfortable. “Well, I…” He begins to defend himself but stops when seeing the glare I'm giving him.
“You what?” I press.
He lifts his hand to scratch the back of his neck, averting his eyes to the floor. “I haven't given it much thought. I could change my mind in future but…” He stumbles over his words. “I'd like for it to be a boy. I can't deal with a daughter.”
“Why not a baby girl?” I frown.
Can he not see that Susie is a thousand times better than Blubber?
“Because females are difficult,” he answers on impulse. “I'd know, I'm dating one.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Excuse me?” I grind out. “What a stereotype. We're not all difficult.”
“Most of you are,” Blubber chips in.
I spin around to throw him a scowl for interrupting.
“This is awkward. I'm just going to go,” Blub adds as he leaves my room and bolts back downstairs.
Open a can of worms and then flee! Typical!
“Why don't you want to have kids?” I repeat my question, keeping a steady gaze on my boyfriend. I want a real answer. There has to be a better reason; with Jay, there always is.
“'Cause I don't think I'd make a good father,” he confesses in unease.
“You said the same about being my boyfriend and you're doing just fine,” I reassure him. He's only saying this because he's terrified that he's going to end up being like his real parents or his foster parents. He doesn't have faith in himself.
“Fine isn't good enough,” he argues. “I grew up fine, doesn't mean I was happy,” he makes an attempt to explain. “Let's just drop it, okay?”
I shake my head at him. No way am I dropping it.
I reach up and touch his cheek, willing his attention. “Jay…” I breathe, “you're more than just fine. You're amazing and great and all other synonyms of 'awesome'. If you're ever to be a dad one day, you'd be a good one.”
He searches my eyes with his own before sighing in defeat. “You would say that,” he says in uncertainty before stepping back from me. “I say it only because it's true.”
***
“How did you even get in?” I ask Blubber as I escort him back to the front door.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Blubber stops me. “Oog let me in,” he explains.
Oog lets anyone in, he'd even let a serial killer in.
“Why are you here?” I fire another question his way.
Jay stands aside and allows me to do what I do best: putting fear into the hearts of the people I love most.
Blubber lets out a loud whine of complaint before answering me. “I'm here because I need someone to babysit me. Simo and my mother are going out tonight on another one of their dumb dates. I thought, who better to babysit me than Cool Guy Jay and the idiot goddess that set my mom up in the first place.”
“Stop calling me that!” I snap at him. “You're thirteen. Why do you need a babysitter?”
“Because my mom said so! Jeez, Lawson, try and keep up. Gosh!” he replies back with much sass and attitude. Cheeky little brat!
“How did you get here? Your mom or Sims drop you off ?” I ask, taking responsibility seeing as it's apparently my fault that this is all happening.
“No.” Blubber shakes his head. “I walked here.”
If he walked here on his own then why the hell does he need a babysitter?!
“I get the feeling that you're lying,” I huff as I narrow my eyes at him, searching his face for any signs that will give him away.
“You have no evidence of such things, so a big fat 'whatever' to you. In your face!” Blubber brushes my words off with a si
ckly sweet smile. “Now get me something to eat.” He waves me off as if I'm his servant. “I'm starving.”
I place my hands on my hips and scowl down at him. “You're a crazy kid, you know that, right?”
“And so are you,” Blubber retorts with a comeback of his own. “Jay!” I whine as I turn to face him, seeking his help.
My boyfriend licks his lips and shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he moves his head to the side, inspecting me with his electric blue eyes. “We've been over this time and time again, Aqueela. I'll always defend you where possible but I just cannot defend you if someone calls you 'crazy',” he tells me, running one of his hands through his hair, tousling it about so that it falls messily against his forehead.
Not even a second later, in sprints Bells with Troy hot on her heels.
“Aqueela!” Bells screams as she shakes me back and forth with much force for no apparent reason, Troy following suit.
They weren't even invited in. They just barged right through the front door like they own the place. I glance at Jay with a hopeless expression. “We don't catch a break, do we?”
He merely grins as a result as if he couldn't care less. “You tend to grow accustomed to it after a while,” he replies calmly. “Like water off a duck's back.”
“It's almost prom!” Bell shouts directly into my face.
“Yeah, and so?” I reply nonchalantly, already knowing where this conversation is going.
“Ah!” Troy shouts for the sake of shouting.
“And so you'd better be going!” she shouts again. I cover my ears with my hands.
“What is he doing here?” Troy asks me.
“Ask Blubber yourself,” I reply, still not convinced of the little twerp's story. “I was talking about BroJay,” Troy clarifies.
Jay frowns in disbelief. “Are you serious?” He shakes his head, beyond annoyed. “This is my house. I live here. Why do people keep forgetting that?”
“Oh,” Troy chimes in understanding. “Then why does Squirt always say that it's her house?”
Jay's head snaps my way for an explanation. I send him a sheepish grin when he glowers down at me. However, he softens under my gaze and cracks a small smile before answering Troy, “Because it is.”