Jellybeans and Jelly-knees

Update! It's gonna make you angry... Why? Well, you'll just have to see...

OH! Also! The boy I'm talking about? You know, Mr. Coma, the boy only Jen and I know who I'm talking about? Well, he's actually supposed to be eleven when it happened, not fourteen. Minor mistake, so don't be confused on it when you see that he's eleven rather than fourteen.
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Chapter 5

Almost immediately after I close my eyes, Ash seems to finally realize how close we are and zips to the other side of the room faster than you can say, “The hell?” I open my eyes and my mind is literally screaming at Ash. Why? I mean, we are in relationships. We can’t just go cheat like that. What am I thinking? I’d be a total bitch to James and to Sandy if I did that. Not that I’m not a bitch to Sandy already, but still, I can’t do that. Really, brain, what is wrong with you?

“Um,” is all he says, his face a beet red. He runs his hand through his hair again and I watch him do the simple motion. Is this why everyone is crushing on him?

Oh, I have yet to mention that he’s the school heartthrob. I’m not sure what it is about him? Maybe it’s his hair or his charming and kind attitude. It could be the fact that he’s really smart or that he is a looker. I mean, come on, he is pretty handsome, if I’m even allowed to say it. He has the ruffled chocolate brown hair. He has the electric blue eyes that everyone gushes over, but I’ve never realized how right they were to gush until today. He’s tall whilst I’m very short, and he always towers over me, even when I’m in heels. And don’t get me started on his lips.

His lips…his luscious, full, perfect lips…

Wait, rewind. The hell did I just say?

“Um, I have to get going,” I mumble. “Are you going to the party tonight?”

“Yeah, Sandy’s making me. Maybe I can drive you home after?” Ash is always looking out for me, like another big brother, but it’s more of a “stay away from her or I’ll rip your nuts off” than a “stay away from her or I’ll kill you” protective. But, really, what’s the difference? He knows how guys are because he is one, so he doesn’t let anyone but James and their friends near me when it comes to guys. I love it and all, but it’s really unnecessary.

“Sure, thanks, Ash.” I pat his arm and climb down the ladder, taking my sweet time in walking to Mary’s so she and I can get ready for this party. I mean, it’s the party of the year. Sandy is the one who throws the party every year, so really, I have to go. I wouldn’t be caught dead not going. But the same house is where all the tragic stuff in my lovely life happened.

You see, all I remember was the four of us went to the party sober, and two of us ended up in the hospital. We had left James at Sandy’s because he had already passed out. And Ash never drinks because he father used to and used to beat on Ash’s mother. After Papa Ash, as I like to call him, got sober and stopped his drinking problem, he didn’t do anything anymore. But Ash is afraid that if he ever drinks, he’ll end up beating on my or another girl, just like Papa Ash. But I like to get a few drinks in me and the little boy was forced to. So, yeah, it wasn’t a fun party, or at least not as fun as I had hoped. Ash knows the many details that were in between sober and hospital, where I was nursing a horrible hangover.

Now, like I said, party of the year, drinking, drugs, the works at a normal party. But I don’t do drugs. I take a few shots of vodka or whiskey, if Sandy ever has it, and that usually gets me hammered because, even after a few years of partying, I’m still a lightweight. And I really don’t care.

So, as I make the slow walk home, I think about one thing that is deeply bothering me: Am I going to have a second mental breakdown? No one knows about my breakdowns but my family and Ash. Now, if I have a breakdown at Sandy’s party, I’m in for some deep trouble. I’m one to be cool, never angry, happy, and bouncy at school. But once I hit that point where I lose my stability, all hell will break loose.

Now, it isn’t exactly Sandy’s fault because she wasn’t the one to force him to drink. It was a couple of jocks, guys that I used to hang out with. But once that happened, I just let them be because the last time I had talked to them, I burst like a balloon full of anger. I barked at them, screaming about how they could do that to an innocent child, how they were such assholes. I lost it. And they had no idea who that eleven year old was, thinking someone brought him, someone not me.

And suddenly my mind switches to Ash. Ash, why do I think like that? He is my best friend for crying out loud. There is no way in hell I should want to kiss him, want to be anything more than friends. I friendzoned him long ago, and he didn’t care. So why the sudden urge now? Why, all of a sudden, do I think he has sexy hair, gush-worthy eyes, and love his physical appearance with his personality? Something’s not right.

I mean, Ash is everything to me. If he needed help, I would ditch whatever I was doing, homework, family dinner, anything. And I know he would do the same to me. But why the sudden change? I’ve known he has great hair, beautiful eyes, and is amazingly charming for as long as I can remember. But why now?

Maybe it’s just the fact that I had a mental breakdown and needed comforting. Maybe it’s because he said that he loved me, then started a new sentence. Maybe it’s because my rain knows that if I fall in love with my best friend it’s a cliché and I love clichés. They are all very likely possibilities. Wait, rewind again. “If I fall in love with my best friend.” Where did that come from? I’ve never fallen in love. I don’t believe in that and I kinda have to get married to James because Jasper has a shell that he won’t pop his head out of. Isn’t my life wonderful? Note the sarcasm.

I finally reach the door of the Gateleys and I proceed into the house. Macy and the J-team, as I sometimes like to call Jenny and Justin, greet me and I head upstairs. I fall onto Macy’s bed when I get to her room and shut the door. The party is in a couple of hours, and Macy knows that. I don’t know why she didn’t hurry up after me and get ready with me. Maybe she saw my face and the need to be alone for a moment. I hear her heels come up the stairs and she enters the room, a huge smile on her face. I smile back, unable to no because she is contagious when it comes to her happiness.

“Ready to get ready to party?” she asks me giddily. I nod and sit up, watching her move to her closet. She grabs two sets of clothing, one for herself and one for me. Because we are so amazing and we shop together, we know each other’s sizes. She passes me the outfit and she leaves the room to go take a shower in the adjoining bathroom since she didn’t take one in the morning. I look over the outfit and I see that it is a glimmering black strapless dress. The heels are black and beautiful to match. I pull on the dress, seeing it reach just above my knees, and I move to Macy’s makeup table. It’s huge and there is enough makeup for my whole school’s population of girls. But when we wear a different outfit each day, we need a ton of makeup.

I put on some makeup as Macy walks into her room with her outfit on. She’s wearing a matching, shimmering white dress and has a pair of white heels in her hands. I grin and go into the bathroom to fix my hair. The large mirror and all the appliances I need are in here. I grab bobby pins, hair clips, and I get to work. For some unknown reason, probably my mother’s genes, I always feel the need to dress up a little when I go out. So, I put my hair up in an up do, my wavy locks braided and resting on top of my head. I have two small strands resting beside my face.

When I exit the room, I find Macy ready to go and I look at the clock. Damn, it’s already time to go to the party. I hear a knock and James walks through the door, not even bothering to make sure we’re ready. Though, we always are, so we’re used to it.

“Ready to do, lady and obnoxious?” he addresses me and his sister, the “obnoxious” being towards her. She rolls her eyes ー seven ー and nods. I smile and nod with her. James is more causal than Macy and I are. He’s wearing a simple, yet nicer, shirt and jeans with a pair of his nicer sneakers. His black hair is styled with his hair gel that I know the smell of too well. I can smell it with the combination of his two favorite colognes, both of which I know the smell of too well and that I bought for him. See, when you’ve been with a boy since the summer before freshman year, you tend to know everything about him and smell all of his hair products, body washes, and, of course, colognes.

“Let’s hit it!” I giggle and James wraps his arm around me. I walk with him and Macy, my arm wrapped around her shoulder, and we say goodbye to their parents. James makes his way to the driver side, I to the passenger side, and Macy to the back driver’s side. Once James turns on the car, I turn on the radio. My favorite song, a classic that a certain someone sings, comes on the radio.

“Marcy and Isaac!” Macy and I squeal. Isaac and Marcy did a few shows with their bands together, making them, with their combined names, which was stupid in my opinion, The Crimson Skulls and Souls Keepers. It’s…not good. I mean, it doesn’t entirely work out, you know? But, whatever. Oh, and you know how they were all in relationships. Well, they wrote their first love song…with a twist of demented, of course.

“Don’t sing!” James shouts right after we squeal their names. Isaac had actually sang for this song with Marcy, leaving Liam to the drums and Nick, Riley, Jere, and Marcus to the guitars. Roxy was playing the keyboard and Laney, sadly, had a broken arm so she didn’t play anything. It worked perfectly.

“Aw, come on,” I whine, the best part coming up in a matter of seconds. “If you don’t let me I will anyway!”

“Don’t you dare!”

“And in the end, our hearts and bodies will be buried, our souls to fly together. When we say forever, we mean until our bodies de-com-pose, we mean until the universe is gobbled up by hell, we mean that we will slaughter to-get-her, fighting away those who take everything from us.” I sing as loud as I can. “We will die… die together in the pits of hell!” Macy joins me in singing, singing as loud as we can, and I know James is very annoyed. But, hey, we are having fun! And it’s Marcy and Isaac. They were so in love and we find that adorable.

And once the song ends, that’s when we arrive at Sandy’s house.
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Insert evil cackle. I fooled you! They didn't kiss. So sorry about that. But, like it says, they are in relationships! They can't cheat! Or can they? 

Okay, so, next chapter is party chapter. And Heather will get drunk. So, she'll be...different to say the least.

So, Ashther fans, don't lunge at my throat or throw anything at me, like strawberries or tomatoes or whatever evil mobs bring to throw at people nowadays.

So, feedback, love, hatred, etc. I love it! So, lemme hear your thought.

Again, Mystery Boy is eleven, not fourteen! Major detail that I screwed up. So sorry about that. But still, he's still gonna be a mystery!

I love you all, lovies, Treaters, whichever you wish to be called.

~Shana Alana

 

Darlings, I almost have my update finished. Almost. It'll be very short and it'll seem to suck. But remember: She'll be drunk through most I it. So, it'll sound really stupid because she's silly drunk.

Yeah. Too much info. So, yeah.

Love you all! It'll be up either tomorrow afternoon or later tonight.

~Shana Alana

 

Oh, God, you guys are going to think Shana is so cruel! You don't know why Shana is speaking in third person right now, but when you read her update, you'll understand!

Here is your update from Shana!
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Chapter 6

I grip onto James’s arm, walking into the house with him and Macy, scared out of my mind. “What if”s are running through my mind. Especially about my breakdown. I don’t want to break down. James gives me a light kiss and ushers us inside. I see the party in full swing, red solo cups and empty bottles cluttering the ground and on tables. I see kids kissing and girls in such skanky outfits. I see Ash and Sandy heading for us. Ash sends me a look to ask if I’m okay and I give him a nod. So far, so good.

“Hey, guys,” Sandy greets us, reaching over to hug my boyfriend. She hugs Macy next and finally hugs me, lingering to whisper in my ear, “Hello, you.”

“Hey, Sandra,” Macy and James greet her, causing her to wince at her name. Obviously, she hates that name. But everyone calls her it but me and Ash because he asked me to.

“Hello, Sandy,” I reply, grinning at her. For some unknown reason, we do not like each other. At all. I suspect that it’s because I took James from her and she thinks that I like Ash. But I don’t like Ash. At least, not in that way. Right? Or it’s the fact that she thinks that she is above all and I have more money than her, which I don’t like to brag over, as I’ve said before. She’s just kinda rude and hates me. It’s not that I hate her. I just dislike her. She’s always trying to flaunt Ash around, trying to make me jealous. I mean, yeah, sometimes I hate the fact that she takes him away from me, but come on, he and I are best friends and they are in a relationship. But, you know, whatever.

After some small talk, we head our own ways, Macy moving to find friends of her own age group, Sandy to her little minions, Ash and James to their friends, and I to find some jellybeans. Even at a party, my main priority is finding jellybeans. I’m a weirdo, but it’s pretty obvious on why I love them. The flavors! I’m addicted.

I finally find a whole jar, with my name scrawled on a piece of paper on the lid. And I know the handwriting on the paper better than anything. It’s Ash’s. He knows me too well. I pop open the lid and start eating the treat, walking into the living room.

“Hey, Heather!” I hear an I turn my head to find a guy I know from school. “Want a challenge?” I smile and walk over to him a couple other guys. I sit down on a stool at the bar, setting down my jar of jellybeans.

“And what is this challenge?” I ask smugly. If it’s a drinking game, I am so going to own it. I’m the fastest drinker in the town. In Everland, there is quite a population. It’s growing to be almost fifty thousand, so it’s no longer a town. But I’ve been drinking since I was fifteen, which was when I was allowed to finally head to parties. I’m almost eighteen. I am the best! At least, here.

“Drink twenty shots of vodka in a minute,” he replies, a smirk on his face. I put the lid on the jar, grinning at him.

“Pour ‘em.” He does as said and pours vodka in twenty clean shot glasses. He pulls out his phone, looking at the time as I align the glasses. I look up at him.

“Go!”

*****

I giggle, holding onto Ash’s arm. After twenty shots of vodka and a few cups of beer, I am so drunk I can barely stand straight. And that will probably be one of the most sensible thoughts for the rest of the party. Or for the rest of the time I'm here anyway. I'm very silly when I'm drunk.

“Heather,” Ash chides. He's the only sober one here at the party. But, you know, whatever. He's a total downer!

“Asher,” I mock, giggling out of my mind. I turn my head to see Sandy hanging onto James. Should I be angry? No…no she’s nice. She provided the party. I giggle again and turn to Ash, a smile wide on my face as I look at the boy. My eyes turn up to his hair that I’ve ruffled infinity times.

“You have such nice hair. It’s so… so… wishy. No… so… fluffy!" I put out my arms in realization and almost topple over, but Ash grabs me before I do. “That’s the word I’m looking for! Fluffy. I had a pet goldfish named Fluffy. Remember him?” Fluffy, I loved that goldfish. But he only lasted a few days. I over fed him, but I loved that fish. Mom got him for me. And Ash and I buried him in the back yard. It wasn’t a good experience. Not for me. I was bawling for three hours. But I was six.

“Heather,” he scolds again, my eyes fly to his lips. They are so pink and they look so soft. I mean, I wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Maybe if I did it now…

“No, bad, bad Heather,” I rebuke myself, shaking my head. Even in this silly state of mind I know it’s wrong. Why is it wrong? He’s my best friend. That’s what’s supposed to happen in books and movies. It’s a cliché and it’s always happens! My life is like a movie! I’m in love with my best friend. That is what is supposed to happen. But am I? I think I am. Why would I find him sexy? I’m just a good friend. Yeah, right. I’m in love with my best friend. That’s the only thing I can see as a reason, though.

“Heather, why are you arguing with yourself?” Ash asks me, taking my face in his hands. Oh, this is the exact thing he did to me today! Or was it yesterday? What time is it? Is it after midnight or no? I don’t know. I think it is. Wait, what?

“Heather is being silly,” I mumble to myself, shaking my head. Ash keeps my head my head in his hands. I smile at him, leaning forward to him. “Ashy. Heather needs to tell you something.” I giggle. “Heather needs to tell you something important.” Important… Very important, indeed, it is. No, no Yoda speak! Not for Heather. Was that Yoda speak? I wonder what the movies are like. I've never seen them. No! Focus.

“What is it, Heather?” Ash asks me, looking deep into my eyes. I love, love, love his eyes. They are so…beautiful and blue and deep. I just love them to no end. I really, really want to kiss him right now. But that’s bad. Bad Heather.

“Heather will tell you over coffee. Heather will listen to conscience and get some coffee or water. Ash, take Heather to Starbucks.” I send him a toothy grin and he sighs. He takes my hand but I won’t budge.

“What, Heather?” he asks, obviously angry. Angry Ash is a bad Ash. I like happy Ash. Good Ash. Heather likes Ash happy.

“Heather wants to be carried.” I hold out my arms, becoming my inner five-year-old. Ash grumbles to himself and pick me up bridal style. I grip onto him, burying my head into his chest. I breathe in his scent. He smells like ice cream. No…vanilla. He smells really good.

*****

“What is it Heather wanted to tell Ash?” Ash asks. I giggle, listening to how stupid he sounds. He sounds silly. I take a sip of my black coffee, my face changing. Blech. Black coffee tastes bad. But when Ash says I have to drink it, I will. Because he had to deal with it. And he knows best because he’s my best friend.

“Heather wanted to tell you something about your relationship with her. It’s very important.” Indeed it is important. It changes everything. And it could mean the difference of who I marry.

“And that is?” This is it. Heather, tell him. Tell him now. It’s now or never, even while you are a little bit sober. Heather, tell him. Grow some lady balls and tell him.

“Heather likes you,” I confess, playing with a sugar packet. “Not like friends, but Heather likes you a lot more than that.” I wait for his response before bursting out in a fit of giggles. I hold my hand up, covering my mouth with the other. No, no, Heather is serious. Heather needs to get it together.

“Is this a joke?” Ash asks and I shake my head, taking another sip from my black coffee. God, I hate black coffee.

“Heather is serious. Heather figured it out earlier. She realized that she is in love with you, not her boyfriend James. Sandy has a crush on James and Heather is thinking about breaking up with James so he can be happy. Heather can help Jasper realize that he should be in love with Macy.” I open the sugar packet and tap some of it on my tongue, grinning.

“Heather is serious?” Ash asks, giving me a look. “You are in love with me?” He doesn’t believe Heather. But Heather giggled so it makes since. Heather wasn’t supposed to be giggling.

“Heather is. Heather isn’t saying this because she’s drunk. She’s serious. And Heather likes speaking in third person.” I grin and I hold my hand out to him and he takes it. He holds my hand in his, thinking. I take a few more sips of my black coffee, pouring a lot of sugar in it at one point before taking another drink. I’m slowly becoming sober. That’s good, but I feel feeble. That’s not good, right? Of course it’s not. Faint is not an ideal feeling to have right now.

“Heather,” he starts. I nod, gripping onto his hand. I see stars or…something. I blink and I clutch onto his hand harder. Now I feel, what is the word? Nauseous, that's it. “Heather,” I hear again, now panicked. I think something else comes from Ash. But here’s the problem: all I end up seeing is black.
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Shana is cruel. But Shana liked writing this chapter! She has a challenge for you, too!

Challenge: Speak in third person for the next two days, starting when you read this chapter. Make sure you check the time so you can speak for forty-eight hours in third person! Shana thinks it will be fun.

Shana is participating too! Shana will have fun with this!

Okay, what did you guys think about the chapter. Remember, Heather was drunk, silly drunk. Shana had fun writing this.

Do you think Heather was speaking like she did, not in third person but the part about her being in love with Ash, because she was drunk or because she's right? You'll figure it out near the end!

Oh, and Shana's excited about chapters nine and ten. She will be writing about the mysterious boy. It will be in two chapters! Who is excited to find out? Shana knows she is!

Shana loves you, lovies! Have a fun day!

~Shana Alana

 

Okay, so, here's the thing:

I have my update ready. I've read over it and tried my best to pull out any errors. But the thing is, I'm lazy. I get that from a certain someone who will not read this cuz he's not on here anymore, but I'm lazy. I have transferred it to my iPod and now it's just sitting there, waiting for me to copy, paste, italic, bold, and review one last time. So, basically, I want to update, but I'm Mrs. Lazy. Or Miss Lazy. I don't know.

Okay, so, lemme tell you my story of Third Person Shana:

It basically went like "Shana blah blah blah. Shana blah blah. I something something...oh crap, Shana is supposed to speak in third person!" And this happened the whole time. And I went to the local Ozarks fair, so it was pretty hard to keep it up and not forget what I'm doing. So, I hope your adventure of third person went better than mine.

Also school. Cue the sarcastic yay. *sarcastic yay* It starts up in a little over a week. And we have four days rather than five and I have an extra hour on Tuesdays through Fridays. Or I do for now. I'm also possibly moving! Which means there's a possibility of not having Internet a lot of the time. I'll have to borrow it or something when I want to update. Probably go to the local library.

And, for those of you Treaters expecting a four story called Bubblegum and Broken Hearts featuring Marcy's daughter Jennete, it is being put on hold because of two reasons. One, school. Two, I have an idea for a fantasy I really want to put all my focus on after I finish this story. It'll be the story that just might make me an author, if I ever finish it. But I'll stop around a fourth or a third of the way in to write Bubblegum and Broken Hearts. So, yeah.

Wow, lots of bad new. Any good news... Sorry, not at the moment...

So, I'll update tomorrow. Or tonight. I'm not sure. But I will soon. I promise.

Oh, and the chapter has a Jasper-Heather brother-sister scene! Along with a not-so Ashther scene...

You'll see what that means.

Love you all, even though I'm so cruel!

~Shana Alana

 

Okay, well now I'm not so lazy. So, I'ma update! You'll kinda hate me... Just a forewarning...
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Chapter 7

I groan, pulling the covers over my head. My head is pounding and I feel like throwing up. As always, right? After all, I drank so much last night. I’ll never learn.

“Heather, I know you’re awake,” I hear a familiar voice coo. I grin and reach my hand out to him. Ash takes my hand in his, his thumb rubbing over my knuckles in a soothing gesture. I slowly peek my head out from my blanket to peer at Ash. He doesn’t act like this. Not normally. What did I say last night? No, I had a mental breakdown last night, didn’t I? FML…

“Good…um, morning?” I greet him, ending at a question because I’m too lazy, and my head is throbbing, to look for my clock. And I have a feeling it’s afternoon.

“Afternoon. It’s one o’clock. But, seeing as you passed out at five in the morning, it’s justified. I brought you home. James is still at Sandy’s for all I know. And Macy left with one of her sober friends. So, no one died. Or was put into a coma,” he adds reluctantly and a pang of guilt runs through me. Ugh, I am such a bad person. What happened almost a year ago almost killed me too. According to Ash and some doctors, anyway. But I had surgery and I only have one long, nasty scar running down my back and half my neck. Lovely, huh? I advise all of you to never drink even one beer and drive. Always catch a cab or call your parents. They’ll get you home.

“Oh, lovely,” I grumble. “Can I have some aspirin and water or something?”

“Sure,” he grins and kisses my forehead, squeezing my hand before leaving to find some aspirin. What was that about? A kiss on the forehead shouldn’t be anything, but he’s never kissed any part of my head, hands, or anything. Ash must have seen me do something wrong. Or I said something… Oh, shit, did I say something about me finding him sexy? Or, holy hell, did I kiss him?! No. No. No. I couldn’t have… I would be cheating on James if I did! I couldn’t…

“Ash and I…” I whisper to myself, trailing off. Ash must have liked it when I kissed him, broke up with Sandy, watch me break up with James, and brought me home. No way. I’m not – no I can’t be with Ash. No. As much as it would be nice, I have James and our families. I’m the key in bringing us together. I have to marry James because Jasper won’t ever look at Macy when she’s with the family. Bloody hell! My life is like a soap.

“Hey, you, I’ve got your aspirin.” Ash walks into the room and smiles. I smile back at him and take the aspirin, popping it in my mouth and swallowing it with water. Ash then takes my hand in his and gives me a warm smile. I set my water down with a sigh and take his hand in both of mine, my small, dainty hands hardly wrapping around his larger hand.

“Look, Ash,” I start in a whisper, “I don’t know what I did last night. If I did anything that–”

“You spoke in third person most of the night. Well, no, part of the night. But it was cute,” Ash grins and I flush massively. Me…being called cute by my best friend? No, I said something wrong last night.

“Look, Ash, remember what I told you?”

“Last night?” he asks with a confused face.

“No, yesterday. I told you about a contract.” He shrugs. He didn’t pay attention, did he? “Well, listen, the other night, when I had my breakdown, Macy and I decided to sneak around and snoop. It was after everyone fell asleep and we knew we were going to be able to snoop. Macy took me to a closet, and you know how I am, a bull in a china closet. She rummaged through the closet and gave me a box. Inside the box was a stack of papers. It was a contract. I’m supposed to get married to James. It’s a must. I have to because if I don’t, Jasper and Macy won’ get together anyways, and the families won’t become one like everyone wants.”

“So, what are you saying?” he asks, no emotion in his voice.

“I’m saying,” I start, pausing hesitantly, “I’m saying that whatever I did or said that might have suggested something, it was just in a drunken phase. It didn’t mean anything.” As I say this last sentence, a pang of guilt, of something else, something that hurts so much worse than anything. It hurts worse from any pain I’ve felt. It hits my chest and I double over in pain. I’ve felt some pretty bad pain, believe me, but this is horrible. I don’t know why telling him this hurts so badly.

“Heather, are you okay?” The pain hurts so bad, I want to cry. I feel tears wedge out and roll down my cheeks. Ash brings my face up and wipes away the ears, worry written across his face. “Heather, please tell me you are okay.” I swallow and nod, but the pain is still there. Faint, but it sure as hell is there.

“Thanks, Ash,” I whisper and he nods.

“I’m going to head out because I have to get home. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Remember, one last week and we’re out for good!” He pats my head and I break out in a grin. Why does grinning hurt? I hate to lie to Ash, yes, but why does it hurt so much?

“See you tomorrow, Ashy,” I smile and he kisses the top of my head, walking out of my room. I stand and open my window, grabbing a pair of sunglasses before I do. I spot Ash walk to his Camaro, sending me a smile before hopping in the driver’s seat and driving away. I sigh and look down to see me in my dress from last night. Thank goodness. I shut my window and change in a tank top and a pair of shorts, sliding on some sandals. I keep the sunglasses and I walk down the staircase, keeping my head down.

“Hey, Heather,” I hear and I swing my head, my teeth bared, to find my little brother. I soften and grin at Jasper. I put my arm around him and walk with him. “So, drunk last night?”

“Big time,” I reply, looking up at my brother. It’s strange; he and I don’t look a lot alike. He has brown hair, I have blonde. I have brown eyes and he got the Wyatt blue, even though we aren’t yet related to the Wyatts. And he's taller. But everyone's taller than me. I'm only five foot two. The only thing that is alike about us is our noses. They are so perfect and, of course, family. “But, as always, Ash brought me home. Apparently, I spoke in third person last night.”

“That’s nice,” Jasper smirks. “Macy came by here last night, before you came home, and confessed that she’s in love with me.”

“Oh, no! That was supposed to be a secret! Because we didn’t know if you were in love with her and she and I know about something that you and James don’t. But, are you in love with her? Are you? Please tell me you are and that’s why you ignore her at family dinners.”

“I’m not sure. I mean, I like her as more than friends. And, she was drunk last night, so she might not remember. But, I’m going to ask her out on a date, maybe. I’m not sure if I should though, because, well, I’m not sure what will happen and I’m socially awkward and, well, she’s not.”

“Aw, little brother, I will help you there, for I am an expert on amor! I’ll help you, okay? Because this will be your first date, not Macy’s. She’ll know what to do. You, however, need help. Trust me; I will help you as much as possible. We can have the date here, so I can manage and help if you screw up, not that I’m saying you are the one who is the screw up. We both know I am.”

“Obviously. You told Ash that you liked him as more than friends last night, from what Ash told me. And you’re with James for crying out loud.”

“That’s what I said? Oh, I probably broke the poor guy’s heart today. God, I am such an idiot!” I shake my head with a frustrated growl. “But, at least I told him what I think is the truth.”

“What do you mean?” Jasper asks and I tell him all about the contract, every detail, every sentence I remember, and the fact that I don’t know if I’m in love with James or how I feel towards Ash. See, Jasper and I try to tell each other everything. It keeps our bond as siblings strong and we help each other more often than not. But the thing is, we do get in arguments and all, we have so many secrets that we don’t want to tell anyone, we sometimes don’t tell each other. That or we forget like the people we are.

“So, if I don’t you know, fall in love with Macy, then you have to get married to James?” Jasper asks. We are now in the kitchen, I making hot tea and him making hot coffee. I don’t really like coffee except when I’m drunk. He freaking loves coffee to death and could live off it. But he’s a book reader. It sorta makes sense because of that whole stereotypical reader coffee drinker thing. But I picked up my tea drinking in England. I’m still not sure why we moved there when I was eight. We moved right back when I was ten.

“I can’t just break another heart. I just broke Ash’s. And now there’s James, who we know is deeply, deeply in love with me. You can just see it. It’s like it’s molded his bloody face to always show this lovey emotion every time I’m around. It’s sweet and all, but I’m not sure if I feel the same way. And like I said, there’s Ash and all these bubbled up feelings about how great his hair looks and how much I love his smile. And there’s the freaky part that I felt like I was shot in the heart with an arrow when I told him that whatever I said meant nothing. I have no idea what’s wrong with me.” I rest my head on the counter in front of me, sighing heavily. “Either it’s just stupid emotions or I’m sick.”

“You’re neither, Heather,” Jasper sighs, grabbing the steaming pot of coffee and pouring it in a mug. “You’ve be friends with Ash almost all your like and it’s just like Macy and I. We’ve been friends since we were born. We were even in the same playpen when we were babies, and before you say that isn’t true, I’ve seen the pictures. It was bound to happen at some point. And, I’m not sure about you and that little love triangle going on. But always, always in romance books, when it’s two guys trying to win the girl’s heart, she always, always, always picks the boy who makes her feel happy. Always makes her smile. And is always hot or nerdy. I read enough books to know that kind of thing, trust me.”

“Always, little brother. Always.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A nice brother sister moment there. Love it. And I literally crush your happiness, didn't I Ashther fans? I am sorry, but how can she cheat when there is a matter of family contracts on the line? And you finally heard Jasper speak more than one sentence! See, he's not a total weirdo like me.

Anywho, chapter nine and ten are coming up! Oh, I can't wait! Mr. Coma shall be unmasked! You all will freak out when you realize who it is!

So, there isn't much to say except that I'm really loving this story. So much drama!

Love you all, my dearest Treaters and friends and lurkers!

~Shana Alana