Truth or Dare (Ch. 9: Conversations)

Chemistry passed slower than it usually did.  My mind was stuck on Jayden’s story and how hurt he was when he told it.  I reached over and touched my hand to his, letting him know that I cared.  He looked over and smiled at me.
Mrs. Johanson assigned a worksheet that we were supposed to do in partners.  “Get started.  What you don’t finish will be homework.”
Jayden turned to me.  “Brie, are you okay?”  He amazed me.  He was the one who lost a sibling, not me, and he’s worried if I’m okay or not?
“I’m fine.  Are you okay?” I answered with a question of my own.
“It’s been 8 years, Brie, I’m fine.  I’ve mourned my sister plenty, and yes, I miss her a lot, but I’m fine now.  I’m living a normal life, at least as normal as it can get as a teenager.  Please don’t worry about it, or me,” he requested.  He was so strong.
“Okay, Jayden, I wont,” I said, forcing a smile.  How was he so cool with this?  He was fabulous in every way; so strong, so deep, so caring.  How could I not worry?
“Smile for real, Brie,” Jayden chuckled, seeing past my fake smile.
A true smile came to my lips and didn’t leave until chemistry was over.  I had no reason to be upset.  Yes, I hurt for my boyfriend, but if he didn’t want me to worry, I wouldn’t.
The bell rang, releasing us from chemistry, but I still had two classes to suffer through before I was free do to as I please.  Spanish was constant repetitions of vocabulary words and sentence structures.
When the bell rang to end 5th hour, I got up and hurried to my locker and across campus to make it to my history class on time.  As I passed my locker I saw Craig and Lauren talking.  The look on Lauren’s face was evil, more so than it usually was.  So maybe Craig really was in on her plan after all.  Why would he want to hurt his brother?  Why would they actually be cold enough to break us up?
American History was boring, like always, and I practically slept through Mr. Lee’s lecture.  My mind was filled with questions about Craig and Lauren and what they would do to break Jayden and I up.  How low would they go?
Finally, after what seemed to be more than the two hours it was, the school bell rang.  I rushed out to my car, surprising myself by not waiting for Jayden, and jumped in.  Why was I so anxious to leave?  Before I even got my car started, the front door was opening.  I jumped and looked to see who was getting in, hoping it would be Jayden or Natalya.
“Hey, Brie.”  It was Craig, Jayden’s brother.  What did he want?
“Um… hi?” I responded, completely confused.  “Can I help you?”  I was wondering why my boyfriend’s brother just got into my car without and asking and what he was after.
“I just though we could,” he paused, “talk.”  That made me suspicious, and I still wasn’t convinced that he wasn’t helping Lauren.
“About what?” I quizzed him.  The look in his eyes was interesting; I couldn’t figure out what it was.  It looked innocent though, in it’s own way.
“Your sister.”
“Lauren?”  He wanted to talk about Lauren?  Why?
“Yes.”
“What about her?” I questioned.  Maybe I was wrong.  There was a possibility that Lauren wanted Craig to help her, but he wouldn’t, and now he’s warning me.
“She wants you and Jayden to break up.”  Craig seemed scared as he said this, and he searched the parking lot anxiously.  Who was he looking for?
“Well, she can give up on that.  Jayden and I will fight it.  We wont give up.  What does it matter to you anyway?” I sounded harsher than I had planned, and Craig’s eyes narrowed.
“Back off, Brie.  I’m here to warn you.  I wouldn’t want to hurt my brother.  Granted, him and I aren’t exactly close siblings, but he is still my brother,” he defended.
“I’m sorry.  It’s just that I’m used to having siblings like Lauren who will do anything to hurt the other.  And I really like Jayden, I don’t want anyone doing anything to ruin that,” I explained.
“I give you my word that I wont ruin it,” Craig assured, but he didn’t look too certain.
“Okay.  So what about Lauren?  Do you know her plan?”
“She’s going to try and get Jayden alone and seduce him to the point of liking her more than you.  And the thing is, Jayden might just go for it,” he warned.
“How can you even say that?”  I was shocked that he would even accuse Jayden of something like that.
“Because I know my brother, Brie.  I know him a lot better than you do, and I know that he can be shallow.  Trust me,” he scooted closer to me.
I became very uncomfortable with Craig in my car.  “I would appreciate it if you would get out of my car.  Let Jayden and I handle this ourselves,” I snapped.
“Fine, but you’ll be sorry,” he spat back.  I now knew the look in his eyes.  He was jealous.  Why was he jealous?
Craig opened the door and got out.  I leaned my head back against the seat and sighted.  I wasn’t going to lose Jayden.  There was no way I’d back down.
I turned the key and started the car.  The drive home was quick.  My hands shook and started to sweat as they gripped the steering wheel so tightly, my knuckles were white.
Right as I pulled into the driveway, my phone started to vibrate on the dashboard.  I looked and saw that it was Jayden.
“Hey, you,” I answered.
“Hi.  Are you alright?  I didn’t see you after we left chemistry, and Craig said that he saw you rush to your car and zoom out of the parking lot as soon as the release bell rang,” Jayden told me.  Craig lied to his brother.  He never told him how he sat in my car and tried to convince me Jayden was bad for me.
“I’m fine.  I didn’t exactly rush out of the parking lot, though.  I was stopped,” I explained.
“Stopped?  By who?”
“Your brother.  Craig opened my car door and got in, without an invitation, just as I was about to turn the key,” I started.  “He said we needed to talk.”
“That you and I needed to talk?  Or that you and him needed to talk?”
“That he and I needed to talk,” I stated.
“What about?” Jayden sounded slightly angry.
“You and I,” I simply said.
“Oh Lord, what did he say?”  His anger was obvious now.
“That Lauren would do anything in her power to get you alone and seduce you into liking her.”
“How does that involve Craig?”  Jayden was confused and mad at the same time.  I’d never seen Jayden act like this towards anyone other than me before, and I only saw it yesterday morning.
“He said that it’s just like you to fall for her if she wanted you.  But I asked him why it mattered to him, and he told me that he knows you better than I do.”  My voice sounded hurt, and in all honesty, I was.
Jayden got suddenly defensive.  “Brie, I would never do that to you!  I like you, a lot!  You have to believe me, babe, I wouldn’t ever leave you for your sister.  She’s not even close to my type.”
“Jayden, calm down.  I know that.”
“But you sound hurt.  Why?”
“Because everyone is trying to split us up.  Lauren, Craig, and I know my father and step mother will, too.  I don’t want to lose you,” I spilled to him.
“Craig?  What do you mean?  Why would he…” he stopped as in realization.
“What?  Jayden?”
“The only reason Craig would do that… is if he likes you,” Jayden chuckled, and my jaw dropped.
“What?  That’s crazy!”
“Think about it, Brie.  Craig tries to get me to sound bad and sound like he’s protecting you.  Lauren obviously wants me to be with her instead of you.  The two of them are working together to get us apart so they can have us to themselves.”
I laughed and then sighed.  “I’m not going to let them, Jayden.  I refuse.”
“Me too, babe, me too.  You’re mine, and I’m not sharing you with my brother.”
Both of us started to laugh.  Then Jayden asked, “Can I come over tonight?”
“Um… yah,” I answered, shocked with the sudden subject change.  Hopefully my mother would be okay with meeting my boyfriend so soon.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.  Come over in about half an hour.  I have to prepare my mother first,” I explained.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
“Okay.”
“Oh, and Brie,” he began again.
“Yes?”
“Craig will never get his hands on your skin, his lips on your lips, or his eyes looking anywhere they shouldn’t be.  That’s all for me, and I’ll be sure that it stays that way,” he promised.
I smiled.  “Back at yah, babe.  Lauren wont have anything to do with my man.”
We laughed again before I ended the phone call.  “Bye, Jayden.”
“Bye, Brie.”
I hung up the phone, turned off my car, and headed inside the house.  “Hi, Mom,” I greeted.
“Hey, honey,” she called from her office.
I went into her office to see her checking her email.  “Mom,” I started.
“Yes?”
“Do you think that Jayden could come over tonight?” I asked.
“Sure, I don’t see a problem in that.  Why?”
This is where I had to tell her that Jayden was more than a friend.  I took a deep breath, “Because, Mom, Jayden is my,” I paused, and she turned away from her computer to face me, “boyfriend.”
“Brie, when did this happen?  Why didn’t you tell me?” she smiled.  She seemed more excited for me than angry that I didn’t tell her.
“Last night.  We were talking, and he asked me if I would be his girlfriend,” I explained, purposely leaving out the details about Lauren.
“Do I get to meet him while he’s here tonight?”
“Of course.  I thought I’d make dinner, and he’d just eat with us.  Then you could get to know him a bit,” I suggested.
“that sounds good to me, Brie.  What time is he coming over?”
“In about twenty minutes,” I answered after looking at my watch.
“Okay,” she smiled.
“Okay.  I’m going to change and freshen up.”  I left the room and went upstairs.
I threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve top, brushed my hair and pulled it up into a pony tail, and then finished by fixing my make-up.  Just as I finished, the doorbell rang.