My Life as a Teenage Rebel

Chapter 21: Keeping Up with the Cross'

Ky Madison

CHAPTER 21 Keeping Up with the Cross'

"Hmm, where could Kovu be?" I place one hand on my hip and tap a finger to my mouth thoughtfully, casually leaning against the dining table. I grin. Yanking up the table cloth, I snap downward and exclaim, "I found you!"

With a yowl, the kitten leaps towards me, out from under the table. Laughing, I catch him and lift him up into the air. "Okay Kovu, now I hide and you seek!" Kovu playfully paws at my nose; I crinkle it and press it to his.

"Sweetheart, you do realize you're playing hide-and-seek with a cat, don't you?" Mom says as she flips through her papers with a pen in her hand.

Everyone's SO judgemental! I set the kitten down on the carpet. "Okay, now count to ten and then come find me- No wait! You can't count, can you, Kovu? Alright then, just wait a little while before you come after me, okay?" And he obediently skitters over to the couch and sticks his head underneath while I run up the stairs to hide.

"Kovu," the name we chose for him. We named him after the Romeo figure in "The Lion King 2." I don't know why, but it fit.

I open the door to Kyle's room, leaving it slightly ajar after I slide inside. Kyle sits on his bed, giving me a questioning look as I decide between his bed and his closet. "I'm playing hide-and-seek with Kovu." I explain to him as I open his closet and examine the amount of space.

"Ky, he's just a dumb cat." Kyle tells me as I kneel down to check out the space under his bed. "He's not going to be able to-"

"Mew!"

"Hey! No fair! You didn't wait long enough!" I protest as Kovu runs into my arms. Frowning at him, I scoop him up, mumbling: "Cheating cheater..." and: "Doesn't know how to count..." And then I look up at my brother, who is staring at Kovu with eyes of surprise. I give him a pointed look.

Kyle shakes himself out of it. "Well, if he's so smart, then why does he keep coming in my room when I've clearly expressed that I don't want him near me?" I sigh at this, rolling my eyes; and Kovu meows again, agreeing with me. Kyle scowls in defeat, "Nevermind," he says, "Are you ready to head over to Evilyn's or not?"

"Yup!" I nudge noses with the kitten once again. "Bye Kovu!"

. . .

As Jake's car rolls up in front of the Cross house, Evan's jaw drops like it's spontaneously gained ten pounds, because, well..."house" isn't exactly the right word to describe it; "mansion" would be a more suitable term...

"Holy God..." the two brothers mutter simultaneously. Yup.

"Well, thanks for the ride, Jake." my brother and I say simultaneously as well, opening the doors and getting out of the car.

Evan doesn't pick up his jaw as we walk up to the front door. I glance at him sideways. Things have been kind of...awkward between us ever since Kyle and I switched places. I know that he said some things to me that he thought he was saying to Kyle, but, I mean...I don't really get what's up...

Kyle rings the doorbell, and after a few seconds of waiting, a gorgeous woman with red hair opens the door, one ear on the phone. This person opening the door for us? Yeah, literally used to be a supermodel. Literally. A strange, confused sound escapes Evan's open mouth as he points from her to the house. She raises an eyebrow at him and gives him a questioning smile.

"It's his first time." Kyle tells her. She shrugs in understanding and invites us inside through gestures, still listening to whoever's talking to her on the phone..