All the Little Secrets

CHAPTER 12. SAY SOMETHING

PART TWO.

Chapter 12. Say Something

Since Homecoming a few weeks ago, I've barely spent time with Seth. I blame that night for his distance, with me not being able to say I love you, added on with the revelation of his mom's affair. She was in love with a man named Hank, and they were going to run away together. His last letter to her was right before she died. Seth's father handed over the letters to the police as evidence in hope that the letters could help the case in some way. It was the last real conversation I had with Seth.

Finding those letters affected him tremendously; he got fired from his job and he barely comes to school. When he does show up to class, our conversations are short, our relationship forced. Once again he's slipping away, and once again, I can do nothing about it. If only I could love him the way he needs me to; the guilt I have grows as each day passes.

Farrah, Jasmine, and I spend most of our time at school together, but with Seth's absence from my life, something's missing. Farrah tells me to give him space, that sometimes Seth gets this way, but I'm tired of the space, of him disappearing every time things get hard. I want him to stay, not run away.

There's also been a noticeable shift in Liam. He seems happy, in a way I haven't seen him before. Whenever he's home, he's in the sunroom, music filling the mansion. I always camp out next to the door when he's playing; his music is so beautiful, I fill my journal with new lyrics for his songs. I never tell him this, though.

Another one changing is my brother. He hangs around with a girl from his class, Laney, but he swears they're just friends. She's really pretty, almost too pretty for a dorky brother like mine. They play video games at the mansion, and sometimes Byron joins them. I think I heard Parker laugh once at Byron's joke, which is so weird to me. Maybe Byron isn't such a little shit anymore, I don't know. Laney is into Parker, but my brother acts like he doesn't notice. Byron seems more interested in Laney, which worries me a bit.

What I find most interesting is how my brother is with Laney's brother Kris. Kris is her twin; he came to get her once from the mansion. When I opened the door and Parker entered the foyer, he turned bright red at the sight of Kris. His entire personality changed; he acted cold, cut conversation short, and hugged Laney a bit longer than he ever has when Kris wasn't around. It was as if he was sending a message to Kris, making me wonder who my brother is truly interested in. I'm waiting for the right moment to ask him about it.

The first week of November comes quickly, and Fall break is approaching. At the end of November, Malibu High has an entire week off for Thanksgiving.

It's Friday, and I'm sitting with Seth in choir when Mrs. Leyva surprises us with news that the Thursday before break, we Chambers will put on a Choir Cabaret to raise money for our competitions. This will be our first practice run before the end-of-year competition. Each Chambers member will have their own solo or duet to perform, and we could play instruments or sing with a hired pianist.

She announces that this year's Cabaret will be songs from either a movie or a musical, and she asks us to "branch out from the obvious". She also shares that she'll choose the partnerships based on tonality.

I hope that I get to work with Seth; he's the only one I can sing in front of, and it will force us to spend more time together, something he's been avoiding. I smile at him, reaching out for his hand. He smiles slightly back but doesn't take my hand. I place my hand back in my lap and focus my attention on Mrs. Leyva.

Mrs. Leyva starts to announce the groups she's made. All Seniors get to perform on their own, which makes Becca happy; other students are paired up, and some perform solo.