Where I Went From Here

Chapter 16 - Time together

~ POV: Kyla Bower ~

When that boy, Leo, found me in the music room and let me know when dinner was going to be, I was so grateful he had came and told me than one of the boys. Here's the thing: I consciously know they are my brothers; but there's like this barrier between us. They grew up together, I'm an outsider compared to them. I know nothing of them and they know nothing of me. I don't want to get hurt or have high expectations of them, so distancing myself from my dad and them is the best way I can save myself from getting hurt.

They're not my family. They have each other.

I don't need them, and they don't need me.

All I want is my mom right now. She'd tell me what to do and how to best handle this situation. I don't have the simplest idea of what to do with them or how to still process them in my life now. It's not like I really had a choice in being stuck with them. I need that money from my inheritance to pay off my debt with my aunt. My mom would know what is best...

But I'll never have that anymore. She's not here anymore.

Going into my room and being in there for a couple minutes, I come to a realization; and it smacks me in the face, in a metaphorical sense. I might have to spend time with my "brothers" after dinner. Shit. I'll have to figure something out to get out of it; maybe until the foreseeable future, which is... while I'm staying here.

I might get a job to not spend so much time in the house with my dad or the boys. Wait... Where am I going to go to for school? I could tell them that I need to do some after school thing and they'll probably believe me. Right? This is a disaster, but I'll think about it a little more when the time comes. I don't even have a school to go to right now, so there's no safe place yet.

Having set a timer for ten minutes before dinner, I goes off annoyingly. I go to leave my room to go to dinner because I don't want them coming to get me. It's not like I need an escort or something for dinner. Heading down to go to the dining room, I hear voices coming from the living room. I make my way towards the living room, very quietly as to not attract their attention on me and come to see that the boys are lounging on the couch talking to each other.

I feel a pang in my chest seeing them together getting along. All they're doing is talking but it's the way they talk and look at each other that gets to me a little; like a family. My mom, grandma, and I, we'd sometime watch movies while we ate our food and I was so much fun. Most of the time I be commenting about the movie while it was playing - Mom hated it, when I did that but her reaction was so funny. She'd try to get made by making a scowl but it just looked odd on her like a child trying to make a silly face but not quite making it. Looking back at the memory, I laugh to myself a little, and regret it instantly.

My laugh caught the attention of Christian. Seeing him try to figure who laughed and where it came from, leads me to get away from my spot near the living room to the dining room. I get there before everyone and decide to take a seat far from my dad and from the boys as possible; so I end up sitting on the opposite side from my dad's seat but the last seat on the right side of the table where Ryder had an open seat last time at dinner.

As soon as seven o'clock hits, all the boys footsteps are heard coming closer, and closer to the dining room. I sit there trying to act like their entrance doesn't affect me busy looking aimlessly at my phone.

I see that have a couple notifications from my email, but a message catches my eye. From my best friend, Carter. I haven't told him anything that happened; it just happened all too fast. We have told each other everything that happens to us. He's like a brother I didn't have, or at least now a brother I wish I had. I text him back quickly under the table:

Carter

C - Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day

K- so funny story... My dad got out of prison and his mom died so now I have to stay with him for a while... funny am I right?

C - ...

C - K, are you ok?

K - I'm good for now... look I'll call you later gtg (got to go)

While I place my phone on the table, my dad comes into the dining room from his office. He doesn't say anything to me, so I just silently hope he doesn't try to start awkward conversation with me. Not paying attention to anything around me, I don't even notice when the food comes out; there's a lot of food. There's spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, even stuffed bell peppers. Who even cooked all of this food?

"Darlene, does most of the cooking here a long with the cleaning. She works here with her husband, Mauricio, who does all the handiwork and yard work. Then there's their son's, Alexander and Leo, who also live here but Alexander is off at college, so he's not really here that much. Leo, lives he though so you'll probably see him around," whispers Ryder to he almost as reading my thoughts. I nod back at him as a way to indicate that I understood everything he said.

A plate is placed in front of me, to which then I face a woman in her early forties or mid-forties give me a small smile. "I hope you like the food, I made it. Oh, I'm Darlene, by the way" she tells me. I respond to her with a quiet thank you back. I begin to fill my plate with a little of everything, but if I'm being honest with myself I'm not even that hungry. I just don't want them to be fussing over me.

As dinner goes on, everyone is talking amongst each other together. Everyone besides me at least is being seemingly fine. I just want today to be over. Stuffing my face with a piece of garlic bread, Christian so casually drops the agreement we made: to spend time with each other... as siblings.

"Kyla, we're going to watch a movie after dinner. Join us," he says. He's not asking, he's telling me. I remain quiet because I have nothing to say back.

"Yeah, Kie. Our time together that we spend will be so awesome!" Ryder adds a little too loud next to me. 

Hearing the nickname Ryder just called me, "Kie", doesn't sit right with me. He doesn't get the privilege to call me that or any nickname as for that matter. The only people that can call me that is Carter, my mom and grandma. Yet, now out of those three people only one remains who can still call me that.

"Don't call me that" I mumble back to him.

"What?" he asks.

"I said don't call me that" I tell him back, having found my voice a bit stronger.

"Why?" he questions.

"It's just a stupid nickname. No big deal," Mason butts; when no one asked or wanted his input.

"Just call me by my name. No nicknames," I retort so that everyone can hear.

This earns me back a small 'got it' from Ryder and a hard glare from Mason. Christian must have seen everything, because turning after feeling a stare coming my way, I find him looking at me. Trying to show that it doesn't affect me, I go back to continue finishing my dinner; so that I can then spend some quality time with my, oh so wonderful, brothers that I know so, so well. Note the sarcasm.

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Author's Note: Hey! I'm so sorry everyone for not having updated in a while. I just been so busy with school and work. But I'll try to set a consistent day to update 'Where I Went From Here'. 

I hoped you enjoyed this chapter ;)