The Decuplets

Hailey and The Locket

Zach

I was super nervous about taking Hailey to my house for multiple reasons. First of all, I have never taken a girl home since Ella doesn't really count, so I know my brothers will make fun of me. Plus, as the only virgin in the entire house, I get a lot of shit no matter what. Even Corey fucks. Third of all, I know Ella will be there because she is always there, which will make me even more nervous and even less into this girl.

But I didn't even know how bad things were going to be.

I took her to the kitchen first so that she could meet everyone. It was around lunch time, so I figured most of them would be eating. If Reece were there, he would've laughed at me for the stupidity which was bringing her to the kitchen, aka Ella's second home. Lo and behold, she was there, as well as some of my brothers.

"Hey, guys," I greeted awkwardly, "this is Hailey."

Everyone waved. Ella looked like she might throw up, which is basically how I felt.

"Yeah, I've seen you around," Max smiled, trying to make this introduction more bearable. It would've been fine if Ella wasn't there. God, why did I take her into the kitchen?

"Just wanted to say hello, but, um, we're going upstairs," I said, leading her away. Everyone waved goodbye.

I turned back once to see what they were doing, and Brandon was slightly bent down with his hand on Ella's shoulder, clearly trying to comfort her. She looked distraught, making my heart swarm with doubts.

I brought Hailey into my room and gave her a moment to take it all in. She walked over to a picture frame on my dresser, and picked it up. It was one of me and Gabe when we were about seven, arms around each other after a soccer game.

"This is so cute!" she exclaimed, checking the back of the frame for a date. "This is Gabe?" she asked. I nodded.

Then something else caught her eye. Fuck. A gold chain with a heart locket that had been sitting there for weeks. "What's this?" she asked, picking it up and examining it.

"Um, my mom's necklace?" I lied.

"Do you mind if I open it?"

"Uh, well—"

She did anyway and was met with a picture of me and Ella. It was a necklace that Scarlett had helped me pick out right before I found out about her and Reece, and it arrived well after.

"This is that girl," she observed, "from the kitchen."

"Yeah," I said.

"You're broken up?"

"Yeah," I replied again.

"So why do you still have this?"

"Um, I just forgot, uh, to give it away." Truth is that a part of me believed we'd work things out and that it was worth keeping. Clearly that part of me messed up.

"So am I, like, a rebound?"

Woah, she's forward. "No! Of course not!"

"You're a bad liar. I should leave."

"Wait, what?"

"Sorry, Zach. Thanks for having me over," she smiled politely, then showed herself out of my room.

It's like Ella haunts me and won't let me have one thing! She cursed me for bringing a new girl into her sacred place, the kitchen!

Or maybe it's that I am way too obvious. As she said, I'm not a good liar.

Either way, that was a disaster.