My Childhood Sweetheart's Brother

Part 3: Hella Cute

As the bell rang to signal the end of the lesson I really couldn't be happier. Caleb and I didn't speak a word to each other for the whole hour and yet I could feel his eyes on me all that time.

I waited for everyone to leave before walking up to the teachers desk. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"Madame Blanc, I know your seating plan is sacred and there's no changes but I really don't think I can sit next to Caleb." I told her.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "And why is that? Monsieur Spears seems like a good student, he's been quiet and I've had no problems with him so far."

Yeah, Caleb had always been great at doing this. For teachers he was a model student, for parents he was a calm, well-behaved polite teenage boy that they would love their children to be friends with. Only the people that spent time around him out of home and school knew what he was really like, me being one of them.

"Personal issues Madame. We don't get along and I don't want that to get in the way of my concentration and work in your lessons." I told her. A little bum-licking never hurt anyone.

"Well," she said, looking up from her glasses. "I don't want anything to get in the way either but your personal issues aren't my business and frankly, I don't care."

"But Madame--"

"I think that this is a great opportunity for you two I get over your problems and learn to work together as a pair." She carried on. "So no, I will not change the seating plan and I expect you to respect that."

"I do but--"

"Well then off you go." She gave me a smile that I knew wasn't genuine. "And I don't want to hear anything more about it."

I sighed, turning on my heels and leaving the classroom. I was hopeless, there was no way I was going to survive a year of sitting next to Caleb. It was going to be hell.

/////////

After school I drove to Dan's house as planned. We always spent our Friday evenings together. The weather was beautiful today so Dan led me to his garden where we sat on one of his mums benches.

"So when's the first match of the season?" I asked as he gave me a drink.

"Next Friday. You coming?"

What a stupid question. "Nah, I've been to ever match since we started high school. Why would I go to this one?"

He looked at me with a smile. "That's a yes?"

I rolled my eyes with a laugh. "Of course."

"We haven't had date night for a while." Dan pointed out. "What days are you free next week?"

I shrugged. "Pretty much all. It's a chilled week."

"How about Wednesday night?" He asked. "We could go out for dinner or something."

I felt a smile appear on my face. "Sounds perfect." He placed his hand on my face and brought it closer to his, making our lips touch. I cupped his, to bring him closer to me, feeling him smile through the kiss.

"Awh, you guys are hella cute." My head snapped away from Dan immediately and in the direction of the voice.

Caleb was leaning on the garden door frame, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk plastered on his face.

"Do you mind mate?" Dan asked, irritation clear in his tone.

Caleb chuckled. "Not at all. You two love birds just sit here and chirp away."

I looked away, back to Dan and rolled my eyes. I saw Dan's gaze follow Caleb as he walked back inside.

"I'm so sorry." Dan sighed. "We can't even be alone here anymore."

I took his hands in mine. "It's fine. Just ignore him. He's an idiot and not worth your anger." I placed a kiss on his lips. "Plus I don't like you upset."

A smile appeared on Dan's face. "I love you."

"I love you too."

/////////

"What did you and Dan get up to?" My mum asked as I got back home.

I shrugged. "Nothing. Caleb got in the way of everything."

"What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "You too mum? Have you seriously not noticed the tension and hatred between Caleb and Dan?"

My mum furrowed her eyebrows. "No. I mean, sometimes when they're together you can tell they're fighting and there is tension but I just always thought it was a at that moment."

I shook my head. "They haven't properly spoke for like 3 years mum. They always fought and argued before that."

"Hasn't Mary noticed?" My mum asked.

"Dan reckons she has but she's trying to ignore it and rejects it." I told her. "In hope of them making up."

"Do you want me to talk to her about--"

"No no." I shook my head. "I don't want to start a family argument. It's between them and I think Mary just needs time to come to terms with it. Maybe now that Caleb is back permanently, she'll notice it."

"So why do you dislike Caleb so much? Is it just because of Dan?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Partly because of Dan and because I feel sorry for him. But there's also something else that I can't put my finger to. Caleb and I never got along mum, you know that. And as I've gotten older, our difference in personalities and attitudes has just merely grown."

"Are you gonna try and do something to change that?"

I looked at my mum and laughed. "No."

My mum sighed. "Look Abbie, I know that you love Dan and that Caleb has possibly hurt him and all you're trying to do is be a good girlfriend, but you have to think for yourself and have your own opinion too."

"But mum, it's not only Dan. I told you, there's something there that I just dislike about him." I told her.

"I know, but seeing as you can't pin point it, don't you think it's pointless to hold on to that?" She asked. "You don't have to listen to me, but I'm just trying to help you and I think that maybe you should give Caleb a chance, or at least just try and look at him from a different perspective than pure hatred."

I could see where she was coming from, and I knew that maybe she was right. But I had disliked Caleb for so many years, there was no way I could just switch that feeling off. Plus, his attitude and personality didn't make it any easier.

It was much simpler to just continue hating him.