Odd One Out | Jacob Black

19.

Jake left the second he heard my dad come home but not before stopping in Brady's room. He promised he'd come back as soon as he could.

"Natasha! Come get your laptop off the dinner table!" I heard Jenn yell from downstairs.

I had forgot that I even left it there. Which means I didn't do any school today other than a failed pre-calc assignment and half of my history work.

Thankfully I finished the cardigan that was too large and the sleeves were different sizes. That's what I get for not measuring. It was comfy though so I'd take that small win.

My body felt like it was being weighed down as I slumped my way down the stairs. I grabbed my laptop and moved it to the coffee table in the living room.

"What's wrong with you?" I turned around to find Jen staring at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Huh?" I dumbly ask.

"What's wrong with you?" She repeats. "You look like you're getting sick or something." She crosses her arms.

"I just haven't been sleeping very well." I mumble.

"Maybe if you turned your TV off and got your face out of all those screens you'd be able to sleep." She muttered but I was clearly meant to hear it.

"Hey." I jumped as the front door slammed shut. Brady came around the corner with his friend. "Collin is going to spend the night." He didn't ask.

"On a school night?" Jen raises an eyebrow.

Brady just shrugs and walks into the kitchen without a care in the world. Collin awkwardly hovered in the doorway. "I promise we'll be on time for school. What's for dinner?"

Jen sighs and gives up without a fight. "I marinated some chicken." Great.

And twenty minutes later I found myself staring at a plate of marinated chicken with some rice and green beans.

"So boys, how's school going?" My dad asked and I wanted to bash my head into the table. Why did everything have to come back to school? I hoped if I slunk down in my chair low enough he'd avoid asking me about it as well.

"Fine." Brady said through a mouthful of food.

"It's okay, sir." Collin politely answered. I wanted to roll my eyes at how formal it sounded.

"And you, Natasha?" He turned his eyes on me and I wanted nothing more than to be invisible.

"Fine." I push some of the rice around. It wasn't really fine. I failed two separate assignments today and skipped the rest of it.

"And the college search?" And there it is.

"Also fine." I lied. I could feel everyone's eyes on me and it felt like my skin was crawling.

"You boys need to start thinking about college too."

I glanced up and noticed both Brady and Collin shooting each other sideways glances.

"Brady's grades have always been pretty decent." Jen bragged. Somehow I doubted that. Collin snorting into his chicken confirmed my suspicion.

"Well school is important." Dad nods along. "What, are both of you going through a second round of puberty?" He half joked pointing to their both empty plates with a fork.

"There is more food if you'd like a second plate." Jen smiles.

"Yes please." Collin is already holding his plate out.

"At least someone eats my cooking." Jen grumbled as she walked past my chair. I sank in the seat lower. Any lower and I'm going to be on the floor.

Dad must have heard her because he chose to comment. "Let her starve. If she gets hungry enough she'll eat." He shrugged. I glanced up to see both Brady and Collin just staring at me.