Delicate

drum lessons

☆: *.☽ Cassandra ☆: *.☽

April 15, 2005

Somehow I had been persuaded to go inside Theo's house. Not only that, but I was now seated on the couch watching a film with him and his little sisters.

It was laughable, really. I hadn't hung out with someone outside of school in over a year. At the moment Theo was sort of my only friend—if you could even call it that.

I was seated between Theo and Ivory, with Mia on her other side. The house was nice, too nice. It was obvious from the outside that he was rich, and the inside only confirmed that.

I was trying to ignore the heat coursing through my body from the feel of his thigh pressing against mine. The contact was subtle, accidental even, but it felt like so much more than that. Not to mention the arm he casually draped over the back of the couch behind me.

"Did you like the movie?" He nudged me with his leg, a smile etched on his face.

"Yeah," I nodded. "But it wasn't nearly as good as the book."

"It never is," he grinned.

"Theo, can we get pizza for dinner?" Ivory smiled.

"And can Macie and Justin come over?" Mia chimed in.

"That's not fair!" Ivory whined. "Can Sage come?"

I looked to Theo who was chuckling while shaking his head. His sisters obviously admired him if they were treating him like a parental figure.

"Okay," he sighed. "We'll order pizza, and your friends can come. But you guys have to help me clean up any mess that gets made, 'kay?"

"Yay!" Mia cheered, pulling a phone out of her pocket.

"Thank you, Theo. You're the best," Ivory grinned. "We love you!"

"I love you too," he replied, while the girls both hopped off the couch and out of the sitting room.

Leaving the two of us on the couch, I looked to him and smiled. "You're a really good brother."

"I try," he nodded. A glimmer of something flashed in his eyes, sadness maybe.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket glancing at the time on the screen which read 5:57. My parents would be home any minute and I wasn't exactly sure what to tell them.

"I should probably go, right?" I asked and then cringed. "I mean, I'm going."

"Don't go," his eyes locked on mine. "The girls are having their friends over, you could at least keep me company."

"I don't..." My voice trailed off. "I've spent enough time hanging out with you."

He laughed, "what's one more hour? Plus there will be pizza."

"I don't like pizza," I lied.

"Don't try and lie," he grinned, picking up his phone. "What's your favourite kind?"

I was stuck between firing back an insult or staying on his couch and letting him order me a pizza. I could feel the walls around my heart threatening to crack with each look he gave me. There was something so trusting about him and that was what scared me most.