Fracted (Book #2)

Chapter 13: Can't Say It... But I Did

Everything was in place by 11:25; Robert, Ace, and I all took a shower and we just sat there, chatting. I couldn't help but think about the news, I could've just destroyed the TV. But he said we were safe here. Don't you worry, child. As a pubescent preteen, I wouldn't consider myself as a child anymore.
"I've seen the way Eiffel looked at you at the bus," Ace sucks his lips back into his mouth, trying to hold back a smile, "It's cute."
"What's cute?" I try to hold my smile back as well.
"Oh come one, Jess," Robert smacks the edge of his bed, "you know you like her."
"N-no I don't!" My lips quiver in anxiety. I liked this anxiety better than when I watched the news. I hate the news now.
"Di-did you see that, Robert?"
"What?"
"That quivering lip and the sparkly eyes," Ace said, "Best wishes, brother." he tells me.
"Don't you start with me!" I pointed and laughed. "But this is the one thing we could never tell Jackson. I swear, he'd kill me if he knew."
"That what?"
"You know what I mean."
"What if I purposely didn't know what you mean?" Ace smirked. I threw the pillow I was leaning on at him, aiming at his face. I laugh hysterically as he fell back, looking disheveled.
"Shut it, Ace! You know that I..."
"Yes, yes we know what you mean." Robert said.
"Ugh! I just feel stuck, that's it." I said.
"Stuck?" Ace sits on my pillow on the floor.
"You know... Eiffel." I looked down, feeling doopy.
"Ohhhh," Ace said, "You see, I didn't really understand much of what you said. I don't even understand what it feels like to like someone."
"No!" Robert exclaimed in exaggeration.
"Yes, it's true. I've never had my first crush."
"Wait, so you can a rifle, flip butterfly knives, decapitate a guy, strangle someone with your foot, punch through a concrete wall, but not experience love?" I said. He shrugged innocently.
"Wow. Just wow. Even I've felt love."
"Really?" said Robert, his eyes light up with joy. He's close to falling off the bed.
"Eiffel," But I wasn't looking at him. I wasn't looking at anything. I stared for no reason. Then I just blurt it out. I wanted to slap myself. But I was paralyzed after hearing myself mention her name. It was like munching on the largest muffin in the world and it gets stuck in your throat. But you just want to digest it.
"Gotcha!" Ace pointed and sat on his knees.
"You love her!" Robert shouted.
I hold my finger up my lip and shushed the two.
"I swear if you tell Jackson--" The door slams behind me. And I was so close to wetting my pants.
"Tell me what?" Jackson said. I turned. I see him setting down three plastic bags filled with foods and drinks. The three of us remain silent and stare at Jackson.
"What? Are you guys okay?" he asked as he took of his jacket, frowning.
"Everything's... lovely." Robert said softly. His dark eyebrows twitched as he spoke and so did his eyes. We have the same level of sucking at telling people lies.
"Alright... I'm just gonna take a shower and we can all eat after. Don't forget to call the girls before I come out." He dug out clothes from his travel backpack.
"Okay," I don't know why waved. I have a serious problem with being to truthful.
As Jackson shuts the bathroom door, I throw another pillow, but this time at Robert, and it was ten times harder than Ace's. He somersaulted out of bed and we heard a loud thud. Loud enough to be heard next, next door.
"You really had to say 'lovely'?!" I scream at him.
He gets up and starting petting the floor, looking for his glasses.
"What? Can't take a joke?"
"Yeah, Jess," Ace still laughed. "He's right, ya know?"
"What's the big deal anyway? I had a crush on a Zip before and Jackson knew about it."
"Really? How'd it go?"
Robert slides in his glasses, they were crooked. "I, uh..." He looked up at the ceiling. "Well..."
"Tell me!" I hopped on the bed.
Ace answers for Robert, "He got kicked in the rib. Broke two 'em." Just like mine, but one more we'd be the same, I thought.
"So was that supposed to make me feel better?" I said angrily. I was also happy, but afraid too. No more broken ribs, I promise myself.
"I think so." Robert said. Ace slams his forehead into his wide palm in disagreement.
"No it was not!" I say loudly. Ace shook his head fell headfirst on the floor and moaned.
"We can get in trouble for this," he said, "by our best friend!"
"And the worst is that we would all have six matching broken ribs." I said.
I faceplanted on my bed, my face burning with heat.