Hold Tight (Phan Adoption)

Chapter Thirteen

Waverly's POV

Meeting new people has never bothered me. Talking, talking is what bothers me. Meeting someone as valued as one of my "grandparents" is even worse. I froze up when Dan's mum greeted Lion and I at the door. I tried my best to be likable, but as soon as she looked me up and down I just knew. Her thoughts were written across the brown eyes in her head when I said hello. And now I sit here in the guest room. Alone, upset, and unwelcome. Daddy told me to text him if I needed anything, but I don't think that applied to needing to go home. I want to go home, I can't just sit here all night and worry about why Mrs Howell doesn't like me.

I scroll through Instagram and sigh at the sudden lack of new content, where's hampsterficmephil when you need her? The door creaks open with a knock. I look up to find a young boy who's features are fairly similar to Dan's. His thick eyelashes bat as he stares at me with a sweet smile.

"You uh.. you must be Waverly?" His smile brightens a bit before stepping in towards the foot of the bed.

"Yeah, that's me.." I say a little awkwardly and scrunch my eyebrows at this unidentified teenager.

"I'm Alistair, Dan's younger brother. You can just call me Ali, that's what everyone else calls me. Mum said you were coming, I didn't even hear you come up the stairs." Daddy never told me he had a brother. He hardly even talks about his parents. Why am I even here?

"Well, I would've said hi if I knew you existed before now." I laugh a little. Oh that was awkward. Why did I say that? "I mean uh.. Dad- uh. Dan, he never mentioned you. And you're mum didn't seem to thrilled to see me."

"I didn't think she would be, if you want to know the truth I can tell you." Ali fixes his hair out of his eyes and sits in a chair in the corner of the room.

"What truth?" I say with an accidental rude tone. I sit back against the small headboard and look at him questioningly.

"Well, basically erm.." He scratches his neck and begins to look a bit guilty. "My mum wasn't on board with my brother adopting a child so soon, or at all. She loves Phil but she kept going on about how they should get a woman to carry a baby for them instead of adopting an orphan. Please don't take it personally, I mean Dan tells me that you are the best thing that's ever happened to him. I think he failed to tell you about me because of the whole 'showing off his kid' thing. He's knew to this whole parenting thing.."

"Yeah, they both are.." My feelings are hurt about Dan's mum not liking me, but Dan likes me so I guess that's what really matters? "I don't know what all he's told you about me.."

"Nothing personal, I swear. I just want to let you know that if you need a friend I'm here though, he told me you have some anxiety problems. He did too when he was a teenager, still does." Ali's voice is so soothing, comforting almost. I smile at his offer and nod, he's so sweet to keep me company.

"I could use a friend sometime. Ya know, one that doesn't live with me." I bite my lip and look down as he chuckles.

"I thought so. How is living with them by the way?" Ali's crosses his legs, I can tell he's gonna be in here a while. Not that I mind, I would like to get to know him.

"It's great, beats the hell out of that orphanage. We've had some struggles but that's mainly because of me. I don't know how to like.. I don't know its hard to explain." I play with the hem of my sleeve and try to figure out how to use my words.

"You don't know how to..?" He purses his lips and gives me a sympathetic look. He must really want to figure me out.

"Its like uh.." I sigh, beginning to think. "Its kinda like when you see a cat on the street. You go to pet it and it backs up. Its never been shown attention so it doesn't know how to handle contact. With me, I guess I've never had anyone care about how I view myself or what happens to me. Dan and Phil, they smother me with love. It's amazing, I love it. At first I was just overwhelming and new."