Mixed Up

3

   "I'm home!" yelled a voice from downstairs.
   "I guess your daddy finally home," laughed Tiana.
   "What a surprise. His careless-self probably woke my mom up," Brady said annoyed while looking down at his phone.
   Tiana laughed, grabbed Brady's arm, and dragged him off of his bed. She told him, "Come on, lazy bones. I gotta grab some things at my house before the party. And I gotta change my clothes."
   "Do we have to go downstairs? Can't we just sneak out of the window or somethin'?"
   "Oh come on, Brady. I know you hate your daddy and all, but don't you wanna say goodbye to your momma?"
  Brady sighed, rolled his eyes, and nodded his head yes.

* * *

   When the two of them walked down stairs Brady watched his father kiss his mother on the forehead. He sarcastically laughed and rolled his eyes.
   "Hey, son," his father said to him with an innocent smile.
   Brady angrily gestured a "what's up" to him and then started to ignore that he was even in the room.
   "Hey, Tiana," his father continued with a sigh at Brady's rudeness. Tiana had a nervous smile on her face and responded to him, "Hey, Mr. Thompson. How are y--"
   "Hey, mom. Ti and I are gonna head out, okay?" Brady said interrupting Tiana.
   "And where are you going?" asked Mr. Thompson firmly.
   "Just a party, honey," said Mrs. Thompson.
   "A party? You're leaving? Don't you remember that your mother is sick?"
   "Uh yeah, dad. I'm aware of that." snapped Brady to Mr. Thompson.
   "I gave him permission to go, Fred," Brady's mom said to his dad trying to calm the situation.
   "While you're still sick, Darla?" Mr. Thompson said to her concerned.
   "Oh cut the bullshit, dad," said Brady irritated. "Don't try to act like you care all of a sudden all because you know mom is dying--."
   "Brady, stop it!" interrupted Mrs. Thompson firmly. She then started coughing again.
   "Watch it, boy," threatened Mr. Thompson to Brady.
   "Fred!" she shouted to her husband through her coughs.
   "Or what?" Brady threatened back to his dad.
   "Or I wi--"
   "Brady . . . ," pleaded Mrs. Thompson trying to keep the peace, "Just go, hun. Just . . . go."
    Brady breathed heavily and looked at his poor mother cough constantly. Then, he glanced at a terrified Tiana. She looked like she was about to cry. To calm her down, he grabbed her tense hand and said, "Come on, Ti. We've got a party to get to."
   Mr. Thompson glared at Brady. As Brady did the same to him. He told his father, "If I come home, and you're not here, like always, I know that I made mistake leaving her with you." Then, still holding Tiana's hand, Brady kissed his mother goodbye, shoved his father out of his and Tiana's way, and left slamming the door behind them.
   "Brady . . ." Tiana said pulling his hand back with hers in order to stop him.
   "Don't, Tiana . . . Please . . . ," He told her firmly while looking down at the ground. He felt her concerned eyes staring up at him, but he didn't look down at her. He felt embarrassed . . . scared . . . worried. He stared off at Tiana's house across the street while still holding her hand tightly. "Let's just get out of here," he said and lead them both to his car.

* * *

   "Okay, how does this look?" Tiana said to Brady as she walked back into her bedroom. He took a good look at her and smirked. She was wearing some yellow denim shorts, a white floral tank top, and a baby blue denim jacket. You could also see her yellow bathing suit straps wrapped around the back of her neck.
   "Isn't that like the fifth outfit you've tried on?" joked Brady looking her up and down.
   Tiana rolled her eyes and said, "No, it's the 6th one," she sighed, "Just tell me if I look good in this or not?"
   "Ti," sighed Brady with a smile, "I think you look good in anything . . . and I mean that in the most non-weird way possible."
   "Sure you do . . . ," Tiana sarcastically said, playfully winking at him.

   "Anyways," Brady said clearing his throat, "You ready to go yet? It's six fourty-five. Doesn't it start at seven?"
   "Since when you so eager to go to a party?" Tiana said moving closer to Brady.
   "Since I realized how pissed you get when your late to something."
   Tiana plopped down on Brady's lap and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She said, "Oh, Brady . . . You know me too well, don't you?"
   "Yeah . . . I do. Which is exactly why we should go," he laughed.
   "Ugh. Fine," she said getting up from his lap, "I guess I'll wear this."
   "Fine," he smiled playfully.
   "Good," she smirked back.
   "Good," he said smiling and looking down at her cute smirk. "You ready to go now?"
   "Yeah, come on," Tiana laughed taking his hand, dragging him off of his chair, and leading him down the stairs.

   "Daddy, we are headin' out!" shouted Tiana while coming down with Brady's hand still in hers.
   "Oh, so you guys are finally going somewhere as a couple, huh?" Mr. Jones said looking at the two of them holding hands.
   "What you talking about, daddy?" Tiana said confused.
   "The hands . . ."
   Both Tiana and Brady looked at their hands holding and blushed. Then they quickly pulled away from eachother while walking down the rest of the stairs.
   "No, daddy," laughed Tiana nervously, "we just goin' as friends."
   "Yeah, just friends, Mr. J." Brady laughed to Mr. Jones while following Tiana towards the door.
   "Mmmm hum . . . Well just make sure you keep my daughter safe, Mr. Brady," laughed Mr. Jones, but then he looked at him firmly.
   "Will do, si--"
   "Let's go, Brady Bunch. Don't wanna be late," Tiana interrupted him while dragging him out the door. "Bye, daddy," she kissed him goodbye. "Tell Jamie I said goodnight. Love you."
   "Okay baby girl . . . I love you too. You two have fun!"
   Tiana grinned and rushed out of the door with Brady following and shutting it behind them.

* * *

   "And we are finally here, boy!" exclaimed Tiana with excitement as she and Brady get out of Brady's car. Brady laughed at how eager she was.
   "Come on, slow poke!" she said grabbing his cold hand.
   "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" Brady laughed.
   Tiana looked down at Brady's hand with concern. She asked, "Why is your hand so cold and it's so hot outside. You sick or somethin'?" They walked themselves to the front door and then rang the doorbell.
   "I don't know . . . I don't feel cold. I don't feel sick either."
   Tiana looked at him with disbelief. And said, "Mmmhum. Oka--"
   "Hey y'all! Glad y'all could make it! Come on in!" interrupted a tall redheaded girl who answered the door.
   "Hey Lauren! I can't believe your parents even let you throw this joint." Tiana said to the girl as she and Brady let themselves in.
   "Yeah," laughed Lauren, "they are actually out of town, so they said I could throw a little back to school party."
Then Lauren lead Brady and Tiana to the backyard door where the party was being held. There were wild teenagers everywhere, almost overcrowding Lauren's enormous backyard.
   "A 'little' back to school party?" Tiana joked to Lauren.
   "Okay, I might have told my parents that I'd only invite a few friends over . . . or a few . . . hundred. Same difference," laughed Lauren. She looked at Tiana laughing and Brady only half-smiling. She nervously said to him with a huge smile, "H--hey, Brady. Haven't seen you all Summer . . ."
   "Yeah . . . sup, Lauren," said Brady barely smiling back. You could tell he didn't want to be here.
   "How's your mom?" Lauren continued.
   "She's fine I guess . . ."
   "That's good . . ."
   "Yeah . . ."
   "Yeah . . ."
   Tiana noticed the awkward silence between the two and the way Lauren looked at him. She looked so mesmerized while he just looked uncomfortable. Tiana smirked and said, "Well, um . . . to save you two from this misery, we should all probably head out to the backyard now." Then she eagerly grabbed both of their hands and pulled them both outside.
   Lauren noticed how Brady laughed at Tiana's excitement. She felt really confused about their relationship and decided to leave the two of them alone. "Um. . . ," she said, "I'm going to go see how everyone is holdin' up here. . . I'll catch you guys later."
   "Oh okay girl . . . See you later. . .," Tiana trailed off saying as she and Brady watched Lauren scurry off. Then, she looked up at Brady with her big brown eyes and his bright blue eyes looked back down at her.
   "What?" he asked her over the loud trap music.
   "You know she likes you, right?"
   "Who?"
   "Lauren, stupid." She yelled shoving him.
   "What do you mean?"
   "I mean, she want her some Brady!" she laughed.
   "Lauren and I are just friends, Ti."
   "Mmmmhum . . . she know that?"
   "I don't know . . . But all I know is that I don't see her in that way!"
   "Geeeez, Brady. You're eighteen years old. When you ever gonna get a girlfriend?"
   "I don't know, kid. Maybe when your finally old enough to get a boyfriend," he joked.
   "Shut it, boy. And don't call me no kid. You only are older by one year," she said punching him in the shoulder playfully.
   "Whatever, kid," he laughed rubbing his shoulder.
   "Anyways moron, you coming to mingle?"
   "Nah. I'm just gonna sit back and watch you to make sure that you don't screw up."
   "Ugh. You're so boring, you know that?"
   "And yet your still hanging out with me."
   Tiana rolled her eyes at him and smiled. Then, she started to walk away backwards. "Whatever, loser. I'll see you whenever," she teased as her voice became drowned out from the music. Brady laughed as he watched her turn herself around and walk forward. He stared at the back of her fluffy, black, and curly hair as it bounced away until he could barely see it through the loud, chaotic crowd.