When Trouble Meets Trouble

[ C h a p t e r - F o u r t e e n ]

Chapter 14

“Van, open up, it’s your father," my dad knocked loudly. I opened the door with one shoe in my hand. He smiled at me while I slipped the shoe onto my foot.

“Yes, dad?” I asked as I stood up. Jeremiah inherited his height, around the six foot area while I inherited my mother’s fragile stature.

“I talked to that Jonah boy,” he told me with an approving smile. I furrowed my eyebrows, trying to play it innocent.

“What does that have to do with me?” I asked him and he smiled at me.

“Jeremiah told me you like this boy,” I groaned loudly, shaking my head as my hands buried themselves in my hair.

“Why does everyone believe everything Jeremiah says? He has the mentality of a six year old!” I asked him and he shrugged. “I have to go downstairs now or else mom will cut my legs off and make them for dinner," I told him as I stepped out of my room.

“As long as she fries them, I’m okay with it,” my dad joked and I rolled my eyes.

I walked down the stairs and saw Mere at the bottom, talking to my brother. I sighed, shaking my head as I walked over towards the tree. I placed Jonah’s gift under the it before turning around. My eyes met Jonah’s and he looked shocked. Did the wrapping paper start to peel? What if he recognized the bag?

“Savannah, hey,” he smiled.

I waved. “Hi, Jonah.”

“You look pretty," he complimented me and I felt my face warm up. I glared at the floor.

“Thanks, you look pretty, too,” I told him as he furrowed his eyebrows with a smile on his face. “I meant nice; you look nice.”

“You clean up nice," he nudged me and I glared at him, punching his shoulder. He stared at me, shocked for a moment before he laughed. “You hit like a girl!”

I punched him harder and he winced. “I’d like to retract my statement. Anyway, what’d you get for Christmas?”

I looked at him and shrugged. “I got some more clothes, a pair of shoes, a new headset, hair stuff, a new backpack, and some other stuff. What’d you get?”

“I got a new pair of shoes, a few new memory cards, more membership for XBOX 360, a new headset, and a few new games,” my eyes widened slightly at the latter part of the sentence. What if he’d gotten the game I’d gotten him already for Christmas?

“What games?” I asked him.

He shrugged. “A few games, sports games, really," he told me and I nodded. Thank goodness the game I got him wasn’t a sports game. I’d have to beat around the bush so badly that there wouldn’t be any bush to beat when I’d be done.

“Any games you wanted that you didn’t get?” I asked him and he nodded.

“The new STF game but I’ll get it eventually," he shrugged and I nodded, containing my smile.

“I have it," I smiled smugly and he glared at me. “Christmas gift from Ms. Antoinette; it’s one of the many perks of working at a video game store.”

“Yeah, I saw it there," he nodded.

“I’d invite you to play it but one, it’d be rude to just up and leave the party and two, my mother and father wouldn’t approve of me being alone in my room with a guy,” I shrugged.  

He laughed and I smiled before curiously looking at him. “Did you meet my brother yet?”

He nodded his head. “Yeah, when I came inside, your mother was yelling at him to come inside and get ready,” he shrugged while I nodded.