Being in love with a straight boy is a straight-up nightmare. Especially if it's been like that for years. But it's even worse when he's your best friend's brother, who has a girlfriend that's there to remind you how straight he is. That's when it b...
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Tessa had some sort of contest going on at the salon. She'd all but taken over her aunt's business since the last time I visited, and when I walked in, Mason and Jackson in tow, she was behind the counter, facing a line that stretched all the way to the entrance. When she spotted me, she called me over and said, "I have regrets."
"It was your own idea."
Jackson frowned at all the people—mostly women—waiting in line and asked, "What'd you promise them again?"
"Two years of free haircuts for the one who can guess how many beans are in this jar," she sighed, waving at the glass jar, which was filled to the brim with white beans. She then leaned close to whisper, "I haven't even counted them yet."
"Nice," he snickered. "Can I make a guess, too?"
"Yeah, sure. Just, uh... get in line. I don't wanna get any angry customers," she replied, glancing at the woman who was waiting for her turn at the front of the line, impatiently tapping her foot and making a show out of checking her watch.
Jackson grumbled something under his breath, but then walked to the back of the line, and Mason followed him while I stayed by the counter. Tessa turned to the woman and started writing down her information and the estimated number of beans, but when the next customer took her place, Tessa asked me, "Do you guys want a haircut or did you only come to watch me suffer? I have a free spot in twenty minutes."
"Yes, actually," I replied as I ran a hand through my hair. "It grows so quickly."
"Alright. There you go." She wrote down my name in the empty spot. "What about Mason? And—"
"Kenny!"
I turned around in surprise at the sound of my little sister's voice and saw her running up to me. When she reached me, she tightly wrapped her arms around my waist and I returned the hug with a chuckle, while Tessa asked, "Hey, Emilia, are you gonna guess how many beans are in the jar, too?"
"Yeah, I think I have a pretty good guess."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll win. You're much smarter than your brother," she said, winking at her, to which I rolled my eyes. "Go join your mother and I'll write down your name when it's your turn."
She nodded and walked back to the end of the line, where my mother was chatting with Jackson and Mason, and I felt my heart drop at the sudden realization that I—
"Oh, my God."
"What?" Tessa asked.
"My mom doesn't know that Mason is my boyfriend."
"What?!" she screeched. "I didn't even know! When were you gonna tell me?"
"Ah... today?"
"Excuse me," said the woman in front of the line, calling for our attention. "I kinda have to be somewhere."
