Believe Me, I'm Lying

Chapter 7- Processing.....

I sat on the couch of Kat's living room.  I was still trying process what had happened. I tried to shake the thoughts that were racing through my mind. I have two new sisters and a whole entire bunch of family shit going on as if it wasn't enough already, now this.

I tried to calm down my heavy breathing, and I sat up.

"Kat, are you as freaked out as I am?"

"Uh.... I'm not sure."

"I just need to, like, crawl into a corner and die."

"Same. Here."

"Let's go, maybe work will take your mind off of everything and you can figure stuff out."

"You're probably right," I stood up and took Katlin from her baby einstein, and Kat turned off the t.v.

We walked down to the main streets, and crossed to open the restaurant. Kat told me that I would take care of Katlin until nine, then I would take the last three hour shift.

$**$**$

About four hours later, I was wiping down some tables while Kat was in the back, taking care of 'our' little sister.

Nothing really eventful happened that night other than us watching Katlin at the restaurant and falling asleep.

$**$**$

I was back in L.A. and I missed Kat already. Although I was glad to be home. I got off my plane, and dragged my suitcase and backpack out to the passenger loading zone only to my surprise, to find not my brother's Dodge Neon, but a familiar bright red Volkswagen slug bug. It was Jase's car, but I still laughed every time I ever saw it. That clown car always made me laugh, and to my surprise I was a bit more calm now that I had a full hour and a half to process what had happened the day before so I was more level headed now.

Jase got out of the car and said,"Well, how'd the pity party go?"

"Excuse me? We did not have a pity party, we had fun."

"Without me? I highly doubt that."

"Ten days, Jase. Get real."

"Fine, fine. But I still intend on getting to know you better, Fall Out Girl," a smirk play on his lips.

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"First of all, what else besides cliche annoys you," he said his playful smirk still in place.

"Uhh... Let me think... You?"

"Aww, you know you secretly love me."

"You, and your devilish smirk, and your stupid hair, and your piercings, and your iconic blue eyes, I love them all. Happy? Because you're annoying as hell."

He reached over from the driver's seat and messed my wavy hair. I scowled at his remark, and he chuckled at my reaction. I just rolled my eyes and looked out the window. I was just thinking about what if Ethan knew about mom? I came to sudden realization and the 'what if' question replayed in my head over, and over. I felt my eyes well up with tears and I remembered I was in Jase's car with Jase. I was supposed to give him the impression of a tough girl, not a little innocent little sister. I was better than that. I let the tears fall as I pulled my knees to my chest and started to cry almost silently. I cried for about a minute before Jase looked over at me.

"Tyler, what happened."

"Oh, like you'd know."

"Really? Because I know you're crying. Did it ever occur to you that I have problems too? Or that I know you have a soul and feelings? And I don't think of you as a little sister?"

"What?"

"It's cheesy, just let it go."

"If I could, I would. You think it's easy having three new families? Well, it's not exactly the Brady Bunch. My mom went and remarried to my best friend's dad and had a kid, then didn't think to tell me anything about it at all and my brother knew about it but didn't tell me, and you don't think that hurts!?" By this time, I was yelling and I could see how pissed off Jase was.

He swerved over to the side of the freeway, and stopped thecar completely.

"I do know how it feels to have a shitty and fucked up family! My life has never been all happiness and all that shit." His expression calmed. My eyes were wide, but all I did was sit there in the front seat of the read slug bug, wide eyed like a child at the one boy who thought he knew what I was going through.

He turned back to the wheel and started up the car again. As he drove down the freeway, it was intensely quiet, and it stayed that way. I didn't want too say anything that could distract him from his thoughts and driving, but I had no clue what made me do what I did. I slid my hand into his free hand on the middle arm-rest that was separating our two seats. I was hesitant at first when his hand just lingered there for a short awkward moment, then he itertwined his fingers with mine, and I think both of us were a little more than surprised at both of our actions.

$**$**$

Jase parked his car in one of the parking spaces at my apartment building, and got out - walking me to my apartment. He was still holding my hand which made me wonder why he grabbed it back. To be nice? To not be awkward? Does he have feelings for me? I shook the thoughts from my mind.

"Thanks. For... everything," I said.

"Yeah, sure."

This was getting awkward.....

"My brother's at work - want to hang out?"

"Uhm... I don't know... I-" he stopped. I looked at him. "No, I gotta get home. I'll see you in school." He scratched the back of his head, and left down the stairs.

I shrugged and walked through the door. It didn't effect me that he said no. It didn't effect me. It didn't effect me.

I kept telling myself that as I threw my clothes into a hamper and got into my bed. I pulled out my phone and turned off airplane mode, and I saw that I got a text. From. Jase. What the heck?

I opened it and kept an open mind.

Jase:

hey open ur window.

I looked up from my phone screen, then screamed bloody murder. Jase was at my window again, and I sighed in relief.

I walked over to my window and opened it.

"You scared the bloody hell out of me."

"I changed my mind didn't I?" He smirked.