Wait... What?

Chapter 19

Chapter 19: The Art of Observation

"Morning sunshine!" a whisper sounds in my ear, it takes me a moment to process that I'm laying on the floor in Jillians room.

"Leave me be..." I grumble, pulling the cotton stuffed comforter over my head. Jill sighs and retreats around the corner, "Alright guys let's get breakfast started. Anyone want to try wake up duty?" I hear collective groans before Brandon pipes up, "I'll take a stab at it. Bryan you're on deck." "What an honor!" Bryan says sarcastically.

I listen as their steps fade as they troop up the stairs. I feel a thump as Brandon sits down by me where my hidden face would be. "You gonna get up?" He asks tearing the covers out of my death grip.

"No." I reply, a faint smile appears on my lips.

Brandon sighs. "You should smile more." He says, I open one eye to see him, he's staring at the wall across the room arms crossed across his chest brown hair disheveled.

"I don't smile." I reply, my lips twitch.

"You are right now."

"That doesn't count."

He looks down at my face and I quickly shut my eyes again.

"You're a really confusing person." He sighs.

I sit up, "yeah. I've been told that once or twice...." he looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "Ok maybe more than that." I laugh.

His eyes sparkle with amusement. "You're weird!" He laughs.

I stick my tongue out at him. "Well you're a... you're a poopy head!"

He stands up and reaches for my hand, I hesitate but eventually take the offer and stand.

He bends down to look into my eyes and places his hand on my cheek. I try to back away but I'm frozen in place. "We need to work on your insults." He breaths. I don't move.

After a tense few minutes he breaks my gaze. "Come on, I smell Jil's famous blueberry pancakes." Whatever feeling I had felt, whatever thoughts that had transpired snapped the tendrils floating upon the nonexistent breeze. I could have grabbed his arm, could have had him the way he wanted to have me but I didn't. I watched the tendrils turn to smoke and fade.

I walked up the stairs skipping one each time, more effective I always thought. When I walked into the kitchen Jil and Adam were laughing as they cooked pancakes, eggs, and sausage I could see them together in a few years with children playing in the other room... I always thought I'd have that life but my mind had always wandered. I walked into her bathroom and studied my reflection. I had hazel eyes, brown in the center the caramel streaked with chocolate the rim a deep vibrant green there seemed to be blue there too but I never really paid to much attention. My hair had grown some and was tangled from my night on the floor the red from my last dye was fading and I could see my natural hair reappearing in my roots. Mousey brown with thin strands of gold I studied the hairs the brown mixed with the gray that they so mercifully called "mousey" I thought of the prospector in the old Christmas classic Rudolf my hair was silver and gold. I was valuable.

I drug the brush through my hair and winced as it nicked my shoulder I would grow it back out, I decided I wanted it to create a curtain between me and my "admirers" I giggled aloud and washed my face. My freckles were always a point of admiration, how adorable they made me look in other words. Pale skin that always seemed cold to the touch covered my body I frowned this was as tan as I'd ever been.

"YO CORTNEY!" Calls Bryan so loudly from the kitchen I jump and squeal, which they clearly heard by the barely suppressed laughter. "HURRY UP IN THERE!"
"YEAH JIL WONT LET US EAT TIL YOURE OUT!" Yells Adam

I sigh and put down the brush, slip it back into my bag and pull on some pale, faded blue jeans and my black shirt with Green Day across the chest. "Can't you guys give a girl a break?" I grumble halfheartedly.

"Nope!" Says Bryan, I shoot him a glare and growl at him.

"You're really not a morning person are you?" Laughs Brandon, "Someone toss a monster over here! She needs a pick me up pretty bad!"

Adam tosses one toward Brandon but I sit up and snatch it out of the aid before he has a chance to catch it. The guys stifle laughter as Brandon gives me a wounded look, "but... I'm supposed to be the best catcher!" He whines.

"He's on the baseball team." Explains Adam quietly.

"You mean WAS on the baseball team. That was before he quit so that Samantha would go out with..." Brandon covers his mouth and glares at his twin "You were supposed to keep your mouth shut!" He growled, "Lick my hand all you want Bryan I'm not going to let yo- OW!!" He yanks his hand away and rubs the palm, "HE BIT ME!"

Jillian smacks the spatula down on the counter and turns around sharply, "BOYS! Seriously? This is no way to behave around our newest family member!" The boys look at the floor and then at each other, they all look guilty. "Now Bryan say sorry to your brother."

Bryan glares at his brother then grins mischievously, "Sorry Brandypoo! I wuv you!" He then gives Brandon a big kiss on the lips.

"BLECH!!!" Brandon yells back peddling away from his brother while I bust a gut laughing, "It's not funny!" He says turning to me and pushing out his lower lip to pout. Which only makes me laugh harder.

"I'm so sorry!!!" I wheeze between the snorts that plague my laugh. My laugh makes everyone else laugh and soon the kitchen is in an absolute uproar.

We are interrupted by the clearing of our mother figures throat. Jil is all business now, "ok well, now as we've done with each new member of the nerd cult for the past decade or so, we must. Interrogate. The new recruit." She grins slightly and points at me with her spatula.

"So? What should we ask first?" Bryan says mischievously and my throat tightens. This won't end well.

Hey guys! I know I haven't been updating as much as I should "how dare you!" Yeah yeah save it. I'm having issues staying out of trouble as well as figuring out which book should be my main focus. I would appreciate it if you'd VOTE for the book you want me to focus on (hint hint)

Ok second order of business.
Those who know me have been freaking the F out and so I will answer from frequently asked stuffs.
1) guys. BASED on a true story. Chill, it's not my day to day life. If you wanted to know about that you'd contact me.
2) the romance factor between Brandon and Cortney, guys. Come on. You know that this would be boring without it! Besides we all know that a certain person who's name starts with S is the only one for me.
3) I know the name changed from the first chapter, I've tried going back and fixing various typos but technology truly hates me.

Miss you guys tons.
~love from Ausrial6048