Small-Town

Engagements

"Claire!" Aspen yells from downstairs. 

I roll my eyes and grab my phone. 

I walk downstairs and smile at Aspen. 

"Amazingly dressed as always" I smile. 

She was wearing a light blue dress paired with matching heels. 

We were driving a hour away for this dinner. 

The food better be worth it. 

I was wearing a dark red dress, that went down to my knees paired with red converse.

Did I care about this dinner? 

Nope. 

Was I going just for the food? 

You know it. 

"Lets go! We are going to be late!" Aspen yells. 

"Don't worry Penny, Carlos is probably going to be late anyway" I laugh. 

"Yeah... I guess you're right" Aspen sighs. 

Finally my mom and dad come down the stairs all dressed up. 

"Okay, lets go" Aspen says, handing my mom her purse and my dad his wallet and phone. 

We all walk out to my moms car, since Aspen said we weren't allowed to take my dads truck, and we all climbed in. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About 20 minutes into the ride Aspen decided to start questioning me. 

She asked about school and cheer and then brought up the one question I didn't want to hear.....

"What's up with you and Jacob?" 

I roll my eyes. 

"Nothing is up" I snap. 

"Mhm, why did you come home wearing his hoodie the other night then?" She asks. 

"How do you know it was his?" I ask. 

"Because it was a guys hoodie and you were wearing a t-shirt before you went over there" Aspen explains. 

I sigh. 

"Nothings going on between us, I don't even like him, I think he's annoying if anything" I explain. 

"Yeah sure, you're just stubborn" Aspen scoffs.

There's that word again. 

Stubborn. 

Everybody thinks I'm stubborn. 

I wasn't always this way. 

And then Ryland died. 

Ryland and I were always close. 

When he passed away I hated thinking about it. 

So I admit, it's hard to be emotionally attached to anybody. 

I've been asked out many times by guys at school. 

I turn them down every time in fear about getting attached. 

My first heartbreak wasn't even from a boyfriend, it was from my brother. 

Heartbreaks can come from family too. 

"We're here" My mom says, pulling into a parking lot. 

I get out of the car right away, feeling like I was being suffocated. 

I take a few deep breaths before being picked up from behind. 

"Hey girly, you okay?" 

Carlos. 

"Y-yeah I'm fine" I smile.

"You sure, you look a little pale" He frowns. 

"Trust me, I'm okay" I reassure. 

He gives me a worried look before turning a little. 

"These are my parents, Moms, this is Claire, Aspens little sister" Carlos says. 

Carlos has two moms. 

I remember hearing about them. 

He was adopted by them when he was 5. 

I've only heard stories about them. 

"Hi, I'm Whitney" The woman with Blonde hair smiles "And this is my wife Rayne" 

I smile at the couple. 

Carlos introduces my parents and then we all head inside. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I tell you, this was the worst dinner I had ever been too, believe me. 

Because it was boring. 

Like to the point where I wanted to bash my head into a wall. 

"Okay, um before we go I actually have something to say" Carlos says "First, happy anniversary Aspen, I love you so much, and I think this will prove it" 

Oh no. 

You're kidding. 

"Aspen, will you make me the happiest man on earth...and marry me?" Carlos asks, getting down on one knee and opening a small box. 

I literally would take the ring and run because damn that ring it pretty. 

Aspen gasps and of course says yes. 

Yay, Barf. 

They hug and kiss, and all I think about is how I'm going to sleep tonight because their room is right next to mine. 

Wink. 

 Sorry I had too. 

"Aw congrats" I smile. 

Okay, good enough right? 

Me pretending to care is fun. 

Me being replaced is fun too. 

...

huh.