Book 1: Beyond Me and You

Saturdays

Saturdays. They're honestly the best days since you don't have to worry about going back to school, that's all left for Sundays. Saturdays are meant to be the days on which you can sleep in and then go party at night. But Dean apparently doesn't understand the part where we can sleep in. It hadn't even hit ten in the morning and he was already knocking on my room door. Each knock made me head throb in pain. 

"Stop!" I yell as I cover my head with my pillow. The knocking stopped and for once, I felt at peace. Or at least that's what I thought. 

"Larkin! Get up!" Dean yells from the other side of the door. 

"What do you want Dean?" I ask annoyed and hoping he would leave soon. 

"Remember how you said you were going to my next game? Well, thats today and you have hour to get ready so hurry" 

I had completely forgotten about my promise to Dean. I had been so preoccupied with finishing college applications, hanging out with Nathan, and keeping up with homework that I had let my promise slip out of my mind. Without wasting anymore time I go into my bathroom and begin to get ready. 

It doesn't take long before I join everyone downstairs in the kitchen where breakfast has already been served. Dean is just drinking an apple juice while Kayla and dad are sitting at the table enjoying some French toast and pancakes. 

"Hi" I say as I grab a piece of French toast. "Sorry I took so long" I say to Dean as I lean against the counter next to him. 

"It's alright. We still have a little bit of time to spare before we have to leave" he says calmly. Kayla and dad spend the rest of breakfast making plans for the wedding. It's crazy to think that in a few months we'll be a family. "Let's go" Dean says as he grabs his jacket and walks out the door. I do the same and follow closely behind him. 

Once in his car, we wait for it to warm up. The silence is a bit awkward. Dean and I haven't spent a lot of time together lately and this game is suppose to make up for that. But it make this any less awkward. 

"So Dean" I say awkwardly. "How have you been?"

"I've been good" he responds while keeping his attention on his phone. 

"Okay time to be honest. I have a question and I want you to answer it" I say as I turn in the seat to face him. The seriousness in my voice causes him to put his phone down and direct his attention towards me. "What do you think about Vivian?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Well..she's nice but-"

"But what?" 

"Larkin I don't want to have this conversation with you." He looks away and grabs onto the steering wheel. 

"Why? Because I'm not one of the 'guys'? C'mon, we're going to be brother and sister in a few months-"

"Larkin please!" He yells in frustration. I'm in shock at his sudden outburst that makes me wish I was a turtle that can hide in it's shell. Dean turns to look at me and his face soften when he notices how shocked I am. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you-"

"It's fine."

"Lark I just don't think you should be meddling with my love life when you need to deal with yours first"

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask. My defensive mode has been switched on and it never leads to anything good. 

"Well, Nathan isn't the best guy and he seems to be hiding something. I say you get to know him better before you come trying to find someone for me"

"I know Nathan okay!" I yell out in anger. He's insinuating that Nathan is keeping something from me and the anger built up inside of me poured out like a shaken soda bottle. "Sorry for caring." Is all I say before I get out of the car and walk back into the house. Slamming the door behind me causes dad and Kayla to come running towards the front door. 

"What happened?" Dad asks worried. 

"I thought and Dean were going to his game?" Kayla asks as he holds onto dad's arm. 

"UGH!!!" I yell out frustration with everyone and everything. I go up to my room and slam the door shut. 

All I wanted to do was help Vivian and help Dean figure out that there is a girl right in front of him and all he had to do was actually look at her for once. Was he right? Do I not know Nathan well enough? Is Nathan hiding something from me?

I let all of what Dean say get into my head and now I find myself overwhelmed by my thoughts. Dad and Kayla knock on my room door every so often but it all sounds muffled. It all sounds as if I'm underwater as they try to talk to me but I can't hear them clearly enough to respond. Time passes and my phone begins to vibrate due to incoming calls. It lights up and I see Nathan's name appear on my screen. My heart skips a beat and I quickly answer. 

"Hey" he says with his usual soft tone. 

"Hi"

"Vivian told me you rent responding to her texts...is everything okay?" His voice is dripping with worry. 

"Yeah everything is fine.." my voice trails off towards the end of the sentence and there is this silence between that leaves me uneasy. "Nathan?" 

"Woah. You must be serious, you call me Nathan" he says trying to laugh off how nervous he is. "What's up?"

"If you had a secret..would you tell me?"

The silence on his side of the phone causes my heart to race. This was it. This moment was going to let me know whether Dean was right or whether he was just making me question my relationship. 

"Of course-" he says with a serious tone. A sudden noise in the background causes him to stop before he can finish his sentence. "I have to go, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye"

"Bye." Was all I said before he hung up. 

As soon as the call ended I can hear Dean's car pull up in front of the house. Maybe it's best if I give him space. I shouldn't of tried to force anything on him, I need to learn when to meddle and when not to meddle.