I'm In Love With Me?

Chapter 26

I really couldn't remember how we got to this. I was a tad bit confused as to what exactly was expected from this gathering. Was I nervous? Yes. Did I found it a bit awkward. Of course.

Why was Isa, Keeva, Dylan and Caspien sitting around a dinner table with aunt Jackie and my mom. I stood in the doorway of the dining room, staring at them. "What is going on here?" I asked, more to aunt Jackie and my mom.

"Well honey, they all visited me at the hospital so I decided to treat them. Plus, after all Jayce did, this is my way of thanking him."

"I could have found a way to thank him myself you know? On behalf of you. You didn't have to do all this." I motioned to the room which had a long rectangular dinner table with lit candles and platters of food on display. After school today, when we all left to return home, I didn't think they would be going at my house. No one told me!

"And how exactly were you planning on doing that?" Caspien piped up and I narrowed my eyes at him. He sounded rather innocent when saying it but I knew that all too familiar suggestive voice that came out ever so rarely.

Dylan cleared his throat while Isa and Keeva shared an amused look. Mom was too busy trying to fix the table cloth and aunt Jackie was grinning. I shut my eyes for a split second before opening them again. "Honey, I'd rather thank him myself. Although you young people have other methods of doing that, I think this would work." Dylan choked on his water and Isa tapped his back repeatedly. Caspien was trying not to smile but was failing miserably. My eyes were huge as saucers and aunt Jackie shook her head with a grin. "Did I say something wrong? You guys are acting weird." Mom said, innocently. I was embarrassed for me.

"We're good, Mrs. Adams." Caspien answered and everyone nodded.

"Okay then, let's begin. Lenna take a seat." There were two open seats. Unluckily for me, those two seats had to be near Caspien and Dylan. You've got to be kidding me. Dylan motioned for me to sit next to him and I glanced at Caspien who was taking a sip of his champagne. His eyes were glued onto mine as if daring me to sit next to Dylan.

I cleared my throat and plopped down in the seat next to Dylan. Dylan smiled brightly at me and I did the same. The further I was away from Caspien, the better. I had to try putting distance between us from now. It also didn't help that Caspien was leading me on too. That much I could see. This was a game to him. A game I hoped to win.

So as we were all seated, we began to eat. In a clockwise direction, Caspien sat on the left of Keeva who was sitting next to Isa. Dylan was sitting in the middle of Isa and I. Then there was my mom next to me and next to her aunt Jackie and that empty seat adjacent to her.

I piled mash potato onto my plate as everyone else did the same with other dishes. Aunt Jackie really over did herself with the cooking. So many different food were on display. "So Jayce, do you live close by?" My aunt asked and I quickly looked at Caspien. He paused and looked up at aunt Jackie.

"I live closer to out of town." He answered and everyone nodded except me. I hoped this didn't turn into an interrogation.

"Did you move here with your parents? Come to think of it, I'd never seen any new faces around this town except yours." I gently placed my folk on my plate, turning to my mom.

"Mom, could you not turn this into some kind of interrogation. Please." I rolled my eyes and she shrugged. I was afraid they would see right through Caspien's lies.

"I'm just curious, honey." She replied and Dylan piped up too.

"Yeah, I'm curious too. We know nothing about our good friend Jayce over here." I gave Dylan a look and he ignored me. "I wonder sometimes." Caspien's eyes were shooting broken glass at Dylan's head as his jaws clenched. He looked pissed. Still, he contained himself.