The Hard Crush 1 (Feelings For You)

ONE

"Jerry!"

It was early in the morning when he woke up to someone shaking him roughly. He groaned and mumbled to himself, half asleep.

Trust Serena to pull him out of his slumber.
He mumbled again and then rolled over to the other side of the bed to put some distance between him and Serena's frantic attempts to revive him. Just when he thought she'd gone away, he suddenly felt a large amount of liquid - very cold liquid, being dropped on his back. He jerked fully awake and met his sister's gaze.

"Are you crazy?" He asked, getting up from the bed. A low growl escaped him as he approached his sister who quickly scurried down from his bed like a kitten trying to avoid the wrath of a dog.

"Mom said to wake you up,"she mumbled as she stepped back from his approach.

"Are you crazy?" He asked again, as if she hadn't said anything.

Before she could reply again, their eldest sister appeared at the door, fully dressed and ready for work.

"You're not ready?" She asked in disbelief with a frown. "I won't be late again because of you." She stomped off.

Last week Friday she'd gone late because he'd forgotten to set his alarm. Usually he woke up by six o'clock and then Emerald drops him off at school before heading to work. Last night, he'd gone to the club with his friends and had gone home late. He had probably forgotten to set his alarm again and he feared that Emerald might quit taking him to school in her car. Going to the club wasn't done on a regular. Actually he'd been dragged by his friends to check out the new club. He wasn't sure if he could join them another time because it was just the beginning of the semester and he couldn't afford to go late to class.

He turned to where Serena still stood by his door. "Get out," he told her and she scurried away without a word.

By the time he was done dressing, he went down to join the rest of the family in the big kitchen. Of course, everyone was there, well... except Conrad.

"Morning, mom." He walked to the fridge and took out an apple.

"Morning, dear," mom greeted back as she began frying some more pancakes. "Trust you had a wonderful rest."

"I did, until someone poured something on my back." He took a bite from his apple as he turned and glared at Serena from where she sat at the breakfast bar.

She shrieked and ran to her mother's side. "Mommy, look! Jerry's looking at me in that manner again."

"Jerry, don't look at her in that manner. I asked her to sprinkle some water on your face if you refused to get up—"

"Well, she didn't sprinkle—" he interjected

"And if she didn't sprinkle," mom continued as if he hadn't spoken, "then you should understand that she's a baby, and she's still a bit too young to—"

"Ugh," Jerry rolled his eyes. "She's ten. Ten isn't a baby."

"Okay! Enough with the family drama," Rachel interrupted from where she stood by the kitchen window. "My ride's here." She grabbed her bag and rushed to the door.

"Oh," mom turned to face her after putting off the cooker. "Is David here already?"

"Oh no, that's not David," she replied with a shrug. "We broke up. That's Bradley outside. He's the new guy." And with that she was out of the kitchen and out of the house.

Jerry rolled his eyes again. Trust Rachel to break up with a guy today and get a new guy tomorrow.

Serena ran to the window. "Mom, my bus isn't here yet," she said in disappointment as she walked back to the breakfast bar.