Chapter Seven
It’s late in the morning, mid afternoon time when the door bell rings.
“Morning,” I look up; literally look upwards at this towering man, and gasp, “Charlie.”
“Cassie.” He remembers. I stand and stare. And remember.
“Charlie!” A voice booms from behind me, pulling us both back down to earth. I turn to see my brother walking up to the front door.
“Jon!” The two hug and greet each other like long-lost brothers, rather than just good friends.
“Jonah, you never mentioned you knew,” I gaze up at Charles Wilde, who is still standing at the doorway waiting to be invited in, and overlooking over my 5’5 frame, “Charles.”
“Sure. We go back.”
“Oh, Jon, is this your sister?” He asks innocently, as he walks in and closes the door behind him, “She’s cute.” He comments, as I scoff. Oh please. They’re heading for the living room now, and I know it’s only a matter of time before the sound of guns, zombies and frustration fills the house.
“Yes, this is Cassie.” He introduces me to someone I already know, very well. I smile at him, anyway, through gritted teeth and he smiles back with Hollywood whites.
“Well, I’ll be upstairs.” I say, making my exit and leaving them to do whatever grown boys do.
A couple of hour later, I come back downstairs. Charlie is relaxed, legs and arms spread wide on a sofa like he’s right at home and the game is paused, so I’m thinking that they must be on a food break. I discover I’m right as I wonder into the kitchen to find Jonah rustling through a cupboard.
“Hey,”
He stands upright and turns around, holding a packet of cookies, “Oh Cass, it’s you.”
“What, did I scare you?”
“No.” He slides the kitchen door shut, and even though it’s glass & we can see Charles sitting comfy on the sofa, it’s soundproof from here on out,
“So did you want something?” He opens the cookie packet and I’m surprised to see that the cookies are about the size of my head.
He takes a giant bite as I respond, “You’re like a giant five year old, you know that? Like this huge playground toddler.” I emphasize.
“I know.”
“So when are we hitting the road?”
“Soon – we should leave before it gets dark.”
“Why, you scared?”
“No. Why does everything have to be about me being scared? I’m not scared of a lot, Cass.”
“Oh, that’s right. Just SPIDERS!” I yell and he jumps.
“Don’t do that...I’m not scared of sp-, them,” He corrects like they’re another species of another planet altogether, “I just don’t like ‘em, that’s all.”
“Wimp.”
“Arizonni.”
“Oh my gosh - let it go.”
“No problem, ‘Zonni.”
“Shouldn’t you be packing?”
“Oh, Charlie did all of ours.”
“Mine and yours?” I clarify.
“Mine and his.” He corrects.
“What do you mean? He’s not coming...” I give Jonah a look when I notice the seriousness in his expression, “He’s coming.” I finally realise.
“Of course.”
“Of course?” I sigh, “Did you listen in school at all? You know that word ‘secret’ – it translates to keep your mouth shut and keep your eyes down, in about thirty thousand different languages! I mean, Charlie; what is this, your way of ‘coming out’? He’s practically-”
“My brother.” He finishes.
“Charles Wilde? Your brother?”
“I trust him. So trust me.”
“Oh, my God...” I make a loud sigh out of the sheer frustration Jonah had put me in and rub my fingers into my cheeks, just like I’m massaging the skin, something I do when I’m nervous I’m told.
“Look, let’s not get into this. Can I trust him?”
“Yes. I promise.” I sigh loudly again.
I slide open the door and head to the living room, where Charles has now started the game without Jonah.
“And I’m not gay!” He calls after me, only just realising what I’d implied earlier.
“Sure you are!” Charles replies for me, with a chuckle, “Now get over here – I’m about to make you my bitch.”
YOU ARE READING
Shh - Eyes Down, Mouth Shut.
RomanceEveryone has secrets. We treasure them, we keep them, we treat them like our nearest and dearest - our prize possesions. It's what you do when they come out that counts. And it's how you try to stop that from EVER happening. Especially when they're...
