The Life Of A Crazy Girl And Her 10 Brothers

Caught Again?

Looking back on it, I should've known. Why was my light on? Why did I think Seth wouldn't be waiting for me? Why didn't I expect it? Luck, that bitch, had never did me any favors.

I considered jumping out of the window for a split second, but shied away from the thought of broken legs. I won't look good in casts.

He was sitting on my mess of a floor, leaning against my bed, arms crossed.

Looking everywhere but him, I pulled my shoes off. "Hey Seth," I said, uncertainty clear in my voice as I tried to play off the fact that I just came in through the window to avoid him. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't play dumb. You said we were meeting today."

"And we are. Right now."

"You said after school."

"Is this not after school?"

He scowled. "Didn't you just come in through the window to avoid meeting me downstairs?"

I winced. Years of being around Seth had given him good insight on my habits. "Maybe."

I wanted to collapse on my bed, but I didn't want to have to edge past Seth so I cleared a space on the floor and sat across from him.

He looked me over before sighing. "What happened?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"I assume you have a reason for not following through or was this just done out of spite?"

"I—" Guilt washed through me. I'd made a deal and flaked on it because I was horny. "Something came up."

"Was it important?"

My eyes latched on an unopened bag of barbeque chips. "Sort of?" If you think satisfying my libido is important.

The lie was written on my face, I knew.

His jaw clenched. "We had a deal, Avy."

I didn't know what to say; I just wanted to avoid the conversation in general.

He studied my face, but when he was met with silence, he dragged a hand down his face. "Tomorrow. We can talk tomorrow."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he noticed and silenced me with a glare. "Don't try to get out of it."

"Fine, fine, whatever," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "I don't care; we'll have the stupid talk tomorrow."

"It's not stupid."

"Sure." I stood and made my way to my closed door to kick him out, when he latched onto my forearm and I hissed.

At his frown, I tugged my arm out of his grip and hid it behind my back, regretting it immediately because he'd seen the totally unsuspect move.

"What's wrong with your arm?"

"Nothing," I said, way too quickly for it to be 'nothing'.

"It seems like something."

"It is something. It's my arm."

He huffed. "Can I see it?"

I didn't hesitate to give him my answer. "No."

My family always freaked when I got hurt, and Seth wouldn't hesitate to tell the other musketeers. I didn't want the homicide of an old lady on anyone's hands. Not that she has long to live anyway.

"Why not?"

"Why should I?"

"If there's nothing wrong, there shouldn't be a problem with showing me."

"You can't just take my word for it?"

He squinted at me. "Is that a trick question?"

I looked him over. His eyebrows were creased together and he was staring hard at me. He's not going to let this go, I realized.

"Fine. But only if you promise not to tell anyone."

"Is it that bad?"

"Don't worry about that. Do we have a promise?"

His eyes searched mine and he nodded. "If it's bad, I'm telling your dad."

I rolled my eyes. "Snitch."

His focus turned to my arm when I brought it up and pulled up my sleeves, revealing the beginnings of a patchwork of bruises littering my forearm. I pulled up my other sleeve and presented both arms to him.

Gently, he inspected my arm, apologising softly when I hissed at him. "These are going to hurt more tomorrow," he commented.

"I know how bruises work." I'd been in plenty of fights.

He dropped my arms and frowned at me. "How did this happen?"

Lie! was my first thought, before remembering his promise. "I got hate crimed by an old lady."

A pause and then, "Huh?"

My mind flashed to his reaction at school. "I was with Cecelia today," I admitted.

Predictably, his face darkened.

"She had to leave to go to the hospital and while I was waiting for Calix, her neighbor tried to whack the gay out of me with her cane," I explained, looking everywhere but him.

There was a long silence that passed and when I couldn't stand it any longer, my eyes darted to him.

He was drawing carefully controlled breaths and his eyes were flinty.

He's really mad. I cleared my throat. "So now that you know, you can go now."

His jaw flexed, but he nodded. "Yeah. Make sure you put some ice on those bruises."

I squinted at him. His response seemed suspicious; I'd expected him to make more of a fuss. "I will." I nudged him to my door and finally he was out.

Turning to my bed, I collapsed and before I knew it, I was drifting to sleep.