The Art of Faking Straight

Chapter Six

         “Yeah, keep screaming as if you seriously need any more attention, just look at you!” Connor yells from outside the door.

         I take a deep breath with my hand on the knob, and turn. Hell.

         Immediately Callie sees me and starts freaking out. “Holy shit, what are you doing here? What were you doing in there? Holy shit. Holy-,” she begins to swear again, but I interrupt her before she can.

         “Where the hell is Jack? I looked everywhere for him before school today, yet he wasn't there.”

         Callie stares at me for a moment, then says, “So why are you here? Did you follow us here or something?” She raises her eyebrows as she waits for my answer. I get the idea to chuckle, because she's the worse version of Sherlock Holmes I've ever seen, but I don't.

         “I saw Connor at school and I asked if Jack was off with you when he knows he isn't supposed to be. Sure enough I find him here with you. Imagine that, you both listen so freaking well,” I tell her, trying to make myself convincing I say, “I'm now going to be late, and for what? To waste my morning with him.” I nod my head in Connor's direction.

         He just stares at me for a moment, but then he catches on, and speaks.

         “Yeah, I had to let this Liam come into my house because you want to screw around with his prick of a best friend. Now you get why I'm so pissed off Callie, you brought him here, probably with the idea of screwing him huh?” Connor asks, but before Callie can answer he starts up again. “I don't like Jack. I don't like Liam. And I especially don't like you fucking an eighteen year old!”

         I'm too much in shock to even think about retorting back. His words don't sting, I would've said the same thing. It's just he is never the one to argue or yell. Sure he's been doing it for the past twenty minutes, but they weren't full of that emotion, that hatred, that feeling. Maybe Connor deserves some respect after all.

         “Is he still here?” Connor asks, his voice seething with disgust.

         I look back and forth between the two siblings, and then finally Callie answers him.

         “Yeah, he's in there,” she says as she nods toward the other room, her voice is quiet and I almost feel bad for her, but then I remember she's the one that got Jack into this mess.

         “Okay,” Connor says, then walks off to do God knows what to Jack.

         “Wait!” I yell, then pull his wrist, making him do a complete 180.

         He looks at me confused, then says, “What?”

         I motion with my head for him to follow him, and he agrees. He shoots Callie a look, that I take to mean stay here then he turns to follow me away from the crowded entrance to the bathroom door. After all, who wants to discuss anything in front of the doorway to the toilet, anyway?

         “If Jack gets any idea about this morning, I'm doomed. Completely doomed. I can't be hanging out with you, especially not here!” I hiss, I try not to let Callie hear, but right now it doesn't seem like it'd matter or not. I cannot lie flat out, on the spot, and the lie I just used was a bit pathetic. Even I know that.

         “Leave it to me then,” he says smiling, not too broadly, but I can still tell it's a grin.

         At the exact time I say 'no' he walks off, and before I can stop him, he's in the room with Jack. I go to follow him in there, to at least explain myself, but the door is shut as soon as I walk up to it.