False Confidence

7

When the weekend arrives I am emotionally and physically exhausted by Alena, who has been coming over every day after school to work on the project. We finished it and submitted it and I declare that the next time someone puts us together for a project I will protest more, refuse, riot. When Harriet declares she is spending the weekend with the cheer girls I snag Spencer and make plans to go over to his house for the weekend. I love his family, they are always more chaotic than ours and help me forget about my own troubles. His sisters are pure entertainment. 

"Why didn't you bring Harri?" His three year old sister is not impressed when I arrive instead of my identical twin. 

"I am Harri."She frowns, looking me over and shakes her head, pointing an accusing finger at me "Harri dresses pretty." 

"Okay, ouch." I mutter sticking my tongue out at the disgruntled toddler. "Go play,  shoo." Waving my arms as if to ward off the evil stares from her big aqua eyes. 

"She isn't a dog, Harp." Spencer says with a grin as he hands me the soda he was fetching "Beth, go help mom with dinner." She stomps off and I watch her mini retreating figure, deciding she has been spending to much time with Harriet, because that is exactly how she walks out the room when she mad. Creepy. I wonder if that is what their children are going to look like? Spencer's eyes and Harriet's sass. I pity them as parents.

"Feel like a video game?"

"Thought you would never ask." I follow him to his basement which is set up as a mancave, and I qualify as a man in this house, because there is no way any funny business is going down between us.  Handing me a control means we easily fit into the playing, each trying to kill each other. 

"Ha!" I jump on my knees after winning my third game. "How have you gotten worse?" He pouts, declaring I am cheating which isn't possible. 

"I never play unless you are here or like one of the guys, which lately, with all the work everyone has been piling on us is not often."

"Poor Spence."I say patting his head "I will come over more often to help you out."

"You mean beat me?"

"Exactly." I send him a grin and he shakes his head, easily letting his hair flop over his forehead. He relaxes into the couch, pulling out his phone and frowning. "What is it?"

"Just Steve." He half growls in annoyance and I raise an eyebrow, steve is one of his better friends, not best because that is me, but one of his better friends. Steve is also one of the more normal ones, he is on the swim team and in math with us. "He keeps asking to come over."

"Why not?" I ask plucking the loose string on my shorts "What did he do?"

"Nothing, well, he is just-" He cuts himself off shaking his head and glancing at me "Harriet said I shouldn't tell you and just let it play out but I find it, gross?" His nose wrinkles and I am intrigued. "Anyways, Steve has a crush on you."

"What!" I jump with a pillow, my cheeks blossoming red "Why is that gross?"

Spencer shrugs "I guess I just see you as a sister? and having Steve like you, is like gross?"

He really is a master with his words. Luckily Harriet loves him anyways. "Is that why he wants to come over?"

"What do you think Harper?" He shakes his head at me "I tried telling him you are not interested but he won't listen."

"Who said I was not interested?"

"Your crush on the new girl?" Jaw officially hits the carpet, I haven't said anything about that. "Don't look so shocked, I was there when you declared your undying love for Robert Pattison, I know what you crush face is."