"How do I look?"
"Addison, you look the same as you did five minutes ago when you asked me the same question," I say, handing Ethan his chicken soup for lunch.
She huffs and runs her fingers through her hair. "I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard, you know? I have to play it cool. I have to act like.. like.."
"Like he's just coming over to drop off your phone?" I suggest.
"It's a big deal, Ivy. I don't see why you don't understand this," Addison sighs.
When the doorbell rings, she screams and sprints out of the kitchen to answer it. "Oh. It's you." Disappointment is evident in her voice.
Flynn McClean walks into the kitchen with an upset Addison right behind him. "Hello, Kennedy family. Hi, Ivy."
"Hey."
"Elliott's not here," Addison tells him, her glare strong and heavy. "Why are you?"
"He told me to meet him here at one," he says and checks his watch. "I decided to be a little fashionably early."
"Elliott has class until two," I inform him with an apologetic smile. "I think he planned on being fashionably late."
"That little bitch," Flynn mutters under his breath, loud enough for me to hear. "I would've had time to watch another episode of Fear Factor."
Addison huffs. "Well, we're waiting for someone else and you got all of our hopes up for no reason, so I kind of want to put you in a box of tarantulas right about now!"
"Oh."
"Don't take it personally, man," Jonas says. "Ad told me I looked like a fat teletubby when I mentioned us going out to eat lunch."
Flynn nods, his eyebrows scrunched together. "Who are we waiting for?"
"Addison's crush," I answer, smiling at the girl who looks about as angry and nervous as a kindergartener on the first day of school. "Mike."
"Mike," Flynn repeats with a smirk. "He sounds hot."
"Shut up," Addison mutters, staring at her reflection in a spoon.
Jonas laughs and places his plate in the sink before heading towards the backdoor.
"Hey, where are you going?" I ask.
He looks back at me and shrugs. "I'm playing soccer with some kids at the park."
"I can drive you. It looks like it's about to rain," I say. "And you never know what creeps could be lurking out there in hopes of finding a fat teletubby of their own."
Not amused at my joke, Jonas declines my offer with a straight face before leaving. I sigh at my failed attempt. Since the spat yesterday, he hasn't spoken to me much. I guess I'll just have to give him more space before I can find out what changed with him in a day. I have a small hunch that it could've had something to do with the fight he got into.
"Ivy, we want to go to the park," Crystal says.
"Park!" Ethan cheers, clapping his hands together in excitement.
I nod. "As long as the weather holds up, we can go in an hour. I have to finish cleaning up lunch. You guys go play upstairs for a bit, yeah?"
The three little ones nod and leave the kitchen table, running upstairs. Flynn ruffles Ethan's hair when he passes.
"He should be here by now," Addison says and goes to look out the window.
"I don't think freshmen boys have punctuality at the top of their resumes," I remind her. "Why don't you come sit down and eat your lunch? It's probably cold by now."
"I'm too nervous to eat," she sighs and comes to sit down on one of the stools.
Flynn slides her plate over to himself. "Don't mind if I do." He takes a large bite of her turkey sandwich. "You know, Addison, there is no reason to be this nervous. You're a beautiful, smart girl. If anyone should be nervous, it's this Mike character."
Addison smiles softly. "Thanks, but I doubt it." She grabs her turkey sandwich back from Flynn, taking a small bite. "He probably forgot."
"He didn't forget," I assure her. "It's only five minutes after one. The rain probably slowed him down."
"Or he's still in his room trying to figure out which shirt you'd like on him best," Flynn adds with a wink.
Addison shakes her head. When the phone rings, she lunges to answer it before I do. "Hello? Oh, hey." She pauses. "Yeah, I totally forgot about it too." She nods, a fake smile on her face even though the person on the other line can't see her. "Don't worry. Tonight is fine." She bites her lip and listens intently. "Again, it's fine. Bye."
"Was that Mike?" Flynn asks, although the answer is clear.
"I hate boys," Addison mutters and slams the phone on the counter.
I cringe, deciding on my wording to avoid further hurting her feelings. "So, what'd he say?"
"He forgot," she says with an eye roll. "He asked if I would meet him at JoJo's Fro-Yo tonight to pick it up instead."
I raise my eyebrows and look to Flynn who is wearing a similar expression. "Uh, Addison.."
"What?" she snaps.
"You just got asked on a date," Flynn says with a lopsided grin.
Addison scrunches her eyebrows together. "I did not just get asked on a.." She trails off, her eyes widening shortly after. "I just got asked on a date!"
I laugh. "Yeah, you did."
Her mouth drops to the counter. "I just got asked on a date!" She lets out a high-pitched squeal. "Mike asked me on a date!" Her excitement changes to fear in a second. "Oh God.." Her face pales before she takes off sprinting toward the stairs. "I have a date tonight!"
I smile at the cuteness of it all. My smile fades when Addison's screeching voice calls down to me with, "Ivy! Get your butt up here and help me pick an outfit!"
~~
I finish putting Beth to bed, going downstairs to find the twins giving Ethan a makeover, his punishment for losing the game of capture the flag at the park. I do feel slightly guilty since it was my fault our team lost. In my defense, Crystal is faster than she appears to be. Ethan seems content with it all, so I don't step in.
Elliott had gotten home two hours after the time he originally told Flynn, and the two went down to the basement to play video-games. They've been down there for hours. The occasional swear word from Elliott lets me know they're still here.
Jonas called me from a friend's house to let me know he's spending the night there, and I cautiously let him get away with it. Maybe he'll see that I am not trying to over-manage him.
"What time do you need a ride to the fro-yo place?" I ask Addison as I search to find something for dinner. I lift up a pack of expired meat and bite my tongue. Pizza sounds nice.
"I don't need a ride," she says. "I'll just ride my bike. It's not supposed to start raining again."
"Alright." I look up the number to the pizza place on my phone. "Just let me know when you leave then."
"Okay."
As I'm calling the pizza place to the leave the order, Elliott and Flynn finally resurface from the basement. They're arguing over who was the one that froze the Nintendo 64. Elliott seems to have the upper-hand from the looks of the guilty Flynn.
"Are we still going to Giano's?" Flynn asks him, taking a seat on the stool.
Elliott shrugs. "It'll probably be lame."
"You say that every time," Flynn argues. "Giano has a hot tub."
"Hot tubs are full of fungi and infection."
Flynn rolls his eyes and throws an artificial apple that Mrs. Kennedy uses for display directly at Elliott's face. Elliott catches the apple with his left hand before it hits him. He winds his arm back to chuck the apple at Flynn, but I step in the way to stop the artificial food fight before it gets out of hand and we end up with deflated fake grapes. Elliott sighs and moves to place the apple back in the bowl behind me, pressing his chest against my arm as he does this.
"One moment." I cover the receiver of the phone with my hand, taking a quick second to settle my feelings about his cologne and how solid his chest felt. "Are you guys staying for dinner? That will help me decide whether to order one pizzas or five."
Flynn looks to Elliott. "Honey, are we staying for dinner?"
"Well, I'm not going to Giano's for dinner."
"He's probably serving pizza too," Flynn guesses. "What do you have against Giano?"
"He has a hot tub," Elliott answers as if that explains everything. "I'm staying for dinner."
"So, five?" I say into the phone as more of a question.
"Wait!" Flynn eagerly looks to Elliott. "His mom is probably making homemade pizza. They're Italian. It'll be so good!"
Elliott shakes his head. "I don't like Italians."
"You're Italian!" Flynn exclaims in disbelief.
Elliott holds up his finger in objection. "My dad is Italian. I hate my dad. Hence, I can't like Italians. It's against my whole.." He stops to find the right word, waving his hand in a circle. "My whole concept."
"That's so racist and self-loathing and you're such a shit," Flynn cries. "I really think we should go to the party. Ivy, you know Giano Bertolini, yeah?"
"Yeah."
Flynn nods. "Nice guy, yeah?"
"Yeah," I answer unsurely.
"So, you'd go to Giano Bertolini's party if you could?"
I shrug. "I guess."
Flynn smiles as if he has accomplished something great. "So, that's one pizza."
"Five," Elliott corrects in annoyance. "Her opinion isn't really valid since she's never actually been to one of Giano's dumb parties."
"Yeah, but I like Italians," I say, receiving a flat look from Elliott. "And if you guys can't come to a decision quickly, the pizza guy will probably spit in our pizzas."
Flynn sighs heavily. "I have made the decision that we will stay for dinner. If," he pauses dramatically, "the next time Giano throws a party this summer, we will go and we will eat the homemade pizza of Mama Bertolini and Ivy will be come with us to make the final decision whether we ever go to another Giano Bertolini part again."
"Fine," Elliott agrees before I have a chance to interject. He takes the phone from me. "We'll have seven pizzas. Three cheese. One Hawaiian. One vegetable. Two pepperoni. Thanks." He hangs up and puts the phone back in the holder.
"Why did you get vegetable pizza?" Flynn asks with a shudder of disgust.
"Addison's a vegetarian now," he explains. "Though last time we ordered pizza, she ate all the leftover pepperoni pizza as a midnight snack."
Flynn laughs. "Mike has a lot more in store for him than he thinks."
"Mike?" Elliott repeats with confusion.
Flynn looks to me for help. Addison does not want Elliott to know about any boyfriend of hers. She told us specifically to keep it from Elliott. She doesn't know how he'll react and she doesn't want to scare off Mike before they even have a chance.
"Did I say Mike?" Flynn asks with an exaggerated laugh. "I meant to say Ivy."
Elliott shakes his head. "Right. I'm going to be downstairs trying to fix what you broke, McClean."
"It was an accident!"
Flynn chases Elliott downstairs, pleading for forgiveness. I laugh and go into the family room where the twins have transformed Ethan into Ethel.
"Our beautiful baby sister!" Rose presents the little boy in a dress and a bright red wig.
"Did you use Addison's makeup?" I ask, looking closer at his makeup caked face.
"No, we used yours," Crystal says.
I nod, clucking my tongue. "Did you ask to use my makeup?"
"Well.." Rose looks to the floor. "Yeah. You-you just didn't hear us."
"Oh, is that it?" I can't help but laugh. "You're lucky Ethan looks so beautiful." I tickle the little boy, who collapses to the floor.
"Stop," he giggles as the twins join in on the attack. "I can't!"
I smile. "Alright, alright, ladies. I think he has had enough."
"Goodness," he breathes out and wipes his forehead after the attack. "You all crazy." He leaves the room, straightening his wig on the way out.
"Ivy, Jonas is on the phone," Addison says, bringing me the device. "I'm going to go to meet Mike now."
"Have fun." I get up to take the call, going into the dining room to sit down. "Hey, what's up?"
"I-I.." He sounds out of breath, his voice weak. "I need you to come pick me up."
"Where are you?"
He hesitates to answer. His voice is small when he responds, "I'm at the bowling alley."
I shut my eyes. "Jonas, you told me you were staying at your friend's house tonight."
"I-I'm sorry I lied, Ivy," he sniffles. "I'm sorry."
"I'll leave right now," I say, standing from the chair. "Tell me you're okay."
"Just hurry."
My stomach drops and I move quickly. With Addison already gone, I go downstairs to ask Elliott and Flynn to keep an eye on the kids.
"What's wrong?" Elliott asks.
"Jonas just called and asked me to pick him up," I sigh. "He sounded upset, almost scared. I'm actually kind of worried something bad happened to him."
Flynn nods. "Yeah, we'll take care of the kids. You go."
"I'll go with you," Elliott volunteers.
I'm a little surprised, but I don't stop him from following me upstairs. Elliott takes his keys off the ledge and we go through the garage. I get into the passenger seat of his car, surprised at how clean it is. My mom's boyfriend, Steve, his car is a mess. I can't even sit in hair without getting toothpaste or ketchup all over my legs.
When he starts the engine, his music blares through the speakers. I jump back in shock of the sudden loudness. With what may be blush on his cheeks, Elliott turns off the radio.
"Sorry," he apologizes quickly, backing out of the driveway and driving down the road. "Where is he?"
"The bowling alley," I answer.
He mutters something under his breath. "He was asking for it."
"What are you talking about?"
"There's this spot behind the bowling alley where kids around his age drink and do drugs and fight and stuff like that," he explains.
I feel a knot in my stomach. "You don't think Jonas was.."
"He's too much of a good boy to drink or do drugs," Elliott says. "My bet is that bully of his worked him up enough to get in a fight."
"Bully?"
Elliott sighs as if I'm oblivious. "The one who beat him up yesterday? Yeah, that bully."
I scrunch my eyebrows together. "You really think that's it?"
"I know it is," he says confidently. "I would like to see if that punk is as big as he thinks when I get to him."
I chew the inside of my cheek as we drive to the bowling alley. Elliott parks the car in front, storming out of the car towards Jonas who sits on a bench near the front. His lip is split open, shirt torn in different spots. He looks tired and broken.
"Jonas," I whisper, rushing to him and holding either side of his face.
"Who did this to you?" Elliott asks in a calm voice.
Jonas looks down, tears stained his face. "Why did you bring him here?"
"Hey," Elliott says and whacks his brother's shoulder, "who was it?"
"I just want to go home," Jonas says in a quiet voice.
I nod and help him stand up from the bench, remaining as calm as possible. My heart aches as I imagine what the other guy had done to Jonas. Once Jonas is in the backseat, I close the door and walk to a pacing Elliott.
"Let's just take him home, okay?" I say and run a hand through my hair. "He just wants to go home."
"Well, I'm not letting that asshole get away with what he did!" he spits.
I follow him as he walks to the back of the bowling alley. There are a few middle schoolers sitting in a made up fort of dirt and old trash cans. Some kids have beers, others cigars. The feel of the place makes me feel gross and unclean.
Elliott picks up the one closest to him by the collar of his shirt. "Which one of you pricks touched my little brother?"
The little guy, panic and fear in his eyes, can barely stutter out, "I-I don't know what you're talking about, m-man."
"You better tell me before I.." He turns his head, looking to where there is rustling in the bushes.
Two more boys appear out of the forest, laughing and pushing one another back and forth. "He's such a pussy, dude."
The other holds his hands up to his face and falls to his knees. "Don't hurt me, Darren! Please, I beg you!" He cracks up laughing. "So gay."
Elliott releases the boy from before and marches towards the two laughing boys. He shoves the one with a bandage on his nose, who stumbles shortly before getting his face close to Elliott's. "Hey, tough guy, are you Darren?"
"Yeah, you got a problem, bro?" he asks, shoving Elliott back.
"Elliott," I say and pull on his arm. "Let's leave."
"Oh, I don't have a problem, bro," Elliott laughs and curls his hand into a fist. "You're the one who's going to have the problem."
"Are you threatening me?" Darren asks, glancing over Elliott's shoulder to look at me. "You know, your chick is kinda hot when she's pissed at you. If you fight me, do I get keep her when I knock you stone cold?"
I roll my eyes and tug on Elliott's arm. "Come on. Jonas is in the car."
"Jonas," Darren repeats with an amused smile. He looks at Elliott with a huge smirk, moving his face close to Elliott's. "Your little brother is a wuss."
I move quickly, jumping in front of Elliott before his fist went flying into Darren's right eye. Elliott drops his hand and looks at me incredulously.
"Move," he says in annoyance.
"No," I say angrily. "Elliott, he's in middle school. You're eighteen. If you touch him, you could get arrested."
"Baby mama doesn't want to take care of the child all by herself," Darren says, overly amused with himself. "You're going to miss that ass in jail, dude."
I clench my jaw and spin around to kick the boy in the groin. "If you ever touch Jonas again, I won't stop him from putting you in a coma."
~~
AN:
daaaanggg girrrlll
but aw Jonas :( why do you guys think Darren was picking on Jonas?
also.. do we ship Mike and Addison?
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