The Art of Still Pretending

Twenty Six

Blair POV.
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   Jake was gone by the time I woke up. All the boys were. They had decided to go to the store to get stuff for dinner later.

Emma, Grace, and I are left sitting at the kitchen counter. "We should make breakfast for them!" Emma suggest.

Grace and I both nod in agreement. While cooking breakfast I give Emma and Grace the rundown on what happened the night before. I was very hesitant to say anything in front of Grace, but they both were very persistent.

"Both of my brothers are so dramatic." Grace laughed and Emma agreed. There was no way I was about to agree with that. If they are dramatic, then what am I?

"Who do you think she should pick?" Grace turns and asks Emma.

Emma looks up, and thinks for a moment. "Ok, this is going to sound weird. But I always thought it would be Blair and Noah."

My jaw practically drops to the floor. There's no way I heard that right, especially since she's kind of dating him.

"Seriously?" I ask in disbelief.

"I mean, now clearly I don't think that. Or even want that, but I don't know. That's just who I thought would win." I cringe at the word win.

"Well, I had no clue about Jake. So honestly I was thinking Drew." Is this a joke?

"We went on one date."

She laughs at my dumbfounded expression. "I know, but you were so pretty and sweet. So I was hoping that Drew would score you." Score you, is this a contest for them?

This is such a weird conversation. "So, no one thought Grayson?" I ask, which I probably shouldn't have.

"I think my mom did at first." Emma says, "Then we went to the diner one day, and Nana was saying all this stuff about you and Jake. So then she thought Jake."

   You're kidding... Nana was in on it?

"No, my mom thought Grayson." Grace adds in. "She didn't know about Jake though, so that also might be why."

I groan, "oh my god, your family probably hates me."

Grace laughs, "No, my mom actually loves you. I think she's just hoping one of my brothers end up with you."

"So this is like what, a normal family topic to have for you guys?"

"I don't think we talk about it that much." Emma says looking at Grace.

"I mean, we talk about it a fair amount." I groan again. "It's like a tv show, it's entertaining."

"I'm glad it is."

"So which one are you going to pick?" Emma asks curiously.

"Yea, we obviously won't tell anyone. But I'm dying to know."

"I have no idea yet."

***

By the time the boys were back, there were plates of eggs, pancakes, and bacon waiting for them.

Noah sighs when he sees all the food. "God, I love women." He says putting his arms around me and Emma. I laugh and push his arm off.

I smile at Jake when he walks in, he gives me a small smile back. I then look at Grayson, he's looking anywhere but me. I sigh, knowing I need to talk to him.

I wait until after breakfast to go up to him, "Can we talk?" I tried doing it so it wasn't a big deal. Of course, it didn't go that way.

"Yes, of course we can talk." He says a bit too loudly, earning the attention from everyone in the room. Great.

I look at Jake, worried he would get the wrong impression. To calm my nerves, he shoots me a small smile.

Grayson reaches and grabs my hand without me noticing. I try to pull away, but his hold only gets tighter. Jake's smile leaves his face. He turns away, and starts saying something to Blake.

"So you've decided?" Grayson says a little too excitedly once we step out.

Does he think I picked him? "What? No, I was just wanting to talk to you about the whole thing." The smile on his face instantly drops.

"What do you mean?"

"Jake is giving me until tomorrow, to decide." I say pulling my hand out of his. I'm nervous when I see anger flash in eyes.

"Of course, perfect Jake always being perfect."

"I was just going to ask you too, if you'd give me until tomorrow."

   "Oh." Oh? That's all he has to say, was oh?

"Oh?"

"I mean ok. Yea you can have that." We stand there, awkward and uncomfortable. A guy I used to be so comfortable around, seems to be a completely different person now.

***

The rest of the day way fun. I avoided the boys, swam at the beach, ate lunch, dinner, and now us girls are put in charge of making cookies for the boys, while they run to the store and get alcohol.

"We should make the cookies gross." Grace suggests.

"Yea, the boys have been little shits today." Emma agrees.

I laugh, "I would be all for that, If I didn't want some cookies myself."

"Damn, I forgot that we'd be eating them too."

"Has anyone ever made cookies from scratch?" Emma asks, looking at us. We both shake our heads no. "Well, there isn't no time like the present."

And that's how we started world war three at the house. First we started bickering about what cookies to make, all three of us wanting to make different kinds.

Then we decided on a baking contest, we would all three make our own cookies. Emma started playing dirty though, literally. I was breaking my eggs, when a clump of flour hits my head.

"Are you kidding me?" I shriek. Emma and Grace both start to laugh. "Oh, you think that's funny?" I say, grabbing a handful of flour and throwing it back. Emma dodges it and it hits Grace square in the face.

I start to scream when I see Grace pick up an egg. She stars to chase me around the kitchen. "Emma you traitor!" I yell when she holds me down. I don't think she was expecting for Grace to break the egg on both of our heads.

"Oh my god!" Emma shrieks. She then grabs an egg and breaks it on Grace. More flour is thrown, even a cup of water, eggs are flying, the kitchen has turned into a mess.

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