Pride and Joy ✓

twenty nine

THURSDAY. 13. JANUARY. 2022. (unedited!)

"SO," Isla began, shuffling back onto his bed and crossing her legs over as she studied him, her lips quirking into a curious smile and her soft blue eyes glinting. "What's going on with you and Nate?"

"What are you talking about?" Denver asked, frowning gently and spinning around in his desk chair to face her.

"Nate," she repeated, like he was being an idiot, and glanced from side-to-side. "Edith's grandson? I always see you in school together and you're always running off to hangout with him, but you haven't mentioned him to me once."

"Is that all you came into my room for?" He asked, cocking a brow. "You said you had something important to talk to me about."

"Yeah. This is it," she deadpanned, staring at him. "Why have you never mentioned him to me?"

"You didn't ask," he shrugged.

"I was waiting for you to tell me," she replied, narrowing her eyes and allowing her eyes to dance over him as she sat on his bed with her knees pulled against her chest, her ankles crossed.

"Did you really think that was gonna happen?" He asked, barking a laugh and shaking his head to himself before he turned back around to his laptop.

"Fine," she scowled, gazing down at Maria who was lying next to her on Denver's bed.

Maria had her headphones in and she was holding her phone over her head while she so kindly graced the Hughes siblings with her presence, occasionally asking Denver a question about his assignment or making a remark about something that had happened in class that day. It was something she did pretty frequently.

Over the years, they'd been able to craft the kind of friendship where they could hang out and barely speak a word to each other the entire time. Though he'd never told her, it was something about their relationship that he'd always appreciated.

"Maria," Isla began, pulling one of Maria's headphones out. "What's going on with Denver and Nate?"

"They're dating," she replied, her dark eyes flickering towards Isla as she picked up her headphone from where it had fallen on the bed, plugging it back in her ear.

"You're dating!" She cheered, her eyes widening as her mouth fell open. "I can't believe you're dating him! Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

"Because it's none of your business," Denver remarked, turning his chair back around towards her and shrugging, eyebrows furrowed.

"It absolutely is my business," she scoffed, blue eyes sharp and bright. "I tell you about everyone that I date."

"Yeah, against my will," he quipped, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse me for trying to be a good sister," she retorted, glaring at him and beginning to push herself up off of the bed, "by showing an interest in your love life."

Throwing his head back, he groaned and looked back at his sister with a faint scowl. He was certain that, even though he couldn't see her face, Maria's eyes probably held a faint twinkle or amusement and the corners of her lips were likely perked up (she could pretend she wasn't listening as much as she wanted; he knew her better than that). For safety, he scowled at her, too.

"Yes, we're dating," he informed, failing to convince himself that he wasn't blushing— which only made him blush harder, skin prickling with an awkwardness that only came from trying to be too nonchalant. "So what?"